Dave Camp

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, we have both worked closely with the leadership of this 319-bed facility on a range of issues vital to the people who depend upon HealthSource for their medical care. Lester Heyboer, the president and CEO of the facility, has done an outstanding job in leading this facility at a time when competition among care givers, including among nonprofit facilities, is intense and challenging. I am particularly supportive of the employees who have contributed so much to the success of the hospital. I am particularly proud of the quality of care provided to all patients and the compassionate and successful treatment of those residing in the psychiatric unit. HealthSource Saginaw's employees are of the highest caliber and deserve to be commended for their work.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday the Dow Chemical Co. will be a century old. That historic occasion will be celebrated with a reception at the Midland Center for the Arts called A Century of Progress: 1897- 1997. This celebration takes place thanks to the efforts of more than 300 volunteers, and support from local businesses and individuals who donated generously for a citywide recognition of Dow and its contributions to mid-Michigan's working families and communities. I believe that Dow and the surrounding communities will continue to gain from the mutually beneficial relationship that has grown from 100 years of shared history and experience. I look forward to another 100 years of success and progress for the Dow Chemical Co. and the working people who have made that company and our community great. I would like to share with my colleagues three articles from the May 20 special edition of the Midland Daily News with contributions from the Saginaw News and Bay City Times that describe the importance Dow's centennial anniversary is to our mid-Michigan communities. [From the Midland Daily News, May 20, 1997] (By Virginia Florey) On Sunday, The Dow Chemical Co. will be a century old. That historic occasion will be celebrated with a reception at the Midland Center for the Arts and will be called, appropriately enough ``A Century of Progress: 1897-1997.'' On May 18, 1897, The Dow Chemical Co. came into existence when Herbert Henry Dow persuaded 57 investors to put up $200,000 to start the new business. The purpose of the new company was to make bleach from chlorine. From that small beginning The Dow Chemical Co. has grown into the global giant it is today. This is the story of the man who created the company and in doing so, also created the city of Midland. Herbert Henry Dow was born on Feb. 26, 1866, in Belleville, Ontario, Canada, where his dad had been sent temporarily to work out some mechanical problems at a sewing-machine factory. Joseph and Sarah Dow soon returned to Bermingham (now called Derby), Conn., with their young son and continued to live in Bermingham until Herbert was 12 years old. While in Bermingham, two daughters, Mary and Helen, were born. Joseph Dow was transferred to Cleveland, Ohio, to work for the Derby Shovel Co. in 1878. Herbert graduated from high school there and that fall entered a new school called Case School of Applied Science, located in Cleveland. Herbert wanted to be an architect but the Dow family didn't have the money to send him away to school. Dow graduated from Case in 1888 and made his first trip to Midland, Mich., to take samples from the brine sea that was beneath the flatlands of this small village on the banks of the Tittabawassee River. In August of 1888, he began working at Huron Hospital College in Cleveland and used the lab there to continue his experiments with brine. The next few years were filled with failure and successes. In 1889, The Canton Chemical Co. was formed to make bromine but by April 25, 1890, the company was dissolved. On Aug. 12, 1890, the Midland Chemical Co. was formed to make ferric bromide from brine. A new process, invented by young H.H. Dow, was to be used. On Aug. 14, 1890, Dow stepped off the train at the Ann Street Depot in Midland and began looking for a place to test his theory that bromine could be separated from brine by electrolysis. With little capital and no electricity (Midland didn't get electricity until 1894) to conduct his experiments, Dow rented a barn on West Main Street near the Upper Bridge and bought brine and power from the adjacent Evens Flour Mill. On Sept. 29, 1891, Dow got the patent for the process of extracting bromine from brine by electrolysis. Dow met and married a local girl, Grace Ball, who taught school not far from where he was working. In 1893 he made his first sale of potassium bromide crystals after his new bride and he spent two days picking out the ``spots'' of foreign matter in the crystals. But his persistence paid off and soon the Midland Chemical Co. was making money. Now that he had proven his theory on brine, Dow turned to what he felt was an ``enormously greater field''--the extraction of chlorine from the waste products of the brine. In 1894, he built an electrolytic plant to extract chlorine but the plant exploded in its first hour of operation. The directors of the Midland Chemical Co. felt that the explosion proved the chlorine idea was too risky and they decided to stay with the production of bromine. Dow left Midland for Canton, Ohio, with his wife Grace and baby daughter Helen. He continued experimenting with the chlorine idea and in six months was back in Midland to build a pilot bleach and chlorine plant. He found some investors and The Dow Process Co. was born in 1895. A second daughter, Ruth Alden, was born on Nov. 16, 1895, to Herbert and Grace. The year 1897 was a banner year for Dow. On Jan. 4 his first son, Willard Henry, was born and on May 18, 1897, The Dow Chemical Co. was incorporated to make bleach, taking over the assets of the Dow Process Co. On Jan. 5, 1898, the company sold its first bleach and The Dow Chemical Co. was on its way. By 1899, the new plant was making a profit and Dow built a home for his family on West Main Street in Midland-- the only home he ever owned. A second son, Osborne Curtiss, was born in 1899, followed by another son Alden in 1905. Margaret Grace Dow was born in 1907, and Dorothy Darling Dow was born on Jan. 2, 1908. Along with the success in his professional life, Dow experienced some wrenching tragedies in his personal life. In 1901, his father Joseph Dow died from tuberculosis in Alma and on Oct. 3, 1902, his infant son Osborne Curtiss died. He lost both a sister and a daughter during the flue epidemic of 1918 in Midland. Dow's genius wasn't directed solely toward his new chemical plant; community involvement was a passion with him. Because of that, Midland became a uniquely endowed town because of his philanthropy and widespread concerns and interests. He established a garden and an orchard famous enough that he was sought after as a speaker and writer on the subject of gardening. His love of growing things also led him to become a pioneer in the field of agricultural chemicals. In 1914, he began his yearly practice of donating to every church in Midland. In 1919 he was the impetus behind the building of the Community Center located then on Townsend between Main and Larkin. In 1924 and 1925, he devoted time, money and men for the construction of the new Midland court house on West Main. Streets were paved. A new water filtration system was initiated. Those of us who were born and raised in Midland grew up taking the advantages of living in Midland for granted. The ``plant'' as everyone called it provided an economic base for the entire town. Good schools, beautiful churches, tree-lined streets were a part of our heritage. In the 1930s, Midland had more millionaires per capita than any city in the world. Later this changed to having more Ph.D.s than any city in the world. The best and the brightest came to Midland to work and live here. In 1930, Herbert Henry Dow died but his wife Grace and his children continued the ``giving'' to the city of Midland. there are few places that don't bear the mark of the Dow family in one form or another. The Midland Country Club as well as numerous churches in Midland were designed by Dow's son Alden. The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library is a hub of activity seven days a week. The Midland Center for the Arts and the Dow Gardens are famous the world over. Eighty-three years after Herbert Henry Dow began the practice, churches still continue to receive money each year from a foundation set up for just such a purpose. Schools receive money from a similar source. On May 16, a new science exhibit ``Chemistry Is Electric!'' will open in the Carriage House of the Bradley Home Museum in Midland, at 3200 Cook Road. On May 18, ``A Century of Progress 1897-1997'' will open at the Midland Center for the Arts at 1801 West St. Andrews. On May 20, ``A Perspective on Knighton-Hammond'' will be presented at the MCFTA with a free public reception at Arts Midland Galleries at 8 p.m. Arthur Henry Knighton- Hammond did a series of paintings and drawings for Dr. Dow in the 1920s. In Shakespeare's ``Richard the Second'', John of Gaunt speaks of England calling it ``This other Eden, demiparadise. . . .'' Each person has his or her own perspective, of course, but for one who grew up in Midland as I did, John of Gaunt's description could apply to the village that became a city because of Dr. Herbert Henry Dow. His death in 1930 has not diminished the work he accomplished and Midland is all the richer because he lived here.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Speaker, I was pleased during the last few years to see that so many Americans take the opportunity to become involved in our Government. This involvement is reflected in the high volume of letters from my constituents regarding issues and events that affect their lives. I encourage and welcome this type of participation. Today, I would like to recognize an organization that helps the people of this country send their thoughts and concerns to their Representatives in Washington, DC. National Write Your Congressman, founded in 1958, is a unique organization. It is different because it is not a lobbying organization and does not show partiality toward a particular issue. National Write Your Congressman researches legislation, presents both sides of national issues, and allows its members to develop their own opinions. Once a month, this organization sends its members an opinion ballot outlining both sides of a controversial issue. They also conduct frequent national polls among their members and advise Representatives of the results. Finally, National Write Your Congressman keeps its members aware of their Representatives' voting records on national issues. I am proud to see this organization actively encouraging busy Americans to voice their opinions on national issues. I commend National Write Your Congressman on its efforts to keep the American people in touch with their Representatives.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute be printed in the Record and open to amendment at any point.

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

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Smith].

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Kentucky [Mrs. Northup].

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for yielding me this time and also for his leadership on this issue. Today the Congress has an historic opportunity to improve our child welfare system with respect to adoption. Under the fine leadership of the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer] and the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw], past Congresses have already made two important changes, providing a $5,000 tax credit for adoption expenses and eliminating racial preferences for adoption. We now have the chance to build on this outstanding record. The legislation before us today will help reduce the amount of time that children spend in foster care and increase the time they spend in permanent loving homes. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Archer], the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw], the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New York [Mr. Rangel], ranking member of the full committee, and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Levin], ranking member of the subcommittee, for their support. Nearly 500,000 children currently reside in foster care and thousands more join them each year. These children can spend up to 3 years in foster care, and since 1982 the number of children in foster care has increased by 89 percent. For a young child, that is, far, far too long. For too many children foster care has become a permanent solution to their problems instead of a temporary answer. These children wait for permanent loving homes while many parents wait to adopt children. The names and stories are too familiar: Children returned to homes only to face continued abuse, and child advocates torn between their desire to reunite the family and their duty to ensure the child's health and safety. Children deserve a compassionate but effective system that works on their behalf, not one that subjects them to continued abuse. The legislation before us today strikes the appropriate balance between parental rights and child safety. The bill calls upon States to continue efforts to reunite the family, but also realizes that in some cases reunification is not in the child's best interest. In these cases, States are encouraged to follow concurrent planning in order to ensure the child spends as little time in foster care as possible. The bipartisan legislation before us today was drafted, debated and adopted with the full participation and support of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. It was approved by the Committee on Ways and Means by voice vote and enjoyed strong bipartisan support. In addition, we have held hearings, received much public comment and received broad- based support for these reforms. Mr. Chairman, the children of this Nation deserve a fighting chance. This legislation puts the system in their corner and makes sure that our children grow up in a permanent loving home. I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly], the co-sponsor of this bill, for her leadership, her strong support and her advocacy for this issue.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I would concur with the gentlewoman from Connecticut. We also do not object to the amendment.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. States already, in the first year, would be able to exempt 75 percent of their case load from the work requirement and would be able to make the decision as to which individuals, if it is grandparents or elderly caregivers, would be able to be exempt from that work requirement. When the work requirement is fully implemented, it will still be 50 percent of the case load that States will be able to make the decision to exempt. They have the authority to do that now. Even under the 5- year time limit, which is a separate part of the welfare bill, States would be able to exempt up to 20 percent of their case load from the time limit requirement. So it is going to be up to States to make that decision on which individuals. I appreciate the gentlewoman's bringing this to the floor and expressing her concern to the House over this issue, but there are provisions in the bill giving quite a bit of discretion with the State government to make those decisions.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I wanted to comment on this amendment and the fact that it is critical that foster homes be safe for children. States already have the discretion to conduct background checks and licensing of foster parents, and many States do conduct background checks for people who work with children. I want to point out for the Record that the amendment is permissive. It is at the option of the State. But if it were not, if it were mandatory, the cost to the State, according to the General Accounting Office, is about $20 for each check; and States could be, if this were mandatory, required to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars because of this amendment. I know that activities are ongoing through Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies to improve the quality of the data they receive in these background checks, but I think the change that was made is a positive one and I would, for the Record, state that I support the amendment.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I would again echo the comments of my colleague from Connecticut and appreciate the gentlewoman's willingness to withdraw the amendment and look forward to working with her regarding her efforts in this matter.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. CAMP. I thank the gentlewoman for her comments. Amendment Offered by Mrs. Morella

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word, and I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Johnson].

Mr. CAMP. I yield to the gentlewoman from Maryland.

Mr. CAMP. I yield to the gentlewoman from Connecticut.

Mr. CAMP. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I do not oppose the amendment but there are some additional considerations that should be taken into account. The committee has been very concerned about kinship care for several years. In many cases kinship care is an excellent response to a child's situation. But kinship care does come with great cost and there is reason to wonder if kinship care placements are always the best for children. We need more information about the reasons for kinship care, the characteristics of the kinship settings in which children are placed, and the impact those settings have on children's development. To get more information, we ask for a study in this legislation. Demonstrations of the type the gentlewoman from Maryland [Mrs. Morella] is seeking also have the potential to provide valuable information. The committee bill authorizes 5 new waiver demonstration projects, and why do we not require that at least one of those be addressed to kinship care?

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

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill, H.R. 867, the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references and to make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House in amending the bill.

Mr. CAMP

Mr. CAMP. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 867, the bill just passed.