Elijah Cummings

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, with the Government's increasing dependence on information technology to accomplish agency goals, and at the fast pace with which technology is changing, the Government is finding it difficult to hire, train, and retain a technology literate workforce. The ability to use computers and the Internet has become indispensable to employees' education, career, social, and cultural advancement. Technology literacy has become not only a basic job requirement, but also a basic life skill. Economists and policymakers have highlighted an acceleration in the growth of productivity, which measures worker output per hour, as a key reason the economy has performed so well in recent years. Economists have attributed the rise in productivity to better management, and to a wave of business investment that has allowed firms to take advantage of major technological advances, particularly in computing and information processing. The Government is no exception. Last month, David Walker, Comptroller General for the General Accounting Office (GAO), testified before the Senate Government Affairs Committee on ``Managing Human Capital in the 21st Century.'' He stated, and I quote: ``One of the principal strategies that agencies have used to deliver services with fewer staff has been an increased reliance on information technology. However, the agencies' ability to make the most of this strategy could be jeopardized by the competitive disadvantage they report facing in hiring and retraining skilled information technology staff.'' He went on to say that if the government does not improve its human resource systems, in this regard, it will earn GAO's high risk designation in 2001. The Federal Times, a federal employees newspaper, recently reported that federal agencies are facing skills gaps, particularly in the area of technology, and are facing the potential loss of 30 percent of their employees within five years. Which the advent of the Information Age, the need for technologically skilled people is escalating. Meanwhile, the number of skilled American high technology workers has declined. This comes at a time when efforts are underway to create an e-Government. E-Government is the widespread application of information and communications technology to deliver government services--fostering digital government. Filing your income taxes on-line is just the beginning. In e- Government, citizens can log onto one Internet site, easily find the government services they are looking for, and use that site to conduct online transactions; businesses can fill out one Internet form for all their local, state and federal environmental regulatory compliance requirements and government officials can make all purchases and payments electronically, saving millions of dollars. To support e- Government, you must have an e-workforce. In response to an increasingly competitive job market, federal agencies will need tools and flexibilities to attract, hire, and retain technologically savvy talent. The work that federal agencies do requires a workforce that is sophisticated in new technologies, flexible, and open to continuous learning. The present federal workforce is aging. The baby boomers, with their valuable skills and experience, are drawing nearer to retirement and will be replaced by new employees who have different employment options and different career expectations from the generation that preceded them. These new employees place a great premium on opportunities to learn, a work life personal life balance, independence and creativity, and flexible work arrangements. The relative security offered by federal jobs is no longer an important factor for many Generation X'ers who expect to change jobs frequently to learn new skills, earn a higher salary, and make a variety of contributions. Continuing education and training is critical in today's marketplace, where job skills are changing rapidly and global competition demands world-class and ever-improving productivity. The federal Government must equip its employees with the skills and knowledge required of a high performance workforce. The Federal Workforce Digital Access Act allows the Government to take steps to do just that. The Federal Workforce Digital Access Act (FWDA) provides that permanent employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the federal Government, who complete one year of employment, will be eligible to receive a computer, and Internet service at home at no charge. The benefit provides that federal agencies make use of, primarily, Internet Based Training (IBT) and on- site training to enhance the technological skills of their employees. The benefit provided for under the FWDA is called the ``digital access benefit.'' The employee has the option of declining the digital access benefit package or choosing Internet service only. In order to promote greater technological proficiency within the Government's workforce, the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will work together to establish and operate the digital access benefit program. GSA will be responsible for negotiating the digital access benefit contract. OPM will be responsible for general oversight of the program. To evaluate the program's operation, agencies will submit a report to the Office of Management and Budget on cost efficiencies, organizational performance, increased productivity, and training opportunities realized from the implementation of the Act. The report, which must be submitted to Congress in the fourth year of the program's operation, will help Congress assess whether the program should be reauthorized. Agencies will be appropriated the funds to execute the Act and will deposit those funds in the Employees' Digital Access Fund. The Fund is available for all payments for goods and services under the Act, including GSA's and OPM's administrative costs. FWDA is an imperative for those Federal employees across the country who work in mail rooms or who serve in the field as law enforcement officers, who have limited contact with a computer. It is also an imperative for those employees who daily underutilize computers by using them for simple word processing and e-mail functions. Providing federal employees with computers at home will expose employees to computer technology on a daily basis and IBT will broaden their knowledge and application of new technologies. Internet or web-based delivery of educational content, supplemented by numerous online tools, is an inexpensive, flexible and convenient way to empower Federal employees to become technologically proficient. IBT provides a hands-on approach to technology education. It permits employees to access content from inside and outside brick and mortar training facilities, to learn at their own pace, view video and other visual explanation of technology, and allows them to test themselves online to assess comprehension and retention. IBT takes the fear and intimidation out of learning new and emerging technologies. The result is a technologically savvy and creative employee that can not only support e-Government, but can help to create and develop it. The FWDA gives the Federal government and its future and current workforce, the tools it needs to better serve the citizenry and be a leader in a knowledge-based economy.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, today I have introduced the Federal Workforce Digital Access Act. A section-by-section analysis follows: Section 1 provides that the title of this legislation is the ``Federal Workforce Digital Access Act.'' Section 2 amends title 5, United States Code, to include digital access, for the purpose of residential use, a computer and Internet service as a benefit option for employees in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of Government. Provides that a permanent employee who completes a probationary period, or who has been employed not less than 1 year, will be eligible to receive a computer and Internet service at home at no charge. The employee has the option of declining the digital access package or choosing Internet service only. In order to promote greater technological proficiency within the Government's workforce, the General Services Administration (GSA) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall, in addition to duties and responsibilities assigned to each of them by the President, establish and operate the digital access benefit program. The digital access benefit must allow the employee to perform office automation and e-learning functions. Internet- based and on-site training in the use of the computers and software applications, shall be included in the package. Upgrades to the digital access benefit will be made at the employee's request and expense. Section 2 also provides that residential Internet service must link the employee to Government sites and resources, and support communication between Government agencies and the employee. GSA may contract with any qualified person to carry out this section. The contracts shall include: the time and manner in which ownership of the digital access package shall be transferred to the employee; options for the technological refreshment of the benefit package; restrictions on commercial advertising to subsidize benefits; measures to prevent unauthorized tracking of computer use and to protect the user's privacy; measures to prevent unauthorized sale or release of names or other identifying information; options for the renewal or extension of benefits; provisions to make benefits accessible to persons with disabilities, such as appropriate modifications or accessories; measures to permit the donation of used equipment to schools or community-based organizations; and measures to terminate, when the employee leaves the government, access to Government databases, sites, and other functions not extended to non-employees. OPM shall establish guidelines and specifications for the program. OPM shall also: provide technical assistance to GSA or any other agency, on Internet-based training for employees, communication of information to and from employees, procedures for election of benefits, and general oversight and coordination functions to ensure the efficient delivery of the program. Under this section, OPM shall establish provisions for any employee abroad to whom it may be impracticable to provide this benefit; and in the case of an employee who has previously received or declines benefits, how that employee will be eligible for benefits based on subsequent employment. The GSA and OPM shall consult with each other to execute their duties and responsibilities under this section. Each employing agency shall keep records and furnish information to GSA and OPM to carry out their duties and responsibilities. Such sums as may be necessary will be appropriated annually to each agency, including OPM and GSA, both as employing and administering agencies, to carry out this Act. The costs associated with furnishing this benefit will be payable by the employee's employing agency to GSA as specified by applicable requirements. The amounts paid by the agency shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Employees' Digital Access Fund. The fund is available for all payments to persons providing goods and services under this section, and to pay the respective administrative expenses of GSA and OPM within the annual limitations specified by Congress. Section 3 amends chapter 79 of title 5 to state that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) shall submit to the President and Congress a report on the operation of the program based on the first 3 years of its operation. The report shall address the following aspects of this program: any cost savings, efficiencies, improved individual or collective organizational performance; increased productivity; greater work flexibilities; enhancement of Government recruitment and retention efforts; reduced printing and mailing costs, improved communications with respect to individuals in rural or remote locations; new Internet-based training opportunities; best practices of particular agencies; the extent that family members utilize the computer; and the extent to which it helps to bridge the digital divide. Each agency shall submit to OMB such information as the Office requires to prepare for the report. Section 4 provides that any contract under this Act shall be subject to such amounts provided for in advance in appropriations Acts. Section 5 provides that the benefits provided under this Act will be furnished to those employees who made elections during the 48 month period beginning 1 year after the legislation is in enacted.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for all that she has done. Ever since the subcommittee was first formed, I remember that she made it clear that she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that we had a complete count, and she has continued to do that. I really thank her not just on behalf of the Congress of the United States of America but for all Americans for what she has done. I really do appreciate it. I also want to take a moment to recognize the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek), who just spoke. She has brought this matter to the attention of the African American people over and over again. It has been a major, major concern of the gentlewoman from Florida, and I want to thank her. This morning, Mr. Speaker, I visited Windsor Hills Elementary School, and this is a school in my district which has a number of young people who are in special education, beneficiaries of Title I funds. I watched those little children as they put their hands up to their hearts and said, ``I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic,'' and I watched them as they talked about this one Nation under God. As I watched them, I thought about a great writer who once said, ``Our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see,'' and I could not help but think about the census, because the census affects them. It will affect them for the next 10 years. The fact is those first graders will, in the future, 10 years from now, be 11th graders. The question is how will they have benefited from our actions or fail to benefit from our inactions? Sadly, we have Members of Congress and prominent leaders of the Republican party telling the American public that the census is optional. I could not believe that. On Friday, the Senate passed a sense of the Senate resolution essentially reinforcing the idea that not completing one's form is okay. It is not. Further, Republican Presidential Nominee, Governor Bush has sided with the Republican majority in Congress that has objected to the use of modern scientific methods to provide accurate census data. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as a candidate for the presidency, his opposition to using modern scientific methods sends a strong message that has outreached a minority community those traditionally undercounted is not genuine. It is unfortunate but not surprising that compassionate conservatism does not include the community I represent. Currently, Baltimore City has a dismal 48 percent response rate. The target was 68 percent. Despite our best efforts, we cannot improve this rate nor ensure a complete and accurate census when constituents are bombarded with messages from elected officials that they do not have to fill out the form. I urge naysayers to stop spreading these negative messages and encourage residents to fulfill their civic duty by completing and returning their census forms. A complete and accurate Census 2000 will ensure that education, accessible health care, child care, access to jobs, and the protection of civil rights are available for all. Again, those first-graders sitting there and then standing and pledging allegiance to the flag, where will they be in 10 years? What will they have accomplished if we do not do what we are supposed to do and fill out our forms? It is a simple act. And as I told some constituents the other day, when they fail to fill out that form and they have five people in their house, that means six people are not counted. And so, Mr. Speaker, again our citizens deserve no less. I want to thank again the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for yielding.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule and the underlying bill. Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member Oberstar and Representatives Duncan and Lipinski have worked hard to ensure that funds collected in the aviation trust fund are protected and used to support our Nation's aviation system only. This bill sends a strong message to the American people that we care about improving their lives. Provisions in this bill: authorize desperately needed funds to improve airport infrastructure, to reduce congestion, delays and improve safety; enforce passenger's rights; establish whistle blower protections for airline employees; and improve airline competition. Again, this bill sends a strong message to airline passengers, airline companies, and our States and that we as a Congress are committed to ensuring safe and efficient air travel.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, when some extra change comes our way, put it somewhere safe for a rainy day. As old as this adage may seem, it is a life lesson that has escaped some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Our grandmothers who planted this concept in our ears while giving us a few extra dollars might now frown upon the careless proposals set forth by the GOP with respect to our budget surplus. With the rainy days that many forecast, the budget surplus should be put in the safest places. The budget surplus should be put in Social Security for the rainy day FY 2023, where some predict the fund may face depletion. It should be placed in Medicare to protect us from the rainy day of rising costs in the area of cost care for our elderly. It should be used to begin wiping away the cloud of our national debt. The grandparents who shared their wisdom are the same people who will benefit from our responsible actions. Let us follow the advice of those who know best. Let us strengthen Social Security and Medicare. Let us pay down the national debt. Let us use our budget surplus to safeguard against a coming rainy day.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) on behalf of the Congress and all the people of this great United States of America for all of her hard work. And she has worked hard. She has been working on this issue for a long time and we thank her. Because a lot of the things that were talked about a little bit earlier, the program that she just talked about and others, are because she was in there and she was fighting and she continues to fight. And we thank her, we really do, all of us. I also want to take a moment to thank Ken Pruitt. He visited my district about 2 weeks ago and met with some young children at one of our elementary schools encouraging them to go home and remind their parents to make sure that they filled out the form and sent it off into the mail and make sure that it got back. And that shows how sensitive the Census Bureau is that he would come and spend an hour and a half with elementary schoolchildren and sending them as messengers back to their homes to make sure that these forms were properly filled out and returned. But, Mr. Speaker, I take the time tonight because I believe that all Americans regardless of race, ethnicity and socio-economic status deserve livable communities. All must share equitably in this great American dream. In Baltimore, people work hard. They do not ask for a lot, but they deserve to have communities that are safe and healthy, communities where children can obtain quality educations. Creating livable communities for our Nation's residents greatly depends upon a complete and accurate census count. I recently learned that Governor Bush has sided with the Republican majority in Congress that has objected to the use of modern scientific methods to provide accurate census data. As a candidate for the presidency of these diverse United States of America, his opposition to using modern scientific methods casts very serious doubts on his efforts to reach out to minority communities. It is so unfortunate, but not surprising, that the compassionate conservatism does not include the community I represent. Use of modern scientific methods ensure that those communities traditionally missed will be counted. In 1990, approximately 23,000 citizens, let me repeat that, 23,000 citizens, in Baltimore City were missed. The City lost as much as $650 million in critical Federal grants and loans. However, an accurate count is not just about the money, it is also about quality of life. Census information impacts programs like Childcare and Development Block Grant, a program that enables low-income families to obtain child care while they are at work or obtaining a job or obtaining job training or going to school. The Labor Department uses census estimates in support of the Workforce Investment Act to prepare young people and adults facing serious impediments to employment by providing jobs and skilled training. The Department of Education uses census data to identify school districts and allocate funds under title I program, helping to provide extra help in basic education to students most in need, particularly communities and schools with high concentrations of children in low- income families. The Treasury Department uses census data for the Community Reinvestment Act to help determine whether financial institutions are meeting the credit needs of minorities and low- and moderate-income areas. As the honorary chair of Baltimore City's Complete Count Committee, my focus has been on the most difficult groups to enumerate; and the gentleman from Baltimore, Maryland (Mr. Cardin), has joined me in those efforts. We have worked hard to make sure that we reached the African American male population between 18 and 30 years old, children under 5 years old, undocumented residents, Hispanics, and native Americans. Using Governor Bush's method, even our best efforts will not ensure that these groups are counted. A complete and accurate Census 2000 will ensure that education, accessible health care, child care, access to jobs, and the protection of civil rights are the foundation of livable communities. Our citizens deserve no less. I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for yielding.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 431. As Americans, we are a major partner in the global community. It is our right and responsibility to assist members of the community suffering great misfortune. The United States' response to the crisis in Mozambique must reflect those values. It is in this spirit that I strongly support the resolution, which urges increased U.S. and international humanitarian, disaster, and economic relief for the Republic of Mozambique. The rains, cyclone and subsequent flooding in Mozambique have devastated communities and infrastructure that had just begun to rebuild after a 16-year civil war. In supporting this resolution, I commend U.S. humanitarian and disaster relief organizations, on the front lines, who've been working tirelessly to save lives. Two organizations based in my district of Baltimore, MD--Lutheran World Relief and Catholic Relief Services--are providing emergency food, shelter, and technical assistance to those in need. We must continue to support those efforts. Again, I support H. Res. 431 and urge President Clinton to continue our involvement and leadership in this effort.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, America's labor force is the backbone of our flourishing economy. Without the efforts of workers in America's industries, big business could not thrive. When we do our job, we receive due compensation. The American people should be no different. It is our job to ensure that America's workers are not taken advantage of. It is convenient for big business to forget those whose labor helps their companies thrive. Well, it is our job to remind them. It is our job to ensure that the minimum wage levels will afford our Nation's workforce with a decent life-style. It is our job to ensure that the Social Security trust fund is intact when they retire. It amazes me that while colleagues on the other side of the aisle profess to raise the minimum wage, they continue in their quest to provide careless tax benefits to the wealthy and threaten the Social Security trust fund. Raising the minimum wage over the course of 3 years is not enough. Our workers deserve more. Our workers deserve better. America's workers are doing their jobs and now is the time that we do ours. Mr. Speaker, I urge that we reject this bill and fully support the Democratic alternative.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congress and past member of the Maryland State legislature, I have witnessed and been engaged in numerous debates on how to reform our Nation's classrooms. I certainly believe we do everything we can to ensure that we provide adequate funding and employ effective teaching techniques that will raise the academic output of our students. However, even the most funding and the best teachers will not produce successful students if there are significant discipline problems that distract students from their studies. So I come to the floor of this House to pay special tribute to a group of men and women that play a crucial role in keeping students in my district on track, the Baltimore City Police School Force. Under the leadership of Chief Leonard Hamm, this public school police force is charged with providing protection and safety services to 108,000 students, 12,500 personnel, 187 schools, and 1,300 acres of land around Baltimore City, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. As a result of their efforts, there has been a dramatic drop in the amount of assaults and arrests in the Baltimore City school system. During Chief Hamm's first year on the force in 1997, the number of arrests in Baltimore City schools dropped 45 percent from the first half to the second half of the school year. Assaults are down 34 percent and arrests are down a remarkable 57 percent. During the last 2 school years, there have only been six incidents involving a gun. This is a remarkable turnaround from 1994 when there were 77 incidents involving firearms. Looking at individual schools, the change is even more dramatic. We have seen the number of disruptive incidents and violence drop by as much as 70 percent in some of the City's most troubled schools. As we look back on the past year, filled with school violence, this turnaround gives me hope that our Nation's schools can be safe havens and productive learning environments that our parents expect. Moreover, our youth should be stimulated by more than just reading, writing, and arithmetic. I cannot imagine any school experience without various afterschool activities, clubs and special events. Sadly, our school halls have become increasingly void of such activities, but an amazing thing has happened in Baltimore as a result in the drop in crime and fear of crime: school social activities have made a comeback. School pep rallies and dances have been banned for several years because of safety concerns. But this past November, Southern High School had its first pep rally and dance in 6 years. Dances, pep rallies, and sporting events foster pride in the school. If students have a sense of pride in their school, they will be less likely to want to disrupt it. These activities also enrich our students' overall experience. So what is the secret to Chief Hamm's success? You might think success has something to do with high-tech surveillance cameras and metal detectors, but you will not find any metal detectors or cameras in Baltimore City public schools. Instead, Chief Hamm has installed a policy fostering mutual respect between police, students, and faculty. He believes that when police earn the respect of students, students will respect the police and the school. Chief Hamm has also made it his mission to nuture a sense of ownership of the school by students. He believes that crime in school can be reduced when students respect their school in the same way they respect their own home. This strategy has lead to the safest school environment in Baltimore City schools in many years. In light of these successful efforts and hard work, I will be presenting the Baltimore City School Police Department with an Elijah E. Cummings U-TURN award. This acronym, U-TURN, has the obvious meaning of changing direction. However, each letter in this award describes what has taken place on the police force; U, unique; T, techniques; U, used; R, restore; and N, nonviolence. The Baltimore City School Police have certainly responded to a problem in a manner deserving of recognition and praise. I applaud Chief Hamm and his force and look forward to a further reduction in crime and disruption in our schools. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I stand ready and pledge to do everything I can as a Member of this body to help the Baltimore City School Police force and other forces throughout the Nation to ensure that our children can safely prepare for their promising futures. As someone once said, our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see. Congratulations, Chief Hamm, and congratulations to the Baltimore City School Police Force.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me, and I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Washington, D.C. for her words. There is absolutely no question that she is absolutely right, and we in the Congressional Black Caucus and many others in this great body stand with her and behind her. And I want to commend her for constantly keeping an issue that is so significant and very important, and one that shows the contradictions of this country and what we are doing in this Congress, shows it up so clearly. I want to thank her for all that she does every day to keep us aware of the situation that we find ourselves in in the very place where we write the laws. So I thank her. I want to go on to say, Madam Speaker, that this month, through a series of Dear Colleague Letters, I saluted several famous African American Marylanders, and today I rise again to recognize African Americans from my home district of Baltimore, Maryland, for their significant contributions to the American political and educational process, and for distinguishing themselves as the first African Americans to achieve in their chosen professions. The recognition of these individuals comes as we nationally observe Black History Month. This year's theme, Heritage and Horizons, the African American Legacy and the Challenges of the 21st Century, is most appropriate to these Baltimorians who, by accepting the challenges and overcoming the obstacles of their day, have prepared us to meet the challenges facing us in this new millennium. I cite Roberta B. Sheridan, the daughter of a life-long resident of Baltimore and educated as a teacher. She was dedicated to public education. Even though she was denied the opportunity to teach in the black public schools, because African Americans at that time were deemed unqualified, she persisted in her efforts. With the help of the African American community, a campaign was waged to allow African Americans to teach in black public schools. This campaign resulted in the appointment of Roberta Sheridan in 1888 as the first African American teacher in a Baltimore City public school. Indeed, in the State of Maryland. Her goal was to ensure that African Americans received a quality education, and she sought to end the educational inadequacies fostered by white teachers who dominated the education of blacks following the Civil War. I also cite Harry S. Cummings, no relation, from Baltimore's ward 11, one of the two first African American males to graduate from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1889. Mr. Cummings' career focused on the legal, educational, and political professions. He was known as the father of the Colored Polytechnic Institute because he introduced a measure for establishing this educational facility and other high schools for African Americans in this area. Politically he was successful in becoming the first African American to be elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1890. In 1904, he had the distinction of seconding the nomination of Theodore Roosevelt at the Republican National Convention in Chicago. He received acclaim for his speech. In 1907, he was again elected to a 4-year term to the Baltimore City Council, representing the 17th ward. He served two additional terms in 1911 and 1915. As a fellow University of Maryland graduate, I am pleased to honor him. I also cite Thurgood Marshall, lawyer and product of a Baltimore black middle class and the impetus for the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Beginning his career, he served as counsel to the Baltimore branch of the NAACP. He argued cases before the United States Supreme Court 32 times, winning 29 cases. He is probably most famous for Brown versus Board of Education, which we won in 1954. With this success, doors were opened ending segregated schools and educational inequalities for African Americans. Using the legal process, Thurgood Marshall's legacy was to ensure that African Americans would no longer be excluded from participating in the American fabric because of discrimination. When asked for a definition of ``equal,'' Marshall stated, ``Equal means getting the same thing at the same time in the same place.'' Thurgood Marshall's achievements culminated in his appointment as the Nation's first African American Supreme Court justice on August 30, 1967. Because of his achievements, I have urged adoption of my resolution urging the United States Postal Service to issue a commemorative stamp in his honor because he is immediately deserving of this recognition. Finally, I cite Parren J. Mitchell, a native Baltimorean, who represents several firsts. He was the first African American to graduate from the University of Maryland Graduate School with a master's degree in sociology. Coming from a family involved in local politics and community affairs, he embarked upon an educational, human resources, and political career. He was Maryland's first black Representative to the United States House of Representatives from Baltimore's 7th Congressional District and one of my predecessors to this body. Elected to the 92d Congress beginning in 1971, he remained in the House for seven succeeding Congresses until 1987. He enjoyed a successful Congressional career, serving as chairman of the Committee on Small Business for the 97th, 98th, and 99th Congresses. He was instrumental in the formation of the House Black Caucus, now known as the Congressional Black Caucus, to bring to the attention of Congress and the President of the United States legislative concerns primarily affecting African Americans. I am honored to recognize these African Americans from my district of Baltimore who were the firsts, who dared to meet the challenges of their day, who paved the way and opened doors to ensure equal opportunities for African Americans and their succeeding generations. Indeed, they represent a legacy that gives us hope and confirmation that African Americans continue to succeed and contribute to this wonderful American structure. As we live today, as we look at our pasts, and as we look to our future, we can take pride in the rich heritage that these individuals have bequeathed to all of us as Americans.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, we have a health crisis in this Nation. Our seniors are being priced out of the prescription drugs that help keep them alive and allow them to live healthy lives. I submit that after a lifetime of service to family and community, our seniors deserve to pay less. They deserve to pay less than customers of drug companies who receive discounts because they have market power. But more importantly, they deserve to pay less than that which is paid for drugs used by animals. Today I am releasing a government reform minority study of my district in Maryland which reveals that drug manufacturer prices are twice as high for humans than for animals, and these price differentials cannot be justified by quality differences or research costs. Now is the time to act. I urge my colleagues to end this discrimination by supporting a comprehensive benefit for all Medicare beneficiaries.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I wish to commend the gentlelady from Florida, Representative Karen Thurman, for introducing this resolution. It addresses an issue that is of great importance to me. Last year, I introduced the ``Organ Donor Leave Act,'' which President Clinton signed into law on September 24, 1999. That Act (Public Law 106-56) extends the amount of paid leave a federal employee can use to donate an organ from seven to 30 days. Experience has shown that an organ transplant operation and post-operative recovery of a living donor may require six to eight weeks. Prior to the enactment of this legislation, a lack of leave had served as a significant impediment and disincentive for individuals considering sharing the gift-of-life. As a proponent of organ donations, I sought to encourage not only the federal government, but other public and private employers to support employees who volunteer to undertake the life saving process of donating an organ. Congresswoman Thurman's resolution essentially seeks to do the same. Her resolution expresses the sense of the Congress regarding the importance of organ, tissue, bone marrow, and blood donation, and supporting National Donor Day. Her resolution calls to our attention the fact that a man, woman and child is added to the national organ transplant waiting list every 16 minutes. In fact, 70,000 individuals await organ transplants at any given moment. The resolution also informs us that despite the progress in the last 15 years, more than 10 people per day die because of a shortage of donor organs. A few months ago I learned about Daleen Hardy a Postal Service employee who was scheduled to donate a kidney to her husband. She was concerned that her employer might not allow her adequate time off to recover. I wrote to the Post Master General urging him to consider allowing her the same 30 days leave granted federal employees by the ``Organ Donor Leave Act.'' In my home state of Maryland, we have two world-class transplant centers that draw patients from across the country, Johns Hopkins University and the University Medical System. Those facilities receive referrals from Maryland's Transplant Resource Center which has more than 1,600 people on the kidney waiting list. With more people like Daleen Hardy this number could be reduced. In an effort to help encourage organ donations, last year, Vice President Al Gore unveiled a series of new Federal and public-private initiatives to increase the rate of organ donations nationwide. He announced a $13 million grant program to improve local donation efforts. The grants would fund new public service announcements to educate families about organ donation. The funds would also be used to conduct a series of regional conferences between health care providers and transplant professionals about organ donation. The ``Organ Donor Leave Act'' and the initiatives taken by Vice President Al Gore represent affirmative acts to help save lives. The resolution authored by Congresswoman Thurman is one and the same. I urge every Member of Congress to give it their support, and by doing so, join the in the commemoration of National Donor Day.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this legislation before us today establishes a bicentennial commission to celebrate the life and accomplishments of this Nation's 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. In many respects, Abraham Lincoln was an ordinary man who, throughout his life, did many extraordinary things. Mr. Lincoln was poor and struggled to educate himself. After completing his duties, he practiced law. He served in the military, holding the rank of captain during the Black Hawk War. Thereafter, he continued his public service by spending 8 years in the Illinois legislature. Then in 1836, he was elected to Congress and served two terms. In 1832, when Abraham Lincoln was seeking his first seat in the Illinois General Assembly, he stated in his first political announcement, and I quote, ``Upon the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as a most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in. That every man receive at least a moderate education and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object vital importance.'' It is important that H.R. 1451 stipulates that the members of the commission be selected based on their demonstrated dedication to educating others about the importance of historical figures and events. It is through education that we learn about our pasts and prepare ourselves for our future. Abraham Lincoln made decisions and took actions that would forever change the course of America. The commission will be responsible for educating Americans, young and old, about the importance of the Lincoln legacy and contributions he made for a free and unified country. In 1854, Lincoln took an unpopular stance and opposed the Kansas- Nebraska Act, which threatened to extend slavery to other States. Lincoln was elected president in 1860 when the United States was no longer united but was divided over slavery. Believing that secession was illegal, he was prepared to use force to defend the union and did so. The Civil War began in 1861 and would last 4 years costing the lives of over 500,000 Americans. On November 16, 1863, in the midst of a war, on a battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Lincoln not only acknowledged the sacrifice of thousands who had perished but presented his vision for the future of our Nation, conceived in liberty, where everyone is created equal. The speech known as the Gettysburg Address shaped the destiny of the United States of America; that government of the people and by the people should be for all the people, regardless of race or color. For this, Mr. Lincoln lost his life on the balcony of the Ford Theater in 1865 right here in Washington, D.C. The Bicentennial Commission will recommend to Congress what activities and actions should be taken to celebrate the life of Abraham Lincoln. The commission's recommendations to this body should reflect how a man of humble roots rose to the office of the President of the United States of America. The bicentennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln presents the opportunity for Americans to recommit ourselves to the principles extolled by Abraham Lincoln; honesty, integrity, loyalty and the pursuit of education. I urge all Members of this body to support H.R. 1451. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, when I look at what we are doing today, I think it is extremely important, and I certainly urge my colleagues to support this very important legislation; but I was considering something that Abraham Lincoln said that I think is just so telling about the man that we honor through this legislation. It is a quote I had not heard before, but I think it is one that perhaps all of us should give some serious consideration to. He said, ``I desire to so conduct the affairs of this administration that if at the end, when I come to lay down the reins of power, I have lost every other friend on earth, I shall at least have one friend left and that friend shall be down inside of me.'' He really said something. The fact is that Abraham Lincoln stood for so much. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) for his foresight in taking up the mantle of a constituent, which says a lot. I think a lot of times constituents think that they have little effect. But the fact is that here we are standing here today with this legislation because the gentleman took it upon himself to lift up the idea of a constituent. It goes to the same kind of thing, that one person can make a difference. So with that, Mr. Speaker, I again urge our colleagues to support the legislation, and I want to thank the gentlewoman for her cooperation and certainly the ranking member and the chair of our committee and subcommittee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as America's lawmakers, we direct the focus of our Nation through the stances we take, the resolutions we adopt, and the legislation we approve. It is important that we take a strong stand with regard to pressing issues, pressing issues like a child being reported abused every 12 minutes in my home State of Maryland; pressing issues like 50 out of 1,000 children currently being reported as maltreated; pressing issues like the 2,000 children a year who die from abuse or neglect. It is time that we act for our children in the way of their protection. H.R. 764 acts by providing increased funding for prevention training, child advocacy and treatment, and increased access by protective service workers with regard to criminal conviction records. It is important that the message we send to our children is that we are not afraid to act in their favor, that we realize that they are our future, and that they are invaluable. Support H.R. 764.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, breaking the cycle of past racial discrimination has been a mission of African Americans across this country. Wishing for only an opportunity, great African Americans, in many fields and industries, have struggled to feed to this country and this world, the fruits of their talents and labor. In the process, many have tried and failed, but a few have beat the odds and have made a major impact. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of those who have crumbled the walls of bias and discrimination, is one of the Maryland 7th District's brightest stars. Through the storm of discrimination against African Americans and women entrepreneurs, Catherine Hughes would not be defeated. She flew to high heights. Mrs. Hughes, the founder and chairwoman of Radio One, with her mind set on waking America to injustice, bigotry, and discrimination, has revolutionized the broadcasting industry from an African American point of view. Cathy Hughes had a dream--a dream to create an information- based radio program geared towards the African American community. With very humble beginnings at Howard University's radio station, WHUR-FM, she set out to realize this dream. In 1979, Mrs. Hughes and her husband made their first venture into the unwelcoming world of broadcasting by purchasing WOL (AM) in Washington, DC. She aired a radio talk show, which she hosted wiht her husband. Although investors did not share her vision, Cathy Hughes struggled on in pursuit of her dream. In 1986, Mrs. Hughes made her first effort to expand. She attempted to form a ``community corporation'' to purchase WKYS (FM) from NBC, but couldn't raise the necessary funding before the company was sold. Still in pursuit of her dream, in 1997, she purchased WMMI (FM) in Washington. She also again pursued WKYS and in 1994, she finally purchased the station. Mrs. Hughes took advantage of her own business skills to build the foundation of her broadcast kingdom, and all the while, Mrs. Hughes never lost sight of her goal to inform. She remained active in protesting social and political issues; so much in fact, that many feared she would lose sponsors. However, she kept lending her voice to issues of concern to her community. She was strongly opposed to the Washington Post Magazine's decision to feature an African American rapper accused of murder on their cover. She protested the indictment and imprisonment of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry, and the expulsion of Larry Young from the Maryland State Legislature. She also spoke out about several FCC telecommunications issues to help ensure that the door to the broadcast industry would not be closed behind her and that others could also pursue their dreams. Her dynamic achievements as a businesswoman didn't inhibit her from excelling in other arenas. Mrs. Hughes is a dedicated mother and role model, as evidenced by the recent takeover of business operations by her son Mr. Alfred C. Liggins III. Mr. Liggins, a graduate of The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania (1995), has taken his mother's company and expanded it to the powerhouse that it is today. He is a staunch businessman and makes the well-informed decisions that have boosted Radio One's stock to over $40 a share. Currently, Radio One is the largest chain of African American radio stations. Still, Mrs. Hughes and her son Mr. Liggins are not satisfied and continue in their flight to even greater achievements. Perhaps Mrs. Hughes' efforts are described best in the words of FCC chairman William Kennard; ``Her political beliefs and commitment to the community are the most important things in her life. She has been able to be a spokesperson for causes and still be successful * * *.'' Hughes lives by a ``Never give up, Stay and fight'' philosophy. She is a true fighter, not only for her dreams, but for her beliefs. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I, on behalf of the 7th District, honor this inspirational American for her relentless refusal to be defeated and her efforts to soar to the highest heights. ``For she believes she can fly, She believes she can touch the sky, She thinks about it every night and day, She spreads her wings and has flown away, She believes she can soar, She has run through that open door, Yes, Mrs. Hughes you can fly!''

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1976. Twenty-three years later, in 1999, African Americans attending this University, in the shadow of our nation's capital, are receiving racist hate mail and threats. Is it possible that instead of keeping our forward impetus as the most enlightened society in the world, the ignorant have taken the reins and are steering us backwards into the new millennium? Well, recently, Florida Governor Jeb Bush closed the door of opportunity to many minorities by overturning affirmative action in state college admissions. This will result in exclusion; preventing us from realizing our full potential as a nation and I urge the Board of Regents to reject this action. I also call upon this entire nation to reverse the trend toward the subversion of diversity and equality. Let's take the reins and steer this nation forward.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to another distinguished gentleman from Mississippi's Fourth Congressional District (Mr. Shows).

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, over the last several weeks, this Nation has endured numerous reports of tragedies and deaths. Last week I came to the floor to express condolences on behalf of this body for the unexpected death of the great Payne Stewart, and in a few minutes I will do the same for Joe Serna, Jr., the recently decreased mayor of Sacramento, California. I followed the news reports of the 217 people who died on board Egypt Air Flight 990, and the gunman in Hawaii who shot and killed his office workers. But in all of these stories of death and despair is a story of life and how we choose to live each and every day of it. Walter Payton began his football career in 1975 at the age of 21. He was 5 feet 10 and 200 pounds. As the Bears' first-round choice out of Jackson State in Mississippi, he was an awesome human being. Payton, the NFL's career rushing leader, was called ``Sweetness'' because of the gritty and defiant way he ran the ball. His sweetness extended off the field, where he was known for his humor and consideration of others. House Resolution 370 recognizes Walter Payton for his career triumphs and for establishing the Walter Payton Foundation, which provides financial and motivational support to youth and helps children realize that they can raise the quality of their lives. This resolution cites Payton as a Christian who was viewed by his friends and former classmates as a fun-loving, warm and smiling man with a joy of life, his family and his sport. On February 2, when Walter Payton announced that he was suffering from a rare liver disease, he was frail and emotional. I shall never forget sitting at the television and watching him as the tears rolled down his face. Payton brought joy into the lives of millions of fans, but at 45 years old, only 45 years old, he needed the gift of life. His liver disease could only be cured by an organ transplant, a transplant he would never, unfortunately, receive. On November 1, Walter Payton died of a disease malignancy of the bowel duct. He had undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment to stem the cancer. But because of the aggressive nature of the malignancy, and because it had spread to other areas, a liver transplant, even if a donor were available, could no longer save Walter Payton's life. By encouraging the 20,000 fans who attended a memorial service for Payton to register as organ donors, Walter Payton's family used his death to highlight the importance of organ donations and the gift of life. In other words, it was their effort to try to bring out of his death new life. I could not help but think of Walter Payton when it was reported that in my own district of Baltimore, Maryland, a 60-year-old mother of three from Bowie donated a kidney to a 51-year-old father from California. What was special about this situation was that it was a Good Samaritan organ donation. Good Samaritan organ donations, in which the donor offers an organ to a recipient who is a complete stranger, are very unusual. Most live organ donors are relatives or friends of the recipient. The donor, Sue Rouch, read about the desperate need for an organ donor in a newspaper and called various local hospitals offering to become a donor. She is quoted as saying, ``It's a gift. I'm a generous person, and giving and receiving is all part of the same circle of life.'' Last Friday, she gave her gift to Rick Sirak. If not for Sue Rouch, a generous and compassionate human being, Rick Sirak may have suffered the same fate as our hero, Walter Payton. Like Rouch, Walter Payton was a generous and caring man. He was famous and world renowned but he was a Good Samaritan who cared for the abused and the needy among us. He celebrated life and brought joy into the lives of so many he touched. Gregory Brown, coach of the Calumet Park Rams, a youth league team in Chicago, stated, ``Walter Payton was a true greatness, true poetry. We tell our kids to run like Payton on the field and act like Payton in your life.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am urging all of our colleagues to support this very, very appropriate resolution. I want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) for sponsoring it and all the cosponsors and for all of those who have spoken today. When one looks back at the life of Walter Payton, I can only help but think about a song that says, ``The times we shared will always be. The times we shared will always be.'' I think Walter Payton brought so much to our lives. One great writer said, he brought life to life. And there is absolutely no question about that. And so, we take a moment today to not be here because he died, but we take a moment to salute him because he lived. He took his God-given talent; and he made the very, very best of them. And so, to his wife, Connie, and to his children, Brittany and Jarrett and to his relatives, we say to them, thank you very much for sharing Walter Payton with us. He lifted our lives; and, on and off the field, he made our lives better. He, indeed, brought life to life. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, ``change ordinarily evolves over hundreds of years, but when a fundamental difference in the way we view the world comes quickly, the shift in our thinking is called revolution.'' Such revolution ``takes place not because the governing institutions have had a change of heart, but because the pressure brought to bear by individuals organized for collective action has added the necessary impetus.'' These words were spoken by Kenneth Jernigan, past president of the National Federation of the Blind, a revolutionary organization with the philosophy that blind people, if organized throughout the land, have the strength and purpose to change the course of history. The NFB was founded in 1940 at a time when the opportunities for blind persons were lacking and society's attitudes towards them was, sadly, one of misunderstanding and negativity. This was also a time when there was no rehabilitation for blind persons, no libraries, no opportunity for higher education, no jobs in Federal service, no hope in the professions, no State or Federal civil rights protections. But that was another time, another generation. Headquartered in Baltimore, the National Federation of the Blind is today what its founders dreamed it would become, a truly revolutionary organization ensuring that blind people get equal treatment and a fair shake. It is the Nation's largest consumer advocacy organization of blind persons and is considered the leading force in the blindness field today. With 50,000 members, the NFB's influence is felt throughout the Nation, with affiliates in all 50 States, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, and over 700 local chapters. The mission of the NFB is twofold. First, it strives to help blind persons achieve self-confidence and self-respect. Second, the organization acts as a vehicle for collective self-expression by the blind. These goals are achieved through the organization's numerous initiatives, which include educating the public about blindness and literature and information services, ensuring that blind persons have access to aids and appliances and other adaptive equipment, increasing emphasis on the development and evaluation of technology, and continued support for blind persons and their families through job opportunities and special services. NFB's commitment is critical to the 750,000 people in the United States who are blind and the 50,000 that will become blind each year. Recently I participated as the honorary chair in the NFB's Newsline Night '99. This yearly event makes it possible to support one of the organization's important services, an electronic text-to-speech telephone-based service which delivers seven national and over 20 local newspapers to blind persons throughout the country. Technology enables national and local news to be available on Newsline by 7:00 a.m. each morning. The service began as a pilot project in the Baltimore-Washington area, and Newsline Baltimore began delivering newspapers and other material via local phone lines in 1996. This revolutionary idea assists approximately 11 million Americans who cannot read regular print but would enjoy the receipt of news and information over a cup of coffee like the rest of the seeing population. In addition to the Newsline service, NFB supports a job opportunity service, a materials center containing literature and aids and appliances used by the blind, and the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind, which is the world's largest and most complete evaluation and demonstration center for speech and Braille technology. When looking in total at all the services that the NFB provides and all of its accomplishments, one can say without hesitation that this organization is truly revolutionary. I encourage the organization to continue its revolutionary crusade towards full citizenship and human dignity for equal rights and for the right to work with others and do for yourselves. I also challenge all of us who have sight to recognize that we are all human and, thus, alike in most ways. However, we each have unique characteristics that allow us to contribute to society in special ways. Respect for such differences implies, then, just allowing someone in. It implies that we have something to learn and a benefit to gain from others who are different from us. I close with a quote from Jacobus TenBroek, the first president of the NFB, to summarize this concept. He said, ``In order to achieve the equality that is their right, in order to gain the opportunity that is their due, in order to attain the position of full membership in the community that is their goal, the blind have continuing need for the understanding and sympathy and liberality of their sighted neighbors and fellow citizens. The greatest hope of the blind is that they may be seen as they are, not as they have been portrayed; and since they are neither wards nor children, their hope is to be not only seen but also heard in their own accents and for whatever their cause may be worth.''

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna, Jr., was the oldest of four children in a farm-worker family. All four children worked with their parents picking crops and all four went on to careers in public service. Joe Serna went from picking grapes and tomatoes as a youngster to becoming the first Latino mayor of a major California city. A follower of the late farm labor leader Cesar Chavez, Serna served on the Sacramento-area support committee for the United Farm Workers and was a former member of the Sacramento Central Labor Council. In his youth, he served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala as a community development volunteer specializing in cooperatives and credit unions. He became a professor of government at Cal State in Sacramento where he earned the distinguished faculty award in 1991. Dubbed the ``activist mayor,'' Joe Serna is credited with revitalizing Sacramento's downtown and reforming the Sacramento city unified school district. Under Serna's leadership, the Sacramento City Council agreed to public-private partnerships to entice developers to build in downtown Sacramento. Serna commissioned a blue-ribbon group to analyze the underperforming school district, then recruited a reform slate of school board candidates. That slate won and has contributed to the improvements in Sacramento's school district. In 1996, Serna is quoted as saying, my biggest ambition is to be the best mayor I can be so that the next ethnic person who comes along, the next African-American kid or Mexican-American kid who wants to be a mayor can become the mayor, and it won't be a big deal. Joe Serna has left a legacy that certainly makes that true. My condolences and sympathies go out to the Joe Serna family and friends and the hundreds of lives he touched as the mayor of Sacramento. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to allow my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui), to control the remainder of the time on our side.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, on Veterans Day, America honors those men and women who have served to keep this nation free and bring the world peace. Not only have these generations of veterans waged war and destroyed totalitarian threats, but they have engaged in the peacekeeping missions that strengthen democracy worldwide. As I pay tribute to these worthy citizens tomorrow, Veterans Day, I am deeply troubled by the irresponsible across-the-board 1 percent cut in discretionary spending recently proposed by the House Republican leadership. A 1 percent cut from the total FY2000 Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) appropriation would reduce available funding for veterans programs, including veterans health care services. The adverse impact this reduction would have on the health and lives of our nation's veterans is significant. For the past three years, the VA has endured straight-line funding which was left the agency struggling to meet the increasing costs of medical care for the growing number of enrolled veterans it treats. As such, veterans and veterans service organizations called on Congress to appropriate up to $3 billion more in health care funding than the Administration's original budget and have denounced these Republican cuts. I, along with my Democratic Colleagues, have strongly supported proposals throughout the year that would have actually added from $2 to $3 billion to the President's initial proposal for veterans' medical care. On October 20, the President signed into law a $1.7 billion increase. Now, the Republican leadership claims that their 1 percent reduction in funding would have no effect on health care to veterans because the VA could save millions by eliminating overhead in capital assets and other ``government waste.'' What the Republican leadership fails to acknowledge are the tremendous changes the VA has already made, such as closing thousands of beds, eliminating thousands of staff positions, and strengthening auditing systems. Moreover, whether savings of this magnitude could be realized in the immediate future without significantly uprooting current VA programs is highly questionable. Even without cuts, currently approved funding is less than required to fulfill our nation's duty to adequately care for veterans. I believe that providing a $1.7 billion increase for veterans health care and then turning around a few weeks later and taking dollars away is Republican budget gimmickry. The bottom line is clear. Our nation's veterans have sacrificed life and limb in protection of our constitutional rights to ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'' I submit to my Republican colleagues in Congress that, in turn, our veterans deserve our commitment to fund veterans programs and services to ensure that they are themselves able to enjoy these same rights.