Leonard Boswell

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman and I appreciate all of our efforts to get on top of this methamphetamine scourge that has so taken our country.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Lipinski) for their leadership. I have a lot of confidence in them. The times we have talked and traveled together, we talked about this thing; I know they are in the game and are concerned about this fact that we have got tremendous demands for increased traffic, both in people, personnel and freight. And we have got to deal with it, and we appreciate that. Airport improvements, ATC equipment, longer runways, terminals, whatever, the infrastructure has got to be there to accommodate these things. But I am concerned about the people. I know these gentlemen are too. I do not even have to ask, I know they are. I think that was one of the things we fell a little short in. I am going to support this, but I am going to expect me to be diligent and continue to watch this side of it, and I know that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Shuster) will, as will the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), that we watch this to be sure that this does not get pushed back somewhat. So I trust we can do that. The question of slots is worrisome. Ms. Garvey, the Secretary of Transportation, says this is not a safety problem. They can work with this. Folks from our part of the country, we need some help and relief. I also have confidence that we will continue to work on that. Advanced out to 2007, I hear people already working on trying to advance it out even further, so we have to be watching for this very much. I trust that we will. So let us support this. Let us grow aviation. It is very important to our country's economy. Let us get on with it. I look forward to continuing dialogue on these things that I am a little bit worried about.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here tonight along with the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) to honor and appreciate cooperatives across America. It is important to honor and recognize these valuable institutions, America's co-ops, not only during national co-op month but every day because of the importance they play in every community's life. Years ago, farmers across our State, many years ago, had no place to purchase their inputs or no place to store their grain or to market. They were really at the mercy of a handful of people, and sometimes they could not even get their grain anywhere. Well, co-ops came into existence. They were organized across our State and across the land, and they are very important to our Nation and they are very important to our State of Iowa. There are 47,000 cooperatives of all types in the U.S., and they serve 120 million in all 50 States. One of every four people in the United States is a member of a co-op. In Iowa, co-ops originate about 75 percent of the grain sold by Iowa farmers. Iowa's rural electric co- ops, which the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) mentioned how important they are, they certainly are to me, I have three meters on a co-op line at my farm, serve more than 176,000 farms, homes, and businesses in all of our 99 counties. There are over 220 credit unions in Iowa that have more than 740,000 members. Iowa has 124 cooperative farm organizations that total 322 sites throughout the State. The bottom line is nearly everyone's life in Iowa is touched by a co-op in one way or another. Cooperative associations can take on different forms within the communities they serve. Certainly they serve as business organizations, but they can also be the lifeblood of the community, providing the backbone and the strength to the residents of the area. Local control and local ownership make co-ops a special kind of business because of the commitment not only to the people they serve but also to the communities in which they exist. Co-ops can take on many different functions in a community. In rural Iowa, where I am from, the farmer cooperative can be the center of many of the community's actions. I have said for a long time in farm communities today they need at least a minimum of two important things to do business: they have to have a bank and they have to have an elevator. And I would say very often a co-op elevator. Both are very important. They are a must to do business down on the farm. On the business side, the farmer cooperative can help create a business superstructure for individual farmers or other cooperatives which allow for a more coordinated and efficient farm operation. They supply services and supplies that are essential to the day-to-day running of the operation. On the personal side, they allow farmers the opportunity to join together to provide inputs in the market, share information, and provide co-op regional support. My local farmer cooperative in Lamoni, Iowa, is part of the reason I am here today in the United States Congress. Back in the 1980s, during the last farm crisis, my neighbors and fellow farmers asked me to serve as the president of their co-op. We worked as a community to keep our people on the farm and to keep our towns and our schools and our churches and our local businesses viable. Co-op members have always helped each other make it through the tough times by sharing resources and experiences and helping each other work through the problems and struggles associated with crises. I can recall serving on the local co-op board during the farm crisis of the 1980s. It was a tough time, but I was sure glad to have the associates that I had. Now, American agriculture is again faced with a growing crisis, and again cooperatives will be there to lend a helping hand and, in many cases, the glue that holds communities together. By joining together and marketing their products together, farmers are better able to gain strength they need to compete with the large multinational corporate farming operations that now control much of agriculture. There are going to be many dramatic success stories coming out of the current agriculture crisis, and once again it is going to be the farmer cooperatives playing a very significant role. Cooperation by whatever means and whatever name you call it, networks or co-ops, is what built our system of family farms in the Midwest, and they may well be the best strategy for preserving it to the greatest degree possible as we meet future farm challenges. Once again I am pleased to join with the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) to honor and appreciate the importance of America's co-ops.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. First off, let me say that I am supporting this bill. I think that I have to associate myself with those who made other comments about the inadequacies. I do not understand why we did not have an opportunity to have the full discussion. But there is where we are at. We have got two economies in our country right now, a robust economy and an ag economy. The ag economy is in bad, bad shape. We have to address these things. The farmers are desperate out there. I am supporting this to get the movement going and get this money to those producers. They need it now. I would say to the Secretary and anybody else that is listening that this money needs to go to those producers that have had losses. They are the ones that need it. I would trust and hope that we are doing everything we can to get it to them. I also appreciate the fact that my colleague and friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) is offering something that will be coming up I hope very soon, the Supplemental Income Protection Act that will help all of us put the money where it belongs and help the farmers move ahead. Support the bill.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding me this time to speak on this matter. It is very important. And I want to thank also our chairman, as others have, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) for his keen interest in trying to provide a better safety net for our producers. Farmers need the insurance. But if they cannot afford it, they are not going to use it. And they have proven that to us. So this will be a big step, an incentive, to get this going. And again I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) for taking this on. As has been said several times, and I will not spend a lot of time repeating it, but the lowest commodity prices in years and years and years are facing farmers today. I am also looking forward, and I appreciate again the statement of the chairman in committee that the supplemental income language that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) has prepared will be discussed at a future time. So I thank him for that. I am looking forward to that. I think that is a step forward in the right direction. So I am very enthusiastic to support this bill today, and I look forward to the discussions we will have starting in the new year with the hearings that we are going to have on the farm bill. I think this is very important, and the farmers across this land are expecting this and looking forward to it. So I rise in strong support of what we are doing here today and thank again the chairman and the ranking member for their good work.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, first off, I again want to thank my colleague and neighbor the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) for his good work, and also the committee, as I have already mentioned earlier. I have been a long-time crop farmer and livestock farmer and, of course, associate with those kind of folks a lot. We have often tried very hard to respond to the needs of the crop farmers, as we should, and we should continue to do that. But we have overlooked livestock time and again. So I rise to support this amendment. It gets right to the point of why the business of agriculture is unlike any other business in the world. Most business people have some degree of control over many of the factors that affect their bottom line. And although weather affects everyone, we can make a case that farming is greatly threatened by natural disasters such as floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, damaging droughts, which severely affect a farmer's ability to stay in business. Now, granted that other businesses are threatened with those, too. But remember, a farmer's business stretches over many acres of land and, therefore, is a different situation. Cleanup after one of these natural disasters, like Floyd, and we are still trying to assess that impact, cost the family farmer thousands upon thousands of dollars. And in these times of disastrously low commodity prices, any kind of unforeseen cost could be a factor that finally puts the farmer out of business for good. Farmers cannot control the weather, but they certainly must deal with it. This amendment would simply direct USDA to use its new livestock insurance pilot program to give producers a useful risk management tool against the ill effects of Mother Nature's force and other factors beyond their control. And for farmers who are barely making ends meet, every opportunity to mitigate unforeseen costs is extremely useful. Mr. Chairman, this amendment simply moves to protect livestock producers from costs associated with incidents beyond their control. It is an amendment that will help the producer better manage the risks associated with farming. It is a common-sense amendment and it makes H.R. 2559 a better bill. Again, I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the chairman and the ranking member.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to give special recognition to Mr. Leonard A. Hadley, for his 40 years of service to Maytag Corporation of Newton, Iowa. I am privileged to represent Iowa's 3rd Congressional District, which is home to Maytag Corporation. I, along with the residents of the 3rd Congressional District, wish to recognize the many valuable contributions made by Mr. Hadley as he enters retirement. We, in Iowa, are particularly proud of the Maytag Corporation. It is recognized as a worldwide leader in the appliance industry. Mr. Hadley's contributions as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, since 1992, contributed greatly to that success. The continued emphasis on developing unique, innovative products while maintaining its reputation for quality and traditional Iowa values makes Leonard A. Hadley's tenure at Maytag Corporation particularly noteworthy. Mr. Hadley has also distinguished himself through his service on the boards of other leading businesses, indicating his strong commitment to building and maintaining a vibrant business climate in Iowa and the nation. He was recognized within the business community for his dedication and commitment to excellence by being inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame in 1997. Another important contribution by Leonard A. Hadley was his commitment to education. With education serving as the great equalizer, we must continue enhancing opportunities for our youth to secure a strong education. Mr. Hadley has done just that through his efforts on the Board of Visitors of the University of Iowa College of Business, the Iowa College Foundation and the Board of the University of Iowa Foundation. I am confident we will continue to hear of many future contributions made by Mr. Hadley in his retirement which will greatly enhance our community, state and nation. I ask my colleagues to join me in offering a hearty congratulations and special recognition to Leonard A. Hadley as he prepares to retire after 40 successful years at Maytag Corporation.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking our distinguished guest Chaplain Dr. Calvin French. Calvin French is a graduate of Graceland College, Lamoni, Iowa, where he presently serves on the board of trustees. He received a B.S. degree in education from the University of Iowa, a master's degree from Temple University, with doctoral studies at Harvard University, and received his doctorate in educational administration from Drake University in Des Moines. He has given a lifetime of ministry with principal appointments to Philadelphia, Boston and Des Moines. For the past 20 years he has been the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Pastor of the Washington, D.C., congregation where he continues to serve on Massachusetts Avenue. Dr. French is a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists. For 10 years he served on the board of Park College in Kansas City. He was appointed to the National Institutes of Health Advisory Board for Minorities Health and Education, Bethesda, Maryland, and for many years was a member of the executive board of the National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces. Dr. French was a delegate to the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography. He is currently a member of the Secretary of Education's Advisory Council on Partnership for Family Involvement in Education and has provided liaison services to U.S. Government units for the RLDS Church. On several occasions he has presented opening prayers in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. He is an active member of Rotary International and served as president of the Washington, D.C., Rotary Club. He is presently president of the Rotary Foundation Board that provides financial support for 48 charitable organizations in Washington, D.C. His wife LaVon and their two children, Colin French, an attorney in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Kelsey French, a clinical psychologist, Washington, D.C., are all graduates of Graceland College.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition of this amendment. It has been an interesting parade here this morning of all of the powers that be of this Congress to talk about this issue. Quite a list has been recorded here of things we need to do. But not from the ticket tax on the aviation fund. Now, those of my colleagues, all of my colleagues fly, they fly a lot. They do not hear anybody complaining to them about that extra fee to fly. They want safety, they want timeliness, they want dependability. They want the air traffic control system to be upgraded. They really want things to be safe. Here is an opportunity to collect the funds for the purpose that it is intended for and use it for that purpose, and the need is great. Some of my colleagues can give the statistics on how fast it is growing, the passenger traffic and freight traffic, and the need to modernize and extend airports like Miami all the way to California. We have got to do it. Oppose this amendment.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. We have had some good discussion here already, and I am not going to try to repeat it over and over, but I appreciate the things that have been said. I might just give my colleagues a little lesson in history that some Members might not be aware of about the American farmer. We are in a crisis in agriculture, no question about it. I live out there, as many of my colleagues do. I just spent a week in my district, and it is tough and it is real. A few years ago, when we had the Ag crisis of the 1980s, it was interesting to me, and that is what motivated me to get involved in this arena, the political arena, we had people going to their lenders and different organizations, and I will not get into that, and they told our farmers to go back and sell their cow herds or sell their sows, or do this or that. In other words, dispose of their factory, in a sense. We do not want to do that again. We have to get out there and be competitive in the export market. In my State we have to export about 40 percent to make things work. That is kind of a reflection of the country. We have to do about the same thing to make things work. As we have heard many of our colleagues say already, agriculture puts a plus on the trade deficit in our favor, so we cannot let this happen. It is not a time to let up and say we are not going to go out there and be competitive. In our Committee on Agriculture here a number of weeks ago, we had the Secretary come and talk to us and mention the unprecedented 3 years in a row that there has been overproduction. And so when our people go to sell to someone else, they say, excuse me, we have something we want to sell. And so this is a time when we want to cut back on the promotion. We cannot do that. So I encourage a ``no'' vote and hope that we can do that; that we can give a leg up for the American farmer and agriculture production. It is important to all of us. I do not care where we live, what part of the country, what we do, it is important to all of us and let us not forget that.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. It has been an interesting discussion going on here, and it does not take really a rocket scientist to figure out what is going on when we see this many amendments on this particular bill, and if we want to do something about Social Security, let us bring it out here and get on with it. But if we are going to talk about agriculture, let us say it like it really is. Agriculture is in a world of hurt. The last speaker, the previous speaker, and I just met in the Rayburn Room with some of my bankers from rural Iowa, and they are talking about the foreclosures that are starting to take place. It is really happening, it is really happening; reflections for me, having come out of the State legislature, of what went on in the 1980s, and it is not a very pretty sight and it is not good for our country. Now we might ought to reflect on this a little bit. As my colleagues know, we are pretty unusual in the world of things at 14, 15 percent, Mr. Chairman, of disposable income spent on food compared to anywhere else in the world, modern countries, wherever, 25 or whatever, to undeveloped countries that take everything, and we have got the most plentiful, safest food and the least expensive. Now we do not feel that way when we go to the grocery store, but the truth of it is it is that way. Now we are messing with our machinery, if my colleagues will, with our factory, if my colleagues will, that produces this food and fiber. Now some of these things said need to be expanded on a little bit. The secretary told us in our Committee on Agriculture here 3 months ago, something like that, unprecedented, unprecedented worldwide, that we have got overproduction. So when we go somewhere else to make a trade or to want to sell, they say: ``Excuse me. We want to sell to you.'' So, Mr. Chairman, we got a tough situation, and to get the word out and to make sure that, as my colleagues know, those of them that are aware of what is going on in the Farm Service Agency offices and so on, to be able to get the word out as to what is there for them, we need this to be done. We probably need it more than what we are appropriating. And I want to compliment the chairman, too, and I want to compliment the ranking member for the work they have done within these targets that were established. Pretty tough. I know they have had a tough assignment, but they worked hard and put the hours in, and we thank them for it, and we appreciate it. But we need to pass an ag bill. We need to tell the farmers out there that provide the food and fiber for all of us that we know what is going on and that we want to help them and we want to pass this bill.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for this opportunity to say just a couple of words. As my colleagues know, it is tough when a leader has to lead, and I think we are in that position. We are the only superpower, and we got a lot of responsibility to go with it. None of us who have ever been in harm's way wants to see somebody in harm's way, but, as my colleagues know, some of them have had experiences, and I respect everybody that has had experiences in life; some of them I have had. But I had the opportunity to walk on the grounds of Dachau and Bergen-Belsen and so on and look at what took place there and before they became shrines and before they became memorials, and I said in my heart: This is so wrong. Pray Lord, it will never happen again. So, Mr. Speaker, as I see what is going on over there these last many months, people talking to us about it, we do not really have a choice. If we are the Nation that I believe us to be, then we must stand up and do something even though as difficult as it may be. So, Mr. Speaker, I support our troops, I support our President's decision, and I know it is hard, but I hope that they return safely and the mission is over soon.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing). It is good to be on the floor with them on this very, very important matter. I appreciate the efforts that they have made, and we can come and talk about something that has a great impact on all of us, the whole country, as well as the producers and farmers and ranchers. I used to, as a youngster, go work for a neighbor, one of my first jobs. He had an old horse that he called Jack. He would just about do anything that you asked him to do. I went over early one morning, though; and as he was kind of getting the harness on old Jack, why Jack pawed and bit at him. He just reached around behind the fence and picked up about a 4-foot two-by-four, and he swatted him pretty good. And he turned to me; and, as a youngster, I was kind of dismayed. He said, ``Well, you've got to get his attention.'' He said, ``He will be okay for the rest of the day.'' So it worked out pretty good. Well, I think that we have been swacked pretty good, too, as we have had some of these trade sanctions. It has hurt us a lot. I trust that it has got us our attention. I agree with the things that both of the previous speakers have said. This is, not only important to the world economy that we live in, but to our country as a whole. The agriculture community can ill-afford these kind of things. Then when we have had the opportunity to travel some around this world and have seen some of the places where people go without food and fiber, it is a very serious situation. The combines are running in Iowa right now and other parts across the country. Because their prices are so low, the lack of market, so low, there is going to be a lot of grain piled out on the ground. It is going to rot. Much of it will not be used where it could have been used for people that could use it for their very livelihood. So I am very supportive of H.R. 4647. I think it is a step in the right direction that, if something like this is going to be thought of in a unilateral sense, that they would come back and talk to us, the Members of the Congress, that we could discuss this and look it over and be sure that we are doing the right thing. So I support this, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the opportunity to come and speak this afternoon, and I welcome the opportunity to finally see a vote on fast track. I deplore the games that have been played with American farmers and others who depend on trade. Since last summer I have fought to include child labor provisions in the fast track legislation. Like many of my colleagues, I have lived outside the country for 9 years of my life, and I have seen firsthand some of the miserable conditions, some of the rotten conditions under which some children have to work. As the one true leader of the world stage, I believe the United States must be concerned about those who are least able to protect themselves, the children. Mr. Speaker, I have worked with the administration and leaders from both sides of the aisle to have fast track legislation that will consider child labor in countries with which we negotiate under fast track. This bill make an important first step in this direction. As of last night, and I thank my colleagues, as of last night the bill requires the President to focus on the laws governing the exploitative labor and submit to this body a report on the Nation's child labor laws. I might share with my colleagues that the amendment that I had tried to bring before this body did much the same thing. It said a country which we would deal with would have a standard for child labor, and, second, that they would not force their own standard, not saying what it would be. I think this accomplishes much the same thing. So, Mr. Speaker, I claim that partial victory and I feel very good. Last year I worked very closely with the administration to support my child labor language, and the President did support my efforts and agreed to my language, and I have a letter here that affirms that, that precedes the fact that we made this effort. This fast track bill gives farmers a fair shake in fast track negotiations. The legislation requires the trade representative to identify countries that deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. agricultural products. Also, before entering into negotiations that reduce United States tariffs on agricultural products the President must consult with the agricultural committees of the House and Senate. Involving the ag committee is a very good addition to the process. Make no mistake, fast track is an important part of the long solution for the world economy. What our agricultural community needs in the short term is to fully fund the IMF. I have always supported fast track, and I have always supported provisions that contemplate child labor. Today I declare a partial win and am pleased to vote for fast track. Both of these are important measures.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would just state quickly, I follow how things go here, and I find it very interesting at times. But I know this for a fact: That we have people trying to plant and get ready to go to field, and they are counting on this crop insurance thing to come through. I agree with the gentleman from North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy) that we have got to pass this bill today. We must do it. I am convinced, as I have listened to this discussion, that this rule will kill the report, and we cannot afford to do that. Time is of the essence. Another thing that has come to my attention. Some of my colleagues, as well as I, served in the Vietnam conflict. And I remember very well the acquaintances I had in working with the Montagnards, the Hao Laotians and others. They fought at our side and they were valiant, and I think perhaps because of some of their willingness to put their lives on the line, I can be here today. Some of them have come to this country, and they are legal aliens, and I cannot imagine that we would not want to provide assistance to them. I hope that my colleagues will defeat this rule, and we can get on with the business.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, not too long ago, several of us met with Mr. Greenspan, Mr. Rubin, and Mr. Glickman, and we had quite a good meeting. They agreed, and Rubin and Greenspan do not always agree on everything, but they agreed that day IMF is very, very important to us. I think the question came from at least a half a dozen different approaches, and some of you may have been there, too. Is there risk in this? Mr. Greenspan said that we have never lost a dime on this; that there is always hard collateral. They also said that it is their opinion, the three of them, that the hit on this, if the Asian economy does go down, would be on agriculture. In our State, 40 percent of our production is exported. That is important. Forty percent. Then I remembered as I reviewed the figures on the trade balance that it is up $26-$27 billion, but that agriculture is on the plus side. We cannot afford to take that risk. Now, if these people tell us that this is a line of credit, that they may not use it, but it ought to be there to save our economy, we ought to give it serious thought. Mr. Speaker, I support this.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity this morning to bring forth the perilous condition of one of my youngest constituents, Mekenzie Lee of Ottumwa, Iowa, to your attention. Little 5-year-old Mekenzie has liver cancer and desperately needs a liver transplant. Perhaps today, there are going to be proposed rules by HHS to make a major modification to how this system works. While the stated purpose of the rule is admirable and I strongly support efforts to increase the donations, I fear this rule may in fact result in a number of unintended consequences. It will take the decisionmaking process away from the physicians, those who are the most skilled and proficient to able to deal with this, who have got the expertise, and put it into the hands of some bureaucrats. Forcing a one-size-fits-all is questionable to me. I would ask that members join the efforts to save Mekenzie and every transplant patient like her who may be harmed by this proposed rule by becoming a cosponsor, and delaying this process for one year and give us time to review it, to get input from the physicians and the places around the country that do this work, to be in play. So please join me in cosponsoring H.R. 3584.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster). I really appreciate, being a newcomer, and inquired about coming to this committee. I knew a lot of important work was to take place there. So I inquired about the Chairman, and I inquired about the Ranking Member. I was informed and it has been proven out that they have worked together and that the committee is open. So I come as a newcomer, realizing that commerce has got to move across this country in order for us to compete, to compete with the elements of the Pacific Rim and European Union and we have got to do it. My colleagues, I really appreciated it when they pointed out that some of this increase is giving up the interest and other aspects that they pointed out, not to repeat them. So this is a doable thing, and this country will benefit from it. I often wonder what it would be like--the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) said it is the heartland, and we claim the heartland. So I will just claim the belt buckle, if I can, for Iowa. But I can imagine the embarrassment if commerce is moving back and forth across this country and they got to Iowa and we had to put up a sign that said, ``Excuse me. Slow down to 35 or 40 miles an hour because we cannot repair our bridges and fill in the potholes and make those improvements.'' We cannot do that. We are not 50 separate countries; we are 50 United States. So I think this is pointing that out, and it is going to help our country as a whole. Some things we just got to do to keep up. And we do not want to get behind. We are already behind, and we will never catch up if we do not keep up. So I am very pleased to be supporting this very important thing. It is probably the most important thing we do in the entire 2 years we are in this assembly. Thank you for your efforts.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I think it comes down to this: Do we really want people to go off of welfare and on to workfare? As probably some Members know, some of us in the States got into that a little bit ahead of even the national level. I am like the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson). I have 27 counties, and we have no mass transportation. One thing we discovered is if we are serious about getting people from welfare to work, they have got to have child care and they have got to have transportation, or it is not going to work. It simply is not going to work. So I encourage support of the amendment of the gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Davis. It is something we have to do if we are going to get this job done. I think we all want very much to get this job done, to get people to work.

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me the time. Inherently unfair? I have heard that said several times today. I thought I would not have too many surprises when I came here, but today I have been surprised. Equal pay for equal work, have my colleagues ever heard that question raised? I, too, chaired, in our Senate the Committee on Small Business for a number of years. I can tell my colleagues, there is some inequities out there. If they do not believe that, come and see me after we have got through here. I have got some swampland for sale. I do not understand why we have to debate this issue and try to not be seemingly aware that there is some inequities. Why would we want to do this? It is permissive. It is a goal. We have the opportunity to do what is right. I hope that we will defeat this amendment.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, it has come to my attention that volunteer nonprofit organizations that rent land from a State entity are precluded from entering land into the Conservation Reserve Program. I am introducing legislation today to allow nonprofit organizations who rent or lease land from a State or political subdivision to participate in the Conservation Reserve Program. The 1996 farm bill established a new Conservation Reserve Program, and its purpose was to increase its emphasis on preserving and enhancing our natural resources, moving away from the old land idling purposes of the early 1980s. My bill would further this effort by encouraging volunteer nonprofit organizations to use the tools of the Conservation Reserve Program to preserve and enhance the upkeep of environmentally sensitive lands in rural communities that might otherwise be neglected. Such organizations would be responsible for complying with all other aspects of the new Conservation Reserve Program and my proposed legislation makes no changes to the eligibility of land allowed to be entered into the CRP. I am hopeful that my colleagues can join me in moving this legislation forward and allow rural communities to better preserve wildlife and water quality in rural areas.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I too rise to salute the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson). I had a couple of tours in Vietnam, and I can say very openly that one of the things I did not want to happen to me is what happened to him. I did not want to burn in one of those helicopters, and I did not want to be a prisoner, and I thought about it many, many days. I was privileged that an associate of mine that I went through flight school with, name was Johnson, he and I had the mission to go after James Roe in the Delta. Remember Roe? And 5 years that he had been subjected to the conditions of a prisoner and the Delta and so on, and we alternated days. We had other missions to run, so we alternated days; and I cannot tell my colleagues our thrill the day that we got him. We almost shot him, but we got him, and I wish I could share some of the things he had to say. Anyway, I am very appreciative that we take the time. I occasionally will go down to The Wall and recognize some names there, and I have to thank my good fellow upstairs that mine's not there too, and I am sure the gentleman from Texas thought that more than a few times. And I also have go through my mind different times about those that are missing in action, and I cannot think of a worse thing than to be an American citizen, have carried the flag and gone into conflict at the behest of this country and then circumstances would come that because of a prisoner and time and so on, to have it in mind, to have it in one's mind, is everything being done, is everything being done to get that person out? And that would be tough. I just cannot think of a worse thought to go through somebody's mind in that condition than to think, I wonder if they are really trying to get me; and so I hope that we do remember those folks and those families. Too often we go off to war, different ones, and left the little children behind, and I left little children behind when I went for my second tour. I will never forget the look in the eyes of my middle daughter, and she said, ``Daddy, do you really have to go?'' Television, battlefields all the time, every day, and I said, ``Cindy, yes, I have to go.'' And it was pretty tough. So I appreciate the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes) making the comment that he has about the families, and we cannot do enough to remember those not only in that conflict but others that made that sacrifice. And families should be included. So to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson), again I thank him, welcome him home and God bless him and all those that have served as he did.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, 50-plus some hours ago we were stunned, 2 days and a little bit, when we heard in this Chamber, the people's Chamber, that one of ours had left us, had left this earth. Many of us had many mixed feelings. For me, I still struggle with it somewhat. We shared a lot, I guess because we are the oldest ones of our class. I told him, though, I was the oldest. He said, well, we have got to check that. So we did, from time to time, as if he would have forgotten. Of course, he did not. But we talked probably about every day about something, sometimes just to share a little joke, or whatever, but we seemed to touch one another on a regular basis. I know, Lois, if you are watching us through this great medium of television and satellite and so on, and the people in California, it is our opportunity to share with you about how this man touched our lives. He came to this, the people's House, after many years, and probably never on his want list of things to do. But finally the time came, whatever the circumstance was, and he probably knew within him that life experience had shared with him things that he could come and share with us; that he could come and represent the people of his district and bring a balance, some levity, at times, but bring some sincere, deep feelings about what America is all about. He was a theologian, a writer, and I think he practiced what he believed. Behind our Speaker is that beautiful flag that Walter loved, and just above our Speaker's head are those words, ``In God We trust.'' As the Speaker and as I look across, we look into a picture of Moses. I think those things were very, very important to Walter Capps. He tried to live by example. He did not go around boasting that he had written 14 books, as I have learned here. He did not boast that he won a race after going through a horrible accident. He was Walter, a man of the people, a man who loved his country, his community, his State, and the people that occupied the same. This morning by chance I happened to talk to a Mrs. Kersh from out in his district. She called to be sure that I knew that Walter had passed, and his funeral was going to be Monday. So we talked, and she said, we have had a great loss. We are just not sure how we are going to handle this. He loved us all, in spite of ourselves, at times. And she said many other things. The thought that comes to me as I think of this, and I shared it a little bit Tuesday morning or Wednesday morning, there are some promises that I know that Walter Capps would believe in. I often reflect at times like this on John: 14, where Jesus was talking to his disciples, knowing that sometime he would be leaving. He said, I go to prepare a place for you, and I will come and receive you to me, and I will not leave you comfortless. Lois, you will not be left comfortless. I believe that. And I believe, as I understood Walter Capps, that he is at that someplace that is hard to identify, watching down upon us with a twinkle in his eye, a smile, grieving for those of his loved ones that are grieved for him, but he is there, doing his work, assisting in preparing a place for us and for you. Our lives were touched by him, our lives were made better because Walter Capps came our way. I am very appreciative. I thank the gentlewoman for this chance to share.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I have appreciated in our sorrow the reflections about Walter. He was a great man. I would say to Lois and the family, remember those great and wonderful memories that you have got. In this moment of sadness, they will carry you through. Walter touched me many ways. He was kind of my buddy. We kind of jabbed each other once in a while about being the oldest in the class. We talked just about every day, shared a few pleasantries, tried to have a new joke for one another. But in the process, I realized that Walter was a man of great depth. He was a teacher. He was a writer. He was a loving person. He was very sincere. Even though he had a lot of fun, he was very sincere about life. The inscription above the Speaker's head, in God we trust, he believed that. I think we can take some comfort in what is a favorite scripture of mine, John 14, that I go to prepare a place for you and will receive you to myself. I think Walter is there. I think he is watching us. I think there is a smile upon his face because he knows that he touched our lives, touched every one of us, and our lives have been made better because of Walter Capps. So may the good Lord bless him and may we remember those good times and appreciate him, is my thought.

Mr. BOSWELL

Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Speaker, I have some difficulties with the bill.