Donna Christensen

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

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

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Madam Speaker, certainly, nothing will memorialize the courageous and outstanding firefighters of this nation, more than the vivid pictures of them responding so selflessly, endangering and too often sacrificing their own lives to save those placed in peril by the terrorists actions of September 11th. Their heroism continues even today, and will be evident far into the future in their addressing of this tragedy as it is in the everyday lives of all Americans. I am proud of the work of our Virgin Island firefighters, who have worked tirelessly and with inadequate and substandard equipment to protect the property and the lives of my constituents. That is why our offices worked so hard to bring them badly needed equipment dollars. I thank FEMA for hearing our pleas, and providing close to $1 million to provide the tools they need to do the job they have committed themselves to. We are deeply and forever indebted to the over 300 firefighters who did not make it out of the World Trade building and eventual debris alive. We are also indebted to their families. I also thank the VI firefighters for their raising funds for their families and traveling to New York City to offer support and help. We also today and this week remember all of our nation's firemen and women who have fallen in the line of duty. As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Parks Recreation, and Public Lands I want to especially remember those who have given their lives in fighting fires in our nations parks and public lands, and in protecting them and neighboring properties. So I gladly join my colleagues in support of H.J. Res. 42 memorializing fallen firefighters by lowering the American flag to half staff in honor of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Emittsburg Maryland.

Mr. CHRISTENSEN

Mr. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the two Committee on Small Business bills before us today, which are aimed at improving and expanding the extend and scope of services provided by the Small Business Administration's Small Business Development Centers' program, and encouraging entrepreneurship. The SBDCs are the premier technical assistance providers to America's entrepreneurs. Many small businesses often operate near or at their profit margin and do not have the resources to hire legal and technical experts. The SBDC in my district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as those across the Nation, are always looking for innovative and cost-efficient ways to improve their services to the small business community. To address the difficulty in meeting the regulatory burden, the House Committee on Small Business, under the leadership of our ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), and our chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo), has held many hearings to examine the complex and wide web of regulations that small businesses are subjected to, including those in the health care industry, through the Center for Medicare Services, formerly known as the Health Care Financing Agency. The National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act of 2000 would assist small businesses in handling their regulatory burden without the threat of sanctions for doing so. Without a doubt, small businesses need and would benefit from as much free technical assistance as Congress can make available. As a matter of fact, it is only appropriate that we provide some relief from the regulatory morass that Congress is partly responsible for. Research shows that small businesses that receive technical assistance are twice as likely to succeed in the marketplace as those which do not. H.R. 203 would utilize the existing SBDC network to provide free counseling, training, and education about the intricacies of Federal regulations. The second bill that will be before us, establishing a national vocational entrepreneurship development demonstration program is a great approach to encouraging individuals to start their small businesses. The Vocational and Technical Entrepreneurship Act would allow the SBDCs to work with colleges and vocational schools. Learning to start and run your own business is itself a very important trade, and many who work in the trade sector enter these professions with the goal of one day starting their own business. This initiative would develop a program that guides and provides training for future skilled workers, many of whom would begin working in other companies to obtain the skills necessary to start a business of their own. Mr. Speaker, today, in the face of the tragedy which struck this country 3 weeks ago and its long-term and far-reaching impact, help for our small businesses is needed more than ever. I applaud and thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady) for H.R. 203, and Mr. Udall for H.R. 2666, as well as thank and applaud the leadership of the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez), for their leadership on these two bills. I also thank the entire committee. This would send a clear message that we intend to improve and expand the scope of SBDCs in providing needed comprehensive free and confidential services, and that we will continue to improve this, and to make help more available to our small businesses across the country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill, H.R. 203, and the next bill, H.R. 266.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am just as fascinated by this find as our esteemed chairman. H.R. 2358, as reported by the Committee on Resources, is a bipartisan proposal to provide the technical and financial assistance for the preservation of important paleontological resources that have been found in the district of the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen). The private property in question contains dinosaur tracks that have been seen that were discovered last year. It was evident from our hearing on H.R. 2385 before the Committee on Resources and the Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands that this was a very interesting and exciting dinosaur-related find. However, the original proposal to buy the site and give the land to the city of St. George, Utah, was highly unusual. The administration, while generally supportive, also had a number of concerns with the bill as drafted. The gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen) and members of his staff worked closely with the minority and the administration to address the concerns of the bill. As a result, an amendment in the nature of a substitute was adopted by the Committee on Resources that incorporated the suggestions made by the minority regarding the acquisition of this site, as well as the changes suggested by the administration. I believe that the committee amendment significantly improves the bill and would provide a very efficient way to assist in the preservation of the unique and well-preserved dinosaur tracks in Utah. I appreciate the willingness of the gentleman from Utah (Chairman Hansen) and his staff to address the issues identified with his legislation. I support the passage of H.R. 2385 and commend our chairman on this project. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Air Transportation System Stabilization Act. While it doesn't include everything I would have liked to have included in the bill, I nonetheless support its passage because I strongly agree that without immediate government financial support, many U.S. airlines will go bankrupt as a result of the September 11th attack. As someone who represents a district, which is singularly dependent upon tourism to fuel our local economy, the lack of airline service has been devastating to us. As of September 18, 2001, after four days of virtually no check-ins and a severe drop in hotel room occupancy because of last week's terrorist attacks, layoffs and dramatic cutbacks have already hit hotels in the Virgin Islands. I believe Mr. Speaker that if we assist the airlines and keep the planes flying much of our economy will recover. We cannot afford to do otherwise or we will all suffer even more. As a member of the steering committee of the Travel and Tourism Caucus, I am particularly aware of the importance of the airline industry to tourism and to our overall economy. Like it or not, air transportation is the engine that drives our nation's economy and it is especially important if our nation is to return to work and to normalcy. The staggering losses on Wall Street we saw this week illustrates the need for us to act and to act now. We must also help those workers that will be and have been displaced because of last week's attack. In the coming days, this body must pass legislation to provide additional unemployment compensation to laid-off workers and to extend their health insurance coverage. The leadership in both the House and the Senate has pledged to address this issue very soon and I intend to do all I can to hold them to their word. If we are to get the public flying again, however, we must address the security at our airports. I call upon the President to call out the National Guard and the Reserve to have them man security at our airports until such time that we can enact legislation to create a federal airport security force to, as much as is possible, guarantee the safety of the flying public. Is this a perfect bill? No it is not. Should we be assisting laid-off workers and other segments of our economy such as the hotel industry? Yes we most certainly should. But it is necessary that we act on this bill now, if we are to prevent a critical component of our economy from going out of business. Without the airlines flying there will be no guest to fill the hotels on St. Thomas and St. Croix nor cruise ship passengers to buy the gifts and products in our shops. Lets pass this bill and then also pass legislation to take care of our workers and provide for the safety of all passengers.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, every day for the past 8 days, we have watched with deep respect and gratitude as our firefighters, emergency medical personnel, police, soldiers, counselors, and volunteers rescued and then continued the search and the clearing of the debris of the buildings and lives left by the terrorists. This morning, I want to especially recognize another group of brave and caring people, our airline pilots, cockpit crews, and flight attendants who went back to work and continue to work every day to get us to our destinations safely and comfortably. Thank you to those at American who took me to mine last weekend and those at all of the other airlines which serve the many cities in all of our districts. In a few days, we will have the opportunity to really show our gratitude and pass a package to keep our planes flying and thousands of people in the jobs they need so they can provide for themselves and their families. Let us do it.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill introduced by my colleague Mr. Oberstar. All week, my constituents in the U.S. Virgin Islands have been calling and asking for some kind of a lifeline for our tourism industry. Not only is the travel and tourism industry the largest or second largest industry worldwide, but also it is responsible for 70 percent of the economy of the Virgin Islands. Mr. Speaker we have just struggled to bring back our industry after several major hurricanes. We are almost there, and now this! But this goes beyond just my district, and the people there who depend on tourism, and thus airline travel for their jobs, and to provide for their families. If the airline industry falls, we can see clearly that it would domino all through the national economy. This bill providing financial support, and a line of credit is critical to this industry, to our economy and to my and many other districts. We have come through an extraordinary week, and we need to take extraordinary action to secure the future of our nation. Like many of my other colleagues, I do not support using the social security trust fund, but there is funding in the recently passed tax cut. This is more important and I would respectfully suggest that we use funds set aside for this unnecessary measure to support and sustain our airlines, tourism and the people who depend on them.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a heavy, heavy heart, to join my colleagues to authorize our President, to use the necessary and appropriate force against those who will be identified as the perpetrators of the terrorists act of Tuesday, September 11, 2001, that killed so many of our loved ones, in a diabolical attempt to strike fear in the hearts of our Nation's leaders and all Americans. Yes, we must vindicate those thousands of lives, like Sgt. Maudlin White of my district, so that their dying will not be in vain. But, Mr. Speaker, I stand here humbled by the heavy responsibility that is ours--the specific authority to declare war that is bestowed by the Constitution, on us as Members of this body. And though I stand here with my colleagues, in this awesome time of decision, I do so as one who is not afforded the opportunity to cast a vote. At many other times, I have felt the sting of not being fully able to participate in our democracy, but never more than tonight. For tonight we authorize our President to send my constituents, like all others to a war unlike any other before, and perhaps to die for this country, which we love. But we must, because now we fight a war, where all of us--at home, at work, at school, at church, and anywhere--are at risk, as was so clearly and tragically shown this week. And so, while many of us harbor reservations about the breadth of the powers bestowed, we must stand by our President, and for our fellow Americans, and pray for God's wisdom, and guidance, as he carries out the heavy weight of his office. Mr. Speaker, if there was ever a time when decisive and immediate decisive military action would be required as soon as certain information becomes known, it is in the wake of Tuesday's unprovoked and unwarranted attacks in which innocent lives were snuffed out, for no apparent purpose save that of general hatred of Americans, America and all that she stands for. The Bible tells us many things: It teaches that we should ``not render evil for evil,'' but it also tells us ``if one lives by the sword, one will die by the sword.'' The perpetrator of Tuesday's attacks and other attacks surely planned, used and will yet use the sword of violence against us, unless we stop them. We must act, and act swiftly and decisively, but we must also prepare ourselves better to prevent further attacks, and examine through honest introspection, if we have, in any way, given cause for such hate. And as we prepare to exact justice on the perpetrators of this heinous crime, we must also be certain that we are indeed going after those who committed these crimes, and not be over-reaching in our response. We must proceed with extreme and due caution, not so to wage war based on existing prejudices, motives, or questionable information, lest we inadvertently become one of the world's terrorists ourselves. And so, prayerfully, I join my colleagues in support of this resolution to authorize our President, George W. Bush, to use the authority vested in him by the Constitution of the United States, to take action to deter and prevent acts of international terrorism against the United States and our Allies. May God bless and keep our President, and may God bless and keep America, and may our divine Parent bless and keep us all.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise this evening to join my colleagues in support of this important resolution condemning the vicious, unprovoked, and tragic attack against our country and our citizens. Yesterday is a day that we will never forget, a day which began like any other, but one in which our lives were changed forever as we saw and heard about the damage and destruction of our Nation's symbols of freedom and strength and the so very many lives that are being lost. My heart, sympathy, and prayers, and those of all of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands, go out to the families and friends of those who lost their lives in yesterday's attack and to those who were injured. We also want to express our deep appreciation to those police, emergency medical personnel, firefighters, and the countless others who selflessly and quickly responded to save and protect lives and who continue their efforts today and will do so for as long as they are needed. I fully support, and ask all Americans to support, our President in his determination to identify and find those who committed these acts and bring them to justice. But I also want to recall for all of us the prayer of our chaplain this morning who asked God to help us proceed free of prejudice. We must not use this tragedy to malign or persecute innocent Arab Americans or any other people living in this country as we learn more about the true perpetrators of this heinous act. Mr. Speaker, America is strong. The American people are strong. We are a country and a people of a deep and abiding faith. With that faith, we will face this tragedy as we have faced others before; and we will never let the actions of those who would foster and act out of hate poison our hearts; nor will we let these terrorists or any terrorists succeed in further inflicting their evil and their hate on us or the rest of the world.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support as well of H.R. 1937, the Pacific Northwest Feasibility Studies Act. I congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Larsen), for his hard work in bringing this bill to the House floor today. H.R. 1937 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to engage in water supply feasibility studies to benefit several Native American communities in the State of Washington. The studies will help the communities to identify the best ways to meet their water supply and distribution needs for domestic, rural, and commercial water users. The bill also requires the Secretary to make the results of these studies available to the public and to publish a notice of the availability of study results. The report and accompanying environmental and economic analyses will provide the Congress with recommendations on how best to proceed with cost-effective and environmentally sound solutions to the water problems facing these communities. This legislation enjoys broad support, and I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 1937. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Larsen), the sponsor of H.R. 1937.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to thank my colleague for those kind words. It has been a pleasure sharing this afternoon with him and getting these bills to the floor and passed, as well as working with him on the committee these several years. 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. H.R. 434 would allow for the nonmotorized maintenance and repair of 12 concrete dams in the Emigrant Wilderness in the Stanislaus National Forest in California. The bill would allow the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements to delegate the maintenance work and expense to private properties. These structures were built between 1931 and 1954 and were in existence when Congress designated the Wilderness area in 1974. Several provide water during the dry seasons for trout habitat. Although dams generally do not belong in Wilderness and the forest planning process is addressing this issue, several factors make the bill acceptable: first, litigation threatens to drag the planning process out for years. Second, these dams, some of which are eligible for listing on the National Register for Historic Places, predate the establishment of the Wilderness, have a history of nonmotorized maintenance, and are, for the most part, unobtrusive. Finally, the expense is not borne by the taxpayer. As reported out of committee, this bill represents a reasonable compromise, reducing the number of dams maintained from 18 to 12 and mirroring the bill that passed the House last Congress. I urge my colleagues to support it. 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. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, a study authorized by the 103rd Congress found that the El Camino Real de los Tejas was eligible for designation as a National Historic Trail under criteria established by the National Trails System Act, H.R. 1628, which will officially add this new route to our National Trails System. The trail would be comprised of several different and overlapping routes totaling more than 2,500 miles. Beginning on the U.S.-Mexican border between the Texas cities of Eagle Pass and Laredo, the trail would run across Texas through cities including San Antonio and Austin, and end in the town of Natchitoches, Louisiana. These routes were established around 1860 during the Spanish colonial period and remained in use through the early 1880s. During that time, these trails played a significant role in the settlement and economic development of the Texas frontier during the Spanish, Mexican, and Anglo-American periods. This legislation makes clear that the trail may only be established with the consent of any affected private landowners, and mandates that any land acquisition for trail purposes may be from willing sellers only. We commend our colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), and are pleased to support him for his hard work on this legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1628. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner).

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation would establish a new national heritage area in Pennsylvania. The purpose of the new designation would be to commemorate the first successful efforts to drill for oil in the mid- 19th century and to preserve historical and cultural resources of the time. The area included in this new designation is already home to six national historic districts and 17 sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Similar legislation in the previous Congress raised some concern because, at the time, no study of the area to be included in this new designation had been conducted. In addition, the administration raised several technical issues regarding the bill. However, since that time, a study has been completed and the area was found to be appropriate for this type of designation. Further, the sponsor of the bill has made the changes suggested by the administration and, with those changes, we join the administration in supporting H.R. 695. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the managers Amendment and HR 4 which does not really secure America's energy future at all. This bill is a bad bill, largely because it favors energy exploration and production at the expense of the environment and conservation. As we seek to secure our country's energy future as the title of this bill refers, we must take into account the social and environmental costs of energy development and also remember that negative impacts on the environment in one part of our world can also affect other, even far-off, parts of the world. Instead of securing America's future, HR 4 threatens the future of Alaska's and one of this country's most pristine and beloved natural resources. It cuts back on clean air standards, and opens up more public lands to mining and drilling, while relieving the oil companies, which already have registered humungous profits, of their responsibility for paying the American people what they owe for the right to drill on our lands. Mr. Chairman, on ANWR, what those who support drilling there do not say, is that 95% of the Alaskan wilderness is available for drilling. We must preserve this fragile and important small 5% in the Wildlife Refuge and use the rest to drill to increase our oil and natural gas supply, and still create the jobs our workers need. Mr. Chairman, the Resources Committee, on which I serve as Ranking Member of the National Parks and Public Lands Subcommittee, reported an Energy bill, two weeks ago, which represented nothing more than a ``grab bag of goodies'' for the big oil companies and an unprecedented assault on our country's precious natural resources. During consideration of the bill, I supported a substitute amendment offered by the Ranking Democrat, Mr. Rahall that provided a far better solution to the concerns over energy production in our country. This amendment would have ensured that more domestic energy is introduced into the domestic market, would relieve transmission constraints for our western States, encouraged renewable energy on federal lands, assured fairness in oil royalties, and protect our environment and our nation's monuments and parks. The Rahall substitute would have also provided for a significant number of new jobs by facilitating the construction of the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline originally authorized in 1976. This provision would enhance the delivery of 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas already discovered in existing development fields, and the Rahall substitute would require that a project labor agreement govern construction activities on the pipeline. Sadly, Mr. Chairman, the Rules Committee prevented Mr. Rahall and other Democrats from offering perfecting amendments, which means that much of what the Rahall substitute would have provided, will not be allowed today. H.R. 4, does include one aspect of the Rahall substitute which would update a nearly twenty-year-old assessment of energy importation, consumption, and alternative indigenous sources that can be used by insular areas. A new part of this reassessment will be a recommendation and a plan to protect energy transmission and distribution lines from the effects of hurricanes and typhoons. The amendment also gives the Interior Secretary the authority to fund such recommendations. We are all aware of the tragedy and destruction a hurricane or typhoon brings once it reaches land. The majority of Americans become aware of such a storm when it heads up the eastern seaboard or makes it way inland from the Gulf of Mexico. They are awesome and dangerous. And there is not much that can be done when it is headed your way. Those of us whose districts have been in the path of such storms can attest to the devastation. The Virgin Islands are affected by the strongest of storms, like Georges and Hugo that eventually make their way to the U.S. mainland. But we are also all too frequently a target for lesser known hurricanes that never make it out of the Caribbean Basin but still manage to inflict just as much damage as those that reach Florida. Some of the costliest destruction during these events in the Virgin Islands and the other offshore areas is to electrical infrastructure. Island-wide outages are common in the wake of a storm because our lines are not as hardened as they could be from a storm's strength. Ideally, in any location that experiences as much hurricane activity as my district, transmission lines should be buried underground. To have the majority of our electrical lines above ground poses a great threat to residents during storms and makes our system vulnerable and costly to repair. While I appreciate the recognition of the vulnerability of the Insular Areas energy supply to natural disasters, in H.R. 4, I remain opposed to the bill as a whole because of its over-reliance on energy production at the expense of pristine areas of our environment, as well as large tax breaks it provides to energy companies who are enjoying record profits. I hope that we can provide this relief to my district and others through another legislative vehicle. H.R. 4 also leaves rural America behind. I ask that the attached statement from the National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association be included in the Record. Mr. Chairman, this is not the way to secure America's future, I urge my colleagues to oppose both this ``figleaf'' amendment and H.R. 4.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, in the time that is remaining, let me say, let us keep the Ganske-Norwood-Dingell-Berry bill intact. The HMOs deserve no special privilege or protection. Let us protect the patients of America. Let us keep a strong, good Patients' Bill of Rights.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America, (VIBSCA) for their long-standing service to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and on the occasion of their being recognized by the organizers of the 29th Annual Open Atlantic Blue Marlin Fishing Tournament, popularly known as the ``Boy Scouts Tournament,'' held each year on St. Thomas. Considered the best of its kind, the contest attracts top anglers from around the globe. Scouting in the United States Virgin Islands can be traced as far back as 1914. After the transfer of the islands in 1917 from Denmark to the United States, there was scouting of a sort that for all intent and purposes was open only to children of the military. However, it was not until February of 1930, just three years after Scouting was established in Puerto Rico, that the first official Boy Scout Troop was formed in the United States Virgin Islands. Mr. Speaker, history was made twice on the first of January 1965 when the Virgin Islands got their own Boy Scout Council and Mr. Samuel B. King became the first black council executive in the entire Boy Scout movement in the United States. During the last thirty-six years, the VIBSCA have sent leaders to Wood Badge Courses in Puerto Rico and to the U.S. mainland and in 1983, the first leadership Wood Badge course was held at Howard M. Wall on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Wood Badge, very similar the U.S. Army's Basic Training regimen, is the highest training offered to selected male and female leaders to enable them to better serve the youth. The VICBSA has participated in eight National Jamborees, one World Jamboree, nine Caribbean Jamborees and many trips to Philmont Scout Reservation in Cimmaron, New Mexico as well as many training courses locally and on the mainland for both leaders and Scouts. I am proud to represent this segment of my constituency--the VIBSCA-- because they have shaped and molded the minds and bodies of thousands of Virgin Islands youth over the past seventy-one years. As a result of their work and service to the Virgin Islands community, today many of these former scouts hold positions of influence and stature still contributing to the betterment of a rich and flourishing Virgin Islands society. On behalf of a grateful Virgin Islands community, my family, staff and myself, I wish to congratulate the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America, its members, both past and present, for their many contributions to our community and for so generously giving of themselves and their values to generations of Virgin Islands youth over the years. May God continue to bless the Virgin Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America and scouts all over our blessed Nation. Best wishes for an eventful, fulfilling ``Boy Scouts Tournament.''

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, this doctor stands with America's doctors and our patients in support of H.R. 2563. The base bill is not about suing, it is about making sure that insurance companies and HMOs are held accountable when they prevent a patient from getting the care they need. We must reject the killer amendments which would shield the HMOs from the same accountability that every doctor and hospital as well as every other business is liable for, for our protection. And the HMOs must be laughing at the $1.5 million cap that is proposed. With their profits, that figure is so small it will be no incentive for them to change at all. We have fought for more than 5 years for a bill that will protect patients. We have one, and we must not pass a last-minute dead-of-night deal to help the President avoid the decision of signing or vetoing, if that is his choice, legislation which the American people overwhelmingly support. Our constituents have been waiting too long for relief from profit- driven medical decisions that put them and their loved ones at risk. Let us vote down all amendments and give America a real Patient Protection Act, H.R. 2563.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the manager's amendment and H.R. 4, which really does not secure America's energy future. Instead, the bill threatens the future of Alaska's and one of the country's most pristine natural areas, cuts back on clean air standards, and opens up more of the public lands to mining and drilling, while relieving already rich oil companies of their responsibility for paying the American people for the right to drill on our lands. Ninety-five percent of the Alaska wilderness is available for drilling. Let us save the 5 percent in the fragile refuge and use the vast lands already available to develop the oil and gas supplies and still create the jobs our workers need. Let us reject this fig leaf amendment and H.R. 4.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, the world conference against racism is an important meeting to people of African descent, and indigenous people all over the world. It is critical that this country fully participate and demonstrate its commitment to ending racism, racial intolerance, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance in this country and all over the world. A full discussion and a strong resolution decrying racism and the support of agreed to means of addressing its impact are important to the health of our nation and the well-being of the entire global community. Having a substantive declaration decrying racism, colonialism, and the forceful subjugation of people will not in and of itself make us whole, but it will foster a long overdue healing process. Mr. Speaker, I want my country to fully participate, to be involved in all discussions and work with the other countries of the world to develop such a resolution and programs. It neither serves this country or the world well for it to be gagged on this important issue. While I support this resolution in its supporting the United States participation, I feel that the resolution introduced by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson which calls on the highest level of participation, for funding, and which urges the adoption and advancing of policy positions that indicate clearly that our country understands the ling k between racism in its current day forms and is firm in its commitment to ending its impact on indigenous communities an communities of color all over the world.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by my colleagues Lois Capps and Rick Larsen to earmark $25 million of the $404 million in FEMA's Emergency Management and Planning Assistance account to fund Project Impact. As my colleagues are aware, Project Impact is a public-private partnership that funds emergency management preparation activities. It has been a relatively low cost way to save lives and prevent damage in the case of natural disasters and other emergencies. Created in 1997 by former FEMA Director James L. Witt, the program has helped 250 communities in all fifty states and the Insular Areas to prepare for and prevent disasters. My home islands St. Croix has been a project impact site since 1998. As a direct result, the community has been extremely successful in both decreasing damages and injuries in the territory and reducing recovery costs to FEMA--in fact our efforts have been widely touted as a FEMA success story by the agency. Mr. Chairman, the Capps/Larsen amendment and the Project Impact program deserves our support because it is a common sense approach to help our country deal with disasters. The increasing number and severity of natural disasters over the past decade demands that action be taken to reduce the threat of hurricanes, tornadoes, severe storms, flood and fires, which is where Project Impact comes in. It is unconscionable and very shortsighted in my opinion that this program was not included in this year's VA-HUD appropriations bill. I urge my colleagues to support the Capps/Larsen amendment.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Weldon- Pascrell-Andrews amendment which would increase the FY02 budget for the Fire Assistance Grant Program from $100 million to $150 million. Mr. Chairman, there is such a great need for this program in this country that while it has been funded at $100 million for FY01, there has been $2.9 billion in requests from across the country for this vital program. Mr. Chairman, new and advancing technologies are constantly requiring expensive purchase and upgrading of equipment to enable our firefighting units to provide the very best in services to our communities. My own district of the U.S. Virgin Islands, is one such community in need. They have put in a request for this assistance and support to ensure that they have the right equipment, vehicles and other tools necessary to meet the important need of keeping our community safe in times of fire disaster. Mr. Chairman, our firefighters, across the country, put their lives on the line day after day--for us! Let us appreciate their service, and improve their safety as well, by passing the Weldon-Pascrell-Andrews amendment today.