Michael Castle

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2883, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002. Before I get to my statement, I wish to acknowledge the superb leadership, and I mean this very sincerely, of our chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), and our ranking member, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), and the Senate Intelligence Committee's chairman, Senator Graham, and the vice chairman, Senator Shelby. Their support and guidance brought the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence through a very difficult year, culminating in this fine piece of legislation. I think it is fitting to thank them for all of their efforts in support of our Nation. Mr. Speaker, today we are voting on a bill that authorizes spending for the Nation's intelligence organizations, operations, and the brave men and women, such as our fallen CIA officer Mike Spann, who are stationed all around the globe collecting and analyzing information to provide our true first line of defense. Tragically, the events of September 11 have made crystal clear what many of us in the Congress have been saying for sometime, that we need to significantly improve our intelligence-gathering, analysis, and dissemination capabilities. I do not for one moment blame the attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania on an intelligence failure. Indeed, that blame can only be assigned to radical fanatics who would see America fall. But I do assign some blame on our collective lack of attention for maintaining a robust, properly resourced, and forward-leaning intelligence community that is not unduly restricted from collecting information on foreign threats to our country. The authorization levels in this bill were determined by the conference committee as appropriate for beginning to rebuild our Nation's intelligence defenses. In the wake of 9-11, our intelligence organizations and their professionals have been asked to do more than ever before, to provide more detailed information on an elusive but omnipresent enemy that directly threatens our country and our citizens. Indeed, President Bush, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld, Attorney General Ashcroft, and Director of Homeland Security Governor Ridge have all made statements about the increased need for and reliance upon our intelligence service in the wake of terrorist attacks. There is no question in my mind that intelligence is now, more than ever, a critical function of national security worthy of this body's full funding support. It is in that spirit, Mr. Speaker, that I urge my House colleagues to support this conference report. We elected Members of Congress have no greater duty to the people of the United States of America than to protect their safety, their freedoms, and their way of life. To do that in a world populated with any number of terrorists who have no remorse for loss of American lives and property we must go on the offensive. We must discover and take action against the people who would do us harm. That requires knowledge. Before the FBI can arrest a single al Qaeda member, the Bureau must know who and where that person is. Before a B- 52 bomber can effectively drop a single bomb, its crew must be given the information on what target to attack. Before we can better defend against an intended terrorist attack, we need forewarning of the attack location and timing. All of these require intelligence, intelligence for national defense. There is no higher priority. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise in support of H.R. 3295; and I, too, congratulate the sponsors for the work that they have done. My State happens to be very advanced. We have a fully electronic system; and while some States such as Delaware have such a modernized voting system, we will be able to use these funds for voter outreach and training poll workers and making polls more accessible to disabled voters. There are a lot of good things in this bill. Mr. Speaker, these gentlemen deserve congratulations; but I would like to speak to a couple of things. One, since I have been involved in elected politics, and I have seen all kinds of problems in Wilmington, Delaware, and the State of Delaware, I have seen a lot of improvements. The sanctity of the vote to people is of extraordinary importance. Americans have the right across the United States of America to feel that their vote is going to be counted and their vote counts as much as the President of the United States. That is at the heart of democracy, and that is why it is so important that Congress speaks to this today. The fairness of elections is important. We need to feel it is not the Supreme Court, but the people of the United States of America who are deciding who our elected officials are going to be. It is also very significant that we are addressing those problems as well; and the issues of disabilities are important. I hope all Members support the legislation.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentlewoman from California and the gentleman from Texas for their kind words and the concept of actually going forward with this. I agree with the gentlewoman from California, this is legislation which is of extreme importance, particularly in helping children who need the extra help in an income circumstance. I would encourage everybody also to support the legislation.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, to address the decline in the condition of military family housing, the Department of Defense initiated a housing program which would allow commercial contractors to replace traditional base housing with newly built or renovated privately managed base housing, so-called privatized housing. Yet as this program is being implemented, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) brought to my attention a serious and unintended consequence of the program, children of junior enlisted personnel living in privatized housing were being denied free or reduced price meals at lunchtime. Due to DOD accounting changes, servicemembers receiving a housing allowance under the privatized housing program were being treated differently from those who were assigned traditional housing and not paid an allowance. This is because the income-based National School Lunch Program considered the housing allowance, but not the actual house income. For this reason, servicemembers living in traditional base housing at no cost were presumed to have less income than servicemembers of the same rank who received a housing allowance, but used those funds to pay a private contractor for rent and utilities. Unfortunately, this distinction caused military families in privatized housing to exceed the income-based eligibility requirements for the school lunch program, and it resulted in the loss of the free or reduced price meals for their children. DOD intended the privatization housing program to provide quality housing at no out-of- pocket expense for servicemembers and their families. Unfortunately, these families are now finding that they will have to pay approximately $75 per child per month to replace the benefit that they received previously under the school lunch program. This problem is further compounded by the fact that numerous State and Federal education, nutrition and technology programs are contingent on the number of children eligible for the school lunch program. As a result, entire school districts could be affected. To adjust these problems, my legislation, H.R. 3216, amends the school lunch program to exclude the housing allowance of servicemembers in privatized housing for the determination of eligibility for free and reduced price meals. Although this only affects families at about 15 military installations currently, that number is expected to increase to about 70 installations, encompassing 70,000 housing units, including 450 units at the Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware. Our uniformed services are being asked to make tremendous personal sacrifices to ensure the defense of our Nation. I believe we should do all we can to improve the quality of life for the families they leave behind. Madam Speaker, for that reason, I am pleased that we are considering this legislation today. In conclusion, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) for allowing this measure to come to the floor. I also thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) for their personal interest and leadership on this issue. I urge an ``aye'' vote on this bill. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3216.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3216) to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to exclude certain basic allowances for housing of an individual who is a member of the uniformed services from the determination of eligibility for free and reduced price meals of a child of the individual.

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

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and pay tribute to a football legend, the great Harold Tubby Raymond, head coach of the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hens. A lover of sports since he was a kid, Tubby played football and baseball in college. Unable to hit the curve ball, Tubby realized early on that his future was in coaching, and what a future he has had. Tubby won his 300th game on Saturday, November 10, 2001. He became one of only nine elite coaches to win so many games. Most importantly, Tubby won them all at the University of Delaware. Three national championships, 14 Lambert Cups, four NAAC Coach of the Year awards, and 300 wins, all earned doing something he loves: Coaching young men to be extraordinary football players. Tubby Raymond is more than your average football coach. Revered and respected by his peers, Tubby's name is synonymous with Bear Bryant, Joe Paterno, Eddie Robinson, and so many other football legends. What many people do not know is that he is also an accomplished artist who paints portraits of senior players each week. What began as fun many years ago has turned into a tradition cherished by his players, while providing Tubby with a great escape. Predictable as ever, upon winning his 300th game, Tubby Raymond gave the credit to his players, coaches, and fans who supported the Blue Hens during his 35-year career. A great friend to all Delawareans, I want to join with his family, friends, and the football community in congratulating Tubby and wishing him a belated 74th birthday, and many more wins.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would say in closing that I agree with the gentlewoman from New York. I agree with the sponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from South Carolina, and I think we agree with virtually all Americans who believe very strongly that this is something that helps in our schools and helps our children. I encourage each and every one of us to support it.

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

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, many of the original 13 colonies that became the United States of America were settled by men and women of deep religious convictions who crossed the Atlantic Ocean to practice their faith freely. It is therefore no surprise that a religious people rose in rebellion against Great Britain in 1776, and many American statesmen believed that religion was indispensable to the maintenance of republican institutions. Yet, when the first 10 amendments to the Constitution were ratified, religion was addressed in the first, with most Americans agreeing that the Federal Government should not choose one religion over another. Today, in response to the devastation of September 11, a surge of civic pride is sweeping the Nation. As teachers recall lessons of history and democracy, children wear their patriotism to school in red, white, and blue. Others create and display banners proclaiming ``God Bless America.'' Unfortunately, instead of pulling us closer together, some believe that these acts, and the use of the words ``God Bless America,'' are pushing us farther apart. I believe in the separation of church and state, and we should not ask a child to recite a prayer that is not his or her own. That said, the first amendment does not remove all traces of religion from the classroom and it does not expel God from the school yard. Students can pray, religious clubs can meet after school and religious materials may be read during free time. Still, some have asked principals to remove ``God Bless America'' signs from their schools. I believe we should all take a step back and recognize that different people view these words in different ways. For some they hold a deeply religious connotation. Yet for other Americans they are a patriotic expression, not a religious one. In the aftermath of September 11, we are all healing, and none more slowly than our children. So long as schools are not erecting permanent religious symbols in a way that suggests advocacy of a particular religion, I believe our children can draw their own strength and meaning from these words and symbols. So let us take this expression as it is meant, much as we did when Republicans and Democrats burst into that song of the same name by Irving Berlin on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. More than anything, it was then, and it is now, an expression of pride and a slogan for peace. I commend the gentleman from South Carolina for his resolution. I urge the support of it. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

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

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 248) expressing the sense of the Congress that public schools may display the words ``God Bless America'' as an expression of support for the Nation.

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown), the distinguished author of this resolution. (Mr. BROWN of South Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Con. Res. 248.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the call of the Private Calendar be dispensed with today.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I agree completely. Obviously we have that service, we all know about INS; but I will tell the gentleman it is dysfunctional in terms of the way it is working. I think that is a concern that all of us have. It is not that we do not have it or do not even have somewhat of a system in place, it just does not function particularly well. I am not talking about just the terrorists in this circumstance, I am talking about the broad pattern of the problems that we have with Immigration and Naturalization Service visas and all of the transgressions that take place.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to address a subject that is a concern of mine. I will support the various rules. I think we need to bring this legislation before us and support the legislation. But I went before the Committee on Rules and have otherwise talked about it, along with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Flake) and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Deal), of the Visa Integrity and Security Act. I also just asked the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary, a conference about it, because I assumed from the beginning it probably would not be included in this legislation today, and he indicated that when this is done, it is the issue of next importance that his Committee on the Judiciary wants to address. But if we look at the record, even of the individuals who were the terrorists who came into this country, if we looked at the testimony of the head of INS yesterday, we will find that they do not even know where some of these people came from. They have no record of them at all. In other cases they were dealing with expired visas, students or workers who were here on expired visas. Our whole visa system of tracking these millions, and it is millions, of people who are in the United States of America on visas is frankly in a state of total disrepair and needs immediate addressing. Our legislation that was not included today but, hopefully, will be included in the legislation that will come forward before this House in the next few weeks, addresses this issue. It has an entry-exit tracking system which, by the way, is in the law but we are not enforcing now so that we will know in real-time where people are; it provides to our consulates overseas information to the various agencies, CIA, FBI, whatever it may be, INS, various lists of people who may not be desirable in the United States of America. It has a tracking system for students. Right now, they do not even have to report to the school, so we do not know they are in this country, which is exactly what happened in a case here. But if they fail to arrive, it would be reported and that information would go forward, their visa would be terminated automatically. There is a visa waiver pilot program included in that, because in some countries, some of our closer allies, Canada, et cetera, there are certain waivers to participate in that, we would raise the standards somewhat, and with the H1-B visas, which we are very fond of here, which are basically for the higher tech community, when people come into this country and they do not come to work at that particular company, they would have an obligation to report that as well. We need to get a much better handle on what is going on in the United States of America with people visiting our borders. We are a free country; we are an open country. I do not think what happened on September 11 is going to change that, nor should it change it necessarily. But we have the right and the responsibility to know exactly who is in the United States of America. Are they here legally in the United States of America? What they are doing here? And if, indeed, their time is up, we have the responsibility to make sure that they have left the United States of America and perhaps in that way, we can prevent some of the terrorism, the problems which we have had. So obviously, I would have liked to have had it in this legislation; but I understand the reasons why, so I will continue to support it. But I hope that this is something we could address soon.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to rise in strong support of H.R. 3061, the FY02 Labor, HHS and Education spending bill. First, I want to thank Chairman Regula for his yeoman's work on this legislation. Each year, the spending bill for the Departments of Labor, HHS, and Education is among the most difficult to complete and this year is no exception. H.R. 3061 builds on investments in education which really began to take off in FY96. At the time, K-12 funding totaled $11.2 billion. Since then, K-12 funding has increased to $20 billion in FY01, and I am pleased to say that this investment continues even today. More important, H.R. 3061 reflects the bipartisan education priorities that passed the House as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, and it increases funding for programs, like IDEA and Title I, which haven't always received sufficient funding in the past. Since the enactment of IDEA, Congress has increased funding for State grants under this act from $251.7 million in FY1997 to $6.34 billion in FY2001, with the amount appropriated for State grants nearly tripling in just the last six years. Under the leadership of former Members Porter and Goodling, we have increased funding by more than $4 billion--175% increase in the Federal contribution. This year we will add an additional $1.4 billion, increasing the total to $7.7 billion. This is the highest level of Federal support ever provided for children with disabilities, with the level of Federal funding growing from 7 percent of the per pupil expenditure to 18 percent. While this bill may not fully fund IDEA, I believe it takes a significant and responsible step in the right direction. More important, it gives the Education and the Workforce Committee the flexibility it needs to successfully reauthorize the program next year. H.R. 3061 also helps address the problem of overidentification of special needs children in IDEA by fully funding the President's request on the reading first and early reading first programs. This more than triples our current investment in reading instruction. We have seen tremendous increases in the number of students, and African American students in particular, diagnosed with learning disabilities and referred to special education. As former Chairman Goodling used to say, we will never get to full funding until we address this problem. If we are able to identify and intervene with these children--as proposed in reading first and early reading first--we take the first step in reducing the number of students who cannot read, reduce special education referrals, and pave the way to fully funding IDEA. On Title I, AID to disadvantaged children, H.R. 3061 appropriates $10.5 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion. This funding will support the reforms in the No Child Left Behind Act, which will require additional funds to turn around failing schools and ensure all students are proficient in reading and math. Also critical to the successful implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act, the bill provides $400 million to help States develop and implement the annual reading and math assessments for students in grades 3-8. In so doing, H.R. 3061 puts a downpayment on our system of accountability--the heart of our education reform package. In conclusion, I want to again thank Chairman Regula and Chairman Young for their excellent work on this legislation. They have managed to produce a balanced bill that will help our country fundamentally change the way we educate our children for the better.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this legislation. I believe that Senator Kerry and the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) did a wonderful job with the study of this. I would just point out, I will not submit this for the Record, but I would submit to Members in the present edition of U.S. News & World Report of October 15, about a third of that magazine is filled with eight articles about Internet education, warts and all, about what we are doing. It just confirms what the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) said, and that is that we are probably a little bit behind in doing what we are doing in this legislation. I think when they put together their group which studied this program last year and what we had to do and then came up with the Internet Equity and Education Act with all the aspects of this, we are merely playing catch-up, and perhaps that is what we should be doing, as opposed to what is in the marketplace. A lot of people are being educated by the use of these programs. A lot of very good educational institutions, including the best colleges and universities in this country, as well as some high schools, are now putting out course activities over the Internet. This gives everybody the opportunity to be able to take full advantage of this. The Web- based Education Commission I think has done an exceptional job in doing that. I think it levels the playing field between some regular education and this. Frankly, I for one as one who was never exposed to this education, when I was in school there was not an Internet, I believe very strongly after all my reading and talking to other people, some of these courses are every bit as demanding as the courses that you would take in person. They can be just as instructional. For all these reasons, I think this is a fine piece of legislation and something that should be hopefully supported by virtually all Members of this Congress. I would encourage support of the legislation by all of us. If one has any doubts about it, read about it; and I think after they have done that, they, too, will support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong support of H.R. 1992, the Internet Equity and Education Act. I would like to commend the gentleman from Georgia (Johnny Isakson) both for his leadership in seeking new ways to expand and improve learning opportunities and for the legislation before us today. In November 1999, the Web-Based Education Commission was established to develop policy recommendations designed to maximize the educational promise of the Internet. Chairman Bob Kerrey, former Senator from Nebraska, and Vice Chair Johnny Isakson met with hundreds of education, business, and technology experts and, based on these meetings, produced the most comprehensive report ever written on the impact of web-based learning on education. Most significant, the report focused on how to move the Internet ``from promise to practice'' and it identified laws and regulations that blocked access to online learning resources, courses, and programs. Today, we take the first step in removing those obstacles and supporting ``anytime, anywhere'' learning with H.R. 1992. Among other things, the bill: Expands access to higher education by modifying the rule to allow colleges and universities to offer more than 50 percent of their classes through telecommunications if they participate in good standing in the federal loan program. Levels the playing field by applying the same requirement--that students attend one day of instruction a week--on nontraditional students as on traditional students. The bill also provides important protections to maintain the integrity of the instructional programs being offered to students receiving financial aid. And, by acting now, we will have an opportunity to review the impact of the legislation when we reauthorize the Higher Education Act in 2003. I believe this legislation will do much to enhance learning and I am pleased to support its passage.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I also rise in strong support of the intelligence authorization bill. As chairman of the Subcommittee on Technical and Tactical Intelligence, I have had the opportunity to closely review the President's intelligence budget request and participate in the creation of this bill. I should note that our review occurred both before and after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. There is no question that in the wake of these heinous attacks on America and the world there were some significant changes made to this legislation and some additional funds that are recommended. However, I would offer that, on the whole, this bill changed very little from the direction it was headed prior to September 11. Even before the attacks, the committee had taken some very tough positions with respect to the form and function of the United States intelligence community. Indeed, the committee has, over the past 6 years, tried to persuade the administration to more properly fund the Nation's first line of defense, that is, its intelligence community. However, the fact is since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet Union, too little funding priority has been given to our national intelligence functions. Many intelligence needs have been left wanting for lack of funding, and the Congress has been forced to intercede in an effort to begin to rebuild our human and technical intelligence collection and analysis capabilities. Our focus was on changing the Cold War footing to one that is more flexible and adaptable to the new world order threats. Prior to the attacks, our funding efforts were limited to working ``at the edges'' of many the problems, because we had to live within a set of artificial constraints. After the attacks, however, the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), had to ``take off the gloves.'' With their superb leadership, we crafted a bill which took on tough and seemingly intractable problems with additional funding authorizations necessary to begin to make a real difference. Mr. Chairman, the post September 11 bill before us makes a real difference. It recommends significant funding to gain, train, and maintain a quality workforce. There is increased funding for language instruction and follow-on maintenance training. It recommends: Additional funding for counterterrorism analysis and focused regional studies; significant additions for processing, exploiting, and disseminating the vast amount of data that we collect around the world; investments in a more dynamic and flexible technical collection architecture for the future; and a down payment on replacing one of our most critical, but aging, ballistic missile intelligence collection systems. Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill; and I recommend support of it by everybody in this Chamber.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I rise also in strong support of this amendment. The underlying bill fails to provide adequate help to small farmers and once again disproportionately benefits the larger commodity producing farms. The fact of the matter is that this bill does not truly reform the current failures of our Nation's farm policy. I agree with the Bush administration's statement of administration policy on the bill which states, ``The Nation's farm sector has changed significantly due to new technologies, globalization, and environmental concerns, and this bill does not reflect those changes.'' The Kind-Gilchrest-Boehlert amendment will help balance this bill's lopsided payment structure by making more conservation funds available to small family farmers. Due to the dramatic increase in commodity payments, only 5 percent of the USDA's funding has gone towards conservation programs. Rural housing programs have also been squeezed. Numerous Delaware farmers and growers who do not grow commodity crops have applied for conservation funding to improve our State's water quality, contain nutrient pollution, combat sprawl and assist in wildlife protection. Unfortunately, applicants are being turned away left and right because of a lack of funding for vital conservation programs. Delaware has an almost $10 million backlog in conservation assistance applications. Federal conservation programs have greatly assisted Delaware in its longtime efforts to conserve farmland, protect the environment and improve water quality. I believe that the bill also will not solve the long-term problem. Due to large agriculture subsidies abroad, particularly Europe, some level of American subsidies for farmers is required. Indeed, even if this amendment passes today, Mr. Chairman, the Nation's commodity farmers who benefit the most from our government subsidies will still receive an 11 percent increase in their annual payments. I want to highlight a quote from the administration's statement of policy which states, ``H.R. 2646 would depart from this pro-trade direction by significantly increasing domestic subsidies to levels that would undermine our negotiating position in the next round of World Trade Organization negotiations. This bill would likely induce other countries to raise barriers to our products.'' I will not support a bill that harms our ability to open foreign markets to U.S. products. I encourage everyone here to support the amendment.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Joint Resolution 42, the ``Fallen Firefighters Act of 2001.'' As the author of the bill I am proud to be able to help honor our firefighters. This legislation serves as a remembrance to the heroic men and women who have died in the line of duty by requiring the American flag on all federal buildings be lowered to half-staff one day each year on the observance of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. This year's service will be held this Sunday, October 7 in Emmitsburg, MD, at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. President and Mrs. Bush are scheduled to attend the ceremony. This year's service will be especially emotional in the wake of the terrorist attack on America where hundreds of brave men and women gave their lives to save those of thousands of strangers. I have personally visited the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and continue to be amazed by the work these men and women continue to do on a daily basis--and the work they have done that has saved thousands upon thousands of lives. I continue to be touched as I attend numerous town ceremonies in the wake of the tragedy by the support both for firefighters in our communities and their unwavering dedication to their communities, fellow firefighters, and our country. Firefighters provide one of the most valuable services imaginable to this country--that of saving lives and safeguarding our precious lands. With integrity, firefighters preserve the safety in the communities they serve with tireless dedication and commitment. These heroes need to be recognized and thanked by all Americans, not just in the wake of this horrible tragedy but to the nearly 1.2 million men and women serve our country as fire and emergency services personnel on a daily basis. Firefighters are our first line of defense in both natural and man made disasters walking into burning buildings and battling forest fires with determination and defiance. Approximately one-third of our nation's finest suffer debilitating injuries each year making it one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Furthermore, approximately 100 men and women die in the line of duty every year--many are volunteers. Since 1981, every State in America, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, has lost firefighters serving in the line of duty. Since 1981, the names of 2,077 fallen fire heroes have been added to the Roll of Honor. Ninety-six men and women who lost their lives in 2000 will be honored in October. This year, the name of Arnold Blankenship, Jr., of Greenwood, DE, will be placed on the 2000 memorial plaque. Sadly, Mr. Blankenship is not the first firefighter in Delaware to be memorialized. He will join H. Thomas Tucker, James Goode, Jr., W. Jack Northam, and Prince A. Mousley, Jr. Lowering the flag on federal buildings one day a year will remind all Americans of the patriotic service and dedicated efforts of our fire and emergency services personnel. In October 2002, the over 300 firefighters who lost their lives in the attack on America will also be honored at the National Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service, along with 81 of their colleagues who also died in the line of duty during 2001, and sadly that number may grow by the end of the year. It is important for this legislation to be in place to honor all these heroic men and women who have served our communities and our Nation. These men and women work tirelessly to protect and preserve the lives and property of their fellow citizens. Through this legislation, we can show our support and respect for America's fire heroes and those who carry on the noble tradition of service. We must always remember the contributions of all of our public safety officers. In 1962, Congress passed a joint resolution honoring America's police officers who died in the line of duty in recognition of their dedicated service to their communities and amended it in 1994 to lower the flag to half staff in memorial. Today, we take the first step in bestowing the same respect on the 1.2 million fire and emergency services personnel who also serve as public safety officers. I would like to thank all the members who sponsored this legislation and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and recognize these heroic men and women.