Judy Biggert

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 457, the Organ Donor Leave Act. I commend the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for introducing this important bill. I know that my colleagues in the House are strong supporters of organ donation; but whenever we have a chance to highlight this important issue, we should do so. More than 54,000 people are currently on the organ transplant waiting list, and about 4,000 each year die while waiting for a transplant. I believe that Congress should do whatever it can do to encourage our citizens to consider becoming organ or bone marrow donors and that the Federal Government should be a leader in this effort. The Organ Donor Leave Act does that. Mr. Speaker, the least we can do for those who are giving so much of themselves is to give them the time to rest and recover with their families as they save the lives of others. H.R. 457 will make it easier for Federal employees to become organ donors by providing those who donate organs with 30 days of paid leave in any calendar year. Under current law, employees are permitted to take 7 days of leave in order to donate bone marrow or organs. H.R. 457 retains the 7-day leave period for bone marrow donors but increases the leave available to organ donors to 30 days. This leave is separate and distinct from the annual or sick leave available to Federal employees. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Illinois has been a leader in organ and tissue donation through our Secretary of State's office. In fact, I signed up as a potential organ donor when our Secretary of State, now Governor George Ryan, came to the House floor of the Illinois General Assembly and personally signed up every legislator on our driver's license on the back. Illinois is one of the few States with an organ/ tissue donor registry. In Illinois, this registry makes use of the existing driver's license and ID card database to identify individuals who are willing to be organ or tissue donors after death. Since October 1992, everyone applying for or renewing an Illinois driver's license or identification card is asked if they want to participate in this registry. The response has been terrific. Approximately 3 million Illinoians have joined the registry and nearly 100,000 more enroll each month. The average participation rate statewide is 38 percent compared to a national average of 13 percent, and some counties have reported participation rates of over 70 percent. The bottom line is when we make it easier for individuals to become organ donors, more people will become donors. H.R. 457 is an important step towards making it easier for Federal employees to be organ donors, and I hope we will see the same kind of response with Federal employees that we have seen in Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of the House to support H.R. 457. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) is unavoidably detained and will be here shortly and asked me to proceed. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1074, the Regulatory Right-to-Know Act, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor. Once again, the Congress is taking the lead in enhancing the accountability of the Federal Government to the American people. The Regulatory Right-to-Know Act is a bipartisan bill that will allow us to better understand the impact on our economy of Federal regulations and bureaucratic red tape. It requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit an annual accounting report that estimates the costs and benefits of Federal regulatory programs. The importance and timeliness of this legislation cannot be understated. Recent studies estimate the compliance costs of Federal regulations at more than $700 billion annually. Unfortunately, these costs amount to a hidden tax passed on to hardworking Americans in the form of higher prices, reduced wages, stunted economic growth and decreased technological innovation. Just think, if we could lower the cost of Federal regulations by just one-seventh of that amount, $100 billion per year, it would have the effect of a $1 trillion tax cut for the American people over 10 years. That is $200 billion more than the tax cut we fought so hard to pass just last week. But to lower the costs, we have to know the costs. The Regulatory Right-to-Know Act will provide this valuable information, helping regulators make better, more accountable decisions. Mr. Chairman, I do not believe that all regulation is bad, but we ought to know the true cost of these actions so that we can judge how useful they really are. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1074 to begin this important review. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, no one in this room would buy a house without hiring an inspector to look it over carefully to make sure it was liveable; no one would buy a new car without looking at the warranty and taking it out for a spin to make sure that it runs; none of us would buy a new suit of clothes without having it professionally tailored and then trying it on first to see if it fits, yet we expect the American people to spend $700 billion a year to comply with thousands of Federal regulations without knowing whether those regulations do what they are supposed to do. I think we owe the American people an explanation. H.R. 1074 will help us give them one. It will help us answer the questions about whether all these regulations are worth what we are paying for them and whether society enjoys a net benefit. This bill will improve our regulatory system by putting timely, reliable information on the costs and benefits of regulations in the hands of policymakers and legislators. At the same time, it leaves in place all existing rules and it maintains the integrity of the existing rulemaking process. Mr. Chairman, the American people deserve to know what they are getting for $700 billion a year. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Ryan).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to yield the remaining time to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) for his management.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague across the aisle, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), for his remarks and the remarks on that side of the aisle and all my esteemed colleagues on this side of the aisle. I would especially like to thank my colleague from California (Mr. Kuykendall) for offering this resolution and giving me the opportunity to handle the resolution on the floor. Looking back on my own childhood, really, the sports that we had were ballet and music lessons. So soccer is a relatively new sport for Americans but especially for American girls. Of my three daughters, only the youngest, Adrienne, had the opportunity to play soccer from kindergarten on through college. As the assistant soccer coach for her team in the mid and late 1980s, I can well remember the excitement of the girls and their parents when girls soccer first became a recognized team sport in our high school. That meant that Adrienne, just like my son Rody before her, would have the opportunity to play a sport that she loved throughout her years in school. Thanks to the passage of Title IX in 1972, my daughter Adrienne, along with the women of Team USA and young women and young girls throughout America, has come to benefit from the opportunity enjoyed for so long by young men and boys throughout America. Title IX has enabled young women to participate in school sports, to learn the value of teamwork and competition, and to gain the self-confidence and skills that are so valuable in business and in other future careers. Mr. Speaker, the women of Team USA have shown teamwork, dedication and a complete commitment to excellence in their field. They also showed a love for the sport and for those who will follow them. They are mentors, role models and an inspiration for all of us, regardless of age or gender. Following their victory and visit to Disneyland on Sunday, the women of Team USA boarded a plane and flew east overnight, landing at Newark Airport at 4:30 in the morning. Here is how team member Brandy Chastain described their arrival. ``There were 10 little girls waiting in the airport,'' Chastain said. They were wearing World Cup and Soccer USA stuff. They were all so excited. They had slept there. They were jumping around and asking for autographs. We all obliged. They deserved it.'' Mr. Speaker, the women of Team USA deserve the recognition today. I urge my colleagues to show their support for this tremendous accomplishment by supporting the resolution of the gentleman from California.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 244) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with regard to the United States Women's Soccer Team and its winning performance in the 1999 Women's World Cup.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 244 honoring the U.S. Women's Soccer Team and its winning performance in the 1999 women's world cup tournament. For the past 3 weeks, no household in America has been immune to the fever that has swept our Nation during the 32 games of the women's world cup soccer series. When the series began, total attendance was set on the high side. Crowds of up to 350,000 were expected to extend the games in seven cities throughout the country. By Sunday when the series ended at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, more than 660,000 fans had attended including 90,000 people for the final. Another 40 million tuned in to watch the match on television. What we saw in that final matchup of the series pitting China against Team USA was a battle of titans. For a grueling 120 minutes of play neither side budged, neither side blinked, and neither side gave up a goal. What we saw was an American dream come true. For generations little boys have grown up wishing to become another Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Gale Sayers or Michael Jordan. But it is only recently that little girls have anywhere near the same dream, to one day be the next Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, or Jackie Joyner Kersee. Now little girls have the dream. They have the women of Team USA. they have Briana Scurry, Carla Overbeck, Kate Sobrero, and Brandi Chastain. They have Joy Fawcett and Julie Foudy, Michelle Akers and Kristine Lilley. They have Mia Hamm. They have Cindy Parlow, Tiffany Milbrett, Sara Whalen, Shannon MacMillan, and Tisha Venturini. They have Lorrie Fair, Christie Pearce, Tiffany Roberts, Danielle Fotopoulos, Saska Webber and Tracy Ducar. The women of team U.S. won the World Cup series, but they also won the respect and admiration and the hearts of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Kuykendall), sponsor of the resolution.

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mrs. BIGGERT asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 244.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 10 and thank the gentleman from Iowa for the opportunity to speak. As a freshman member of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, I was privileged to help produce in committee a bipartisan bill that will modernize our Nation's banking, insurance and securities industries. Over the past months I have heard from hundreds of my constituents in support of this monumental legislation. H.R. 10 allows broad new affiliations among banks, securities and insurance companies. As our Nation and the world have progressed technologically, the distinctions between financial fields have eased. H.R. 10 reforms the outdated laws and regulations that add cost and inconvenience to consumers and restrict their choices for financial services. Madam Chairman, H.R. 10 will allow our Nation's financial institutions, security companies and insurance industries to compete in the global marketplace. I am pleased that the Committee on Banking and Financial Services and the Committee on Commerce overwhelmingly approved this legislation. I hope that any snafus can be worked out in the near future, and I urge the support of the whole House.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to my colleagues' attention an amazing event that will take place in my district, in Naperville, Illinois. Can you hear it? That is the theme of the Naperville Millennium Carillon project, the groundbreaking ceremony for which will take place this Friday. It will be a great tower, almost 150 feet high, in the heart of one of America's most vibrant cities. It will house one of only four carillons of its stature in the nation. The bells of the Millennium Carillon will ring for the first time on the Fourth of July, in the year 2000. They will ring amid the report of cannon, as the Naperville Municipal Band swells toward the final bars of the 1812 Overture. And the harmony they sound will be a symphony of celebration--celebration of community, of tradition, and of the future. The tower and carillon will stand, first, as a monument to the spirit of Naperville. It is only through the support of the city's people that the carillon and tower will rise over the coming months. Led by the generous donation of two great benefactors, Harold and Margaret Moser, the community is quickly making this recent dream a soaring reality. In its design and placement, the carillon reminds us of a great past. It will take its place as part of another recent gift from the community, the Naperville Riverwalk. This beautiful preserve was dedicated in 1981 to celebrate the city's sesquicentennial. The traditional limestone of the Harold and Margaret Moser Tower will echo the work of the early Naperville stonemasons who quarried along the banks of the West Branch of the DuPage River. And inside the tower, a unique, interactive and living time capsule will offer visitors for years to come a view of what Naperville looks like today. Those visitors will hear also the clarity of a community that is confidently facing the future. The carillon is being built for the ages by a city that believes in itself. In fact, anyone who wants to experience firsthand the vitality of Naperville should not miss Celebration 2000, three joyous days of festivities the city will hold at the turn of the century. Mr. Speaker, I share these words today so that our nation can share in a magnificent sound. It is the ringing of heritage and hope in the heartland of America, the Millennium Carillon of Naperville, Illinois.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill that will lighten the heavy burden placed on our allies in the Balkans. Over the past 9 weeks, over 780,000 refugees have flooded into Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro, putting overwhelming pressures on already strained humanitarian services. I recently visited these countries and saw firsthand the growing number of refugees and the demands on social services, government workers and relief agencies attempting to feed, clothe and house refugees with nowhere else to turn. As a Nation, we have appealed to these countries to keep their borders open to the Kosovar refugees. We have increased our humanitarian aid, pledged to admit 20,000 refugees into the United States, and already welcomed 3,000 of them into our country. In fact, volunteers for a relief agency in my district, World Relief in Wheaton, have welcomed 54 refugees into their homes. Yet as we are opening our homes to refugees from camps in Macedonia, Albania and Montenegro, we are preparing to send back to them aliens who have been residing peacefully in the United States. Indeed, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service continues to detain for deportation aliens from these countries. One of my constituents in Illinois has been interned for purposes of deportation since last March. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this policy should be revised to reflect the current realities of the situation in the Balkans. Clearly there are extraordinary conditions that prevent aliens from returning to these republics at this time. My legislation, cosponsored by seven of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, will designate temporary protected status for aliens from the Republics of Albania and Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The U.S. has already extended such protection to aliens from Kosovo. I believe that it must also be extended to these other hard-pressed republics. In my view, this would not only serve the best interests of the United States, it would also signal to our friends in the region our firm commitment to easing the overwhelming humanitarian challenges that face them. Mr. Speaker, I wrote to the Attorney General and the Secretary of State urging that TPS be designated for aliens from these countries. The administration has yet to take action on my recommendation. As the stability of our friends in the Balkans is of paramount importance to the success of our Nation's mission, I believe Congress must act. I thank my colleagues who join with me today in support of this bill. I urge the House to act quickly on this legislation to show our strong commitment to the continued well-being of our friends in the Balkans.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak today in favor of House Resolution 775, the Year 2000 Readiness and Responsibility Act; and I commend the gentlemen from Virginia for their leadership on the Y2K liability issue. In my former life in the Illinois State Legislature, I also drafted a liability bill for the Year 2000. When I came to Congress, I thought I had left Y2K behind. However, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. As the Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, I have participated in a series of hearings on Y2K compliance at Federal agencies. I believe that, largely because of congressional attention, our Federal agencies will be ready for the Year 2000 date change. But will our Nation's small and large businesses be ready? Many of our Nation's lawyers are gambling that they will not. Dozens of Y2K-related lawsuits already have been filed in the United States, and estimates of the total costs associated with the Y2K litigation approach $1 trillion. Comparatively, the total annual direct and indirect costs of all civil actions in the United States is estimated at $300 billion. The Y2K computer date change will affect every business, consumer, local government and school. When we wake up on January 1 of the year 2000, we need the continued computer capacity of water and sewage plants, utilities, gas stations, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and local traffic lights. Absent this bill, I strongly believe that the threat of Y2K liability has the potential to discourage effective actions on Y2K compliance. We must, instead, encourage plaintiffs and defendants in Y2K legal actions to work together to find solutions to the Y2K problem. The bill encourages Y2K fixes but discourages Y2K lawsuits by encouraging alternative dispute resolution, placing limitations on damages and requiring pretrial notice. American businesses are already investing up to $1 trillion to ready their computers so that we can enter our new millennium as smoothly as we leave the old. Instead of preparing for liability, small businesses especially need to work together, share information and solve Y2K problems before the end of the year. For, as we all know, the year 2000 will not wait. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation on behalf of workers, consumers and businesswomen and men.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, most Americans, myself included, do not completely realize the importance of fasteners in our everyday lives. Fasteners are the nuts, bolts, and screws that hold together everything from furniture and cars to construction equipment, bridges, and buildings. I became more aware of the importance of these fasteners just last weekend when I had to assemble a piece of furniture for my home. Without nuts or bolts, the entertainment center I was assembling would have lacked the strength and stability to withstand the weight of my television. Mr. Speaker, during the past decade the manufacturers and distributors of fasteners have taken significant steps to ensure the quality of their products. With the implementation of modern manufacturing quality procedures and improved procurement practices, the American fastener industry is a global quality leader. Approximately 5,000 of the men and women who help make these fasteners are residents of the State of Illinois. The Chicagoland area has the highest concentration of fastener manufacturers and distributors in the Nation, and is home to the largest U.S. producer of fasteners. These people continue to work tirelessly to make a quality product on which the world's builders and manufacturers can rely. H.R. 1183 recognizes the efforts of these American companies and their workers. It prevents burdensome, costly, and duplicate regulations from being placed on the fastener industry, and holds companies accountable for the quality of their work. H.R. 1183 changes the focus of the law from government regulation and bureaucracy to industry accountability. I ask my colleagues to support it.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1664, the Emergency Kosovo Supplemental for Fiscal Year 1999. My vote today is both a statement of support for our men and women in harm's way and also for addressing the increasingly serious readiness, quality of life, and infrastructure shortfalls. Last week, Congress fulfilled its duties under the War Powers Act by voting on a resolution calling for the withdrawal of our soldiers from Kosovo and by voting on a resolution to declare war on Yugoslavia. I voted to withdraw our soldiers and against declaring war. In addition, I voted to require the President to obtain congressional approval before deploying ground forces and against authorizing the air strikes. Despite my votes, the air strikes go on. It is now my responsibility to ensure that our armed forces have the ability to carry out this mission to a successful conclusion. Indeed, H.R. 1664 gives the President precisely what he believes is needed for the Kosovo campaign. But H.R. 1664 goes further, by addressing the dire emergency that our involvement in Kosovo finally has brought to light. While defense budgets and force structure have diminished, U.S. security commitments have grown. Our soldiers are asked to do more and more with less and less. That is wrong. The $6.9 billion in H.R. 1664 is merely a down payment on the substantial needs of the military that have for too long been neglected. We will make an immediate difference for our military by providing much needed funds for spare parts, equipment maintenance, and recruiting. If America wishes to protect its own freedom and security, it must accept the burden of paying for it. This bill advances that cause. I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 1664--support our men and women in the Armed Forces.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Goodling). In 1975, IDEA, which mandated every child, regardless of disability, would be given a free public education, Congress promised to fund up to 40 percent of the cost. Mr. Speaker, Congress and the President have not kept their part of the bargain. Today we fund 12 percent of the cost to educate children. Twelve percent is not 40 percent. Twelve percent is not enough. Mr. Speaker, there are those who would say that increased IDEA funding will come at the expense of other high-priority programs, but if we in Congress fulfill our promise by picking up the slack, these other educational priorities will be funded on the local level, where they belong. Illinois alone would receive four times more than the $103 million we received last year. I urge Members to support the resolution on behalf all of our Nation's children.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Mrs. Pryce's Resolution. This month is Child Abuse Prevention Month and I am pleased to be able to support this resolution which commemorates those who are helping to alleviate the evils of child abuse and neglect. Together, we can make a difference, one child at a time. I recently learned about the life of one child and the difference she felt in her life. Three years ago, Shannon was a 16-year-old girl suffering from neglect and despair. She never knew her father. Her sister had been taken away by the state and placed in foster care. Her brother was in state prison for attempted murder. And her mother couldn't seem to help her. Shannon wasn't interested in life. She was depressed, in and out of psychiatric care between suicide attempts. She was failing in school. Shannon needed a home. And thanks to the dedication of some very special people at Our Children's Homestead in my Congressional District, that's exactly what Shannon was given. And what difference did it make? Today Shannon attends College. She plans to go into hotel management. When she looks back to high school, Shannon sees A's and B's on her report cards; she looks at photos of herself in the sports section of the yearbook; she sees herself on stage at the prom--a member of the prom court. Shannon is blessed. But we must also remember how much more we need to do. In 1992, less than 30,000 children in Illinois were removed from their homes and placed into the child welfare system because they were victims of severe abuse and neglect. Just last year, that number had increased to over 50,000. That's more than a 66 percent increase in only six years. Each one of those numbers may be another Shannon. A child who needs our help--literally needs our help--to survive. As the numbers of children in need comes close to doubling, we must redouble our efforts to help them. I rise to commemorate the work of those who have done so much. As Shannon's story tells us, we can make a difference for children--one at a time.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. Almost 7 weeks ago I voted to authorize the President to deploy American military forces as part of a peacekeeping force in Kosovo if the peace talks then underway produced a settlement. Mr. Speaker, no peace agreement was reached, no vital U.S. interest in Kosovo was articulated, no mission defined, no exit strategy put forward. Without a vote of this House, the planes were launched and air strikes began. Never before have I been as concerned about the lack of definition and direction in our Nation's foreign policy. We are in where we should not be, and no one seems to know the way out. It appears that the President hoped that the threat of air strikes would force a peace agreement. It did not. He hoped that the air strikes alone would detour Mr. Milosevic from continuing his attacks on Kosovo. They did not. He hopes that the American people are willing to risk the lives of their sons and daughters in Kosovo. They are not. Mr. Speaker, hope is not a method. The President has yet to make a case for our involvement in Kosovo.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Joint Resolution 37, the tax limitation amendment. It is April 15 again and many Americans are scrambling to finish preparing their tax returns. The multiple, confusing and ultimately costly forms remind us of one thing. We are taxed too much, not too little. The average American today pays over 20 percent of his or her income just in Federal taxes. That is up from 5 percent in 1934 and is the highest since World War II. We now have surpluses as far as the eye can see, hundreds of billions of dollars each year. One would think that tax cuts would top the President's agenda. But this year he has proposed more than $100 billion in new taxes and fees to fund new government spending. I guess old habits die hard. Mr. Speaker, the President's proposed tax increases in an era of budget surplus merely emphasize that we need to limit the government's ability to tax its citizens. The tax limitation amendment does this. It would require a two-thirds supermajority vote in both houses of Congress to raise or create new taxes. That tax money is our money and we should make it harder for the government to take it. We pay taxes today with the knowledge that we must still work for another month before reaching Tax Freedom Day. Last year, Tax Freedom Day in Illinois was May 13, the seventh latest in the country. That means that most Illinoisans had to work almost half the year to pay their Federal, State and local taxes. We are taxed too much, not too little. Mr. Speaker, now is the time for the tax limitation amendment. I urge all my colleagues to do the right thing this afternoon and vote to give Congress the means to restore the fiscal discipline that has for so long been missing.

Mrs. BIGGERT

Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute our Nation's women business owners and to join my colleagues in the Congressional Women's Caucus in bringing to the forefront the impressive contributions women business owners are making to the strength and vitality of our economy. Over the past 2 decades, women-owned businesses have been amongst the fastest growing areas of our economy. In 1973, when I started my home- based law practice, women owned less than 5 percent of all businesses in the United States. By 1997, that figure jumped to 36 percent. Over the last decade, the number of women-owned firms increased by 89 percent nationwide. Employment nearly tripled and sales nearly doubled. Who are today's women business owners and how can we help ensure that they are free to grow and prosper? There are more than 8.5 million women-owned businesses in the United States, employing nearly 24 million people. That is more than all of the Fortune 500 companies combined. Where do we do business? Everywhere. Today, women own businesses in all sectors of the economy, not just in the service sector or the so- called traditional women-owned business areas. In fact, the top growth industries for women-owned businesses in recent years has been in construction, wholesale trade, transportation, communications, agribusiness, and manufacturing. What is it that motivates women to start their own businesses? The National Foundation for Women Business Owners surveyed women across the country and found that nearly half stated one of two reasons. A great idea for a product or service, or the realization that they could do for themselves what they had previously done for an employer. Frustrations with the corporate environment, including feeling unchallenged and experiencing a glass ceiling were also cited as motivation for women to become entrepreneurs. The foundation also asked women why they stay in business. Not surprisingly, the greatest reward of business ownership for women is gaining control over their own fate, and the greatest challenge of business ownership for women is being taken seriously. In my home State of Illinois, the largest and most comprehensive women's business assistance center has thrived for 14 years. The Women's Business Development Center has served over 30,000 women through counseling, training, financial assistance, and new marketing opportunities. Thanks in part to the help of the center, in Illinois there are now over 336,000 women-owned businesses employing 23 percent of all Illinois workers and generating 15 percent of the State's business sales. But despite the explosive growth in women's business ownership in the United States, we still generate only 18 percent of all business revenues. So there is still much work to be done, and Congress can help accelerate the growth and success of women-owned businesses. Women need new and more access to market opportunities and to contracts at all levels of government. Women need access to technical assistance to develop and grow their businesses. Most importantly, like all businesses in the United States, women- owned businesses must be free from excessive regulation and taxation, and they must have access to markets for their products and services abroad. I thank my colleague for allowing me to participate today on this important issue.