Kevin Brady

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Shane Bennett, a courageous Sheriff's Deputy from my district who gave his life so that others may live. In the months since September 11, we have seen countless acts of bravery performed by our military, law enforcement officers and firefighters. Shane Bennett added his name to the list of those who paid the ultimate price to protect the people of this country. Officer Bennett, a resident of Montgomery, Texas, in the 8th Congressional District, was a nine-year veteran of the Harris County Sheriff's Department. Killed June 12 in a shootout after he responded to a home invasion, Officer Bennett saved the lives of a Houston man, his stepdaughters and his 3-month-old grandson. Shane Bennett left behind his wife of six years, Teresa, and their 20-month-old daughter Alyssa. The bravery that this young man displayed isn't the only character trait that describes his life. At his funeral, he was described as ``caring, loving and compassionate.'' Teresa described him as ``one of the most perfect people you will ever meet.'' The sacrifice Shane displayed was not only evident in his final moments on this earth but countless times during his life. When he and Teresa first learned they were pregnant, he quit riding motorcycles because he didn't want to get in an accident. He always wanted his little girl to have her daddy. When Alyssa was born, he took a month off of work to spend time with her and help his wife. Teresa also recalls that he never hesitated to help friends and neighbors in need, either. ``He would do anything for anybody,'' Teresa said. This was evident in Shane's last selfless act before he died. Friends and colleagues remembered Shane as ``everybody's friend'' and that he was proud to be a sheriff's deputy. Harris County Sheriff's Deputy Bobby Davison said, ``He was always there for his partners. Always there to back you up. He always had a smile on his face.'' Mr. Speaker, the world would be a better place with more people like Shane Bennett, loving husband and father and a role model for law enforcement officers everywhere.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the leadership of the Committee on Rules and appreciate the leadership of the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support for the Inland Flood Forecasting and Warning System Act and urge all Members to vote for this important, truly lifesaving, measure. Mr. Speaker, when flood water starts to pour through your front door, it does not care if you are a Republican or Democrat, and for this reason I am pleased to be an original cosponsor in working on this common-sense bill with my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), and fellow Texan, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall). When it comes to hurricanes and tropical storms, the gulf coast of Texas where I am from is pretty experienced. The hurricane season is something we prepare for, we monitor daily and we have grown to live with. However, we were hit especially hard by Tropical Storm Allison, and it was extremely difficult to see lives lost and people left homeless in its aftermath. Tropical Storm Allison was the costliest tropical storm in U.S. history, both in terms of life and in property damage. That means homes, things people have worked their lives for. More than 50 people died. The storm caused more than $5 billion in damage throughout the Southeast United States, but especially in our Houston area, where 35 inches of rain fell in just a few days. The amount of flooding and the unprecedented damage caused by Allison surprised even the most experienced among us. It has caused our communities to wonder whether we are doing all we can to prepare for and prevent this level of damage in the future. This legislation is a big step forward in the right direction. It would help prepare residents for future natural events like Allison by finding ways to improve the weather system modeling and early forecasting. It would allow NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to develop an inland early warning index so we would understand how severe these storms could be, and then to train our emergency management personnel in improving these methods. Here is the key point: Research that leads to earlier, more accurate forecasting is a sound investment, an awfully sound investment. So is finding new ways to alert communities to inland flooding. Flooding affects all of us in the United States, as the gentleman from Michigan (Chairman Ehlers) told us. In conclusion, I will tell you, no one can control the weather, but we can certainly control our preparation for it. This bill will help provide inland residents with the warning system that raises the awareness of the destructiveness of such storms so we can protect ourselves, our families and our property, as well as ultimately lowering tax costs to the United States taxpayers. I urge all of my colleagues to support this very important bill.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's leadership as subcommittee chairman on this important issue to our region and the Nation as well. I also especially appreciate the leadership of my colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), as well as the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), who have taken such a lead role in this legislation. When flood waters come through our homes, destroy our businesses, knock out our local hospitals, it does not care if we are Republican or Democrat; it just does the damage. In Houston, Tropical Storm Allison, we are told, was the costliest tropical storm. We lost 50 lives, 50 neighbors in that storm. We have lost some $5 billion in our damage to our homes and businesses; and in our medical research center, we lost just tons of research in so many areas, from cancer to genetics, in some of our life-saving research that is being done. Some of the experiments that we lost were 10 years in the making. Scientific experts tell us that there was not a single discipline of science that was not in some way set back from the loss of research from Tropical Storm Allison. What we heard over and over in our community was that people, families and businesses, were saying, if we only had some notice; if we only had some warning about this devastation, we could have prevented it, or we could have lessened the damage. This is why I appreciate the lead of the gentleman from North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, this bill is so commonsense. It says, let us invest in the research which tells us why this flooding is coming and how quickly it is coming, and then let us do an early warning system for us, for those of us in the community, so we know how severe this storm would be on inland flooding and how it could affect us, so we can take those preventive steps. Then it goes another step and works with our local emergency response people to train them how to respond so they can assist us in leaving that area and preventing that damage, that loss of lives and loss of property. I am convinced that in our region, which is very experienced in flooding, we were watching for flooding from the coast. We were prepared for the punch from the right; we did not see the punch from the left, from inland flooding. That is what I appreciate so much about this bill. It takes the inland flooding, provides the research, gives us the warning, trains the communities to prevent. And I am convinced this will save lives, it will save properties, it will save tax dollars to us in the end. It is a compassionate, smart, intelligent investment and the very best next step in preventing inland flooding.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a special lady who is not only a constituent, but a close personal friend, Lynda Scott Everett. On July 11, 2002, Lynda will receive the Texas Council of Community MHMR Centers' ``Betty Hardwick Best of Texas Award'' for her long and distinguished record of service and commitment to providing the citizens of Texas with the best possible mental health, mental retardation, and substance abuse services. Lynda is only the second person to receive this distinguished recognition. Concerned about the quality of care her son, Andy, who suffers from autism and mental retardation, was receiving, Lynda became a tireless voice for those who could not speak out for themselves. She began her volunteerism for the mentally disabled as a consultant for the Tri- County MHMR in Montgomery County, Texas. She was then appointed to the Board of Trustees in 1989 and continued her fight for better services, stronger rights, and additional funds for more effective medications for those who are disabled. Lynda's presence was quickly felt as she attended hearings, meetings and conventions in order to improve the lives of individuals with mental disabilities, as well as their families. Her work expanded her cause across the state of Texas when she was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to the Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation in 1999. As part of Lynda's efforts to help the mentally disabled, she also has been a member of the Texas State Autism Task Force, served on the Montgomery County United Way Campaign Cabinet, as a Board member of the Texas Council of Community MHMR Centers and the Mental Health Association in Texas, as well as being president and co-founder of the Citizens for the Developmentally Disabled. While Lynda was also a recipient of the Montgomery County Women of Distinction Award from 1997-1999, I am personally grateful for her role as a key, and indispensable member of my first U.S. congressional campaign committee. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Lynda Scott Everett on her hard work and dedication to the mentally and physically disabled on behalf of the eighth Congressional District of Texas. She not only is an exemplary Texan, but an exemplary American with a wonderful heart and inspiring courage. As Cindy Sill, Executive Director of the Tri-County MHMR, who nominated Lynda for the ``Betty Hardwick Best of Texas Award'' said, ``She began her journey into advocacy and volunteer work to help her son, but quickly expanded her focus and has spoken for countless individuals whose voices are often not heard or ignored, . . . She makes a difference in countless lives throughout Texas.''

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this is an important night for the seniors in my community. I am proud the House is standing up for seniors who desperately need an affordable, permanent prescription drug plan under Medicare, and who need it right now. The House plan gives America's seniors the right to choose the Medicare prescription plan that is best for them with catastrophic protection for the very costly illnesses, extra help for the poor who need it the most, and lower drug prices for all seniors using group buying power so drug companies will compete for our business and not the other way around. That means for nearly half up Texas' seniors on Medicare, they will receive up to $2,000 of essentially free medicine each year that they need, and that is real help. Thankfully, tonight we are rejecting the alternatives, alluringly irresponsible schemes that are simply too good to be true, schemes that would bankrupt Medicare within 10 years and leave our vulnerable seniors to face grim choices. I support the Republican plan, and my seniors do as well.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise today in support of the Social Security Protection Act. I want to thank Chairman Shaw for his work on this and other issues related to Social Security. What we are debating today is a bill that will cut down on the waste, fraud, and abuse that surrounds the Social Security system today. This bill is needed to protect the 7 million people in this country who receive Social Security benefits but cannot manage them on their own. People like young, innocent children, people with Alzheimer's, and those with severe mental illness are just a few of the real-life examples we are trying to help. We expect this bill to pass by a very broad bipartisan margin. That is how Social Security issues ought to pass, with Republicans and Democrats working together to reform this vital retirement system. It surprises me that we are seeing such a lively debate on this bipartisan measure. Mr. Speaker, we know if we do not reform Social Security in a bipartisan manner, it will go broke in 2017. Now is the time to get the ball rolling on reform by working together. Republicans have come up with a responsive plan that does not privatize Social Security as Members on the other side of the aisle would scare us with. The question here is: Is there anyone in Washington who seriously believes we can preserve Social Security once and for all without putting some portion of our payroll taxes to work for us? Common sense tells us we must transition to a traditional retirement plan where money grows over time into a bigger nest egg. The only question is how we do it and how soon. Some would say that is privatizing; most would say that is common sense. Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope the rhetoric being heard on the floor is not an indicator for the debate that is to come on this issue. It is time for Republicans and Democrats to sit down and have a reasonable, rational discussion about saving Social Security once and for all.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, back to the issue at hand, I rise today in support of this underlying bill to make permanent the pension reforms in the tax relief act. Before I do that, I want to congratulate my colleagues from the Committee on Ways and Means, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) for their leadership on this. Mr. Speaker, while this legislation would make permanent many good pension reforms we enacted last year, I would like to highlight one particular aspect of it. Many States, including Texas, have favorable laws that encourage pension portability, the ability to take your pension with you when you move jobs, especially for teachers and other public employees. However, before the President's tax relief plan, Federal law really frustrated what were very helpful State laws. Virtually every State authorizes teachers and other public employees to purchase service credit, their work performed, for the years in which they were not eligible for pension. For example, suppose you have a teacher that works 2 years in a State, moves to another that requires her to work 30 years. She works 28 and then goes back and purchases from the other State the 2 years that she worked. That way she has that pension. The problem is that purchasing back that service, those years, is very expensive. It can be up to $20,000. Most employees do not have that sitting around, but many do in a savings plan, their 403(b) tax sheltered annuity, or 457 deferred compensation plan, that they could use to buy back those years. However, before the bill was put in place, they are prohibited from transferring this money to purchase service; and because of the quirk in the tax law, they could not do it pre-tax. Well, the tax relief bill, thanks to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman), solved this problem by allowing our teachers and our other public employees to use this money to purchase service credit on a pre-tax basis, which is far more affordable. It also makes other changes in the enhanced pension portability. If these provisions are not made permanent, which this bill does in a very commonsense way, these options for our teachers and workers will go away. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the bill.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding researcher from my district, Dr. George Bass. On Wednesday, June 12, 2002, Dr. Bass, a retired professor emeritus from Texas A&M University, will receive the National Medal of Science for his work in nautical archeology. This discipline is dedicated to understanding human existence through the discovery and study of ships and the cultures that constructed them. Dr. Bass, known as the ``father of nautical archeology,'' is internationally recognized as a leader in his field. Dr. Bass is credited for conducting the first excavation of an ancient shipwreck entirely on the seabed. This event took place in 1960. Since that time, Dr. Bass has conducted excavations in the United States, Turkey, and the Caribbean. In 1973, Dr. Bass established the Institute of Nautical Archeology. Today, this institute conducts research on four continents. The information obtained from this research allows us to better understand how ancient societies conducted commerce, educated their children, and organized their lives. For his contributions to his field, Dr. Bass has received numerous awards and decorations including the Gold Medal for Distinguished Archeological Achievement in 1986. Additionally, he was honored by the Society for Historical Archeology in 1999 and the American Academy of Achievement in 2001. Although retired from Texas A&M, Dr. Bass is not retired from expanding our understanding of the past. He continues to be actively involved in his research institute and continues to publish in scholarly journals. For his contributions to human knowledge, I am forever grateful.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to honor Dr. William D. Law, Jr., a constituent and more importantly, a good friend. Bill Law has served North Harris Montgomery Community College District and Montgomery College as a president and executive officer with unmatched energy and care since 1992. Dr. Law created the vision and leadership for the founding and significant growth and success of Montgomery College; oversaw the planning, management and construction of the campus; directed a nationwide recruitment effort for faculty and staff; created the organizational structure and led the development of the college's academic programs. Dr. Law's commitment to breaking the geographic barriers within Montgomery County to better serve its entire population--uniting the north and south, east and west of the county to create a better climate for economic prosperity for all--will leave a lasting legacy. Bill Law has provided critical leadership in helping to establish The University Center adjacent to the Montgomery College campus and helping to provide increased access to higher education, including bachelor's and master's degrees. Bill Law has participated in and provided leadership for many civic, business, political, and community development groups contributing important ideas and energy to all of his affiliations; serving with distinction on the boards of numerous organizations, including Montgomery County Youth Services, the Education for Tomorrow Alliance, The John Cooper School, and the Montgomery County United Way. Bill Law has made significant efforts to reach the underserved populations in the area, including the growing number of Hispanics in the county, as well as the Tamina community. He created programs and services to better meet the needs of potential first-generation college students. Dr. Law's success at Montgomery College helped by example to lead to the expansion of the North Harris Montgomery Community College District service area, with the successful elections of Splendora and Willis ISDs in 1996, Klein ISD in 1999, and Magnolia and Cy-Fair ISDs in 2000. Bill Law has worked tirelessly to establish a much-needed, comprehensive technology training center for all the citizens of Montgomery County; partnering with business, industry and education to create the Center for Business & Technology Training, which will train workers for the kinds of careers on which they can raise a family. Bill Law has earned numerous recognitions for his service to the community, and was twice selected as Citizen of the Year by the South Montgomery County Woodlands Chamber of Commerce, and Key Person of the Year by the Greater Conroe/Lake Conroe Area Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Law's vision for Montgomery College has resulted in significant achievements and recognitions for the college, including selection as a ``Showcase College'' by the Consortium for Community College Development, a ``21st Century Learning College Champion'' by the League for Innovation in the Community College, and various other honors. Mr. Speaker, this statement shall serve as a permanent record in the United States House of Representatives of the esteem and respect accorded to Dr. William D. Law, Jr. by his colleagues, faculty, staff, students, and community. His many contributions to Montgomery College and the North Harris Montgomery Community College District will not be soon forgotten. Like many others, I consider Bill Law a good and true friend. He is as near to irreplaceable as a leader can be, and I speak for our entire community when I say that he is a well-loved and will be sorely missed. Bill Law enriched our lives by our mere association with this remarkable education leader.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the facts show that the economy, as good as it has been, did not bring about the progress in reform and welfare that occurred. In fact, during the 1980s and even through the first 2 years of President Clinton's administration, we created some 18 million new jobs. That is great. But welfare rolls continued to skyrocket. It was not until 1996 when we put these reforms in place that we really started to have able-bodied people, able-minded people, those capable of working getting back to work, because we set such high standards. I served in the Texas legislature when we did welfare reform just 2 years before Congress took it up. I am convinced this is one of the most successful reforms in history between governments and States working together. We have come such a long way from the days where someone who is capable of working could not work for 15 years or more and still receive welfare benefits. That was giving up on them, and we no longer do that. It is important that as we debate this substitute we not go back to those failed experiments. My concern is that we take in this substitute an AFDC program that was good in intent and just horribly unimpressive, to say the least, that exempted various recipients; it gave up on too many people. Let us not go back to this. This substitute provides partial credits toward work rates for adults who work very few hours during the week. Again, we are not insisting, not encouraging, not moving them to self- sufficiency. None of us work 10-hour workweeks, and we ought not expect that of those we are trying to help. Education is so important, but we cannot reward people who will not get a job or cannot get a job by paying them to go to school. It actually ought to be the opposite. Those who make that extra effort to get a job, to learn that skill, and to go to school, we provide help and standards for both of those; and I think long term, that is the route to go. Finally, I think when we look at the substitute, it is well intentioned; but it actually, I think, increases welfare dependency and poverty and seriously undermines the time limits that have been such a key part to, again, not giving up on any person capable of being self- sufficient and having a job. My point is that our job is not finished. We have a lot more people that we can help get out of poverty and off of welfare, helping them get an education, helping them develop their skills, and insisting that they move toward what all of us hope to do, to work full time in a job that one can raise one's family and live on and move from welfare to work. The Republican bill does exactly that. It continues what works, invests in success; and that is what we should stick with.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me tell my colleagues where I would start cutting waste and spending. The American government spends $5 billion a year helping salmon swim upstream each year. That is enough to put each fish on a first-class flight from the mouth of the river to the top and still save money. That is where I would start cutting. By the way, we also give a grant to a group to teach them how to catch those fish once they are grown. That is where I would start. The fact is, higher taxes do not balance the budget. A stronger economy balances the budget in Washington, D.C. Making permanent the President's tax relief is an issue of jobs. Economists tell us that the President's tax relief has already created 800,000 new jobs just in the time it has been in place. It has helped soften the recession. It is the anti-recession formula. But we can grow the economy even faster, create more jobs, build this revenue here, if we will grow and strengthen where we can count on this relief in the future. Most importantly, getting the economy moving now is the key to balancing our Federal budget, to paying down our debt, to preserving Social Security and Medicare. As my colleagues know, we are here because of a Senate rule that will eliminate the tax relief that we are counting on; and it is funny how the Senate has few rules when it comes to spending our money, but quite a few when it comes to sending it back. The fact is, making permanent this tax relief will help a family of four, two teachers raising their children, avoid a tax hike of $2,000; a $2,000 tax hike. To grow our economy, to preserve Social Security, to pay down the debt, Americans need tax relief we can count on, not a tax hike we can count on.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the truth and facts are that when one is laid off, they do not pay into Social Security. If they do not have a job, they do not pay to preserve Medicare. If there is no means of income, they are not helping balancing this budget, they are not paying for the war, they are not paying down our debts. The economy strengthens our government and strengthens all these programs. That is what this bill is all about.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to introduce a concurrent resolution in the House aimed at increasing awareness of the disease pulmonary hypertension. PH is a rare disorder of the lung in which the pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs) and the hundreds of tiny blood vessels that branch off from it rises above normal levels and may become life threatening. Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pain, dizzy spells and fainting. When PH occurs in the absence of a known cause, it is referred to as primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). This term should not be construed to mean that because it has a single name it is a single disease. There are likely many unknown causes of PPH. Secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) means the cause of the disease is known. Common causes of SPH are the breathing disorders emphysema and bronchitis. Other less frequent causes are scleroderma, CREST syndrome and systemic lupus. In addition, the use of diet drugs can lead to the disease. Unfortunately, PH is frequently misdiagnosed and often progresses to late stage by the time it is detected. Although PH is chronic and incurable with a poor survival rate, new treatments are providing a significantly improved quality of life for patients. Recent data indicates that the length of survival is continuing to improve, with some patients able to manage the disorder for 20 years or longer. A close friend and constituent of mine, Mr. Jack Stibbs, has a daughter who is battling this difficult disease. Emily Stibbs has touched many people with her courage and strength at such a young age. I am pleased to introduce this resolution today to raise awareness in the House and throughout the country about PH. The resolution highlights the need for increased federal investments in biomedical research, and public and professional awareness programs focused on the disease. I encourage my colleagues to join me in the fight against pulmonary hypertension by cosponsoring this resolution.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am a Houston area Congressman. Many of the Enron employees are my neighbors. They are good people, and they have lost their jobs and they have lost their retirement through no fault of their own. They do not have time to sit around thinking of clever movie titles to stick into their speeches. They are too busy finding jobs and trying to rebuild their homes and their lives. I am ashamed of those in Congress who continue to try to score political points off the misery of these workers from Enron. The fact of the matter is the biggest threat to future retirement plans is not the prospect of future Enrons. The biggest threat is political grandstanding here in Washington that destroys companies' incentives to share their wealth with the workers who helped achieve it. The fact is these are thoughtful safeguards today to give workers more control over their retirement plans, while encouraging companies to help them build up their nest egg for retirement. This legislation does not satisfy the business community, it does not satisfy all the workers. It certainly does not satisfy the lawyers who would like to sue everybody. But when combined with needed accounting reforms, stiffer penalties for corporate fraud and a healthy dose of buyer beware for anyone looking to invest in stock, this should help to prevent the Enrons of the future, and this is a sound balance that we need.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today it gives me great pleasure to call attention to one of my constituent companies that celebrated its 100th anniversary on April 5th, and would like for the rest of the House to join me in offering congratulations to Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., of Houston, Texas. Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., provides power systems, parts and services to the following industries: Military, Marine; Oil & Gas; Agriculture; Industrial; Highway & Transit; and Airline Ground Support as well as being the designer and manufacturer of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) with more than 16,000 built to date for the U.S. Army. The company traces its roots in wheeled vehicle manufacturing and support to its beginning when blacksmith C. Jim Stewart and carriage- maker Joe R. Stevenson formed the company in 1902 in Houston. The company's wheeled vehicle products have evolved from this modest beginning as the technology has progressed through the 20th Century leading to the world's premiere medium tactical military truck--the FMTV. During a series of celebrations at their Houston headquarters as well as at their truck assembly facility in Sealy, Texas, and other locations in the United States, S&S employees and their guests will join in honoring one hundred years' of contributions to their military and commercial customers. It is great having them as constituents, and I wish them another one hundred years of success. Mr. Speaker, I won't go into all the details now, but I ask unanimous consent to include a history of Stewart & Stevenson in my remarks. History of Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc. Stewart & Stevenson Services, Inc., a technology--driven, billion-dollar, century old corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas, has long been a leader in the design and manufacture of specialty equipment for the oilfield, airline, defense, and power generation industries. A major distributor of industrial engines and equipment to a broad spectrum of businesses worldwide, the company provides complete 24-hour parts and service support of all of its product lines. The company was founded in 1902 when two enthusiastic, young craftsmen committed their talents and resources--$300 each--to form a partnership. C. Jim Stewart, a blacksmith, and Joe R. Stevenson, a carriage maker, signed a contract and began business as C. Jim Stewart & Stevenson, Houston's first ``carriage repair and horseshoeing parlor''. The venture thrived with hard work, integrity and a dogged determination to get the job done right, even when others said it couldn't be done. The original partnership agreement clearly defined these principles, as well as the duties of each ``pardner.'' Stewart was to do the blacksmith work and Stevenson the woodworking, with the provision that ``both shall do such things in and about said business which shall be necessary.'' The business expanded steadily and more craftsmen were added to perform the ever-increasing workload. The two partners made sure that the people they hired were not only experts in their fields but willing to pitch in and help out wherever needed, establishing a hiring policy that still serves the company today. Handcrafted carriages, buggies and wagons were the pride of the new organization. In 1905, the company was presented the first opportunity to work on an automobile, a 24-horsepower Dixie Flyer roadster built by Southern Motor Car Co. which had been badly burned. The damage was so extensive that a new, wooden four-door body was handcrafted and installed. This job marked the transition from horseshoes to horse power, and reminds today's employees of how essential innovation and versatility are to Stewart & Stevenson's past and to its future. By 1938, Stewart & Stevenson had built many vehicle bodies and become a distributor for General Motors' trucks and Detroit Diesel engines. The company became proficient at coupling diesel engines to various pieces of equipment to supply the agricultural, industrial, petroleum and marine markets. One of Stewart & Stevenson's first government contracts was to supply mobile diesel generators, capable of running on Russian M-4 heavy fuel and operating in severe weather conditions. The company was the second-largest supplier of diesel generators under the ``Lend-Lease'' Program during World War II. Other wartime projects included the overhaul of thousands of U.S. Army trucks and jeeps and the remanufacture of 4,000 diesel engines from Sherman Tanks. Throughout its history, Stewart & Stevenson has been involved in mobile equipment and wheeled vehicles. From overhauling Jeeps and tanks during World War II to building sophisticated truck-mounted petroleum exploration systems and the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles and rugged airport ground support equipment, the company has established a solid foundation based on a true, wheeled vehicle heritage. Today, Stewart & Stevenson is a billion dollar corporation that consists of four major business segments: Specialty Wheeled Vehicles, which consists of Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems, LP (TVS) and Stewart & Stevenson TUG; Power Products, Petroleum Equipment, and Strategic Operations. TVS manufactures the U.S. Army's most reliable and capable off-road multipurpose trucks--the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV). These include 2.5-and 5-ton troop carriers, wreckers, cargo trucks, vans, dump trucks, and a variety of specialty vehicles. Stewart & Stevenson TUG manufactures aircraft ground support equipment that includes aircraft tow tractors, pushback tractors, baggage tow tractors, belt loaders, air start units, air conditioning units and container loaders, as well as mobile railcar movers, which are sold under the ``Rail King'' trademark. The Power Products segment designs, manufactures and sells specialty equipment that utilizes power components for numerous industries: petroleum, marine, on-highway, transit (bus), power generation, and agriculture. The company serves as distributor of many of these power components, representing the products of Detroit Diesel, Electro Motive Diesel (EMD), Waukesha, Deutz, Allison, Thermo King, John Deer Hyster and Mercury MerCruiser. Its distribution territory includes much of the southwestern and western U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America. The Petroleum Equipment segment manufactures equipment for the oil and gas exploration, production and well stimulation industries. Products include marine riser systems, blow-out preventers and controls, high pressure valves, coiled tubing systems, acidizing and fracturing systems, and compression molded rubber products. Strategic Operations designs, markets and packages diesel and gas generator sets from the ground up to fit specific customer applications. These generator power systems use some of the most respected names in the engine industry: EMD, Deutz, Waukesha and Detroit Diesel. The more than 4,000 people employed by the corporation today carry with them a tradition of service, innovation, fair dealing and integrity, which began back in 1902. Stewart & Stevenson's growth through the past 100 years has been achieved by virtue of its dedicated people, innovative design and engineering, quality manufacturing and a relentless ``can do'' attitude.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, one of the tenets in Washington is if your argument does not have substance, describe it as a loophole. The fact of the matter is Congress hates to admit its mistakes, and this debate tonight is proof. When Congress targeted unreported Federal PACs, stealth PACs, 2 years ago in the bill that I supported, we unintentionally fired into the crowd, putting new and burdensome Federal reporting requirements on a lot of people we should have never done it to, these people like local legislators, school board candidates, school bond issues, local sheriffs, who have nothing to do with stealth PACs. It turned out to be more like stealth legislation. They had no idea they got caught up as innocent victims in this bill and are facing heavy penalties for unknowingly violating Federal law. Without Congress acting responsibly now to correct our mistake, finding the true stealth PACs among the more than 13,000 unnecessary reports is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. You have to ask yourself, what national policy interest is served by forcing local candidates to report to Washington what they spent to buy the highest bidder at the local county fair? We are trying to scrutinize stealth PACs, not stealth FAA supporters. We took great care to follow the intent of the law and everyone who files today will file tomorrow because we have created no loopholes. In fact, we have strengthened campaign finance reform by putting a spotlight on true stealth PACs and relieving the mistaken, innocent victims from reporting in the future. This bill is a win-win because it relieves those non-Federal candidates and it is a bright white light on our stealth Federal PACs. They will receive that greater scrutiny they deserve; that is, if Congress is willing to own up to its mistake.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Social Security needs to be preserved once and for all. By passing this legislation which was introduced by the chairman of the Social Security subcommittee, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the House of Representatives will make a strong statement that we do support reforming Social Security and ensuring its solvency once and for all without cutting benefits, increasing taxes on people whose payroll check does not go far enough as it is today. We may have different ideas, but let us first agree that the current system is not financially sound for the baby boomers and the generations that follow. Common sense tells us that we must transition from this pay-as-you-go system that will run out of money to a traditional retirement plan where our money grows over time into a bigger nest egg. The only question is how and how soon. And let us agree that we ought to keep our Social Security promises, cost-of- living increases each year that really do reflect the cost of living for seniors, and keeping our promise on benefits and not increasing taxes. Some people in Washington do not want to face up to this issue. They want to make it an election campaign issue. They want to run ads; they want to scare seniors with the phrase of privatization. Well, I think people in America want us to work on Social Security. They want to hear the good ideas. They want to be part of this process. And when we ask people up here who do not want to touch Social Security, who do not want to tackle Social Security, what their plan is for preserving it once and for all, there is nothing but silence. I applaud the President for appointing this commission. They are tackling issues that we really need to tackle. This was an important first step in getting Congress and Washington to focus on preserving Social Security once and for all. Do not get me wrong, while I support the urgency, I strongly disagree with the committee's recommendations that reductions in benefits will be necessary to ensure Social Security's future solvency. I hope President Bush rejects those ideas. Nonetheless, I look forward as a member of the committee to working with my colleagues in the House, the President, my Democratic colleagues, and others in moving the ball forward on Social Security and preserving Social Security once and for all.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my strong support for H.R. 3209, ``The Anti-Hoax Terrorism Act of 2001.'' I am a co-sponsor of this important and necessary legislation which was introduced by my good friend and fellow Texan, Lamar Smith and is a step in the right direction. Making it a felony to perpetrate a hoax related to a biological, chemical or nuclear attack and making those who engage in this conduct liable for the expenses caused as a result of their fraudulent action brings these criminals to justice and makes them responsible for their terrible actions. It is important that our nation address this issue so that those misguided individuals who choose to perform such fraudulent acts are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and those that consider performing these same acts are deterred from doing so. I know from first hand experience how costly these fake anthrax hoaxes can be. On October 15th, The Memorial Hermann Hospital, in my hometown of The Woodlands, Texas, was closed for several hours after a false anthrax scare. Sandee Sherf, a resident of Magnolia, Texas and a constituent of the 8th Congressional District, received a strange package at her place of business. When she opened the package, a white substance flew up in her face and she inhaled it. She immediately went to the emergency room at Memorial Hermann, where the whole hospital subsequently shut down for about five hours as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, the tests for the substance suspected of being anthrax proved to be negative but the cost of responding to this false incident has proved to be costly financially and in other ways. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Shenandoah Police Department both expended valuable man hours investigating this incident. The Woodlands Fire Department had to decontaminate the entire area where the incident occurred and the emergency room where Ms. Sherf went for treatment. Most disturbing was the fact that Memorial Hermann Hospital had to withhold its valuable services from the community for several hours while decontaminating its facilities. Patients in need of medical treatment with real illness were turned away and had to go seek treatment many miles away just so the emergency responders could properly decontaminate the facilities to ensure the public's safety. What a tragedy it would have been if someone with a real emergency had perished because Memorial Hermann had been closed and couldn't offer its help. Regrettably, the same thing that happened in The Woodlands is happening in other areas of our country. The FBI reported that between October 1st to October 15th, their agency had received more than 2,300 reports of incidents or suspected incidents involving anthrax. We cannot afford in these trying times to have the valuable resources of our police agencies being wasted in dealing with these hoaxes. These false claims have become a serious headache for law enforcement officials, who are overwhelmed with calls from worried Americans concerned about possible anthrax contamination. It is for these reasons that I co-sponsored this valuable legislation and fully support its passage here in the House of Representatives. We, as Americans, cannot afford to continue to waste valuable time and resources fighting these hoaxes when they can be used for better purposes such as making sure our communities across our nation are safe from true terrorist attacks in the future.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last week, the House passed the conference report on H.R. 2299, Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations for FY 2002. I was pleased to support this legislation and would like to thank the committee for including language which benefits my constituents in the 8th Congressional District of Texas. First, the committee was kind enough to include report language that encourages the Federal Highway Administration to collaborate with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) at Texas A&M University on their Work Zone Safety proposal. TTI is dedicated to a program of research intended to enhance the overall safety associated with roadways and, at the same time, finding approaches for more efficiently handling the traffic demands. One important example of TTI's efforts to improve the safety of our roadways is through the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse. The only one of its kind in the United States, the Clearinghouse provides information and referrals to government agencies, public and private organizations, and the general public concerning the safe and effective operation of traffic work zones. Work zones have always been dangerous places for construction workers and travelers. With more and more highway construction and maintenance under way, most of the time traffic cannot be shut down while work is being done. Highway workers must often perform their jobs with traffic just a few feet away. Unfortunately, this has resulted in more than 20,000 accidents in highway work zones, injuring some 5,000 people and killing 700 more. In my home state of Texas alone, 125 people were killed in a construction or maintenance work zone in 1998. The National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse housed at TTI is a part of the solution. With a toll-free call, a fax or visit to the Clearinghouse's website, contractors, workers and safety officials now have access to a wide array of information and materials. The Clearinghouse collects, maintains and makes available information on work zone safety, crash statistics, construction standards, worker safety training, safety products and public awareness and law enforcement campaigns. Through these efforts we are seeing progress, but more work needs to be done to help make work zones safer and save more lives. The continued efforts of TTI and the Clearinghouse are critical to furthering work zone safety. It is my goal to see that important transportation research such as the work zone safety clearinghouse continues to receive the support it deserves. I would also like to speak today about a provision that represents a good example of community and university partnership in my district. The Conference Report provides funding to Brazos Transit to purchase new buses and then lease them on a multi-year agreement to Texas A&M University at a nominal yearly fee. These new buses will help meet the transportation needs of the community by providing students living in the community with safe, efficient and economical transportation to and from campus. This new partnership will benefit Brazos Transit, Texas A&M University and most importantly the students.

Mr. BRADY of Texas

Mr. BRADY of Texas. I would say to the gentleman, Europe is running circles around America and around American jobs.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say we should not retreat from fair trade competition, we should insist on it, because competition is America's strength and it is the key to our high-wage and our high-tech future.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Illinois will accept praise for his role in job creation for Illinois, for America, I would like to offer it. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the chairman of our Committee on Rules, but really, perhaps, the premier free trader in America, for his comments.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would think this is about the worst possible time to isolate America. It could not come at a worse time, and yet the vote tomorrow will really be between those who embrace competition and new jobs and those who fear it and those who want to open America. What is our strongest export? Freedom. It will be between those who want to export our freedoms and those I think who want to build walls and isolate us. It is a very clear choice that really rarely happens here on Capitol Hill. But there are just tens of thousands of jobs at stake in my community and in the gentleman's as well. I do not want to be self-promoting on my biography, but I was a former teacher, a history teacher. Major world conflicts: Why did many of them evolve? Trade barriers were increased and countries wanted to go after raw materials which they could not negotiate through low tariffs, so they built up armies and they went to get it. Whether it was the World War II experiences or the Japanese in Southeast Asia, Hitler going in to get the gas in the Soviet Union, you name it, a lot of things occurred and a lot of wars are fought because there are the haves and there are the have-nots. Trade will help everyone get a bite at the apple, and everyone will benefit through the growth and the experience.

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this is why the President I think has said that national security is his number one priority. Economic security comes right after that. This is all about jobs in competition. The gentleman and I, we both have young children. A lot of our neighbors have children in college or kids just getting out in the workforce. This is all about jobs. This is all about us competing and them having the kinds of jobs they can raise a family on. We hear a lot of excuses, but today, earlier tonight we heard another ``I am for free trade, but,'' which seems to follow with anything, but one of them said, I am for free trade, but I do not want to give up our sovereign rights as a country. Earlier today Senator Phil Gramm, who is a constitutionalist beyond many in Congress; if someone asks him what time of the day it is, he would consult the Constitution first to see if that is allowed and permitted and what rights are there for Americans. This morning he stood here and told colleagues on Capitol Hill that he supports this bill. This protects the sovereign rights of America, of American workers, of American business, of the American Constitution. So I think that excuse just does not wash. The other thing I wonder about is if people understand the potential that is out there for us. The gentleman and I have talked about this. Ninety-five percent of the world that lives outside of America, they cannot all buy, those countries cannot all buy what the gentleman and I perhaps can afford today, but someday they will. All we need to do is look at Japan and Western Europe, nations that went from abject poverty to prosperity in one generation. I mean one generation, from father to son, from mother to daughter, as a Nation, went from the poorest of the poor to being strong competitors and economic powers in this world. That is what we are competing for. Last year I read a number, and I followed up and confirmed it. Half of the adults in the world today, one-half, have yet to make their first telephone call. Think about that. Half of the adults in the world have yet to make a telephone call. Common sense tells us, if it is American companies that land those contracts to sell those telephones and that service, they will create American jobs. If there are companies in Europe that land those contracts, they will create jobs in Europe and in Asia, in Asia. So it is sort of Lewis and Clark out there in the world, and every country is out there, every nation is out there staking lucrative claims to these markets except for us, because we do not allow our President to go out there and give us a fair shake and allow us to compete. The potential for jobs for our children, for our neighbors, for those who are unemployed is just huge. Would the gentleman not agree?

Mr. BRADY of Texas. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I have sensed up here from some of the opponents that perhaps they are afraid for America to compete, that they are not so sure our products and our workers are good enough anymore around the world. But if we listen to those workers in our businesses, whether it is the farmers who are out there or small businesses, our technology companies, our software companies, computer makers, construction, energy, financial people, just people all around our neighborhood, the reason they are pushing for this legislation is they know that they can compete. They know that they can create jobs right here at home but, literally, 95 percent of the world that is the population outside of America that is growing by leaps and bounds, again, America need not apply to sell them and compete for their business, yet every other country is out there doing it. For them, they see it simply as this is a huge opportunity to create jobs and help families. What is interesting is these jobs from international trade pay a little more than domestic jobs, and they are more recession-proof, which I would think for those 700,000 or so employees that we have lost who have been laid off since September 11, jobs that hang tight in a tough economy would be good news, and jobs one can raise a family on would be very important, again, if Americans can apply for these jobs in these businesses.