Howard Coble

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be passed over without prejudice.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing, along with the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, Representative Howard Berman, a bill that will enhance the operations of our federal courts: H.R. , the ``Federal Courts Improvement Act of 2002.'' In July of 2001, H.R. 2522, the ``Federal Courts Improvement Act of 2001'', was introduced by Mr. Berman, and myself, at the request of the United States Judicial Conference. It contains provisions that the Conference believes are needed to improve the Federal Court system. These proposals cover judicial process improvements and judiciary personnel administration, benefits, and protections. On July 26, 2001, the Subcommittee held a hearing on H.R. 2522. Based on the testimony received and the discussion of the entire text, Representative Berman and I are introducing a new bill which contains those proposals that we believe will be most successful in improving the Federal Judicial System. H.R. is necessary legislation for the proper functioning of our Article III U.S. Courts. It is non-partisan and non-controversial. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be passed over without prejudice.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to welcome as our guest chaplain today, Chaplain Bryan Finch of the Olde Yorke Chapel, U.S. Coast Guard Training Center, Yorktown, Virginia. I would also like to thank Chaplain Finch for his thoughtful and inspiring invocation. Chaplain Finch is joined today by his wife and Captain John Gentile, who is the Commanding Officer of the Training Center. Mr. Speaker, I came to know the chaplain last fall when the chief petty officers in the Tidewater, the Yorktown area, invited me to be their guest speaker for their annual gala. A great time was had by all. At that time the Chaplain expressed interest in joining us up here. Chaplain Finch is an ordained Southern Baptist pastor, a graduate of LaGrange College in LaGrange, Georgia. He earned a Master of Divinity at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and also obtained a Masters of Theology in Culture and Religion at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. Chaplain Finch also has a distinguished military career, having served in both the Army and Navy. Upon graduation from high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy for 4 years. Chaplain Finch then went on to pursue his college seminary degrees and, upon completion, joined the Army where he served as Chaplain of the First Battalion, Sixth Infantry in Vilseck, Germany. He later received an interservice transfer to the U.S. Navy and was commissioned in the Navy on January 7, 1991. Presently, Chaplain Finch is assigned to the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center in Yorktown, Virginia, where he has served as Chaplain since June, 2000. Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not mention one of Chaplain Finch's most noteworthy contributions was his service on the Chaplain Emergency Response Team which was activated to assist in the aftermath of the events of September 11. Along with Chaplain Finch, there were 30-plus other Navy chaplains assigned to Coast Guard units who assisted in this effort, and at this time, I would like to submit their names for inclusion in the Record in recognition of their significant contribution, as well. Mr. Speaker, again, I want to extend a cordial welcome to Chaplain Bryan Finch for being here today. His presence and blessing on this House means so much to me and the thousands of young men and women who proudly wear Coast Guard blue. Chaplains Who Served With the CERT at the World Trade Center CPT Leroy Gilbert, Chaplain of the Coast Guard, USCG HQ, Washington, DC. CPT Thomas Murphy, USCG Academy, New London, CT. CPT Ronald Swafford, USCG Pacific Area, Alameda, CA. CPT Peter Larsen, U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain. CDR Wilbur Douglass, USCG Atlantic Area/Fifth CG District, Portsmouth, VA. CDR Deborah Jetter, USCG RELSUP 106 (District Nine). CDR Douglas Waite, Deputy Chaplain of the Coast Guard, Washington, DC. CDR Derek Ross, USCG Training Center, Cape May, NJ. CDR Lawrence Greenslit, USCG District Seven, Miami, FL. CDR Steven Brown, USCG District Nine, Cleveland, OH. CDR Richard Carrington, U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain. CDR Michael Doyle, U.S. Naval Reserve Chaplain. LCDR Rondall Brown, USCG Air Station, Cape Code, MA. LCDR Thomasina Yuille, USCG District One, Boston, MA. LCDR William Brown, USCG District Eight, New Orleans, LA. LCDR James Jensen, USCG RELSUP 106 (District Thirteen). LCDR Gregory Todd, USCG Activities New York, Staten Island,

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the ``Judicial Improvements Act of 2002.'' This legislation constitutes a noncontroversial fine-tuning of an existing statute, the ``Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980'' (the 1980 Act), which permits individuals to file complaints against federal judges for inappropriate behavior. Mr. Speaker, the Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property conducted an oversight hearing on the operations of federal judicial misconduct statutes on November 29, 2001. The witnesses at the hearing were united in their general praise for the Third Branch. Their respect for the federal judiciary is also shared by the members of the Subcommittee. Still, no federal entity is immune from periodic evaluation. Consistent with our obligations to conduct oversight, the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Representative Howard Berman, and I are introducing this bill that will reorganize the 1980 Act by re-codifying it as a new chapter of title 28 of the U.S. Code. The legislation will also clarify the responsibilities of a circuit chief judge in making initial evaluations of a complaint. In addition, section 3 of the bill resolves an existing conflict governing recused judges and whether their votes should count in determining a majority by a circuit to sit en banc. The changes set forth in the ``Judicial Improvements Act of 2002'' are largely based on procedures that the judges themselves have developed through the years. The construct for the bill, based as it is on self-regulation, indicates that Congress and the American people retain great confidence in the ability of federal judges to identify and correct misconduct among their own colleagues. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I failed to highlight the contributions of three individuals who helped to draft this bill. They are Professor Arthur Hellman of the Pittsburgh School of Law; Mike Remington, former Chief Counsel of our Subcommittee; and Sandy Strokoff of the Office of Legislative Counsel. The Subcommittee appreciates the energy, time, and talent that they invested in this project. In closing, I urge my colleagues to support the ``Judicial Improvements Act of 2002,'' and I thank the Speaker.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, March 1, 2002, one of the most respected family-owned businesses in High Point, North Carolina, will celebrate its 100th birthday. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we wish to congratulate Jarrett Stationary on its first century of existence. ``We don't know the exact date when Gene Jarrett started the business, but it was in February 1902,'' David Wall, the store's president told the High Point Enterprise. Wall, a third-generation owner and a High Point City Councilman, told the newspaper, ``I figured holding the celebration on March 1 would help us cover the date properly. Ever since we got to 95 years, it seems like it's taken forever to get to 100 years, so I'm both proud and relieved that this time has finally come.'' Because small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, Mr. Wall, all of us are proud that Jarrett Stationary has succeeded for 100 years. Jarrett Stationary is the 16th oldest business entity in High Point according to the local Chamber of Commerce. Jarrett Stationary has had a rich and colorful history during its century in business. There have only been three presidents during its 100-year existence. Gene Jarrett ran the company for approximately 45 years. Thurman Wall, Jarrett's son-in-law, served as president before his son, David, assumed the role in 1981. The company also served as a bookstore during its first 40 years before concentrating on office supplies after World War II. It has been at its downtown North Wrenn Street location since 1929. Despite the glut of national office supply chains, and that many other small businesses have abandoned the downtown retail core, Jarrett Stationary has stayed and thrived. The future looks equally bright for Jarrett Stationary. In fact, the very name of the company has come up for discussion in the past. Though a Wall family member has run the business longer than a Jarrett, David Wall said there was never any real consideration to abandon the company name. ``Both my father and I thought about all those years that the good name of Jarrett Stationary has been built up in this city,'' Wall told the High Point Enteprise. ``In retail especially, if you have that, that's like money in the bank, so why change?'' We concur that Jarrett Stationary should not change. It should continue to serve the people of High Point the same way it has for 100 years. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we congratulate Jarrett Stationary on its centennial celebration, and we offer our best wishes for the future.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) for his generous introduction. I appreciate that. Madam Speaker, we serve here in the people's House with dozens of people who represent a wide array of constituents. Some Congressmen stand out as particularly prominent. Tom Bliley is one of these. My staff always referred to him as the Virginia gentleman. He is indeed the Virginia gentleman, bow tie and all. When grading or rating elected officials, Madam Speaker, certain qualifications surface; integrity, accessibility, willingness to work, among others. Tom Bliley passes these tests with flying colors. I have spent a good amount of time in their Richmond, Virginia, home, and I came to know Mary Virginia, his wife, well. She has offered him continuous and consistent support during his time in public life. I have observed Tom Bliley responding to his constituents, expressing care, concern, sensitivity as he went about helping them resolve their various problems. He served that beautiful historic city on the banks of the James River as its mayor, as has been previously stated, prior to his having been elected to serve in the people's House where he served for two decades. Madam Speaker, I am pleased, indeed, to heartily endorse the proposal to have the post office which serves the West Hampton area in Richmond as the Tom Bliley Post Office, the inimitable Virginia gentleman.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be passed over without prejudice.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, much has been said about John Walker Lindh, the 20-year-old Californian who joined forces with the Taliban. Some observers have suggested that we cut him some slack since he is only 20 years of age. There were 20-year-olds who showed up for work on 9/11 at the World Trade Center. Who cut them slack? There are 20-year-olds fighting in Afghanistan today, 20-year-old firefighters, 20-year-old policemen, 20- year-old EMS personnel who responded on 9/11. Who cut them slack? No. This young man should be prosecuted, and if convicted, appropriate punishment should be forthcoming. Our Attorney General said it more eloquently than I, but I paraphrase: Simply because an accused is of tender years, Mr. Speaker, he is worthy of no special defense when he has committed criminal acts. No special treatment should be available to this young man or to others like him.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, this issue or these represented issues seem to have a way of polarizing Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, all over the field. My good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the very able chairman of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, he and I are at odds on this. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), I am not sure where he is on this; but he is nonetheless my friend, whether he is for me or against me. Nevertheless, this has a way of separating people. The United States textile industry has already suffered its worst crisis since the Great Depression. We have lost nearly 60,000 jobs, nearly 10 percent of the entire workforce, in just the last 12 months. Our suppliers in the cotton, wool, man-made fiber, textile, machinery, and chemical industries have also been damaged by this crisis. H.R. 3009, Mr. Speaker, will be extremely damaging to the United States textile industry. It will cause even more U.S. job losses, and make our current crisis even worse. The bill would harm American textile manufacturers, including producers of fabric, yarn, and thread. Mr. Speaker, this week, two giants in my district came forward with distressing news. One announced that it is filing chapter 11. A second one announced it is laying off 13,000 workers. Mr. Speaker, my mom was a machine operator in a hosiery mill. I knew as a youngster in the rural south the significance of a textile check coming in every week as a result of a woman laboring arduously over that machine, before the days of air conditioning, I might add, Mr. Speaker. Now those textile checks are less frequent. They are being seen less and less frequently. The bill allows, Mr. Speaker, a huge amount of regional fabric made in the Andean countries, increasing to nearly 1 billion square meter equivalent annually by 2006, to be assembled as garments and enter the United States duty free, quota free. That is a slap in the face to our textile community, which is synonymously known as success in this country. When we mention success, we immediately think of the textile industry, the way it started, the jobs that were created. The bill also allows apparel assembled in the Andean countries of U.S. or Andean regional fabric to use yarn from anywhere in the world. Finally, unrelated to the basic Andean bill, this legislation would grant duty-free treatment to vast quantities of apparel imports assembled in sub-Saharan Africa from African or Third World countries, usually Asian fabric. Mr. Speaker, I am unwilling and/or incapable of turning a blind eye and a deaf ear to the textile community which has been so obviously significant in the success of this country. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2047 would help to correct the diversion problem at the PTO by authorizing the agency to keep all of the fee revenue it raises in fiscal year 2002, subject to appropriations. In addition, and consistent with this emphasis on oversight, the legislation sets forth two problem areas that PTO should address in the coming fiscal year, irrespective of its overall budget: First, the PTO Director is required to develop an electronic system for the filing and processing of all patent and trademark applications that is user friendly and that will allow the Office to process and maintain electronically the contents and history of all applications. Fifty- million dollars are earmarked for this project in fiscal year 2002. Second, the Director, in consultation with the Patent and Trademark Public Advisory Committees, must develop a strategic plan that prescribes the goals and methods by which PTO will enhance patent and trademark quality, reduce pendency, and develop a 21st century electronic system for the benefit of filers, examiners, and the general public. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2047 will allow the patent and trademark communities to get more bang for their filing and maintenance buck, while enhancing the likelihood that the agency will receive greater appropriations in the upcoming fiscal year and in the future. It is a bill that benefits the PTO, its users, and the American economy. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, approximately 150 Telephone Service Center representatives who work at the American Express Service Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, demonstrated their strong sense of caring and compassion for their displaced, unsettled colleagues at the American Express Company Headquarters in New York City. The entire Sixth District of North Carolina is proud of their efforts. The Greensboro Telephone Service Center team began a telephone calling initiative to locate approximately 4,700 of their New York colleagues who were forced to evacuate their offices in the World Financial Center the morning of the attacks. The purpose of the initiative was to check on the welfare and safety of as many of the headquarters staff (at their home phone numbers) as possible. During the initiative, the representatives' commitment was steadfast. Sometimes they could not get through because telephone lines were down, or because they received a busy signal or no answer. The representatives, however, continued to return calls, day and night, as often as necessary until contact was made. Eventually, they were able to locate all but 11 New York employees who had been working in a client's offices on the 94th floor of 1 World Trade Center. A group of specially trained American Express employees contacted the family members of these employees. Their role was to offer any assistance to the families of those 11 employees during this difficult time. Several days later, the Greensboro representatives were assigned to contact all of their N.Y. colleagues by phone again to invite them to an afternoon town hall meeting, hosted by American Express Chairman and Chief Executive Kenneth I. Chenault, at Madison Square Garden on September 20. The response to the phone calls was overwhelmingly positive. Some New York employees were so moved by the gesture that they wept tears of joy. A few of them had no family members, so they were especially grateful to receive the calls. All of them commented on how much they appreciated the caring, reassuring calls from other members of the American Express extended family hundreds of miles away. Employees at the American Express Service Center in Greensboro further demonstrated their concern for their New York colleagues in another way. They signed large banners with personal messages of hope, love and support. A few employees illustrated their messages with tiny American flags and hearts. On October 15, Greensboro employees shipped the colorful banners to the new quarters that the American Express Headquarters staff recently occupied in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. As you can imagine, they were well received. The Sixth District of North Carolina has always been proud to be one of the homes of American Express. That pride is even stronger now that we know about the caring employees who work there. Congratulations to everyone in the American Express family for sticking together during difficult times.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, today Representative Howard Berman and I are introducing H.R. 3204, the ``Intellectual Property Protection Restoration Act of 2001.'' Senator Leahy is also introducing the same legislation in the Senate today. This important legislation takes a balanced and minimal approach to solving the complex problem of preventing the individual States from infringing intellectual property with impunity. This bill simply prevents the award of damages for infringement of intellectual property owned by a State if that State has not waived its immunity under the Eleventh Amendment. Currently, private parties are unable to sue and receive damages for infringement by States. H.R. 3204 will level the playing field without curtailing States' rights. It is my hope that H.R. 3204 will be enacted into law during the 107th Congress. Finally, Mr. Speaker, on July 27, 2000, in the 106th Congress, the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property held a hearing on this issue. My statement from that hearing is included below. Statement of Hon. Howard Coble, Chairman, Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property Regarding State Sovereign Immunity and Protection of Intellectual Property Good Morning. The Subcommittee will come to order. Today, we will discuss state sovereign immunity and protection of intellectual property. To the great benefit of the United States, the authors of the Constitution understood how the creative arts and sciences would be valuable to the American people, both financially and culturally. The Constitution gives Congress the power to enact laws that give authors and inventors rights in their respective creations for a limited time. Congress has enacted such laws since 1790, resulting in the development of American intellectual property that is the envy of the world. It is one of the top U.S. exports, generates billions of dollars in revenue, creates jobs, and enriches the lives of the American people and the world. Since the enactment of the first intellectual property laws, it was universally understood that these laws applied to the states, which would be subject to suit in federal court for damages resulting from infringement. Historically, Congress assumed its Article I powers enabled it to abrogate states sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment. However, after the Supreme Court ruled that the intent to abrogate based on Article I must be explicitly evident in the relevant statute, some district courts held that the 1976 Copyright Act did not effectively abrogate state sovereign immunity. To close this loophole, Congress enacted three laws between 1990 and 1992 to abrogate state sovereign immunity: the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act; the Patent and Plant Variety Protection Remedy Clarification Act; and the Trademark Remedy Clarification Act. In 1993, the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act was challenged. Before the 5th Circuit made a final ruling, the Supreme Court handed down several decisions that had a direct impact on the case. In Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida, the Court overruled previous case law and held that Congress could not use its Article I powers to abrogate state sovereign immunity. In Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board v. College Savings Bank, the Court voided the Patent and Plant Variety Protection Remedy Clarification Act. While the Court held that abrogation was possible under the Enforcement Clause of the 14th Amendment, the Act was not a proper exercise of that power. Finally, in College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Education Expense Board, the Court voided the Trademark Remedy Clarification Act to the extent it abrogated state immunity with regard to false advertising claims. Based on these rulings, the 5th Circuit subsequently held that the Copyright Remedy Clarification Act was unconstitutional. The import of these decisions is very serious for intellectual property owners, since states now have the ability to infringe copyrights, patents, and trademarks with impunity. These potential infringements add up to millions of dollars of lost revenue to intellectual property owners. Adding to the unfairness of the situation is the fact that states can and do own copyrights, patents, and trademarks. A state may bring an infringement suit in federal court against a private individual but a private individual may not sue that state for the same transgression. This result creates an uneven playing field and otherwise conflicts with the spirit of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. In conclusion, this hearing is not intended to focus on a definitive solution to this problem, rather, it represents the first step in doing so. The hearing is intended to educate the Subcommittee about this important issue: its background, the implications of current case law on the subject, and those efforts to find a solution to the problem of consistently protecting intellectual property rights in a constitutionally permissible manner.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time. I had not planned to discuss this bill, but I felt obliged to come over here and join the fray. This airline security proposal is a much-needed piece of legislation. The Young-Mica bill federalizes the process and the process should indeed be federalized. But should we bring 25,000 to 28,000 additional Federal employees on the payroll to be subsidized by taxpayers where the Government will be virtually inflexible as far as getting them on board, getting them on-line? Lord only knows how long that would take. And once they are on-line, in the event of abuse of employment, to terminate them would be virtually impossible. I do not suggest, Mr. Speaker, that we need to emulate other countries, but I do think we can learn from other countries. The United Kingdom, Belgium, Israel, the Netherlands, perhaps others tried federalizing screeners and baggage employees initially, and I am told that each of those four scrapped the plans and perhaps other countries have done so as well. I think to federalize the process is a course that we need to pursue to give the Federal Government to give the Congress, in fact, this body and the other body, much oversight to see that it is done properly, but not to have these additional thousands of employees on the Federal payroll to do a job that I think can better be done, provided the standards are properly enhanced; and I am confident they will be. Provided that is addressed, the way to do it is as laid out in Young- Mica, Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to support the Young-Mica bill.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, recently the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) took a Special Order honoring Rush Limbaugh, who is undergoing a hearing loss. Many people are unaware and/or indifferent to those who experience physical infirmities, including deafness and blindness. When celebrities become affected, however, attention is focused on the celebrity, as well as the infirmity or disability. Fanny Crosby, the beloved hymn composer, was visually impaired, as are entertainers Doc Watson and Ray Charles. Helen Keller overcame blindness as well as deafness. Many are prone to dismiss deafness as a mere inconvenience when compared to other infirmities. I have a personal familiarity with the hearing impaired, Mr. Speaker. My mom has been legally deaf most of her adult life. My first cousin at the time of her retirement served as superintendent of the North Carolina School for the Deaf. Several years ago, while motoring in North Carolina on a Sunday morning, I was listening to the Lutheran Hour on the automobile radio. The host, Dr. Ozzie Hoffmann, was discussing physical infirmities. He said if offered a choice of losing the sense of sight or the sense of hearing, most people would opt to retain their vision. The host of the program then presented an interesting aside. Blindness, he noted, removes the visually impaired from objects and things; deafness, he declared, removes the hearing impaired from people. Oftentimes persons who have impaired hearing are mistakenly accused of being unfriendly or aloof, when the truth of the matter is their deafness, as Dr. Hoffmann indicated years ago, has removed them from people. Their skills for communication, Mr. Speaker, have been adversely affected. My mom was an outstanding parent and wife, despite having been deprived of normal hearing. Rush Limbaugh, hopefully, will not be removed from contact with his vast listening audience. Finally, permit me to urge my colleagues in this House and in the other body as well to be consciously aware of difficulties encountered by those who are visually and hearing impaired. We who enjoy normal vision and hearing oftentimes take these luxuries for granted. These are indeed luxuries which we should not embrace casually, and those who do not enjoy these luxuries deserve a tip of our hats for the extra effort they are required to expend to make it through life. Most of the blind and deaf people I know are upbeat, optimistic and rarely bitter as a result of their infirmities. They are indeed unsung heroes and thoroughly deserve our admiration and respect, as do the men and women who work with the visually and hearing impaired to make their lives more complete and more fulfilled.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, the Sixth District of North Carolina is proud to report today that one of its own has been elected as the new leader of a national industry association. I rise today to bring to the attention of my colleagues the inauguration of the new president of the National Association of Health Underwriters, Bynum Tuttle, a friend and constituent of mine from Denton, North Carolina. I was delighted to learn of Bynum's new position not only because it is the capstone of a remarkable career in service to his clients, but also because he is one of the friendliest people I know. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Bynum began his health insurance career in 1978 with Pilot Life Insurance Company in Greensboro with a large territory including portions of northwest North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. A true entrepreneur at heart, he soon decided to open his own brokerage firm in Greensboro. Bynum's dynamic leadership with the North Carolina Association of Health Underwriters soon became obvious to his peers, and he rapidly rose to the presidency of the state association. From there, he quickly earned the trust of the NAHU leadership and assumed new responsibilities and opportunities to serve across the country. With his experience has come the wisdom to know that to lead, which he says is ``influence--nothing more, nothing less,'' to serve the needs of others. In these difficult times, Mr. Speaker, we will be called upon, in many small ways, to do great things for our country. Under Bynum's leadership, I believe we can count on the expertise and support of NAHU and its membership. The Sixth District of North Carolina is proud to say that one of its own--Bynum Tuttle--is the new president of the National Association of Health Underwriters.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, in the aftermath of the merciless attack of 11 September, there were two schools of thought. One group said, let us bomb someone or somebody immediately. Another school urged, do nothing, and then perhaps these messengers of evil will simply go away. Neither of these schools of thought, in my opinion, Mr. Speaker, was sound. If this legislation is enacted today, and I intend to support it, will it preclude subsequent attacks? I know not. But I do know it will afford our law enforcement and intelligence arms more flexibility. What was in place on 11 September of this year obviously was not sufficient. Who are these terrorists? Messengers of evil driven by fanaticism. They are well-financed, brilliant operatives, as evidenced by the attack in New York and the attack here and the ditching of the plane in Pennsylvania. Brilliant indeed who have no regard for human life, innocent human life, if you will. Forget about the military for the moment. They attacked innocent bystanders. They would just as soon slay them as they would an armed soldier or an armed guardman. They had a choice, Mr. Speaker, the Taliban, the terrorists. They were given a choice: surrender these messengers of evil, these thugs who are financed through the production and trafficking of heroin, which I call rat poison, or if you do not do that, they were told, suffer the consequences, because in the alternative, we will respond. As President Bush so eloquently said at the Pentagon memorial service yesterday, they chose unwisely. The time is now. I commend the chairman for having done good work on this, and I commend the Committee on Rules as well. I urge support for the rule and support for final passage.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be passed over without prejudice.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, on October 7, 2001, the Sixth District of North Carolina will be celebrating with Cane Creek Friends Meeting its 250th anniversary. The Cane Creek Friends Meeting opened its doors for worship for the first time in 1751, when George Washington was just 19 years old. The Cane Creek Friends Meeting is a Quaker Church that opened to serve 30 families. These families desired a place to worship near to their homes. It was two women, Abigail Pike and Rachel Wright, with some others, who traveled some 200 miles to the governing body of the Friends in Perquimans, North Carolina, to secure permission for the establishment of the Cane Creek Meeting. As you may have realized, this all happened before our great country had a Constitution or even its first President. Cane Creek Friends Meeting has witnessed every event in our proud history. During the first 13 years of the Meeting's existence, it was located on a parcel of land, which was a part of the original grant of John Stanfield. Since 1764, Cane Creek Friends Meeting has been located on a 26-acre site donated by William Marshall. The Meeting's Sesquibicentennial Committee, has planned and carried out several projects to celebrate this remarkable anniversary. Some of these projects include the publication of a pictorial history book, the design and stitching of a heritage quilt, and the construction of a memorial garden at the Meetinghouse. Cane Creek Friends Meeting places a strong emphasis and takes great pride in its belief regarding the equality of women. Over the years there have been several female ministers, beginning with Abigail Pike in 1751. Furthermore, the Meeting prides itself on the fact that it has conducted many educational programs for children in the area. Through the years, Quakers have had a very important input into the development of this country. Many elected officials have been Quakers. Indeed, despite the fact that I am a Presbyterian, I went to school at Guildford College in North Carolina, which is a Quaker institution, so Quakers have affected my upbringing and education as well. On behalf of the Sixth District of North Carolina, I would like to wish Cane Creek Friends Meeting our congratulations on reaching this historic and momentous anniversary. Only a very small number of organizations in this country can claim to have been operating for 250 years. It is a truly remarkable achievement.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, ruthless, cowardly, insensitive, uncaring, evil, wicked, fanatical; words cannot describe the events of yesterday. I spoke to the Judicial Conference at the Supreme Court yesterday morning. Just prior to my speech, the Chief Justice handed me a note indicating that the Pentagon had been attacked and was then afire. I knew then that life in the United States had been drastically altered. Sandy Bradshaw, a 38-year-old flight attendant who resided in North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District, walked on the United Flight 93 yesterday to work her shift. Thousands of other Americans reported to their respective jobs yesterday as well. Neither Sandy, Mr. Speaker, nor many of these other thousands will ever report for work again. Their lives were snuffed out yesterday. These losses will not have been in vain, however. These ruthless criminals will be identified and duly punished. Our thoughts and prayers are extended to all who suffered losses yesterday. Mr. Speaker, these thugs who yesterday inflicted this pain upon us, concluding that we would not respond to these acts, they counted on our not responding, I say to them tonight, do not count on it.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, today the Sixth District of North Carolina is mourning the loss of life of one of our own in the tragic, senseless violence which has assaulted our nation. Sandy Bradshaw, who was just 38 years old, and lived in Greensboro, was a flight attendant on United Airlines flight 93 that was hijacked and crashed outside Pittsburgh. She leaves behind her husband, Phil, her daughter, Alexandria, 2, and her son, Shenan, not yet one. Members of the Bradshaw's church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, have described Sandy as friendly, outgoing, bubbly and devoted to her family. I have spoken at Westminster Presbyterian Church, have met many members of the congregation and I join them in their sorrow. This highlights to me how so many people, from every part of this huge country, have been directly affected by these terrible, inexcusable and cowardly terrorist acts. We pray that the number of people who have lost their lives is a great deal smaller than the thousands feared. Whatever the final figure may be, it is already clear that far too many people have had their lives devastated by terrorists. We are all both shocked and angry, but this anger will now be channeled towards finding the terrorists and bringing them to justice. I hope to see a quick and decisive response against the perpetrators of this attack on our nation. I am glad to see that the federal government is back at work and that we have not become a government in exile. I hope that severe action will be taken within days, rather than weeks or months. I would prefer that the operation be immediate and successful, but I do not wish to see it be too hurried and botched. I would like to take this opportunity to extend our condolences to all of those affected by the events of yesterday, and in particular Sandy Bradshaw's family and her many friends. Let it be known that this crime will not go unpunished, the terrorists will be found, and the most severe action will be taken against them. On behalf of the citizens of the Sixth District of North Carolina, we offer our hope that the Bradshaw family and all of us will make it through this difficult time.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, the most recent issue of the Weekly Standard features a Charles Krauthammer article entitled Disgrace in Durbin, referring to the recently concluded U.N. Conference on Racism. Mr. Krauthammer suggests that their conference included Third World dictators practicing their demagoguery, hopefully to the detriment of Israel. He further suggests that the conference had the trappings reminiscent of pre-World War II in Nazi Germany, a Nuremberg rally, if you will, and these same dictators were pointing indirectly or directly accusatory fingers at the United States because of our friendship with Israel. This sort of activity serves no good purpose, and President Bush is to be commended for his refusal to legitimize or dignify the disgrace in Durbin.

Mr. COBLE

Mr. COBLE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I will be very brief, because the gentleman from Wisconsin has thoroughly stated the matter, as has the gentleman from California. As the gentleman from Wisconsin has indicated, H.R. 1866, Madam Speaker, consists of adding a single sentence to the law in order to improve the patent reexamination system. It is based upon testimony that was offered before our subcommittee earlier this year. With this single sentence, we stab at the heart of defective business method and other inappropriately issued patents. At the same time, we protect small businesses and small inventors from harassing conduct in these proceedings. I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Berman), my friend and the ranking member of the subcommittee, for his work, as well, on this bill, and for that matter, all of the members of the subcommittee. In closing, I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the full committee, for having expeditiously moved this legislation along, because it is important legislation. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1866.