Mac Collins

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, I introduced legislation that would equalize the treatment of United States and foreign personnel killed in the April 14, 1994, shootdown of two U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopters by two U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters over Iraq. Following the incident, U.S. Secretary of Defense William Perry found it inappropriate to compensate the families of the Americans who were killed in the tragedy citing the Feres doctrine--a legal principle denying compensation for death or injury incident to military service. However, Secretary Perry provided payments of $100,000 to the families of each of the foreign nationals involved in the accident, in spite of the Feres doctrine. These voluntary payments, made under the Secretary's emergency and extraordinary expense authority were characterized as humanitarian gestures offered in recognition of the unique circumstances surrounding the incident. It is time that we offer the same gesture to our own citizens who were involved. In the interest of fairness and justice, the law must be applied in an equal fashion. If it was appropriate to pay the foreign nationals involved, then it is also appropriate to pay the Americans. It is outrageous that the United States Government would treat British, French, and Turkish soldiers better than our own. If enacted, H.R. 2986 will require the Secretary of the Treasury to make $100,000 payments to the families of each of the Americans killed in the April 1994 Black Hawk fratricide incident. I urge my colleagues to support our troops and families by supporting this important relief measure.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, today the house votes to sustain or override the President's line-item veto of vital projects contained in the fiscal year 1998 military construction appropriations bill. I want to share with my colleagues, and submit for the Congressional Record, an editorial appearing in one of the leading newspapers in my district, the Clayton News/Daily. I agree with Publisher Neely Young and Editor Tom Kerlin that giving the line-item veto to the President of the United States is an excellent method to control wasteful Federal spending and programs and was proper. I supported and voted for the bill that gave this power to the President. However, Mr. Speaker, I disagree when the President uses that power to deny funding to military construction projects that Congress has deemed vital to our national defense. I refer specifically to the President's decision to cut funds for a combat rescue operations facility located at Moody Air Force Base near Valdosta, GA. The President said he vetoed funds for this facility because the personnel comprising these rescue units had not yet relocated to Moody Air Force Base. More thorough research would have shown the President these units have been in operation at Moody AFB since April of this year and are using rented trailers while awaiting construction funds. Our military personnel deserve better. Mr. Speaker, I still support the President having line-item veto authority to eliminate wasteful Federal spending. Providing permanent operations facilities for our military personnel is not a waste of Federal tax dollars, and I will vote to override the President's veto of this bill. [From the Clayton News-Daily] Opinion--Bipartisan Opposition Since the idea was first seriously broached, we have said the line-item veto was the perfect tool for controlling pork barrel spending by the federal government. We still believe that is true. However, a move Monday by President Clinton in striking out the appropriations for a combat rescue operations facility for Moody Air Force Base in south Georgia is a bad example of the new power in the hands of the Executive Branch of our federal government. In using his veto, Clinton said he did so because the money for military construction is not needed since the two units slated to use the facility have not yet been moved from Patrick Air Force Base in Florida. That comes as news to the Sen. Max Cleland, who asked that the spending bill be attached to the 1998 military construction spending bill. It's also a revelation to the base commander at Moody AFB. Cleland said the two units, the 41st and 71st rescue squadrons, have been at Moody since April. Officials at the installation near Valdosta confirmed that the move has been completed and the units are operating out of rented trailers. The Pentagon announced plans in early 1996 to relocate the two rescue squadrons to Moody. The relocation has brought 680 military personnel to the base, although many of them are deployed with U.S. troops to various trouble spots like Bosnia. ``I am very disappointed by this veto,'' said Cleland. ``There is no rhyme or reason to it. Of all the projects that were included in the bill, this one made the most sense. It was my top priority for Georgia.'' Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., called the veto ``an arbitrary, uninformed exercise of executive power'' and vowed to work with other Georgia lawmakers to overturn it. Rep. Sanford Bishop of Albany, whose district includes the base, said the facility is essential ``to maintain high readiness for this important rescue unit.'' Cleland says he ``support(s) the line-item veto as a way to cut out pork and reduce the deficit,'' but added ``this facility is not pork. It is a critical project. If facilities to accommodate a pararescue facility are not essential, I do not know what is.'' We agree with Cleland and Coverdell on this one. We wonder if Clinton got bad information, misinterpreted the information, or if he just didn't do his homework. Either way he has managed to attain bipartisan opposition over the issue--something he can ill afford to do.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, November 21, 1997, the citizens of Columbus, GA will celebrate 96 years of service provided by the A.J. McClung Chapter of the Young Men's Christian Association. They will gather to honor an institution that was founded in 1901 and is recognized as the oldest serving minority YMCA in the Nation. Also, they will honor the man for which it was later named--Arthur J. McClung, mayor pro tem, city Columbus and the longest serving director of the branch. This is an institution rich in history. Originally known as the Ninth Street Branch YMCA, it was founded through the efforts of a small prayer group led by Mr. W.E. Clark, Mr. S.W. Yarbrough, Prof. S.R. Marshall, and Dr. R.H. Cobb. Professor Marshall and Dr. Cobb both served terms as chairman of the board of management during its early years. The variety of activities and the number of boys and young men served rapidly outgrew the original small frame building on Ninth Street. In 1907, two prominent Columbus brothers, George Foster Peabody and Royal Canfield Peabody, provided the funds to build a then-modern facility that included a dormitory, indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, game room, cafeteria, and office space. In 1925 the Army and Navy YMCA of Fort Benning and local citizens contributed funds to make additional improvements to the facility. Mr. Booker T. Washington was the guest speaker at the dedication which also featured renowned soloist Gertrude ``Ma'' Rainey. After many years of service to the community, the Ninth Street YMCA Branch was destroyed when the roof collapsed from a rare Columbus snow storm. While a new facility was being built, Dr. S.P. Charleston generously provided a building he owned on Shepherd Drive to continue the mission of service provided by the YMCA. On Sunday, November 21, 1965, the new facility was dedicated as the Brookhaven Boulevard Branch YMCA. In 1978 the facility was renamed in honor of Arthur J. McClung who provided years of leadership and service to the YMCA and the community as a whole. In 1986, the board of managers elected to become an independent association known as the A.J. McClung Young Men's Christian Association, Inc. There have been many changes throughout the years--facilities, locations, programs, board members and executive directors--but the primary mission and purpose of the A.J. McClung YMCA has remained constant. And that is to improve the quality of life of all people. In addition to its exercise and recreational facilities, the A.J. McClung YMCA provides programs seeking to prevent heart disease, juvenile delinquency, substance abuse, AIDS, school dropouts, and youth unemployment. The institution also promotes positive attitudes and values among young people. The citizens of Columbus and Fort Benning, GA and Phenix City, AL have given generously of their time and energies to the A.J. McClung YMCA over its 96 year history. I would like to recognize the fine men who have served as chairman of the board of management. They include: Dr. E.H. Mayer, 1901-02; Prof. S.R. Marshall, 1903-04; Dr. R.H. Cobb, 1905-09; Dr. E.J. Turner 1909-12; Prof. M.H. Spencer 1912-14; Dr. R.H. Cobb, 1914-22; Dr. M.L. Taylor, 1922-25; Dr. E.J. Turner, 1925-26; Dr. R.H. Cobb, 1926-30; Dr. F. Coffee, 1930-32; Prof. F.R. Lampkin, 1939- 45; Mr. M.R. Ashworth, 1945-52; Mr. Steve Knight, 1952-53; Mr. Sandy D. Allen, 1953-60; Atty. Albert W. Thompson, 1961-69; Mr. Samuel Byrd, 1970-71; Mr. Lorenzo Manns, 1972-80; Dr. Henry L. Cook, 1981-83; Mr. Robert L. Anderson, 1984-87; Mr. Scott Wise, 1987-89; Mr. Spurgeon A. Glenn, Jr., 1989-90; Mr. Robert L. Anderson, 1990-92; Mr. James Walker, 1992-present. I also want to recognize those fine individuals who have served as director of the institution. They include A.Z. Kelsey, A.G. Randall, Joseph Allen, T.B. Neely, R.D. Kelsey, G.F. Rivers, J.L. Johnson, Henry Byrd, H.R. Williams, Joseph Rholta, L.J. Johnson, K.D. Reddick, H.R. Williams, O.R. Bryant, E.E. Farley, D.D. Moody, Theodore Rutherford, G.F. Rivers, W.S. Douglass, W.R. Bennett, Jr., Arthur J. McClung, W.T.L. Vann, Wane A. Hailes, and Ira Flowers, the present director. Mr. Speaker, I join in congratulating the A.J. McClung Young Men's Christian Association Chapter on its 96 years of service to the communities of Columbus, Fort Benning, and Phenix City. Also, I salute the dedication and contributions of Mayor Pro Tem Arthur J. McClung to the citizens of Columbus and the YMCA named in his honor. I wish them all the best in the years to come.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Portman] for yielding me this time and for his hard work in this area of restructuring the IRS. Since being in Congress for the last 5 years, I have had a lot of inquiries from constituencies about problems they have had and told me about experiences they have had with IRS. Just recently, I held a townhall meeting in Columbus, GA, where we invited in some of the constituency to talk about some of their personal experiences and also to have some input and ideas as to how they felt like the IRS could better handle their situation. It was a very enlightening townhall meeting, one of the best we ever held. But it was also one that did not come to bash the IRS, it just came with ideas and experiences and some suggestions. We even had an accountant in that talked about the IRS, and not in a bad way, but in a way that he felt would be constructive as we put together this bill to restructure the IRS. Also, he mentioned the complexity of tax codes and how the complexity of the tax codes also is causing a lot of problems, not only for our constituency, but also for the Service itself that has to administer the collection of funds that we use to operate this Government. We are taking this from the top down, looking at the management of the IRS and how the management is structured. Hopefully, that will have a change in attitude all the way through the Service, all the way down to those who answer the telephone, oftentimes after going through long steps of different types of answering services to get to a real live person to talk to. But we have hopes that that attitude will change and that our constituency will be better handled and better served through our representatives at the IRS. Also, as mentioned by several people who were not at the meeting but have spoken to me personally about the IRS and about the employee and the attitude and structure comes the suggestion that we also need to look at how we hire, the hiring practices at the IRS, as well as other areas of the Government, and that we hire people who are competent, who are dedicated to serving the individuals in the constituency and not just hiring people to fill slots. I fully support restructuring the IRS.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the LaTourette amendment. Mr. Chairman, I regret having to oppose my good friends from Ohio. I know we share the strong belief that the men and women who work in the trenches every day are the backbone of each and every business. It is the working men and women who are responsible for the success or failure of a company, and they should be treated fairly and allowed to reap the benefits of their successes. At the same time, I believe working men and women must share in the responsibilities of maintaining the profitability of the companies from which they derive their livelihood. Unfortunately, I believe the LaTourette amendment would gut some of the most important provisions in the Amtrak reform legislation which Amtrak must have to survive. These are the labor provisions. As mandated by law today, Amtrak must pay any worker up to 6 years of full wages and benefits if that worker is laid off due to route elimination, or even a reduction in frequency of service below three times a week. Even more costly for Amtrak is the provision that in the case of realignment, an employee can be paid up to 6 years of full wages and benefits if he is asked to move his job location by more than 30 miles and does not wish to do so. Some have argued that these provisions are not important since payments for labor protection have been relatively low. However, that argument ignores the fundamental need for this legislation. The legislation will allow Amtrak for the first time to act like a business and realign routes and services to be profitable. Today this cannot be done. Why? Because Congress has required Amtrak to provide certain routes and services, whether or not they are profitable. Therefore, labor has been protected from operational changes and costs have been minimal. However, the GAO has estimated that the total labor protection obligation of Amtrak would cost between $2 and $5 billion, up to more than five times the total annual Federal funding for Amtrak. The taxpayers simply cannot afford this. The LaTourette amendment would leave the current law on labor protection in place. If negotiations set forth under legislation fail, the current labor provisions would remain. Therefore, there would be little or no incentive to negotiate in good faith and the status quo would be maintained. In this legislation, Congress will determine the future of passenger rail service in this country. With roads and highways becoming increasingly jammed and with regulations on air quality becoming increasingly stringent, many States are having a reviewed and renewed interest in the use of rail. We are at a point where we have three basic choices. We may choose, first, to raise the amount of subsidy; second, to give Amtrak the opportunity to survive with the reforms provided in this legislation; or third, we can decide that passenger rail service to any great extent is not necessary or desirable in this country. I urge my colleagues to vote against the LaTourette amendment, and vote in support of passenger rail service in the United States.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I demand a separate vote on amendment No. 2 offered by the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hyde].

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, quite often as Members of this House, we need to take a moment to step back and look into the hearts of our communities. There, sitting on the steps of our schoolhouses and talking on our parkbenches are individuals working to help their neighbors in need. Such folk can be found in all parts of the country, and today I wish to honor a group of individuals who dedicate their lives to making others happy in Hattiesburg, MS. For it is there that the Civitan Camp for Citizens with Mental Retardation makes uncommon acts of kindness everyday occurrences. Mrs. Abbie Rogers, director of the camp for more than 37 years, began working with handicapped children many years ago. She had a dream of providing the benefits of group recreation, crafts, friendships, and all the fun a camp can provide to these individuals who overcome adversity with tremendous human spirit and strength of heart. With the generous support of the Hattiesburg Civitan Club and the Iti Kana Girl Scout Camp, Mrs. Rogers' dream is now a reality for many children. Her volunteers range from teenagers to business people and include doctors, nurses, musicians, craftsmen, and artists. These individuals give of their time and energy, yet benefit just as much as the campers in terms of the experiences they treasure for the rest of their lives. My daughter April has volunteered for many years beginning in high school. I believe that her experiences at the Civitan Camp truly epitomize the beauty of this magical place. The following is one such recollection. Flashlight . . . check, raincoat . . . check, junk food . . . check. Definitely junk food, camp meals are always the pits. I am so excited I can hardly pack. OK, show down, April, or you're going to forget something important like your toothbrush. Bright and early tomorrow morning I'll be ``on the road again.'' For two glorious weeks, I'll be roughing it in the great outdoors. Camp doesn't officially open until Monday, but counselors have to suffer through the long, boring orientation. You know, the stuff you already know, and if you didn't you wouldn't be here, right? As I sit eagerly waiting to discover who my wild camper will be for this session, I try to catch up on all the missed time with my Mississippi friends. ``April Collins,'' Becky shouts clearly over the loud rumble in the small room. She is the camp director's right leg. ``Here,'' I reply half worried and half relieved that I am at the beginning of the alphabet. I met Becky nervously midway across the room and receive the personal file on my mysterious camper. Aha! I got a baby. The 14-month-old girl is blue-eyed Alicia Bounds. Oh, my goodness, I am certainly going to get a workout; she is 30 heavy pounds and can't walk. As I quickly and anxiously scan the rest of her file, I learn she is blind, 90 percent deaf, has no muscle control, and has a lot of other complications. It seems as if the list of disabilities goes on forever. I fear I am going to have a very challenging week. But I can handle it. Last year I had a 9-year-old boy who had to be fed through tubes in his stomach. I'll never forget the night I was feeding him supper and his tubes eased out. The doctor had to insert the tubes back in, which wasn't the most pleasant procedure to witness. It's about time Monday got here! I am on pins and needles with 50 other psyched counselors waiting for our campers to arrive. The moment I saw Alicia, my heart went out to her. Her eyes are bluer than blue, and her cute chubby cheeks are perfect for a Grandmother to pinch. Now my job begins. I am her so-called mother for a week. I bathe her, feed her, change her, comfort her, take her to arts and crafts, swimming, fishing, canoeing, music, and leisure. Alicia and I are going to be the best of pals for seven days. I can tell her parents are ready for a vacation, because her dad is giving signals to his wife to hurry up. I try to imagine the pain they have been through. Alicia used to be the everyday normal child, until three months of age when she was diagnosed with having spinal meningitis. After all the treatment and medication, this is what has become of Alicia. She almost died during her illness, and sometimes even I wonder if it would have been better if she had. First on ``our'' agenda was to take Alicia on a tour of the camp, ending with a dip in the pool. My ears are still ringing from her temper tantrum. I guess I would have been pretty scared too, if I were blind. But by the end of the week, she enjoyed cooling off in the water. Alicia absolutely adored the outdoors. We'd stay outside from dawn to dusk. She quickly soaked up a savage tan. Oh, and how Alicia loved to be rocked. I pampered her as though she was my first born. Sure I got frustrated at times, as when she would cry for almost an hour straight. But I drew in three big breaths and counted to 10 very slowly. Alicia learned to sense my nearness to her. She would become upset when she felt my absence. I was one of the few who could comfort her. I can still picture her first and only smile. I don't recall what I did, but I had tried so hard all week to change her facial expression. And finally, a little smile. We had a ball that week. Alicia was certainly a handful. I feel for her parents; I only had seven days of it. They have it the other 358 days. Each year I have a feeling of accomplishment. But this past year I believe was the most challenging and rewarding. The fact that I could communicate and show my affection to her successfully has been my most satisfying experience. Mr. Speaker, as the long hours of our days pass by at a blistering pace often leaving us with a sense of being totally overwhelmed, we need only take a moment to look at individuals such as Abbie Rogers or my daughter April, to put things in perspective and think in terms of what really is important--helping others. This can be done in many and varied ways, but I hope that at the end of the day, we in Congress share the sense of accomplishment that our efforts, though on a broader scale, are rooted in the very same goal, which is to help and serve the American people.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Fort Benning, GA--the home of the infantry and the Army's premier installation--for being the sole nominee and winner of the 1997 Presidential Award for Quality, recognizing the best Federal agency in the Federal Government. On July 10, Fort Benning was honored with the award, having already received the Army Community of Excellence Commander-in-Chief's Award for being the best Army installation in the world three times in the last 4 years and the Army Community of Excellence Army Chief of Staff Award for being the best Army installation in the continental United States in each of the last 5 years. These awards are indicative of both the ability and professionalism of the tens of thousands of soldiers that pass through Fort Benning's gate very year and of the successful partnership that has developed over the years between Fort Benning and the greater Columbus area. No military facility can be fully effective without developing a positive relationship with the local community. Fort Benning has accomplished this and has developed a military/civilian team that is unmatched in its efficiency and effectiveness. In spite of the fact that the military population of Fort Benning is in a continuous state of transition, the installation has been able to maintain its high standards of quality. This is, in large part, thanks to the nearly 7,000 civilians who work behind the scenes to advance Bennings' mission. These are individuals like Sarah McLaney, Fort Benning's ACOE coordinator, who has seen the facility receive the Commander-in-Chief Award under three different commanding generals. Dedicated workers like Sarah have been instrumental not only in achieving Fort Benning's military mission, but also in the development of the strong ties that bind Fort Benning to the Columbus community. General Ernst and his able staff have further reinforced Fort Benning's longstanding commitment to military quality. Focusing on the watchwords ``First in Training, First in Readiness, and First in Quality of Life,'' Fort Benning soldiers constitute a cornerstone of our Nation's Armed Forces. Since 1918, Fort Benning has operated the world's foremost military institutional training center. As the home of the infantry, Fort Benning's mission is to produce the world's finest combat-ready infantrymen, to provide the Nation with a power projection platform capable of rapid deployment, and to continue to be the Army's premier installation and home for soldiers, families, civilian employees, and military retirees. This mission is achieved with distinction on a daily basis. While the Infantry remains the central focus of activity at Fort Benning, a number of other types of units have been added over the years, enhancing the ability of the installation to accomplish its mission. In addition to being home of the infantry, Fort Benning now houses the Airborne School, the Army Ranger School, the 29th Infantry Regiment--training unit for the Bradley fighting vehicle--the 36th Engineer Group, and the U.S. Army School of the Americas. Each of these units works tirelessly to defend our national interests around the world and to serve our communities at home. To the military and civilian personnel of Fort Benning, I am once again honored to offer my sincere thanks and congratulations for a job well done.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Hoekstra] has given us a unique opportunity today to debate a 20-year-old Federal power grab in education. Those in Washington, who think they know best, continue their assault on local control of schools, putting the future of our students in the hands of the Washington Department of Education. The lesson of the last 20 years of Federal education policy is clear. Having a centralized Federal authority imposes one-size-fits-all approaches to public education that just simply do not work. Chairman Johnny Isakson of the Georgia Board of Education made the case against Federal control over education earlier this year. He noted that, and I quote, There are simply too many dollars scattered in far too many programs managed by far too many agencies. If the dollars spent could be concentrated, the management less disbursed, then more of the money would actually flow into education and out of administration. We should join the gentleman from Michigan in supporting this amendment so that we may begin enacting education reforms locally that enhance basic academics, increase parental involvement, and focus attention where it belongs, on our children and on our local classrooms.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Chairman, I make a point of order against an item within the bill found on page 15, line 7 through 11, on the ground that it violates clause 2(b) of rule XXI of the Rules of the House.

Mr. COLLINS. On page 15, line 7 through 11.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, the Georgia House of Representatives recently passed a resolution urging the U.S. Environmental Protection [EPA] to maintain the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards [NAAQS] pending further review of the costs and benefits of the proposed changes. The resolution also urges the EPA to identify unfunded mandates and other regulatory burdens that the proposed changes would impose on States and local communities. I submit Georgia House Resolution 379 for careful consideration by the U.S. Congress.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment which amounts to a step backward in the war on drugs and two steps backyard in our support of freedom, democracy, and human rights in our own backyard. In July, both General McCaffrey, the drug czar, and General Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, highlighted the importance of the School of the Americas in the war on drugs. The frontlines of this war are found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Colombia, Panama, and Bolivia serve as prime examples of countries whose drug interdiction strategies would be crippled without the benefit of United States equipment and, most importantly, United States training at the School of the Americas. The school is a key to preserving democracy in our hemisphere. Since 1946, the U.S. Army has trained the Latin American military leaders who have turned back dictatorship, returning political power to the people and yielding military authority to civilian institutions. In 1972, there are only six democracies in Latin America. Today, thanks in part to the school's instruction, there are 19. As civil war in the region has given way to peace, and democracy has taken hold, the U.S. Army School of the Americas has developed a military human rights training program that is unmatched anywhere in the world today. Just over 1 month ago, I joined almost every other Member in this body in passing legislation congratulating El Salvador, and much has been said about El Salvador during this debate, for recent elections and the country's progress toward full democracy. The resolution passed overwhelmingly, 419 to 3. What my colleagues probably do not know is that one of the Salvadoran government's top officials, a Minister of Defense, Major General Guzman, is a former School of the Americas instructor. General Guzman is typical of the vast majority of the school's 60,000 graduates and visiting instructors who in one very important way, has returned home to apply his human rights training to remedy his country's problems of the past. General Guzman institutionalized human rights training in the Salvadoran armed forces. Before his program was initiated, human rights violations numbered more than 2,000 each month, but after 5 years, that number has dropped to less than 20 per month, and today, under General Guzman's zero tolerance program, violations almost never occur. The School of the Americas is not the answer to all Latin America's problems. There is still work to be done. But I urge my colleagues to consider the lives that the School of the Americas has saved. Every year, the school graduates thousands of men and women who return to their countries to apply the lessons they have learned in a Latin American environment still plagued by instability and violence. The stories that we do not hear are those heroes. These are the military leaders who fought for democracy and yielded military control to civilian authorities. These are the police officers fighting the drug lords in the street. These are the men and women who have returned control of the governments of Latin America to the people of Latin America. This is not simply a matter of foreign assistance. It is critical to our own self-interests to maintain democracies in countries so close to our borders. The School of the Americas allows us to do so without deploying our own troops. The State Department, the Salvadoran and Honduran Ambassadors to the United States, the President of the Committee of Presidents of the Central American Legislative Human Rights Commission, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the acting Commander in Chief of the United States Southern Command, the Under Secretary of the Army, the Director of the National Office of Drug Control Policy, the authorizing committee on both sides of the Capitol, and the last Presidential administration have argued that the school serves vital national interests through its counterdrug operations and its counterdrug cadet leadership development courses, its professional military training program, including unique peacekeeping instruction, and its one-of-a- kind human rights training initiative. Through these programs, the school allows the United States to support and defend Latin American democracies and to encourage responsible government policies without forward deployments such as those used in Bosnia and in Haiti. I, for one, am not ready to surrender Latin America and the Caribbean to drug lords and dictators. I urge my colleagues to take responsibility of the human rights leadership by opposing this amendment which would close the School of the Americas, diminishing opportunities for the expansion of democracy in Latin America.

Mr. COLLINS

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Weller], a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. WELLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California [Mr. Herger], another member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Boehner], the chairman of the Republican Conference.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. English], another distinguished member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Portman], a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes and 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw], chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources of the Committee on Ways and Means, a gentleman who has had a lot to do with legislation dealing with families.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona [Mr. Hayworth], another member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Johnson], another member of the Committee on Ways and Means and a strong advocate for working families.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I was sent to Congress in 1993 by the people of the Third District of Georgia with a very specific list of legislative goals. The budget agreement negotiated between the Congress and the President includes many of those goals. With the passage of the Tax Relief Act, we will successfully have achieved many reforms on behalf of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, today's vote is the result of months and months of diligent work in an effort to assemble a budget that the American people deserve. It is the product of a grassroots campaign where input, ideas, and priorities have been gathered not only from Georgia, but from people all across the country. This measure will put in law their priorities, which include balancing the Federal budget, providing tax relief to working families, and creating incentives for people to invest. It returns physical responsibility to Government by balancing the Federal budget just as families must balance their budget. Most important, this bill will leave $94 billion in the private sector, where working people will be able to keep more of their hard-earned dollars and small business owners will have the chance to invest and create jobs. Today success is not a victory that can be solely claimed by the Congress or the President. It is instead a victory for the people of this country who sent their representatives to Congress to cut taxes, reduce the size of the bureaucracy, and return fiscal responsibility to the Federal Government. The $500 per child tax credit, capital gains tax relief, reduction of the estate tax, tax incentives that reduce the cost of education, preservation of the Medicare commitments we made to our seniors and relief from the alternative minimum tax all are reform ideas that clearly reflect the priorities of the citizens all across this country. Mr. Speaker, I am humbled by the opportunity and proud to support this Tax Relief Act and believe it is a victory for the hard-working people of this country.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Camp], a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. McCrery], another member of the Committee on Ways and Means. (Mr. McCRERY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Weldon].