Michael Castle

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2241) to reauthorize certain school lunch and child nutrition programs through June 30, 2004.

Mr. CASTLE. 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 S. 2241.

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

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is all pretty simple. We are passing this Senate bill to extend these programs from the end of March, which is tomorrow, until June 30. Hopefully, in that time the other body will take up the full reauthorization of these various nutrition programs. I think the gentlewoman from California stated it correctly in terms of the benefit of those programs. It is my hope, frankly, that they use our bill as the base bill for what they are going to do. I think we are pretty much in unanimous consent in this House that what is in there makes a lot of sense. That is the reason we need to pass this today.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Jim Ellison upon his nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. For over 25 years, Mr. Ellison has aided Delawareans who are confronting personal crises. As a volunteer for CONTACT, Delaware's crisis line, Mr. Ellison has logged a state record of 8,553 hours, many of which he accumulated during the 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. shift. Mr. Ellison's lifetime of service has had no limit. Prior to becoming a volunteer, he worked 29 years as a revenue officer for the Internal Revenue Service. Mr. Ellison also served in the Army Air Corps and from January 1944 until August 1945, Mr. Ellison cleaned machine guns for B- 24 bombers. Jim Ellison's tireless dedication to the well-being of others should serve as an inspiration to us all. He is a most worthy candidate for the Jefferson Award and a truly outstanding Delawarean and American. Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Mr. Ellison upon his nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. May we all learn from, and exemplify, his selflessness.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Kasey Milliski upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Ms. Milliski is a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House Charities. The Ronald McDonald House provides a ``home- away-from-home'' for families of children being treated at nearby hospitals, and she has dedicated herself to helping many Delaware families in need. Ms. Milliski's passion for volunteer work was born out of her own personal hardhships. In turn, she continues to reach out to sick children and their families with kindness and compassion. Ms. Milliski's simple approach to helping others is genuine and has a profound impact on many. Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Ms. Milliski upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. She is truly worthy of this honor.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Jeffrey Busch upon his selection as the Jefferson Award winner in Delaware. Mr. Busch is the founder and chairman of Safe Blood for Africa, an organization dedicated to stemming the tide of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. With true innovative spirit, he has brought a business approach to the logistical problems of getting safe blood to this region. Mr. Busch is not only a commendable American citizen, he is an exemplary citizen of the world. With the utmost humility, Mr. Busch ensures safe blood for transfusions in 20 sub-Saharan African nations. His organization also protects Africans from the spread of such diseases as hepatitis B and C and syphilis. One would never know to speak to Mr. Busch that he has likely spared thousands of Africans from the dangers of HIV and AIDS. Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Jeffrey Busch upon his selection as the Jefferson Award winner in Delaware. His selflessness serves as an example to us all. Furthermore, it has been my sincere privilege to know Mr. Busch personally, and I am very proud to that he is a Delawarean.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Joanne Glauser upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Mrs. Glauser is the co-founder of the Delaware chapter of Shoes That Fit and truly exemplifies the American spirit. After reading an article about children who were too poor to have clothes that fit properly, Joanne decided to take action. Five years later, she was named ``top volunteer in the nation'' by the executive director of Shoes That Fit. In only the last 4 years, Mrs. Glauser's chapter has provided over 35,000 items to needy children in Delaware. Her selflessness and dedication have touched the lives of thousands who may otherwise have gone without. Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Mrs. Glauser upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. May she continue to serve as an example to us all.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor and pay tribute to Meghan Pasricha upon her nomination as a Jefferson Award finalist. Ms. Pasricha is founder of the successful Anti-Tobacco Action Club at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. As a 10th grader, Meghan started her organization with 12 members and a goal: raising teenage awareness of tobacco-related health hazards. Her hard work has paid off and today Meghan is the State chairwoman of the Kick Butts Generation, an anti-tobacco organization with over 4,000 local members. Ms. Pasricha's dedication to educating people about the dangers of tobacco is limitless. She recently gave a presentation at the World Conference on Tobacco in Heis, Finland, and has reached out to groups of children in places as far away as Mhau, India. Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate Ms. Pasricha upon her nomination as a finalist for the Jefferson Award. Her determination and drive to educate and empower others serves as an example to us all. She is truly worthy of this honor.

Mr. CASTLE

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

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I will be very brief. I just want to thank the representatives from the various territories and from the District of Columbia for actual historical lessons here on the floor. I think it behooves all of us, I recall those comments of the gentleman from Nebraska next to me, that perhaps putting the territories and District of Columbia on the quarter is more important than the States in some ways as this is such a good educational tool for our young people. So, hopefully, we will get that done this year. Based on all I have heard, I think the problem is in the Senate, not the House. So we all need to go to work over in the Senate and get this done.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to start by thanking the gentlewoman from District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her tenaciousness on this. I always favored this concept as soon as I heard about it. But if it was not for her, frankly, pushing everybody, I do not think we would be where we are today. And I say that because we have been there a couple of times before, and she has had to do it again and again. I doubt if there will be a Rose Garden ceremony for the signing of this if it passes, but I intend to come over there and shake your hand if it happens, because you deserve a lot of credit for it. We just have to get the Senate to cooperate. Apropos of comments made earlier by the distinguished gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) on another bill, this is a pretty good day here on the floor, at least this portion of it, as far as the Federal Government is concerned. The BEP hopefully will be able to enter into the business that they can do specifically that the private sector really cannot do as well and perhaps have a chance to add some revenues to the Federal Government as has indicated. This quarter program has already produced $4 billion in money to the Treasury as a result of the keeping of these coins and collecting. The chances are that the young people here are all collecting them. When you go to a classroom, you find that they are all collecting these coins. We still have 5 years to run, hopefully a 6th year to run on this. We hope it will produce, as I indicated earlier, another billion dollars. It is not many programs that actually produce real money, real revenue for the Federal Government. Pursuant to that, without advocating anything, I would say as an extension of this that I have introduced legislation, as you may know, for a Presidential program on the dollar coins, which is also, according to the studies that have been done, has the ability to produce revenue for the Federal Government as a collector's item, with the spouses to be on a gold coin sold at the price of gold which would be about $380 right now as a collector's item. All of these also have the ability to do what this coin has been done and, most importantly, inform not just young people but all of us about our States, as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) has pointed out, and about our territories, and about our Presidents hopefully. So I think this has all been a very win-win-win situation. We are very appreciative of what this has done. I would encourage all of us to support this legislation, and hopefully this is something that we will get done this year.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2993, the District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act, introduced on February 10 by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King). Similar to the popular 50-State Quarter program I am proud to have authored, the legislation would create a 1-year program to use designs reminiscent of the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on the reverse of our circulating quarters in the year following the end of the State quarter program in 2008. Passage of this legislation would foster respect for and enhance historical knowledge of the District of Columbia and the territories that are an indispensable part of the United States and also would be an economic windfall for the United States Treasury. Mr. Speaker, the State quarter program, which reached the halfway mark at the end of December of this past year, has dramatically increased general knowledge of the historical contributions of our 50 States. I believe the legislation under consideration today would do the same for the District and the territories. These areas have some of the highest enlistment rates in our Armed Forces. Their commitment continues through today's conflicts, through the tragic sacrifice of the lives of, among others, Lance Corporal Gregory E. MacDonald of the District of Columbia, and Army Private Jonathan I. Falaniko of Pago Pago, American Samoa. As well, Mr. Speaker, the District and the territories have many historical, cultural, and athletic contributions to our Nation; and the bill we consider today would allow a great opportunity to recognize them in artwork on the reverse of the quarters. The 1-year program provides more than intangible benefits to the United States. It provides an economic boon to our Nation's Treasury. The success of the State quarter program has been overwhelming. The quarters have become one of the most popular collector's items in the United States and abroad; and by the halfway point of the program, the government had already benefited by over $4 billion, representing coins that have been taken out of circulation by collectors. As a result, it is estimated that if the popularity of quarters produced under this legislation follows similar trends, as much as $1 billion worth of the quarters may be taken out of circulation. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) for introducing the bill, and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her tireless campaign towards its passage. I also commend many others who have urged passage in the past, including the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), who sponsored a previous version of the legislation, and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters). Of course, I would also like to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) and the chairman and ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) for their assistance in making this legislation possible. I urge swift passage of H.R. 2993 to recognize the invaluable contributions of the District and territories. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2993) to provide for a circulating quarter dollar coin program to honor the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and for other purposes.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Keller).

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter). (Mr. CARTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. The bill before us today represents several months of hard work, cooperation and dedication to strengthening nutritional services for vulnerable children. I am pleased to have this bill before us and to have the support of so many members of committee, including the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and gentlewoman of California (Ms. Woolsey) and obviously the great help of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and all the work that he did. The fact that this is on a 40-minute calendar situation does not show the kind of work that went into getting it ready for the floor here today. I thank all those people. The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act makes a number of positive reforms focusing on reaching three main goals: ensuring eligible children have access to services, promoting comprehensive solutions to the health and nutrition of children, and strengthening program integrity to ensure Federal resources are being effectively leveraged to serve children who qualify. The bill reauthorizes the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs, Child and Adult Care Food program, After-School Snack program, Summer Food Service program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants and Children, which we know as WIC, and I think it goes a long way in strengthening these programs on behalf of disadvantaged children and their families. While the bill includes a variety of important reforms, there are a few I would like to mention specifically. With little money to work with, we were able to increase access to child nutrition programs for eligible children. For example, the bill extends participation for eligible children whose parents are in the Armed Forces and living in privatized military housing so these children may continue receiving free or reduced-price meals. This provision alone would benefit 250 children in my home State of Delaware and up to 100,000 children nationwide. The Federal Government invests roughly $16 billion annually in child nutrition programs. Ensuring the effective use of these resources by enhancing program integrity has been a top priority for me during the reauthorization process to ensure that children who deserve these services are receiving them and those who do not are not. To this end, we have taken steps to reduce administrative error, improve accuracy, and enhance accountability for program administration. Finally, I would like to highlight an issue of particular concern to me, childhood obesity. During visits to schools over the past several years, I have noticed a growing number of obese children. We all recognize the fact that obesity has reached epidemic proportions in our Nation. Defeating this crisis will require the work of many, including schools, parents, government, the health community, and industry. The bill before us today also includes important steps to promote comprehensive solutions to child health and nutrition, including provisions to promote nutritional education and physical activity at the State and local level. H.R. 3873 also asks that local educational agencies have a local wellness policy. The policy will include goals for nutrition education and physical activity and include nutrition guidelines for foods sold in schools. Developed in consultation with parents, students, school food service professionals, school boards and administrators, and the public, the wellness policies will serve as a catalyst for encouraging a larger dialogue on how to combat obesity. The Child Nutrition Improvement and Integrity Act is the result of cooperative efforts to strengthen nutritional services provided to needy children and families through the various child nutrition programs. I would like to thank my colleagues for their cooperation in bringing this bill forward, and I urge its passage.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I rise to voice my strong support for H.R. 3786, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing Security Printing Act of 2004, introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King). The bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to print, under certain conditions, currency and security documents for foreign governments if it is consistent with our foreign policy objectives. Mr. Speaker, while the United States Mint is allowed in law to produce coins for other countries, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, or BEP, as we know it, is not. This prohibition has prevented the BEP from responding to a number of requests or opportunities to help smaller countries strengthen their economies by producing currency or security documents such as stamps or deeds or passports that are difficult to counterfeit. Simply put, Mr. Speaker, if the opportunity is there to impede counterfeiting of this sort and the BEP is prevented by law from taking it, we are all the losers. The bill is essentially in the same language as that which has passed the House by both voice and recorded vote in the past several Congresses after being introduced at the request of both this and the prior administration, Mr. Speaker. Because of the current prohibition in law, we have turned away currency-printing requests from friends such as Kuwait after the first Gulf War and Mexico a couple of years ago when they were redesigning their currency, and we were unable to bid on reprinting the currency of Iraq to remove the image of Saddam after last year's war. Mr. Speaker, many countries lack the resources to produce secure currency or secure passports. Nothing in this legislation prevents a country from choosing a U.S.-based private sector printer; but the history of this sort of printing is that while a private sector printer is bound to be less expensive, the business is not price-sensitive. Typically, when countries turn to a printer outside their own borders, it is to another government printer: the bank of Australia, the Bank of England, or the European Central Bank printers. In my view, the United States Treasury should be on that list as well. Mr. Speaker, this legislation specifies that the BEP could not bid on any printing contract for another government unless it could do the work without interrupting the printing and delivery of U.S. currency and security documents, and unless the Secretary of State certified that the work would be consistent with U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, the BEP must be reimbursed by the client country, so that the work does not cost the U.S. taxpayer and it is not just another form of foreign aid. All costs, including administrative costs, will be passed to the foreign governments and no rogue state or unfriendly nation will receive the benefit of our knowledge and expertise. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this long overdue legislation and permit BEP to print currency, postage, and other security documents for foreign governments. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 2993, the ``District of Columbia and United States Territories Circulating Quarter Dollar Program Act,'' introduced February 10 by the gentleman from New York, Mr. King. This legislation will enhance the popular 50-State Quarter program I am proud to have authored, with the addition of a one-year program that will include designs reminiscent of the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on the reverse of our circulating quarters in the year following the end of the State quarter program in 2008. With passage of this legislation, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories will rightly be included in the historical depictions on the quarter. I support these inclusions for both the historical importance and financial benefit for the United States Treasury. Mr. Speaker, the State quarter program--which reached the halfway mark at the end of December--has dramatically increased general knowledge of the historical contributions of our fifty States. I believe the legislation under consideration today would do the same for the District and the territories. These areas have some of the highest enlistment rates in our armed forces--their commitment continues through today's conflicts and includes the tragic sacrifice of the lives of among others Lance Cpl. Gregory E. MacDonald of the District of Columbia, and Army Pvt. Jonathan I. Falaniko, of Pago Pago, American Samoa. As well, Mr. Speaker, the District and the territories have made many historical, cultural and athletic contributions to our Nation, and this bill we consider today is a great opportunity to recognize them, in artwork on the reverse of the quarters. The one-year program provides more than intangible benefits to the United States. It provides an economic boon to our Nation's Treasury. The success of the State quarter program has been overwhelming. The quarters have become one of the most popular collector's items in the United States and abroad. As of December, the halfway point of the program, Federal revenues had grown by over four billion dollars, representing coins that have been taken out of circulation by collectors. As a result, it is estimated that if the popularity of quarters produced under this legislation follow similar trends, as much as one billion dollars worth of the quarters may be taken out of circulation. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the gentleman from New York, Mr. King, for introducing this bill, and the gentlewomen from the District of Columbia, Ms. Norton, for her tireless campaign towards its passage. I also commend many others who have urged passage over the past, including the gentleman from Alabama, Mr. Bachus, who sponsored a previous version of the legislation, and the gentlewomen from California, Ms. Waters. Of course, I would also like to thank the ranking member of the Subcommittee, the gentlewomen from New York, Mrs. Maloney and the Chairman and Ranking Member of the full committee, Mr. Oxley and Mr. Frank, for their assistance in making this legislation possible. Mr. Speaker, I urge swift passage of H.R. 2993 to recognize the invaluable contributions of the District and the territories. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am very pleased that this bill at least addresses in some very small part some of the concerns which the gentleman from Massachusetts holds, and I understand all that. But I think he is correct about this bill. I do not think there is any argument that what we are doing is essentially positive for the environment and for a government agency which can provide these services.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3786) to authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to produce currency, postage stamps, and other security documents at the request of foreign governments on a reimbursable basis.