Donna Christensen

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. No one disputes the accomplishments and the importance of the Office of Advocacy. Just as the role of small business is more critical during an economic downturn, so is the need for an independent Office of Advocacy. To achieve the goal of independence, it needs a delicate balancing act. As a voice of small business, the chief counsel is often in a difficult situation because his office is a part of the same Federal Government it has been charged with monitoring, and many of these bodies within the Federal Government have incentives to limit the chief counsel's effectiveness. In our efforts to increase independence, we need to make sure that an SBA administrator can no longer meddle in the affairs of the Office of Advocacy. The chief counsel should be able to perform his or her role without having to look over their shoulder. Legislation must strengthen the ability of advocates to speak out against all agencies, including the Office of Management and Budget. OMB must not be able to hold funding over the head of the chief counsel as a threat to fall in line with an administration. Finally, in our efforts to solve this problem, we must not create new ones. We do not want a situation where we are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Advocacy funding must not come at the expense of Small Business Administration programs designed to help our Nation's small businesses. To do so would be a step backward for this Nation's small business. I am confident that because of the bipartisan nature of this debate it will allow us to fashion a solution that gives advocacy the necessary freedom to operate. Today we have started that process, and I look forward to working with our colleagues to increase the voice of small business. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 923. This legislation is among the first steps that Congress will take this year to ensure that the Small Business Administration continues to serve the needs of our country's small businesses. I would like to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) for bringing this important bill to the Committee on Small Business's attention. This legislation will allow certified development companies to make more loans to small businesses while safeguarding the interests of our taxpayers. This is good for the government and good for small business, the driver of this Nation's economy. Even though access to capital is access to opportunity for small businesses, many find it difficult to get funding, especially given the current lending environment. The SBA's lending program addresses this by providing a vital stream of funding to small businesses. Last year, these programs supplied $21 billion in capital, accounting for 40 percent of all long-term small business lending to this country's entrepreneurs. Among SBA's loan programs, the 504 program provides the best value to taxpayers because it is completely self-funded. While the 504 program requires no funding, it contributes substantially to the economic growth of our communities. Given the weak state of our economy, the 504 program is especially important now because it promotes investment where we need it most, in the small business sector. Yet capital remained elusive to many small businesses because the SBA, in many cases, took too long to make these loans and the process was too complicated. Since the SBA processing time for 504 applications can frequently approach 30 days, borrowers and lenders were deterred from participating. In response to this, Congress created the Premier Certified Lender program. Through this public-private partnership, certified development companies are permitted to process their 504 loans without SBA approval. In exchange for this autonomy, SBA requires the certified development companies to assume responsibility for some of the losses associated with the loans they make. While the Premier Certified Lender program addresses one problem, it created another by requiring the certified development companies to hold loan loss reserves in excess of amounts necessary to protect the government. These excess funds could serve a much better purpose, like being used to make loans for small business, the number one job creator in the United States, instead of sitting in a ledger helping no one at all. To address these issues, today we are creating a pilot program that will permit the certified development companies to maintain loan loss reserves sufficient to protect the government and to draw out those amounts that are held in excess of such purposes. In order to oversee this new program, we are creating a new bureau within SBA. By creating a system that frees up these funds, certified development companies will then be able to make more loans to small businesses, which is exactly what this Nation needs in a time of such economic uncertainty. Economic recovery is only within reach if small businesses are able to start up and grow, and this is impossible without capital. H.R. 923 takes the important first steps to modernize the 504 program and, in doing so, increases small businesses' ability to secure much- needed capital. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, small businesses today face many barriers to achieving their success. Today's legislation helps address one of the most significant barriers faced by small businesses: Access to capital. The bill before us today will make more capital available to small businesses, spurring economic development in our Nation's communities. While today's legislation fixes a problem with the 504 program, it is only a stopgap measure. Even after we pass this legislation, small businesses will still have to endure SBA's inconsistent and bureaucratic 504 loan processing procedures. As such, today's legislation is the first of several near-term steps to centralize, streamline, and modernize the 504 program so that it is better able to meet the needs of our small businesses. First among these steps is this year's SBA reauthorization, in which we will address many of these deficiencies in order to help our country's small businesses access capital more readily. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this moment to thank Adam Minehardt, a Democratic staff member of the Committee on Small Business, and Greg Orlando, a staff member for the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), for their work on this important legislation. I also wish to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle) once again for bringing it to the committee, and our chairman and ranking member for their leadership on this bill and all the others we have worked on this year. This bill is truly a bipartisan product and the work reflects that spirit. Mr. Speaker, I again urge the adoption of this legislation.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 660, and in support of the Democratic substitute. As a member of the Committee on Small Business, a physician and former small business owner, the issue of meeting the health care needs of the small business community is a priority for me and it is alarming that their employees represent 60 percent of our Nation's uninsured. Whereas, I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their work in bringing legislation to the floor, I cannot support H.R. 660. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that AHPs could insure additional 330,000 Americans, but would drive up health care costs for the rest of the Nation to such an extent that 1 million presently insured Americans would be unable to afford coverage. H.R. 660 would exempt AHPs from State insurance mandates regarding the coverage of such basic and life saving treatments as maternity care, emergency room visits, cancer screening and diabetes coverage, leaving it to individual plans to decide. More than 450 national and local organizations have joined in opposing Federal legislation that would allow associated health plans to operate without State oversight. The American Diabetes Association has said it would be a disaster for people with diabetes. The American Nurses Association argued that by removing coverage for cost effective benefits such as well-child care, AHPs created by H.R. 660 could drive up the cost of health care. States have enacted safeguards to ensure that the health insurance plans offered to small employers and their families are fairly priced, cover a specific set of benefits, that they can not cherrypick. Under the proposed legislation, small employers who have joint AHPs could lose these important safeguards. The Kind-Andrews Democrat substitute addresses these concerns. It would use the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program as a base benefit package without superseding State laws and regulations. Most importantly, the Kind-Andrews substitute offers incentives and subsidies to firms of fewer than 50 employees and provides premium subsidies for employees who are below 200 percent of poverty. The Kind-Andrews substitute would make a real difference in covering the uninsured while maintaining consumer, personal and professional rights. This is a good approach and a far better bill that can really do a lot to cover more than half of the 41 million uninsured. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the Kind-Andrews substitute and urge a no vote on H.R. 660.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute a true renaissance man of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Dr. Alfred O. Heath. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Heath is being honored this weekend in St. Thomas with the Alexander A. Farrelly Public Service Award, given by Virgin Islanders for Responsible Government, an honor of which he is more than deserving. A fellow physician, Dr. Heath is also renowned in the territory as a businessman, educator, health care administrator, musician and licensed pilot. Dr. Heath is most recognized for performing one of the territory's earliest heart surgeries, and for restoring the operable use of a patient's severed arm. In addition to the many ``medical miracles'' that he performed, Dr. Heath served as the Attending Senior Surgeon at the Roy Schneider Hospital and as a General Surgeon at the U.S. Army Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Heath has also served as the Medical Director of Sea View Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility, as Commissioner of Health of the Government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Professor of Surgery at American University of the Caribbean in St. Maarten, West Indies. His business pursuits include the founding of the Seaview facility, Heath Health Enterprises, the Medical Arts Complex of St. Thomas, Medical Arts Slender You Salon, and St. Thomas Health Care Management, Inc. An all around gentleman, Dr. Heath's voice can be heard in local chorales and choirs, and entertaining a spellbound audience with his violin. He is also an adept pilot, and an avid boater. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Heath has been toasted by the Rotary International as the Man of the Year, the Paul Harris Fellow, and the Costas Coulianos Fellow. The Business and Professional Women, the Virgin Islands Toastmasters, the National Guard, the Virgin Islands Medical Society and the American Cancer Society have all at various times noted his talents and his willingness to share them with his community. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Alfred O. Heath was born and raised in St. Thomas to Mr. and Mrs. Oswald Heath. Upon graduation from Charlotte Amalie High School in 1947, he attended the University of Puerto Rico's School of Pharmacy for two years from 1947 to 1949. He later graduated from Temple University's School of Pharmacy with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1953. He received a Medical Degree from Jefferson Medical College followed by a surgical residency, which focused on general, thoracic and cardiovascular surgery between 1953 and 1960. He also attended the University of Heidelberg from 1962 to 1963. Married to Geraldine Cheatham, they are the parents of one son, Alfred, Jr., and two daughters, Anita and Judy. Dr. Heath's military career culminated with 50 years of service to the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army National Guard at the rank of Brigadier General. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I had the honor of serving under this outstanding individual in good times and bad. I will never forget his strength, endurance and leadership during the evacuation of the St. Croix Hospital after Hurricane Hugo. That experience and the emergency delivery that he performed during the crisis demonstrated the measure of this great man. Mr. Speaker, the people of my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands are grateful to Dr. Heath for his many years of dedicated service to our islands. His selfless example of excellence, foresight and commitment is one that we hope will be emulated by our young people. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring a man so deserving as Dr. Heath.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon also in support of H. Con. Res. 110 and to recognize what is perhaps the greatest scientific endeavor of the 21st century, the Human Genome Project, which will forever change the way medicine is practiced and research is conducted. Moreover, it has important implications for how we look at and define each other. The practical consequences of the emergence of this new field are widely apparent. Identification of the genes responsible for certain human diseases, once a staggering task requiring large research teams and many years of hard work and an uncertain outcome, can now be routinely accomplished in a few weeks. This discovery also holds out new hope for wellness for African Americans and other minority populations. Sickle cell disease was the first genetics disease to be identified but needs more effort and resources devoted towards a cure. I want to take this opportunity to applaud Howard University's College of Medicine who, just a few weeks ago, announced a partnership with First Genetic Trust, Inc., to develop the first-ever massive data bank of DNA of individuals of African descent. Called the Genomic Research in the African Diaspora Biobank or GRAD Biobank, the data will advance the study of genetic and biological bases for differential disease risk, progression, and drug response. But beyond deciphering what the human genome will do for science, it gives us new understanding of the molecular processes underlying disease and disease susceptibility, and it opens heretofore unknown doors that take us beyond treatment to the correction of the origins of disease. This discovery can also be a defining moment in human history for other reasons. As Dr. Georgia Dunston, the Director of the National Human Genome Center at Howard University, pointed out at our health braintrust meeting a few years ago, this monumental discovery also challenges the current paradigm of race and ethnicity and all that follows from those concepts, because in her words, ``The most salient feature of human identity at the sequence level is variation. Human genome sequence variation dispels the myth of a majority.'' Anthropologists, Dr. Dunston told us, have estimated that less than 1 percent of the total gene pool code for the phenotypic characteristics, such as eye, hair and skin color, is what is used to classify human populations, in other words, to divide us. Whether or not African American or Hispanic American, Anglo or White American, Native American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Alaskan Native, it turns out that we are 99 percent alike. So as we celebrate Human Genome Month and DNA Day, in addition to focusing on what this discovery will do to ensure that all populations are knowledgable about the science underpinning the HGP and have the opportunity to participate in various ways, such as becoming research scientists, research participants and policymakers, it is also important for everyone to be informed about the Human Genome Project and understand the ethical, legal, and social implications resulting from genetics and genomics research. Through our continued efforts to educate ourselves, to reach out to our communities, and to communicate our fears, needs, and responsibilities, we as government policymakers have the best opportunity to have genetics and science improve the quality of life for all Americans and make this a better country.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak of an outstanding doctor, educator, and mentor who is on the eve of his retirement as Director of Continuing Medical Education and Professor of Surgery at Howard University. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Matory has had a distinguished career as a surgeon and a researcher and is well known in the Washington, D.C. metro area for his contributions to trauma and burn care. His hospital activities included the directorship of the Emergency Care Area at both the Freedmen's Hospital and Howard University Hospital from 1960 to 1982, at a time when those facilities were the leading hospital emergency systems in Washington, D.C. During his tenure, Dr. Matory reorganized the ambulatory care system at Howard to ease emergency care follow-up and to facilitate continuity of patient care. He introduced vascular access as a service in 1970 in preparation for the Howard University Hospital chronic dialysis and renal transplantation programs. Dr. Matory received the Distinguished Surgeon Award from the Southeastern Surgical Congress in 1998. He has been a Member of the National Academy of Science, and the Robert Wood Johnson Committee which encouraged the establishment of the ``911'' emergency response system throughout the country. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Matory also developed the Howard University Family Practice Program, and served as its first chairman from 1970 to 1979; a program in which I had the honor of being a student, and the privilege of being taught and mentored by Dr. Matory, an experience which has shaped my medical and overall career. He was also co-founder of the Physician Assistant Training Program at Howard in 1972. As an educator, he has been a leader in the continuing medical education of physicians from all over the world, who attend Howard to keep abreast of the ever changing medical landscape. He is a founder of the CME program at Howard, the first in the Washington, D.C. area to be certified by the American Medical Association, the Liaison Council on Continuing Medical Education and currently the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. During his illustrious career, he has also served as Assistant Dean for Clinical Affairs at the College of Medicine, Assistant Medical Director for Postgraduate Affairs at Howard University Hospital and Chairman of the Washington, D.C. Board of Medicine. He has been a member of several medical societies to include the Medico-Chirurgical Society of the District of Colombia, the Medical Society of the District of Colombia, the American College of Surgeons, the National Medical Association and the American Medical Association. Mr. Speaker, aside from his medical accomplishments, Dr. Matory served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force in Japan from 1955 to 1957. He has also authored 16 publications and produced 130 surgical and general medical videotapes in continuing medical education. Mr. Speaker, I would like to say a resounding thank you to Dr. William Earle Matory for his tireless dedication to his community and his inspiration to us all.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. We are committed to the water rights settlement, but we are also committed to fixing the tax bill that was recently passed and providing benefits to the millions of people who have been left out. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, S. 222 is a unique water rights settlement, carefully designed to protect the Zunis' most sacred sites, while at the same time preserving access to water supplies for upstream water users. I extend my compliments to the Zuni people, the State of Arizona and the non-Indian organizations who participated in the negotiations that resulted in this historic water settlement. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she might consume to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, with 12 peaks soaring to more than 12,000 feet, 17 species of carnivores, more than 100 lakes, the headquarters of the Columbia River System, and more than 190 inches of annual snowfall, it would be difficult to find a place more beautiful or rugged than the Grand Teton National Park. Senators Thomas and Enzi, as well as the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), are justifiably proud of the beauty of their home State and this national park. If enacted, S. 273 would help accomplish one of the National Park Service's most important goals, that is, to consolidate the ownership patterns within existing national park units. In this case, this legislation would hopefully expedite Federal acquisition of approximately 1,400 acres of state-owned lands within the park boundary. Such an acquisition represents a significant portion of the more than 2,400 acres of inholdings within Grand Teton National Park. Mr. Speaker, we are willing to support this bill once the leadership allows H.R. 2286 to be brought to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1577, as amended, honors the life and work of a national park ranger killed in the line of duty by renaming the visitors' center at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona as the Kris Eggle Visitors' Center. This wonderful young man whom we just heard about from my colleagues was murdered while on patrol in the national monument in August 2002. His untimely and senseless death reminds us all of the dangers faced daily by Federal employees who protect park resources and visitors. Unfortunately, Kris Eggle's death was not the only one of a National Park Service employee last year. This afternoon the National Park Service will host a ceremony honoring three national park rangers, including Kris, and one U.S. Park Police officer who died last year in the line of duty in service to the National Park Service and to the Nation. Mr. Speaker, we enthusiastically support the adoption of H.R. 1577, as amended, by the House today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 255, introduced by the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), is a fairly simple and straightforward piece of legislation. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is being developed in Nebraska City, Nebraska; and the local county would like an access road to link the center to the main roads in the area. H.R. 255 simply authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to grant such an easement provided that the road is only located on public lands and that road is developed and maintained at no expense to the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, we have no objection to the consideration of H.R. 255 and support its adoption today.

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