Donna Christensen

Ms. CHRISTENSEN

Ms. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a bill which was submitted to me, by the members of the Legislature of my Congressional District, to make it possible for the Virgin Islands Legislature to reduce its size. This proposal was also introduced in the previous Congress but was not acted upon in time to become law. Mr. Speaker, the Virgin Islands and the other U.S. Territories continue to strive for full local self-government. While we have achieved local self-government in many ways already, from time to time, those of us that have not yet adopted a local constitution, have to petition Congress to make changes in the general law, or Organic Act, which governs us. This bill is one of those times. In a resolution petitioning the Congress to reduce the number of Virgin Islands Senators, it stated that the people of the Virgin Islands is represented by a 15 member Legislature which is among the highest ratio of legislators to constituents currently existing in any U.S. jurisdiction. The bill that I introduce today does not proscribe what the number of Virgin Islands Senators will be but leaves it up to the legislature and people of the Virgin Islands to decide. I urge my colleagues to support its passage.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Conyers/Scott/Waters Democratic substitute to H.R. 1501 and in opposition of the Republican sponsored juvenile justice bill which has let down children and American families by putting the interest of opponents of jug safety legislation above the safety and well-being of all children. I want to draw your attention, Mr. Chairman and my colleagues, to the importance of time. In the time that I have been allotted to make this statement another child would have been shot or killed and another child would have been incarcerated in an adult facility which will do them more harm than good. As we sit here in this plush secure environment, it is easy to lose sight of how many children's lies could be saved through the enactment of sound gun control measures. Mr. Chairman, we should enact the Democratic substitute which includes: the bipartisan House Judiciary Committee juvenile justice bill; the bipartisan House Education and Workforce Committee bill to reauthorize the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Programs; two Senate-passed media violence provisions; the extension of the ``Cops on the Beat'' program with an emphasis on cooperative school-police partnerships to place safety officers in school; and a School Anti-violence Empowerment (SAVE) initiative that provides funding for crisis prevention counselors and crisis prevention programs in schools. Any effective juvenile legislation must include measures that are in the best interest of our children. Extremely important in this regard, is the protection of our children from abuse in adult facilities. We must assure that the health and welfare of our children are not being jeopardized in an adult prison. Although serious crimes are being committed by young adults, emphasis must be placed on prevention and corrective measures and not solely on adult conviction of very young offenders. Where we must put juveniles in adult prisons, they should be placed out of sight and sound of adult inmates. Prevention is the only key element in the proactive approach to teen violence. All other legislation approaches should complement prevention methods, just as the juvenile delinquency prevention block grant has aided in the reduction of juvenile crime. Mr. Chairman, I was very disappointed that the amendment of my colleague, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Obey, which would have authorized an initiative to attempt to prevent tragic incidents of school violence by improving mental health and education services to troubled children and youth who are at risk of committing violent acts was not made in order by the Rules Committee. The Obey amendment would have authorized the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a study to identify barriers that prevent school-aged children and youth in need of mental health or substance abuse treatment services from receiving appropriate counseling and treatment services financed through Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and other public health and mental programs. It is a shame that this body is willing to send a 13- or 14-year-old to an adult prison but isn't willing to authorize a program which could have prevented the kid from committing the crime in the first place. I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic substitute to H.R. 1501 and reject the destructive Republican juvenile bill which would no nothing other than prosecute children as adults, house juveniles with adult felons where they are more likely to be abused by adult prisoners, and impose numerous mandatory sentencing measures--which have been shown to exacerbate long-term crime problems.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 435, the Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 1999 and I want to congratulate my colleagues Trade Subcommittee Chairman, Phil Crane and Ranking Democrat Sander Levin for the Herculean effort that went into making passage of this bill possible today. My colleagues, this is a day that I have long looked forward to. For over two years now, a number of members from both sides of the isle labored long and hard to defeat one obstacle after another to make it possible for this bill to become law. We were almost successful at the end of the last Congress but ran out of time before the other body was able to take up the bill. Today I rise on behalf of my constituents to celebrate the passage of this bill because of what it could mean for our economy. The extension of the Insular Possession trade benefits which this bill provides, will mean that a significant number of new jobs will be created, in the Virgin Islands, as a direct result. Ten years ago, the Insular Possession trade benefits made it possible for almost 1,000 Virgin Islanders to be employed in the manufacturing of watches. Today, after several major hurricanes hit the islands there may be just over 200 persons employed in the industry. That is why this bill is so very important to my constituents and me. It represents the first step in my legislative plan for revitalizing the economy of the Virgin Islands which, unfortunately has not yet reaped the benefits of the largest ever peace time economic expansion that the country as a whole is experiencing. In closing, I want to again express my thanks to the Leadership of the Ways and Means Committee for their efforts on H.R. 425. In addition to Mr. Crane and Mr. Matsui, I also must thank the cosponsors of my original bill, the gentleman from New York, Mr. Rangel, and the gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. Jefferson. I also want to thank, the Chairman of the full Ways and Means Committee, Mr. Acher, for his support as well.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I along with 38 of my colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus introduced H.R. 1860, the Medically Underserved Access to Care Act which seeks to address the needs of minorities in the managed care system. As a physician, I have seen the problems that minorities--both patients and healthcare providers--can face within the managed care system. This bill seeks to ameliorate some of these difficulties by proposing some concrete solutions to overcome these problems. A key provision of H.R. 1860 would require managed care organizations to contract with providers in medically underserved communities who are ethnically representative of the population of those communities. This will help to ensure that these providers have the cultural sensitivity needed to interact with their patients in an understanding manner that will directly cater to their specific medical needs and concerns as minorities. To make this lofty goal a reality, H.R. 1860 establishes a program of outreach grants to underserved communities that will help patients locate culturally sensitive providers within their managed care plan. The bill also creates a similar outreach grant program for doctors that will be operated through a national private non-profit organization in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services. The specific goal of this program will be to assist minority physicians and other health care providers to convert their practices and internal administrative procedures to best access the managed care system for both private insurance plans and Medicaid insurance plans. Ultimately, this bill seeks to redress the many grievances that minority physicians and patients have expressed regarding the managed care system. Addressing the problems that minorities face within the managed care system will take us one step closer to realizing the goal of Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to ensure that all Americans have access to quality care delivered in an appropriate manner. I want to express my thanks to the National Medical Association and its President, Dr. Gary Denis, for their invaluable help in developing the language of this bill and assisting in getting it ready for introduction. I also want to thank my colleagues on the CBC for their support in joining me as cosponsors of this important bill.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, last week, while our Nation lost one of its premier business leaders with the passing of Leon Hess, the owner of the New York Jets, my district, the United States Virgin Islands, lost more. We lost a valued friend. Hess Oil of the Virgin Islands, which he established in the 1960's as an important part of his larger conglomerate Amerada Hess, continues to play an important role in the economy of the Virgin Islands, employing hundreds of Virgin Islanders. But beyond the jobs and support of our local business community, he contributed substantially to St. Croix, where the refinery is housed, and to the entire Virgin Islands. In addition to scholarships and support of local charities, his contributions include the St. Croix Central Police Station and a major portion of the St. Croix Vocational High School. After the major hurricanes which hit our islands in the past 10 years, his help and support of some of the plant operations were integral to our recovery. Mr. Hess' most important contribution, however, is the example of his life. We join the many, great and small, who mourn his passing, and send our prayers to his wife Norma, son John, and daughters Marlene and Connie. He has left a legacy to our Islands which will never be forgotten.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the amendment in the nature of a substitute and to applaud my colleague David Obey for bringing it. This is an emergency appropriation, and it must be treated as such. We should not be engaging in a misguided effort by adding on other non- emergency measures that should more properly be considered within the context of the annual appropriations process. In this substitute, we would provide the President's request and support our family members who are in harms way in Kosovo, provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees from terrible atrocities in their homeland, and provide the important and deserved pay raises to our armed forces that we tried but couldn't get included last year. Mr. Speaker, three months ago we passed a badly needed supplemental bill to provide emergency funding to our friends in Central America who suffered a terrible natural disaster, and for our own farmers. We need to get this done also, and this amendment would include these long overdue funds--again relieving suffering in this hemisphere. As Chair of the Health Braintrust of the Congressional Black Caucus, I have another interest in the previously passed supplemental bill, because it addresses human suffering here at home by including a technical amendment that would allow the release of funds that were authorized but never appropriated for the Office of Minority Health to address HIV/IDS in communities of color. I ask my colleagues to support the Obey amendment.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I am compelled to rise to make this brief statement on the issue of funding and supporting the NATO operations in Kosovo. While I, like many would like to see a clearer definition of the scope of the conflict, and a specific endpoint in sight, I will not abandon our men and women who join those of our partnering countries, or undermine them or our country. Further, while I am pained that the same concern and appropriate intervention has not taken place for the countries of my ancestry, Africa, as my colleague Mr. Meeks said that is no reason to deny protection or relief from their persecution to the Albanian people of Kosovo. I support Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, because it is the right thing to do.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 1239.

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN

Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my esteemed colleague, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) for yielding time to me. I also want to take this opportunity to commend our hard-working chairman, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Jim Talent), and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Nydia Velazquez) for their leadership and creativity which is providing unprecedented support for small businesses across the country. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my colleagues and express my strong support for H.R. 818, a bill which authorizes $15 million for the Disaster Mitigation Pilot Program of the Small Business Administration. Although there is hardly a part of this country that has not been victimized by natural disasters, as Members know, I represent a district, the U.S. Virgin Islands, which has been devastated by over 5 major hurricanes over the past 10 years. I therefore know firsthand the importance of the Small Business Disaster Assistance Program. As a matter of fact, the Virgin Islands has utilized $388 million in disaster loan assistance since that time, third only to California and Florida. Mr. Speaker, we need to pass this legislation. Once H.R. 818 is enacted into law, the SBA will be joining FEMA's Project IMPACT in providing a means for businesses to mitigate the effects of hurricanes. It will be reducing the overall damage to the community that these storms can cause. I am a resident of the island of St. Croix, which is a Project IMPACT designee, and has been cited by FEMA for its successful mitigation efforts in decreasing damage, injuries, and recovery costs to that agency. Hurricane Georges came through the Virgin Islands, but we heard very little about it because we were prepared. We are a testimony to the fact that mitigation works. This is a program that I know will be embraced by communities across the country as they try to deal with disasters. I urge the passage of H.R. 818.