Corrine Brown

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I am certainly hoping that everybody from Florida will take a real close look at this proposal because I do not think it should be a Democratic or a Republican proposal. I think this proposal should be one that benefits the people, particularly the people of Florida. I am just hoping that my colleagues will come to the table and let us work together for the good of the people of Florida and also the good of the people throughout the country. I think we can do this in a very bipartisan way.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Nursing homes.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. A couple of those things that he did mention, which is very exciting for people in Florida, and one that the gentleman has been talking about, the prescription drugs, which is so crucial for the people of Florida, I cannot tell the the gentleman how many times that I go home and this subject comes up about the cost of medicine. People join the HMOs for various reasons. Basically, their prescriptions eat it up in a couple of months, and then they are left having to pay this astronomical cost of medicine. So I am very excited about this portion of the President's proposal. Another proposal that is very exciting is that when this program started in 1965, a lot of the things that we have done in medicine were not available, so the prescreening portion, that people can go in and be screened for cancer, diabetes, and other things without any cost, that preventative part, and not be penalized, that preventative part I think is so crucial.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I think, in the richest country in the world, it is ludicrous that seniors have to decide whether or not they are going to pay their rent, buy their medicine or buy food. I think we need to commend the President for coming forward with this recommendation.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. One of the things that I have decided to do, Mr. Speaker, to highlight the program, is in my town meetings I am going to bring in seniors in Jacksonville, I am going to have a coffee with them, to discuss the proposal; in Orlando I am going to bring them in during a luncheon. Because I think it is important that they not only talk with me and get the details of the proposal, but they call the other representatives in the area. I think it is very important, particularly for Florida, with the number of elderly population that we have, and growing, that we get some relief. I think this is a way that we can go in Florida. I am hoping that all Members of the Florida delegation will support this proposal. Of course, the people can decide whether or not they think this is important.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership on this issue. Coming from Florida, where we have over 3 million senior citizens, this is a real crucial issue for us. I can tell the gentleman that no matter where I go in Florida, the major issue is Medicare and what is going to happen to the program. Really, it is not social security, it is not education, this is what on their minds, because of the cuts that exist in the program from the balanced budget amendment. Can the gentleman tell me a little bit about the President's proposal in restoring some of those cuts in home health care?

Ms. BROWN of Florida. So I will do all I can to inform the public so that they will call Members of Congress. A lot of people think that we are working because we are meeting 5 days a week. But it is not the quantity, it is the quality of what we are doing. If we are not dealing with the issues that is important to them, then we might as well be home doing constituent case work.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I just want to add one thing. With all of the advances in medicine, some of the most beneficiary advancements include our ability to detect diseases before they become life threatening. Under the President's plan, these types of screening would also be covered. We all know that one ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This is a perfect example of how we can use medicine advanced to make smart and cost effective changes in the way we deliver health care. I really want to commend the President for coming forth with this recommendation, and I am hoping that we in the Congress will look very seriously at his proposal, and that the community will get involved, and that different groups that support elderly get involved so that we can pass a bill.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in solid opposition to the Dingell amendment. We can fool some of the people some of the time, but we cannot fool all of the people all of the time, and the American people are not fooled by this amendment. I can tell my colleagues that this is an example of this Congress not being serious about closing the gun show loopholes. If we are serious, we will vote tonight to close the gun show loopholes. Let me tell my colleagues, the American people are watching us tonight.

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in solid opposition to the Dingell amendment. While supporters of this amendment claim to close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks, this amendment reduces to just 24 hours the amount of time that law enforcement officers have to conduct background checks at gun shows. Moreover, if the check cannot be completed within the 24 hours, the sale would be allowed to proceed, thus allowing criminals to buy weapons at large gun shows at the beginning of a holiday weekend, while, after 24 hours, the gun is theirs. This amendment is misguided, misleading, and even dangerous! In fact, this is an example of the lack of seriousness in this Congress in trying to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. You know, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time, and let me say that the American people are not fooled by the rhetoric of this group! The dilution of the Senate bill is appalling! If the Congress is really serious about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, this amendment will be defeated, and the gun- show loopholes closed!

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the 97 percent of the women with children, I rise in support of the McCarthy amendment. I rise in support of the McCarthy amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise in solid opposition to the Dingell amendment. While supporters of this amendment claim to close the gun show loophole by requiring background checks, this amendment reduces to just 24 hours the amount of time that law enforcement officers have to conduct background checks at gun shows. This amendment is misguided, misleading even! In fact, this is an example of the lack of seriousness in this Congress in trying to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. You know, you can fool some of the people some of the time, but not all of the people all of the time, and let me say that the American people are not fooled by the rhetoric of this group! The dilution of the Senate bill is appalling! If the Congress is really serious about keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, this amendment will be defeated, and the gun-show loopholes closed! I firmly believe that in order to deter youth violence it is necessary to focus on prevention and not exclusively on punishment; indeed, merely locking up kids with adults is not a legitimate solution to the problem of youth violence. Children's groups across the nation have called on Congress to concentrate on the prevention of juvenile crime: not only punitive measures. In my home district, Florida's 3rd, on Friday, June 4th at Raines Senior High School, I did just this, and held an in-school meeting to discuss different models of youth violence prevention and mediation. The participants consisted of six Members of Congress, a NASA astronaut, the rap star Snake, 1600 students, and an organization named SHINE (Seeking Harmony In Neighborhoods Everday). Our discussions centered on prevention, such as positive ways to confront low self-esteem, and a search for non-violent responses to conflict. I believe that it is only possible to permanently end youth violence by teaching our children radically new ways of thinking, which would allow them to direct their energy, presently released through violent means, into positive outlets like music, art and technology, in after school programs. Along these lines, I suggest that teachers nationwide should include conflict resolution, mediation, and anger management lessons in their yearly course of study, and that these lessons be introduced in all grade levels to positively influence children throughout their school career. Undoubtedly, the causes of youth violence are extremely complicated and our nation is in need of broad based solutions. An increase in child counseling, the instituting of sufficient mental health resources, and a general questioning of the role of the media in influencing children's attitudes toward guns and violence are all in order. Certainly, as Members of Congress, we should not overlook our role as parents and federal legislators, and do absolutely everything possible to put an end to the horrific, widespread problem of youth violence, with an eye towards prevention, and not just punishment. Mr. Chairman, we've got to prioritize prevention over prisons. In the last two days I have heard proposals for locking up our children. How will this stop the violence? Simply, it won't. We've got to enhance our families, our community centers, our churches and our classrooms. Building more prisons is not the answer. We've got to rebuild our communities--that is the only way we can move forward as a country. The Democratic Alternatives offer hope for the future, which is a lot more than the Republican alternatives of steel bars and cell blocks.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing, together with Mr. Evans, the Ranking Democrat on the Veterans' Affairs Committee as an original cosponsor, House Resolution----that would reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the men and women who have honorably served this Nation in the Armed Forces to provide reasonable access to burial in a national or State veterans cemetery. Our Resolution also would call on the National Cemetery Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, vested with the responsibility of providing a final resting place for America's heroes, to commence without delay the planning for the construction of new national cemeteries and other activities to provide America's veterans reasonable access to burial in a veterans cemetery. I am appalled at the Department of Veterans Affairs' less-than- inspired goal for performing its mission ``to honor veterans with a final resting place and lasting memorials to commemorate their service to our Nation.'' Currently, nearly one-third of United States veterans do not have the option of being buried in a national or State veterans cemetery located within a reasonable distance of their residence--being 75 miles, as determined by the VA's National Cemetery Administration. Shockingly, the National Cemetery Administration, as its fiscal year 2000 performance plan program objective, will try to provide only 80 percent of United States veterans with a burial option within a reasonable distance of their residence. Mr. Speaker, a National Cemetery Administration goal, which does not provide 20 percent of United States veterans with a burial option within a reasonable distance of their residence, is not acceptable to me nor should it be to this House. By VA's own statistics, the demand for cemetery space will rise sharply in the near future, with burials increasing 42 percent from 1995 to 2010, and annual veteran deaths reaching 620,000 in the year 2008. However, for some inadequately explained reason, the VA's Fiscal Year 2000 proposed budget failed to request funding for even the planning of any new national cemeteries. Last week I joined with Chairman Stump and Ranking Member Evans of the Veterans' Affairs Committee as an original cosponsor of H.R. 2040, the ``Veterans' Cemeteries Assessment Act of 1999''. That bill would require VA to contract for an independent study on improvements to veterans' cemeteries. Among other things, the study would assess the number of additional national cemeteries required for the interment and memorialization of veterans who die after 2010. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Florida has the oldest veterans' population of any state. By VA's estimate, there will be nearly 25,000 veteran deaths in the greater Miami area in FY 2000, and by the year 2010, the annual death rate in South Florida will be nearly 26,000. Unfortunately, the nearest veterans cemetery is 250 miles away. It is for that reason, on April 29, I introduced H.R. 1628 to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Miami, Florida, metropolitan area to serve the needs of veterans and their families. I would note for my colleagues that in both 1987 and 1994, the Miami area was designated by congressionally mandated reports as one of the top geographic areas in the United States in which need for burial space for veterans is greatest. Yet, as late as August 1998, VA's strategic planning through the year 2010 indicated nothing more than a willingness to continue evaluating the needs of nearly 800,000 veterans in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale primary and secondary service area. Mr. Speaker, that is over 54 percent of the estimated State veteran population and 3.3 percent of the total U.S. veteran population. The burial space needs of veterans are approaching a crisis stage in Florida; but Florida is not alone. According to testimony received at a recent hearing of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, of which I am the Ranking Democrat, ninety percent of eligible veterans are not--I repeat, are not--buried in a national or state veterans cemetery. Such hallowed grounds are simply located too far from their home and family. Mr. Speaker, standing on the threshold of a new century as we are, it is our obligation as Members of the 106th Congress to again affirm America's long and solemn commitment to her veterans--past, present, and future--that they and their families will be provided an appropriate resting place of honor, and that the Department of Veterans Affairs will fully carry out its responsibilities to that end.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, first of all, let me thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. This is a very important bill for this country and in particular for Florida, and it is necessary in order to keep the aviation system the safest and most efficient in the world. It provides funds to expand capacity and update our airports. Orlando and members of the Orlando Aviation Authority here today will reach 30 million passengers in the next few years. Miami, the gateway to the Americas, will handle 35 million passengers and 2.9 million tons of cargo. I also want to point out that we need to ensure that we have adequate supply of air traffic controllers in the next century. I have been visited by controllers in my district who are concerned about this issue. I have pledged to work with them on this issue. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, because serious aviation needs exist in all of our districts.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 2040, the Veterans' Cemeteries Assessment Act of 1999, introduced by Chairman Bob Stump of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. America made a solemn commitment to those who put their lives on the line for her when in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed legislation authorizing the purchase of ``cemetery grounds'' to be used as national cemeteries ``for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country.'' The stated goal of the Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemetery Administration is to assure that the burial needs of veterans are met with a final resting place that commemorates their service to our Nation. Unfortunately, today nearly a third of America's veterans do not have the option of being buried in a national or state veterans cemetery within a reasonable distance from their residence--determined by the VA to be 75 miles. I was distressed that the VA's Fiscal Year 2000 proposed budget failed to request funding for even the planning of any new national cemeteries although the Department's own statistics show that demand for cemetery space will increase sharply in the near future, with burials increasing 42 percent from 1995 to 2010, and annual veteran deaths reaching 620,000 in the year 2008. Additionally, I have been deeply concerned that VA continues to ignore the long-identified national veterans cemetery needs of the southern part of my home state of Florida. In both 1987 and 1994, the Miami area was designated by congressionally mandated reports as one of the top geographic areas in the United States in which need for burial space for veterans is greatest. Yet, as late as August 1998, VA's strategic planning through the year 2010 indicated nothing more than a willingness to continue evaluating the needs of nearly 800,000 veterans in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale primary and secondary service area. Mr. Speaker, that is over 54 percent of the estimated state veteran population and 3.3 percent of the total U.S. veteran population. Florida has the oldest veterans' population of any state. By VA's estimate, there will be nearly 25,000 veteran deaths in the greater Miami area in FY 2000, and by the year 2010, the annual death rate in South Florida will be nearly 26,000. Unfortunately, the nearest veterans cemetery is 250 miles away. That is why I introduced H.R. 1628 to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Miami, Florida, metropolitan area to serve the needs of veterans and their families. The independent study required by H.R. 2040 to assess, among other things, the number of additional national cemeteries that will be required for the interment and memorialization of veterans who die after 2010, will better identify the critical needs of all of Florida, as well as the Nation. Throughout America, Mr. Speaker, 90 percent of eligible veterans are not buried in a state or national veterans cemetery. Another important matter required to be studied by H.R. 2040 would be improvements to VA burial benefits to better serve veterans and their families. The legislation specifically mandates consideration of a proposal to increase the amount of the plot allowance benefit. The plot allowance, when paid to a state veterans cemetery, helps defray the state's operating costs of those burial grounds. At a recent hearing of the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, of which I am the Ranking Democrat, veterans organizations and State Directors of Veterans Affairs testified that the concern for high operating cost obligations keeps many states from seeking a VA grant to build and equip a state veterans cemetery. Mr. Speaker, I would note that the plot allowance benefit--$150--has not been increased in over 20 years, and is limited to only veterans with wartime service. I believe that an assessment of the plot allowance benefit will find (1) that the current benefit does not cover the cost of interment, (2) that the current eligibility criteria discriminates against 20 percent of the veteran population who are buried in a state cemetery but who are otherwise eligible to be buried in a national cemetery, and (3) that an increase in the benefit amount and an expansion of the eligibility criteria would provide the needed incentive for more states to establish state veterans cemeteries as complements the national cemetery system. H.R. 2040 will provide Congress with the road map needed to fulfill the Nation's solemn obligation to its heroes--that they and their families be provided an appropriate resting place of honor. I urge Members to support this legislation.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Gilman-Goss amendment, which limits funds for deployment of US Armed Forces in Haiti. There are about 400 US military personnel in Haiti, who make up the US-Haiti support Group. This mission is humanitarian in nature, and provides engineering and other infrastructure assistance, and it is important to note that their presence is not permanent. The role our troops play in Haiti is critical. If this amendment passes; however, we would send a negative message to the people of Haiti; namely, that the United States is leaving them at a critical time in the country's movement toward democracy. I would like to point out that no other statute requires that the President report to Congress before a training deployment, as would be required if this passes. I urge you to vote ``no'' on this amendment. Lastly, it is unfortunate that a Member from Florida continues to attack our policy in Haiti. What we need to understand is that when the problems of Haiti go unresolved, these problems in turn, become ours as well.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Madam Speaker, 3 years ago President Lee won a landslide victory in the first presidential election in the history of China. As a democratic elected president, he demonstrated to the world that democracy could indeed thrive in Taiwan. During the last 3 years President Lee continued to implement his program for the Republic of China. As a result, Taiwan presently has free elections in every level of government, a free press, and holds respect for human rights in the highest regard. As a believer in increasing cooperation between Taiwan and mainland China, President Lee continued to emphasize that it is necessary for Taiwan and the mainland to work together to conduct further discussions on the issue of reunification. Many close to the president maintain that his one true dream is to witness a unified China under the principle of democracy rules, free enterprise and the distribution of wealth. A few years ago I had the privilege of being President Lee's guest on a visit to Taiwan. Since that time I perceive him as a world class statesman and hope that he will be able to influence mainland China to democratize and reunify with Taiwan on the basis of democratic principles. As a faithful friend of the United States, we must give him our wholehearted support as his presence on the island is symbolic of the economy and a politically stable Asia.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of one of our Nation's most valuable programs, Women, Infants and Children, more popularly known as WIC. The WIC program has been serving women and children across America for 25 years. The valuable service provided by WIC includes nutritional counseling, the supply of supplemental nutritional foods to children and an excellent health referral system. WIC continues to be effective in improving the health of pregnant women, new mothers and infants. Studies show that WIC participants are more likely to have full term pregnancy, lower medical costs, higher birth weight babies and lower infant mortality rates. On this anniversary of 25 years, I salute WIC for providing such outstanding service. We must all remember a healthy start is a great start.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 732.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 156. I want to thank the Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson for the wonderful job he has done getting the three American prisoners released. Our Nation and the families of the three soldiers who were held for a month are very grateful to Reverend Jackson's work. Reverend Jackson has only recently been named as a diplomat, but he has been doing this work for a very long time. I am very hopeful that Reverend Jackson's success will encourage the two sides to find a peaceful end to the crisis. On that note, I want to say that I joined several of my colleagues this weekend in Vienna, where we had meetings with the Russian Parliament. We tried to set a framework for peace negotiations between the two sides, and I am very pleased with our results. We cannot underestimate the power of negotiators like the Reverend Jackson, and I am very encouraged that his efforts, along with the discussions with the Russian officials, will lay the groundwork for peace and end this conflict. God bless America. And, of course, we all love the Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson. I would like to congratulate the Reverend Jesse Jackson in his successful efforts in bringing home the three United States servicemen, Staff Sergeant Christopher J. Stone, Staff Sergeant Andrew A. Ramirez and Specialist Steven M. Gonzales, who were abducted in Macedonia near the Yugoslav border where they were on patrol while participating in a NATO force that was to move into Kosovo as peacekeepers in case of a settlement. Mr. Jackson's trip to Yugoslavia as a negotiator on behalf of the soldiers was indeed courageous, and his diplomatic talents are more than commendable. Indeed, in obtaining the release of the captured soldiers, Reverend Jesse Jackson succeeded where no one else could through his immeasurable perseverance, faith, and persistent negotiating with the Serb leader. It is interesting to note that this was not the Reverend's first success as an international mediator. In 1984, he won the freedom from Syria of a U.S. Navy flyer, Lt. Robert O. Goodman, Jr., who had been shot down in a raid on antiaircraft positions in Lebanon. I also recall that in June of that same year he persuaded Fidel Castro to release 22 Americans and 26 Cubans from Cuban prisons. Additionally, Jesse Jackson has participated in numerous domestic ``missions,'' and has mediated in several disputes on behalf of African Americans, labor and the poor. One example of his efforts was his success in prodding the aircraft maker Boeing into a $15 million settlement of two class action lawsuits that accused the firm of discriminating against its African American workers. I wholeheartedly admire the Reverend for his tactics in dispute resolution, for his siding with the underdogs, the poor, minorities, and the oppressed.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Duma-U.S. Congressional Study Group, I want to take a moment to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for his leadership in this area. I traveled with my colleagues to Vienna, Austria, last weekend to help bring cooperation between members of the Russian parliament and the United States Congress. The United States-Russian Duma Study Group was created 5 years ago, and I have been an active participant in the organization for the last 3 years. As a group, our members meet to discuss national security, military affairs, housing, economic development and social welfare policies. The importance of the working group cannot be overstated, since personal relationships by members of each of the respective governments are created, thus permitting for greater openness and increasing trust between the two governing bodies of each country. Because Russia and Serbia have close ethnic and historical ties, I believe that members of the Russian Duma can play an important role in convincing the Serbian government to put a halt to the ethnic cleansing and help stop the refugee crisis. I believe that the humanitarian crisis cannot be solved by just a bombing campaign and that a diplomatic solution is much more desirable than military escalation. A spread of the violence will only bring about increasing division, hatred and resentment and violence, but a diplomatic solution could lead to the increase of communication and understanding between the two sides and save countless lives. As a Member of Congress, I feel that it is my responsibility to do everything I can within my capacity to help end this war. I would like to point out that the congressional delegation's discussions with the Duma were not meant as a slight to the administration nor an undermining of NATO's authority. Rather, members of our group traveled to Austria to increase communication between the warring sides and act as a conduit to the present talks taking place between President Clinton, foreign policy experts and members of the Russian Government. The main point of contention which I brought to the talks with the Russian Duma was that ethnic cleansing is, in essence, the root cause of the conflict. As the only mother in the room during the talks, I felt that it was necessary to recognize the tragedies of the refugee families. The Russian delegation originally refused to acknowledge that it was the ethnic cleansing that began this conflict and not the NATO bombing, but before they walked away from our discussion they acknowledged that it was the ethnic cleansing that began this conflict. Our discussion resulted in a framework for peace negotiations. One of the guidelines I would like to see during the peace negotiations is a cease-fire, a time-out from the fighting, so that both parties can refrain from fighting in order to negotiate with one another in a diplomatic fashion. In order to smooth out the road to diplomacy, the Congressional-Duma Study Group suggests a threefold approach to resolving the conflict. This includes a temporary end to the NATO bombing, along with the withdrawal of the Serbian Armed Forces from Kosovo and the KLA military activities. We demand a recognition of the basic principles of the territorial integrity of Yugoslavia, including greater autonomy for Kosovo and just treatment of all Yugoslavian people. We also support efforts to provide international assistance to rebuild the destroyed homes of the refugees, as well as other humanitarian assistance. This was a productive meeting, and I am hopeful that it will not be our last. We are all in agreement that we want a quick and peaceful end to the crisis, while keeping positive relationships between Russia and the United States.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing legislation requiring the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery in the Miami, Florida, metropolitan area to serve the needs of veterans and their families, and to report to Congress on a schedule for that establishment and an estimate of associated costs. I am distressed that the Department of Veterans Affairs continues to ignore the long-identified national veterans' cemetery needs of southern Florida. In both 1987 and 1994, the Miami area was designated by congressional mandated reports as one of the top geographic areas in the United States in which need for burial space for veterans is greatest. Yet, as late as August 1998, VA's strategic planning through the year 2010 indicated nothing more than a willingness to continue evaluating the needs of nearly 800,000 veterans in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale primary and secondary service area. Mr. Speaker, that is over 54 percent of the estimated State veteran population and 3.3 percent of the total U.S. veteran population. By VA's estimate, there will be nearly 25,000 veteran deaths in the greater Miami area in FY 2000, and by the year 2010, the annual veteran death rate in southern Florida will be nearly 26,000. Although VA statistics show that demand for cemetery space will increase sharply in the near future--with burials increasing 42 percent from 1995 to 2010--the Administration's FY 2000 budget for VA failed to include a request for the funding required to initiate a single new national cemetery. Mr. Speaker, the time for evaluating the needs of southern Florida is long past and the time for action is rapidly slipping away. National veterans' cemeteries are not built in a day. It takes at least five-to- seven years to plan and build one. For those who served this country with pride and dignity, VA has an obligation to provide an opportunity to be buried in a national cemetery near their home--an opportunity not now available to those who live in southern Florida. It has been the intent of Congress since the establishment of the National Cemetery System in 1862 that the Federal Government purchase ``cemetery grounds'' to be used as national cemeteries ``for soldiers who shall have died in the service of the country.'' Today, of the 115 national cemeteries administered by VA, only 57 are open to all interment, 36 can accommodate cremated remains and family members of those already interred, and 22 are closed to new interments. In southern Florida there is not a veterans cemetery of any description. I urge Members to support my legislation so that the Memorial Days of the 21st century can be observed by the families and friends of veterans in southern Florida at a nearby, appropriate national resting place of honor for an American hero.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of one of our society's most valuable and most vulnerable groups of citizens: our Children. For more than a decade, April has been recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that nearly one million children were abused and neglected in 1997. Child abuse is society's concern. Prevention of child abuse demands that everyone--Federal, State and local government as well as community service providers, teachers, businesses, families, friends and neighbors must work as a unit to protect our children. This Friday is Children's Memorial Day; a day set aside to memorialize the thousands of children and youth killed each year as a result of child abuse. I challenge each Member of Congress to help expand awareness and encourage prevention efforts for this nationwide problem. Violence against our children must end. Preventing child abuse is everybody's business. Make it yours.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, to whom God has given much, much is expected. I rise today to say thank you, Mrs. Parks, on behalf of the residents of my district and the people of the State of Florida, for your unselfish commitment to civil rights. This country is a better place because of her courage. Rosa Parks is a hero. I hope that we consider this Congressional Medal of Honor a first step in finally recognizing Mrs. Parks for her role in our Nation's history. Mrs. Parks, wherever you are, we love you, we thank you, and we stand on your great shoulders.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this year's budget falls far short of providing the funds needed to honor our commitments to our servicemen and women. Even with the increased support last week by the Committee on the Budget, funding for fiscal year 2000 is $2 billion short of what is needed to provide for our veterans' health and well- being. The budget falls short in keeping up with medical inflation in our aging veterans population. As our veterans grow older, we must dedicate funds to expand health care programs, expand home and community-based services, build more veterans nursing homes and, yes, build more veterans cemeteries. Veterans are in a budget disaster. Let me say, there is no surplus when your bills are not paid. Let me repeat that. There is no surplus when all of your bills have not been paid. The veterans have paid their bills, they have served us well. All of us, when the veterans come here, we talk a great talk. It is now time to walk that walk for the veterans. Mr. Speaker, this year's budget falls well short of providing the funding needed to honor our commitment to our service men and women. Even with the increase voted last week by the Budget Committee, funding for Fiscal Year 2000 is 2 billion dollars short of what is needed to provide for our veterans health and well being. This budget falls short in keeping up with medical inflation and an aging and vulnerable veterans population. As our veterans grow older, we must dedicate funds to: 1. Expanding long term care programs; 2. Expanding home and community based services; 3. Building more veterans nursing homes; and 4. Building more veterans cemeteries. Veterans are in a budget disaster. The Budget Committee increased the figure for veterans health care by $1.1 billion dollars last week. Given the 3.9 percent rate of health care cost inflation, this is still a flat-line budget. Given the new initiatives VA is to be tasked with, this is still a flat-line budget. A flat-line budget is still a budget reduction. We've all heard talk about giving away the budget surplus. There is no surplus when all the bills have not been paid. Last week, many of us on the Veterans' Affairs Committee who see this need spelled it out in detail in our ``Additional and Dissenting Views and Estimates.'' This was after Mr. Evans attempted to introduce a proposal within the Committee calling for adding 3 billion dollars to the Administration budget. That debate was not permitted. Mr. Speaker, this was not a partisan effort. It was a simple statement of dollars and common sense. We need an opportunity to present the case to the full House for more funding for veterans programs. Mr. Speaker, this is still not a partisan effort. In all fairness, we need a rule that allows such a discussion.

Ms. BROWN of Florida

Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Watts resolution. This is just another example of the Republicans trying to have their cake and eat it too. On one hand, they claim to be against racism, but the Republican leadership refuses to condemn the Council of Conservative Citizens, or CCC, a modern-day KKK. By killing a resolution condemning the racism and bigotry of the Council of Conservative Citizens, the Republican leadership denied itself the opportunity to attack the problem of racism. House Resolution 35, of which I am an original cosponsor, has 142 cosponsors, including 13 Republicans, as well as the support of a broad base of civil rights leaders, religious organizations, and conservative activists. This has never been brought to the floor. House Resolution 121, which was dropped last Friday, was rushed to the floor without even a single cosponsor and does not mention this terrible group. Fellows, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. By killing a resolution condemning ``the racism and bigotry espoused by the Council of Conservative Citizens,'' the Republican leadership denied itself the opportunity to attack the problem of this new, more subtle kind of racism head on, the type sponsored by the Council of Conservative Citizens. This is just another example of the Republicans trying to have their cake and eat it too. On one hand, they claim to be against racism and attack it, yet on the other, members of their leadership have ties to the CCC, which is in reality, a new form of the KKK. In fact, the CCC is an outgrowth of the abhorrent ``White Citizens Council,'' which helped enforce segregation in the 1950s and 1960s. With ties to the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups, the CCC promotes a blatantly racist agenda, while masking its true ideology by acting as a mainstream conservative organization. Indeed, I say that if it looks like duck, quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it is in fact, a duck. I believe that House Resolution 121, which is merely a watered down version of House Resolution 35, was brought to the floor in order to shield the Republican party from criticism for their relationship with the Council of Conservative Citizens. Indeed, while House Resolution 35, which has 142 cosponsors, including 13 Republicans, as well as the support of a broad base of civil rights leaders, religious organizations, and conservative activists, was never brought to the House Floor. This resolution, which was dropped just last Friday, was rushed to the Floor without even a single cosponsor. I believe this is a completely inauthentic resolution, and is being utilized purely as a political ploy to blunt criticism of certain members of the Republican party for their affiliation with the Conservative Council.