Elijah Cummings

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Eleanor Holmes Norton), another one of our world cup legislators.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, it certainly is my pleasure to be a cosponsor of this legislation. This past Saturday, the United States Women's World Cup Soccer Team put on a performance that will not soon be forgotten. The extraordinary game that was played in Pasadena, California, was not only a testament to the United States team's hard work but to what can happen when individuals are given an equal opportunity. That is why I am so pleased to cosponsor this legislation. The educator, the professor from Yale, Dr. James Comer, said something that really applies to this situation. He said that a person can have all the genetic ability they want and they can have all the will they want, but if they do not have the opportunity, it is almost impossible for them to achieve their goals. Here we have a situation where these great, great young ladies were given an opportunity, and they certainly showed what they could accomplish. Saturday's game was a competition against the Chinese National Team that involved strength, skill, endurance, and guts. The game remained tied through 90 exhausting minutes of regulation play and two 15-minute sudden death overtime periods. It then went into a shoot-out in which the United States women outshot the Chinese women five to four in order to capture the well-deserved title of world champions. This victory is more than just one team coming out ahead of the other. It is a victory for the United States, for the sport of soccer as a whole and, most importantly, for women of all ages who aspire to be or already are athletes. It makes me proud when I think about the possibilities. I told my daughter the other day as she graduated from high school, I said, ``I am excited about your possibilities.'' And as a father of two daughters, it makes me excited about the possibilities of all women who want to be involved in sports. The women of this World Cup team have proven that they cannot be taken lightly. The ever-popular saying, ``you throw a ball like a girl'' is quickly becoming outdated. The over 90 million exuberant fans that attended the championship game made it the most highly attended women's sporting event in history. That certainly does not include the many, many fans, like myself, who Saturday were glued to the television set watching this exciting play. Over 400,000 fans attended the games in which the United States competed, and approximately 650,000 fans attended the tournament overall. That says something. The world was certainly watching. Since its conception in 1985, the United States Women's World Cup Team has proudly boasted a record of 144 wins, 12 ties, and only 31 losses. They defeated China in the very first Women's World Cup in 1991; and, in 1995, they finished third behind Norway and Germany. The history of this team has been showered with success after success. However, this success has not come without hard work and an incredible attitude. Without a professional program for women, the national team has had to rely mostly on college teams to provide players with skills necessary for their success. In turn, the success of college programs is in a large part due to Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972. With the passage of Title IX, schools were forced to fund women's athletic programs at the same level men's athletic programs were being funded. Schools still have the flexibility to choose sports based on student body interests, geographic influence, budget constraints, and gender ratio. Yet, there must be gender equity. That is so very important, gender equity. Women must have an opportunity to play and compete in the world of sports. Women have shown us just what they can do, given the opportunity. I think that one of the things that we do not realize is, when we see young women performing, other young women watch them. Not only are they excited about soccer, but it also says that they can achieve other things, too, and that they are excited about the excellence that our team showed. It says to them that we will also compete in the legal world, we will also compete in the field of medicine and what have you. So not only does it affect the soccer world, not only does it affect athletics, but it affects all of the young ladies, no matter where they are and no matter what status of life they are in. The Women's National World Cup team are the pioneers for their sport and for women athletes all over the world. They have gladly assumed the status of role model and truly deserve it. Young girls all over the country adore them and look upon them as heroes or, as some would say, sheroes. But not only are young girls looking at them, men, young men, old men, all kinds of men are looking at them, too, because they see what they have been able to accomplish when given that opportunity. Although women have been playing soccer for a long time, this World Cup team has opened the eyes of billions. I believe there is an exciting future ahead, and I will look forward to watching it unfold. I am proud to support and be a cosponsor of this resolution honoring the 1999 Women's World Cup team. They have certainly given us a lot to be proud of. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the Transportation Committee, I am concerned about the broad impact H.R. 1218 could have on our citizens' right to travel safely. We are considering taking away the right of young women to move freely between states with family or friends to seek legal medical care. Now, suppose citizens were locked into the laws of their home state as they travel across country. This would mean that the speed limits, marriage regulations, restrictions on adoption, and all other controls over behavior would in fact follow the citizens. This would be absurd. In fact, the premise of ``federalism,'' is our entitlement to travel and be subject to the laws of the state we are in. The principles of this bill obliterate that right. The strict provisions--with no exceptions for travel with family or clergy-- discourage free interstate travel and subject young women to perilous travel alone. This violates our federal system, is unconstititional, and frankly, unacceptable. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Idaho (Mrs. Chenoweth) for presenting this resolution. Healing and reconciliation as called for in this resolution are without question needed in this Nation and in the international community. The murders in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and Littleton, Colorado, were indeed senseless. The dragging and burning of individuals in Alabama and Texas were indeed brutal, and the religious and political persecution in Yugoslavia and Rwanda indeed call for civil unrest. All of these tragic and unimaginable occurrences stem from one sad human behavior: Lack of tolerance. We must first recognize that people of other races and with religious beliefs different from our own have value in our society. Then we, not as officials or political leaders, but as fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers and friends and neighbors, as human beings who love and care and feel, we must ask all people to come together in their everyday and sometimes routine lives to heal and console each other. Just a few days ago, we came to the well of this House to debate amending our Constitution to prohibit the desecration of our Nation's flag. It is interesting to note that when this body begins each legislative day and at events in our district and at all sporting events, we pledge allegiance to this beautiful flag and our great Nation with these simple and profound words: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The very phrase, one Nation, means that we embrace, among other things, the religious beliefs of all people, including Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. In other words, we pledge on a daily basis to be an inclusive and tolerant Nation. I myself am the son of two Protestant ministers and have a strong religious center, and while I will support the premise of this resolution I have reservations about its exclusive language. In advocating against desecration of the flag, we should also advocate against the desecration of the principles for which it stands, including inclusivity. In fact, I agree with Vice President Gore who has called for bridging the gap between those on the right who would impose their religious values on others and threaten the notion of separation of church and State, and those on the left who believe that religious values should play no role in addressing public needs. The language of this resolution, which specifies particular religious practices and beliefs, does not bridge the gap. A more appropriate step was proposed last week at the Family Reunion Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, by Vice President Gore as he announced a new Community Building Initiative that would provide technical assistance and training to faith-based and non-profit organizations. Faith and values-based organizations reach out to all in need. They feed the hungry, clothe the poor, take care of those that are ill. In short, their vision and mission is to uplift their neighbors and make their lives better. While resolutions are well-intentioned, the men and women in these organizations do what is called for in this resolution every day. They are healing and practicing tolerance. They set an example for all of us, and we should take our cue from them. As a champion of nonviolence and tolerance, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stated: Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize significant events that occurred 100 years ago, in the year of 1899. A century ago our Nation was engaged in the Philippine-American War and ending the Spanish-American War. Two great literary works were being created by two of the few African-American authors, Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery and W.E.B. DuBois' The Philadelphia Negro. Two automobile empires would begin to prosper, with the entrance of Henry Ford and David Buick into the industry; and Duke Ellington and Ernest Hemingway, and, most significantly, New Psalmist Baptist Church of Baltimore City were born. As we reflect 100 years later on this rich history, it is my honor and privilege to congratulate my pastor, Dr. Walter Scott Thomas, and my New Psalmist Baptist Church family on our 100th anniversary to be celebrated this week. What a blessing for our church celebration to be a part of a centennial anniversary of so many momentous events in our Nation's history. From its meager beginnings in an alley, New Psalmist was guided by Reverend Junius Gray, its founder and visionary leader. From its home at Riggs Avenue and Woodyear Street to North and Druid Hill Avenues in Baltimore, Reverend Frederick Atkins took the reins and preserved the traditions and spirit of the church. Over the years, New Psalmist Baptist Church has flourished, expanding from a membership of 5 to more than 5,000. Under the illustrious leadership of its current pastor, Dr. Walter Scott Thomas, the church has done the following: Birthed 13 ministers; founded a fully accredited Christian school, grades pre-K through 5; an education ministry; establish a 3-year discipleship program; launched two radio broadcasts aired throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and a television ministry aired twice weekly; and established several outreach ministries, including those focused on seniors, youth, health and prison. I was especially honored to welcome our Nation's top leader, President Bill Clinton, to our church on November 1, 1998. Mr. Speaker, 100 years after the birth of New Psalmist, our Nation has also made tremendous strides. Our Nation has fought and won numerous wars and strives to encourage the principles of democracy worldwide. African-American literature, movies and music have infiltrated American culture and have become widely recognized by the mainstream. The automobile industry has developed battery-operated and electric motor vehicles, and there are 39 African-Americans that have been elected to serve as Members of the United States House of Representatives. Even with all of these changes, albeit positive, it is still good to know that some things do remain the same. New Psalmist remains a key cornerstone of spiritual leadership to my home district of Baltimore and to the Nation, as well as a source of inspirational outreach and education. Pastor Thomas, associate ministers, officers and members have carried on a legacy of selfless dedication and commitment to the greater Baltimore community. Not only are souls being saved, but lives are being revitalized and uplifted. Members are educating Baltimore's youth, assisting in getting people to work, and ensuring that citizens are getting appropriate health care. In other words, the church is helping real people with real-life issues. Walking in faith and working together for good, New Psalmist has provided leadership and strength to families, men, women and children, searching for a church home. Personally, Pastor Thomas and the members have had a profound impact and have been a constant source of strength in my life and that of my family's, and it is good to have my minister and my church to call upon in good and tough times. So it is today that I applaud New Psalmist on its continued spiritual tradition and congratulate Pastor Walter Scott Thomas and my church family on its 100th anniversary.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, each year the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its Ladies Auxiliary sponsor the Voice of Democracy audio-essay scholarship competition. The program is now in its 52nd year and requires high school student entrants to write and record a three-to-five minute essay on an announced patriotic theme. This year's theme is ``My Service to America'', and over 80,000 students participate in the program nationwide. It gives me great pleasure to announce that John Meise, a senior at Mount St. Joseph High School in Maryland's 7th Congressional District, has been named a National winner in the 1999 Voice of Democracy Program and recipient of the $1,000 Ervin and Lorraine Rothenbuhler Scholarship Award. He plans a career in medicine. John was sponsored by VFW Post 6484 in Woodlawn Maryland. Following is Mr. Meise's submission. Ever since July 4, 1776, the citizens of the United States of America has served their country in a myriad of ways. Such service, is what preserves the ideals for which we stand in the United States: ``life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.'' These three are the most elemental principles on which our great country rests. Through service to America and our fellow citizens, we can guard those ideals from which our forefathers set forth in the declaration of independence. The right, that we treasure most, is life. Human life is to be held in the highest regard because we believe that everyone is equal. Color, religion, and social standing do not provide a basis on which a person is to be judged. Since we are all citizens of the United States we are equal. Community service can help us to realize this fully. During my sophomore and junior years of high school, I volunteered at the University of Maryland Hosptial's Shock Trauma Center. I completed approximately two hundred hours of service there and I enjoyed every minute of it. Through the hospital I was able to help people that were in terrible predicaments. I offered by services to people on all rungs of the social ladder and through that I made an important personal discovery. I observed that social class did not pre- determine a person's disposition. Some the the poorest patients I met were probably the most kind-hearted. Whether I was running a patient's blood to the lab for tests or feeding a paraplegic man his dinner, I knew I was helping someone important. I also knew that I was offering such service without expecting anything in return. I believe the satisfaction I received in my efforts at the hospital illustrates what the American character is all about. Through cooperation and helping others we actually provide a service to America itself in what we promote the basis morals and values which our society cannot progress. As Americans, we hold liberty to be one of the most important aspects of our lives. We have the freedom to choose what we want to do. We may take this liberty for granted, but many people live in countries where they are not granted the freedoms that we use everyday. I feel that this freedom must be protected if we are to continue to live our lives the way we have always lived them. Our armed forces are one of the instruments, which serve to protect this most precious liberty. I belive the best way for me to serve my country and protect such an ideal is by serving in the armed forces. Presently, I am applying to both the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Military Academy at West Point in the hope that I may be granted an appointment to one of these institutions, so I might be allowed the opportunity to serve my country this way. I have aspired to serve in the military my entire life and I have been inspired by the many people who have served and by the many who have sacrificed their lives in their country's service. A few years ago, I was an instructor at a Red Cross program for kids who did not know how to swim. We taught them the rudiments of water activity. I got a thrill seeing children, who had been previously afraid of the water, now able to swim and play in the water and enjoy it. This reminds me that the ``pursuit of happiness'' in this situation would be quite impossible without the help of the volunteers. We willingly committed ourselves to helping the children pursue happiness. Once again, this shows how service is one of the underlying factors in the American character. While many different people give service in many different ways, these citizens ultimately provide a solid core around on which our country can rest. Everyone's individual service to others eventually unfolds to a single service to America: its preservation. Through volunteering our time, we maintain the very ideals for which the thirteen original colonies broke away from England, In service we continue and protect our freedom, our life, and our pursuit of happiness.''

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, sadly, over 50 percent of Americans believe that with managed care the quality of health care has declined. They feel powerless and unprotected. The solution? A Bill of Rights. Our Nation's forefathers were concerned about the government becoming unresponsive to the will of the people, so they enacted citizen protections and guarantees. Today, managed care has become unresponsive to the will of our Nation's patients. Lack of access to medical care or prescription drugs, inability to determine when medical care is necessary, and inability to seek legal redress on medical decisions. Enactment of a Patients' Bill of Rights is ripe. As lawmakers, it is our duty. Let us adopt our forefathers' insight, renew our citizens' sense of empowerment in their health care, and pass a Patients' Bill of Rights.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the Juneteenth National Museum, located in my home district of Baltimore, Md., and in observance of the National Juneteenth Celebration. On Saturday, June 19, 1999, the Juneteenth National Museum held its 11th annual ``Juneteenth'' celebration commemorating the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth is generally celebrated on June 19, which is considered as the day of emancipation from slavery of African-Americans in Texas. It was this day in 1866 that Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order #3 to the people of Galveston, Texas, informing them of their new status as free men. Since then, Juneteenth was celebrated in Texas, and quickly spread to other southern states, such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and eventually the rest of the country. In addition to a festival, the celebration included the purchase of lands or ``emancipation grounds'' by freed slaves in honor of the celebration. On January 1, 1980, under the provisions of House Bill No. 1016, the 66th Congress of the United States declared June 19th ``Emancipation Day in Texas,'' making Juneteenth a legal state holiday. ``Ring the Bell of Freedom'' was the Juneteenth National Museum's festival theme for 1999. Juneteenth is an important event in Baltimore that celebrates American history and historical figures. The annual occurrence of Juneteenth attracts people from across the state to downtown Baltimore in observance of this event. Among the various festivities, the celebration included lectures on important historical figures, spoken word readings, musical attractions, and food venues that satisfied every taste imaginable. There were shopping opportunities for antique buffs, and a vast array of arts and crafts available for purchase. In keeping with this year's theme, the celebration featured an emotionally stirring re-enactment of a slave auction. Still, along with the painful images that accompany an event like a slave auction, came the sweet and pleasant visions of liberation and freedom. There was also a walk through a historical exhibit on Paul Robeson, along with a lecture from Dr. Beryl Williams, Dean Emeritus of Morgan State University. Further, the Juneteenth festival featured both a tap and step dance exhibition, along with a family tent with activity and game tables for children and adults. It concluded with a performance by the New Baltimore Hand Dancers at the dance pavilion. The Juneteenth Festival has grown to be a vitally important part of not only Baltimore, but African-American culture as well. True to tradition, this year's celebration proved to be as exciting as ever. I congratulate Juneteenth National Museum on a successful Juneteenth celebration.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, low fat, light on substance and without additives. These are the phrases that should describe a good diet. Unfortunately, these terms are better applied to the mockery of a proposal that the Republicans of this Congress have sent forward as gun safety provisions to this House floor. Shame on us for allowing precious time to pass, lives to be lost, funerals to be held and tears to be shed before deciding to come to grips with a problem that has plagued us for years. Shame on us for allowing special interest groups to wield artificial power and influence over us when we direct the power flow of our country. Shame on us for repeatedly appeasing special interest groups at the cost and sacrifice of our youth. Shame on us. Under the proposed legislation in the Juvenile Justice Act of 1999 it is conceivable that a visitor to the Nation's Capital traveling from building to building is subject to face more security than a criminal trying to buy a firearm at a gun show. The Senate has realized the pressing nature of this situation and has acted. It is now our turn. Mr. Speaker, our loopholes lead to nothing but bullet holes, and, my colleagues, I strongly urge swift passage of gun safety provisions.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, when manufactured products injure our children, we must act. When manufactured products play a role in the death of our children, we must act. This concept is simple and is not new. For years safety regulations have been promulgated aimed at protecting our children from certain products. I hold in my hand a product that is small but has maimed or taken the lives of thousands, a firecracker. Forty percent of its victims have been children under 15 years of age. Fortunately, however, injury rates from this product are at an all-time low, dropping 30 percent from 1995 to 1996 alone. Why? Federal safety regulations. In other words, we took action. It took decades of tragic experience to teach us this lesson. We are now facing a similar situation. Thirteen of our Nation's youth are dying each day from a manufactured product, guns. I submit that we learn our lesson now. Again, this concept is simple. It is not new. Let us act this week to ensure the safety of our children.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I agree with him. As the gentleman was talking, I was thinking to myself that we spend a lot of time on this floor and we spend a lot of time in committee, but the kind of things that the gentleman is talking about costs very little. We are always worried about how much money we are spending, spending. We just allocated quite a bit of money for the war in Kosovo. But the fact is, is that taking some time, just taking some time and celebrating, that is what we are doing. First of all, we are encouraging our children to read. Then when they have done that, we take time to celebrate their victories. I have often said to parents in my district that there is nothing greater that we can do as adults, nothing greater than creating positive memories in the minds of children. One of the things that I have to always remind myself of is that children think differently than we do. Those certificates will last those children until they die. They will go with them. That is something that they can look back on and say that ``I was recognized by one of 435 Members of the House of Representatives.'' Not a lot of children in our country can say that. That is very significant. I have given certificates to children, and then parents will let me know, grandmothers let me know, ``You know what? You presented a certificate to my child 7 years ago, and it is still up there on my child's wall. It is up there on that wall to remind my child that she was recognized or he was recognized at an early age.'' That leads me to another point. I would like to really have the gentleman's comments on this. I had an opportunity to visit a school not very long ago where a teacher, the principal said ``We really want you to see our best teacher.'' We had gone through several classrooms. My staff and I had gone through several classrooms. When we got to this last classroom, it was a second grade class, and this was on a Monday. So the principal said, ``Well, Ms. Jones, what are you teaching today?'' She said, ``Well, I am teaching the material that we tested on Friday, this past Friday.'' So the principal said, ``Well, why are you doing that? I mean you already had the test.'' The teacher said something that will stick in the DNA of every cell of my brain forever. She said, ``Every child in my class should have an A, and not everybody got an A.'' That really touched me, because I mean she got it. She understood. She wanted all of her children to rise. She did not want some As, some Bs, some Cs and some Ds. She made it clear that ``I am going to make sure that all of my children rise so that they can move on to the next level.'' I think sometimes what happens is we are so busy trying to categorize our children that maybe, just maybe we do a disservice. One of the things that research has shown over and over again is that a lot of our children, the children that we talk about, the little kindergartners and the first graders, they have so much enthusiasm and they are so anxious to learn. Even when they are in that little 0 to 3, 2 and 3- year-old range, they are like little sponges and they are just grabbing information, and they are excited and jumping up and down. But research has shown, as they get a little bit older, get to that fourth and fifth grade, a lot of times that enthusiasm for some reason goes down. I mean the gentleman from North Carolina having been an educator and the head of education for his State, I would just like to have his comments on that.

Mr. CUMMINGS. As the gentleman was talking about school construction, one of the things that we recently did in my district, we had to get new computers, and so we decided to take our old computers and give them to one of our public schools. And the amazing thing about this situation is, when we gave those computers, we did not know how bad off that school was. The school had 1,600 students and they had 260 kindergartners. And the interesting thing, out of that 260 kindergarten children, they had one computer. One computer. And what the principal and the teachers would do, they were very innovative and they were able to rotate those 260 kids around one computer. Now, what we did in our district is, just last week, we gave nine computers. And we were able to clean them up and get them to these kindergartners and these first graders. But I wish the gentleman could have seen how excited they were about those computers. And one of the things that we said during our press conference was that we were encouraging other businesses and other government agencies, before they just toss those computers away, to look at our schools. When a school has a total of 1,600 kids and one computer in this day and age, that is not very good. I look at my office, and we do not even hire folks unless they are pretty efficient and effective with regard to using a computer. And I mention that only because I thought about the fact that my office had gotten EPA a few months ago to give some computers, but the school was so ill-equipped and so old that they did not even have the proper electrical circuits to use the computers. So that goes back to what the gentleman was saying, and I yield back to the gentleman.

Mr. CUMMINGS. And they love it. They actually love it. I assume we are beginning to run out of time here. Mr. Speaker, how much time do we have remaining?

Mr. CUMMINGS. As I was listening to the gentleman, I was thinking about how great this country is and how blessed we are to be here, and I could not help but think about all the things that the gentleman and I have talked about tonight. And the gentleman said something to me earlier that just really touched me. My colleague said that what we need to do is make sure we talk about the positives. So often I think what happens is that we hear the negative stories and we do not hear the positives. Right now probably tonight all over this country and for the next two or three weeks young people are going to be marching down aisles of auditoriums and some of them will have graduation in churches. And these young people have achieved a lot. I look at some of the students in my district, the graduation I just attended. A young man had cancer throughout his last 3 years of high school, and he is graduating with honors. Then I think of a young lady whose mother had died of AIDS, and she took care of her brothers and sisters for 2 or 3 years and now is graduating with a very, very high average, over 92 average. I really think that, and that is why I say my colleague is absolutely right, we have to look at all the wonderful things that our children are doing. As I have said to many audiences in my district, these are the children that come from our womb. They are the children that have our blood running through their veins. And if we do not lift up our children, who are we going to lift up, I mean if we really think about it? I think that we, as a Congress, have to continue to find innovative ways to lift our children up so that they can be the best that they can be. Every time I see a group of children come here to the Capitol, and I saw my colleague talking to a group just in the last week or so, I look at those children and I ask myself, Where will they be 5 years from now? Where will they be 10 years from now? Will they be sitting in the Congress? Will they be teachers? Will they be lawyers? Will they be doctors? Or will they have dropped out? And I know that we as adults have a tremendous responsibility to do everything in our power to make their lives the very best that they can be. Because when we really think about it, if it were not for adults that gave us the guidance, we would not be standing here right now. If it were not for the teachers that taught us to read and write and do arithmetic, we would not be here right now. So I think we have to continue to say to ourselves, look, it is not enough to talk, but to go out there and do the kinds of things that my colleague and I have talked about this evening. And again, I applaud my colleague for all the wonderful things that he has done and I thank him for sharing this evening with me and sharing these ideas. Because I am going to take a lot of the ideas that my colleague just talked about now, and I have got to tell him, I might not give him the credit for them when I take them, but I am going to use them. But I want to thank him for his leadership.

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding and thank him for his leadership in the Congress in reminding all of us how important education is. Mr. Speaker, I am a great believer in Dr. James Comer. Dr. Comer has a philosophy which I truly believe in, and he talks about the fact that a child can have the will, a child can have the genetic ability, but if a child does not have the opportunity, then that child is in trouble, he is going to have problems. I look at my own life. I started it off in special education. I was told I would never be able to read or write. But because of opportunity, because there were teachers who stood by me and told me what I could be instead of telling me what I could not be, because of my parents who were involved, and I know we are going to be talking about parents tonight and how important that is; but I can remember, I say to the gentleman, that when my father, who worked at Davidson Chemical Company, he would come to our PTA meetings. And he used to work in the evenings and his boss would let him come to the PTA meetings in his overalls, all greasy, but he would come in there and talk to the teachers and participate in the PTA meetings, and he played a significant role in our lives, and the teachers expected him to be there. But just going back to some of the things that the gentleman was saying a little while earlier, I too have been involved in these commencements and I have seen so many of our children who go through so much difficulty to get through high school and they make it, and it just makes one feel good to see those young people marching down that aisle and to know that they have truly accomplished something. I think it is important for us as Members of Congress to do what the gentleman said that he does and I do and I am sure many of our other Members do, and that is to celebrate our children's lives, to celebrate their victories. I think I was telling the gentleman a little bit earlier about a wonderful contest that we had in our State whereby our Department of Children, Youth and Family, the Governor's Department of Children, Youth and Family, sponsored a contest for the school that read the most books. Out of our 24 counties, I am very pleased to say, and out of our eight congressional districts, there was a school in my district that read the most books, an elementary school. The school is not located in the most affluent area, but these children made a decision that they were going to work hard; and they read these books and they had a way of making sure that they examined them, and they had to do little reports and whatever. But I say to the gentleman, I am going to go by there when they have the awards to celebrate with them, to say, hey, you did a good job. I think that those are the kinds of things that are so important. Again, I emphasize that I want to thank the gentleman, because as we watch the gentleman on this floor and all of the things that he does behind the scenes, his coming to this Congress has been very significant in that he has lighted the way we view education; and the gentleman has put it definitely out on the front burner and has made it something that is extremely significant, reminding us that if we support our children and work with them, we can make a difference. So I am going to yield back to the gentleman, but I will be here for a while, so I look forward to just listening him.

Mr. CUMMINGS. I want to thank the gentleman for what he just talked about. When the gentleman presented that list, those are also the things that build character. That is what character is all about, when we look at that list, trustworthiness and respect. But that leads me to something else also. We have, certainly in the last few weeks, this Congress and our Nation have become very, very upset about what happened in Littleton, Colorado, and what happened in Conyers, Georgia; and I think all of us have been searching for answers, as parents first and legislators second, trying to search our souls to try to figure out how can we bring a peace and a needed tranquility to our schools so that our children can learn and feel safe in school. And one of the things that I guess has truly impressed me is a school in my district called Walbrook Senior High School. Walbrook is an inner city school and had had quite a few problems. They brought in a principal, a fellow named Andrey Bundley, Dr. Andrey Bundley; he is about 38 years old. And while other schools were putting up metal detectors, he was taking them down, and he did it with the very kind of things the gentleman just talked about. What he said was, look, young people, let us create an environment of safety. This is before all of these events just happened or came about. But he said, I want to create an environment of safety, and he talked about the very things that the gentleman has there. He just said, we are going to be responsible for each other, we are going to respect each other, we are going to trust each other. He said, there is no such thing as a snitch because what we want to do is create an environment where we all feel safe. So what I have done, taking a note from the gentleman's own notebook, I have created what I call the U-Turn Award. This is an award that we are presenting to schools that have been able to turn their schools around. And we are going to be presenting it on June 1 to Walbrook and to their principal, Dr. Bundley. When I walk through that school, and the gentleman and I talked about this a little earlier, a person can walk through a school and in 30 seconds to a minute they can tell a lot about the principal. And when I walk through that school now, all the children are in their classes or they are moving peacefully through the halls. They are very respectful of each other. Dr. Bundley, on my last visit, just stopped some students in the hall and he said, what kind of school do we have here, and they said we have a school where we respect each other. As Pollyanna-ish as it may sound, the fact is that is what it should be all about, reminding our young people. And these kids are a little older now, because we are talking about high school, but reminding them that, as he says, if we all want a safe school, then we are all going to make sure we create an environment of safety and we are all part of that environment. The students have as much say as the principal has to say. And then what he found was that a lot of these children, while their homes may not have been like that, when they got these lessons, acquired these lessons at school, he found them taking them into their homes. Because the parents would say, I am surprised, Johnny always talks about this trustworthiness and this responsibility. What they discovered was that once they began to do that and they took down the metal detectors, they discovered that by having that type of responsibility, that trustworthiness, that looking out for each other, that that is sort of valuing the family, the family of the school, and it felt good. It felt good that they could sit in that classroom. And the next thing that happened was, other people were recognizing it. And that is one of the most important things about this recognition that the gentleman talked about. When I was in school, we felt so proud of our school. And one of the reasons we felt so proud was we always had people coming in, the Mayor would come in sometimes, the Congressmen would come in and would recognize what we did. So that creates a certain pride, and that is why when the gentleman talks about the awards that he gives, I think that is so special and so important. Because by coming in there and saying, look, gang, you are really doing a great job and I recognize you; and even tonight, the gentleman mentioning the schools that he has mentioned, and my mentioning the schools that I have mentioned, that word will get out. And I guarantee that somebody will be on a P.A. system tomorrow morning saying, guess what, in the Congress of the United States of America our school was mentioned or our school was highlighted. But something else will happen, too, and that is that there will be other schools that will say, ``Well, the next time I see Congressman Etheridge standing up, I'm hoping that he will talk about what we did.'' And something else will happen through this dialogue, and that is, other Members of Congress and other State and local officials will look at this and say, well, hey, maybe we can do some of these same things. Because truly we all have to work together to make our schools work. So I take this moment to congratulate Walbrook Senior High School for what they have done. And, again, it is just so interesting that when the gentleman mentioned that list of items just a moment ago, it is the same list, almost identical to the very things that Dr. Bundley at Walbrook talked about. I yield back to the gentleman.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Transportation Week to discuss the safety of our Nation's children. As a father of a four-year-old, this issue hits home for me. I am a strong advocate of child passenger safety laws, but sadly, not all of America's drivers are. Listen to the statistics. Each year, 1,800 children ages 14 and under are killed. More than 280,000 are injured. An average of 24 children 10 years and under die every week. Why is this happening? We are not protecting our children. Six out of 10, or 60 percent, of the children who die in automobile crashes are unrestrained. No seat belt, no car seat. Mr. Speaker, the law is clear. All children must be buckled up at all times. As parents and drivers, let us demonstrate a commitment to protecting our youth. I urge my colleagues to buckle up and travel safely.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, food and medicine are very, very important to people. Sadly, in Baltimore City and Baltimore County and all over this Nation, it has become increasingly clear that after a lifetime of service to family and community, too many seniors are faced with the cruel and difficult choice between paying for the miracle drugs which sustain life and buying food. The findings of the Committee on Government Reform minority staff study of my district, the 7th Congressional District of Maryland, demonstrates that in Baltimore a senior citizen paying for his or her own prescription drugs must pay on the average more than twice as much for the drugs as the drug companies' favored customers. For the five drugs investigated in this study, the average price differential was 133 percent. The drug with the highest price differential was Synthroid, a commonly used hormone treatment manufactured by Knoll Pharmaceuticals. For this drug, the price differential for senior citizens in Maryland was an incredible 1,641 percent. An equivalent dose of this drug would cost the manufacturers' favored customers $1.75. An uninsured senior citizen in Baltimore must pay over $30. Now, because large preferred customers of the drug companies typically buy in bulk, some difference between retail prices and favored customer prices would be expected. But the study found there is an unusually large price differential being enforced for prescription drugs, over six times greater than the average price differential for other consumer goods typically purchased by senior citizens. Moreover, it appears to be pharmaceutical manufacturers, not our local drug stores, which are responsible for the far higher prices. Local pharmacies appear to have relatively small markups between the prices at which they buy prescription drugs and the prices at which they sell them. Retail prices are just 5 percent above manufacturers suggested price to pharmacies. It appears that the drug companies are engaged in a form of discriminatory pricing that victimizes those who are least able to afford it. Large corporate governmental and institutional customers with market power are able to buy their drugs at discounted prices. Drug companies then raise prices for sales to seniors and others who pay for drugs themselves to compensate for these discounts to the favored customers. By engaging in these cost-switching price practices, drug manufacturers are earning enormous profits, while seniors must choose between food and medicine. America's top 10 drug manufacturers are expected to reap approximately $20 billion in profits in 1999 alone. Reducing the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and other uninsured individuals is a moral imperative. Until we can achieve expanded Medicare coverage, the Federal Government should not be doing business with drug manufacturers which discriminate against uninsured senior citizens and others in their pricing. That is why I commend and join the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Allen) and another 100 of the Members in Congress in cosponsoring the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act. This legislation would not enact price controls, but the government would cease buying drugs from companies which engage in cost-switching. It would require drug manufacturers to sell to pharmacies the drugs needed by Medicare patients at the lowest price paid by any government agency or other preferred customer. This bill would assert the Federal Government's purchasing power to encourage the compassionate and evenhanded pricing of live-saving prescription drugs. The bill would allow pharmacies to benefit from the government's purchasing power, effectively reducing the price that they pay for the drugs they dispense to Medicare beneficiaries. Based upon our analysis of Baltimore's prices and those applicable in other areas, I believe that pharmacies would pass most of these savings on to Medicare patients in the form of lower prices. Today drug companies are utilizing market forces against the interest of senior citizens in a way which is unfair and contrary to our national interests. We can make the market follow morality. Never again should any senior citizen be forced to choose between food and medicine. I urge my colleagues to support the Prescription Drug Fairness for Seniors Act.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, May 16 to 21 is National Transportation Week. During National Transportation Week, I will honor the many accomplishments of the Department of Transportation and our dedicated transportation workers. I will highlight the human factors, the technology, education, and safety accomplishments that make our transportation system one of the best in the world. Usually when we discuss transportation we comment on the aspects of the industry, such as highways, airplanes, and railroads. But what about the people? The people are the element that make transportation work and have firmly established the United States transportation system as one of the safest and most efficient in the world. The bus drivers, the airline pilots, ships' captains, locomotive engineers, air traffic controllers, and truck drivers, to name just a few, function in a fast-paced dynamic environment that requires skill and talent to build, operate and maintain. And so, it is today that we pause to thank those persons who rise every day to carry out the mission of providing all Americans with the freedom of movement, a very basic freedom which is often taken for granted: Transporting children to schools, workers to work, vacationers to various leisure locations all over the country. Simply stated, we thank our transportation workers for bringing life to life. We know that guaranteeing an efficient transportation system requires the best and brightest in our transportation workforce. While new technologies are expanding career opportunities in the transportation industry, much of the seasoned transportation workforce is retiring. In 1997, the Department of Transportation launched an innovative program to combat this problem. Spearheaded by Secretary Rodney Slater, the Garrett A. Morgan Technology and Transportation Futures Program is a national education program designed to reach and challenge one million students of all ages to focus on their math, science, and technology skills. The Department's program was named after Garrett A. Morgan, an African-American entrepreneur who invented the automated gas mask and traffic signal, a device that for more than 75 years remains the primary safety tool for managing automobile traffic. Despite his economically poor background and lack of education, his lifetime of achievement is a model of dedication to public service, public safety, and technology innovation. The Garrett A. Morgan program builds a foundation for success in the twenty-first century transportation industry. Designing and implementing satellite navigation and positioning devices, intermodal transportation facilities, advanced highway construction, magnetic levitation technology, and ``smart growth'' community planning are but a few of the critical needs for transportation and global engagement in the new millennium. In unveiling the program, Secretary Slater stated, ``We want to inspire students to choose careers in transportation so that this Nation will have the skilled workforce needed to operate and maintain the world's best transportation system.'' I urge my colleagues to salute the transportation workforce for what they do every day and for the service they will provide in the future.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, along with my colleagues, Representatives Davis and Morella, I am pleased to introduce the Federal Employees' Overtime Pay Limitation Amendments Act of 1999. The overtime cap for federal managers and supervisors has not changed for thirty years. Under current law, their overtime pay is limited to that given to a General Schedule level 10 step 1 employee. As the result, managers and supervisors, the majority of whom rank above that level, earn less on overtime than they do for work performed during the regular work week. When this issue was raised at a civil service reform hearing last year, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) testified that the cap was unfair and warranted looking into. My response was, ``When are you going to look into it.'' Like the rest of us, federal managers and supervisors only have their kids and families for a certain amount of time. They deserve to be fairly compensated so that they can adequately provide for their loved ones. They want to send their kids to college, they want to give them violin lessons, they want to move into a new house, and if we wait 10 to 15 years, then they have missed out on a whole lot of life. Representatives Davis and Morella, and I kept the pressure on OPM until it drafted overtime legislation to address this issue. It is this legislation that I am pleased to introduce today. The legislation would change existing law so that no federal employee would receive less than his or her hourly rate of pay for overtime work. Please join me by cosponsoring this legislation for federal managers and supervisors and their families.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the President of the United States, William Jefferson Clinton, I am pleased to introduce the ``Federal Employees' Benefits Equity Act of 1999.'' This proposal eliminates certain inequities under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS), with respect to computation of benefits for certain employees. The legislation also corrects an inequity created by the court decision. Wassenaar v. OPM, that affects benefits for survivors of law enforcement officers and fire fighters who die as federal employees. Under current CSRS and FERS law, certain employees (i.e. air traffic controllers, fire fighters, law enforcement officers, and nuclear materials couriers) qualify for an immediate enhance annuity if separated from service after reaching age 50 and completing 20 years of service. The enhanced annuity, however, requires that they make retirement contributions that are 0.5 percent higher than employees generally. The legislation addresses an inequity that occurs when an employee in one of these occupations is forced to retire because of a disability, or is involuntarily separated (not for cause), before reaching age 50, the employee only receives a regular annuity (and not the enhanced annuity), even if he or she has had 20 years of service in the occupation. The bill fixes this problem by providing the enhanced annuity to employees, who after 20 years of qualifying service, regardless of age, are forced to retire due to involuntary separation, or for disability. The measure also provides for a refund of the additional 0.5 percent retirement contribution, with interest, when employees in these occupations retire or die before attaining eligibility for the enhanced annuity. By supporting this legislation, you support federal firefighters, law enforcement officers, and others, who work in these very demanding occupations.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Representatives Blumenauer and Hoeffel for their effort in organizing this special order on the Department of Transportation's ``Transportation and Community and System Preservation Pilot Program''--an outgrowth of the Clinton Administration's ``Livable Communities'' and ``Smart Growth'' initiatives. Innovative land-use and conservation policies, known as ``smart growth'' strategies, are used by communities across the U.S. to preserve green space, ease traffic congestion, and monitor infrastructure development. As stated by Maryland Governor Paris Glendening, ``The goal of smart growth is not no growth or even slow growth . . . rather, the goal is sensible growth that balances our need for jobs and economic development with our desire to save our natural environment before it is forever lost.'' Mr. Speaker, I submit to you these facts: in 1970, 12 billion vehicle miles were traveled each year in Maryland, by 1990 that number more than doubled to 28 billion vehicles; from 1970 to 1995 Maryland's population grew by 25% from 4 to 5 million--and is expected to top 6 million by 2020; during the same 25 years, the population in the major suburbs around Baltimore City skyrocketed by 67 percent. In the last four years alone, Baltimore City has lost more than 50,000 residents! Facing these daunting statistics, the state of Maryland has been at the forefront of smart growth initiatives. Maryland passed the nation's first comprehensive ``Smart Growth'' Act in 1992, which sought to: concentrate development in suitable areas; protect sensitive and resource areas; direct growth in rural areas to existing population centers; promote stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay; practice conservation and reduce consumption of resources; and encourage economic growth and streamline regulatory mechanisms. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am pleased that the Administration has maintained its commitment to strengthening the federal government's role as a partner with urban and rural communities. Through the Department of Transportation, the Administration has actively pursued objectives that not only make communities more economically attractive, but also improve quality of life. Under the TCSP program funded by the Department of Transportation, the ``Maryland Integrating Transportation and Smart Growth Program''-- MINTS--has been awarded $450,000 to demonstrate how smart growth can successfully be linked with innovative transportation policies. The grant will be used to: maintain and enhance existing communities and contribute to their quality of life and economic vitality; demonstrate how investments in transportation strategies can encourage well-planned growth where it is desired and discourage new development where it is inconsistent with smart growth objectives; and use sound growth management to facilitate community conservation, preservation of infrastructure capacity, and ``smart'' transportation strategies. The MINTS program will be implemented in two distinct growth management settings: First, an urban community where there are challenges to improve the efficiency of the existing transportation system, to conserve the community, and to prompt re-development; and Second, where suburban sprawl threatens rural resource protection goals and generates highway and other infrastructure needs. Mr. Speaker, As legislators, we MUST recognize that growth is inevitable and growth is necessary. However, my hope is that my colleagues will utilize smart growth initiatives outlined by the Clinton administration to protect the environment, while also supporting the growing transportation and infrastructure needs of their districts and states.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of placing the reigns of health and well-being back where they belong--in the hands of the patient. Sadly, over 50% of Americans believe that with the advent of managed care, the quality of health care has declined. The root of this dissatisfaction is the fear that they are powerless and unprotected in the face of possible violations of their rights. The solution: A bill of rights. When drafting our nation's Constitution, our forefathers were concerned about protecting individual rights. As such, they had the insight to enact a Bill of Rights, guaranteeing freedom of religion and speech, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and subsequently outlawing slavery and providing people of color and women the right to vote. These built-in Constitutional checks and balances were included to keep the government from becoming too powerful and unresponsive to the will of the people. Well, we are currently witnessing a period in which managed care has become unresponsive to the will of the people. To date, over 22,000 persons have signed a petition calling for patients' rights. And as lawmakers, we have a duty to provide checks and balances to guarantee our nation's patients the right to quality health care. A Patients' Bill of Rights should include: Access to specialists, emergency care, and reproductive services; the right to appeal or seek legal redress on HMO decisions; guaranteed transitional care; physicians and patients determining what care is medically necessary; and expanded access to prescription drugs and clinical trials. Enactment of these provisions is a critical and essential step towards fulfilling our duty to our citizens and creating the health care safety net that they deserve. Let's adopt the insight of our forefathers who believed that all citizens had the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Let's enhance these rights by renewing our citizens' sense of empowerment in their own health and welfare. Pass H.R. 358, the Patient's Bill of Rights.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, recently, we celebrated National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week and today I recognize the medical advances that have made organ transplantation a viable treatment option. Thanks to those who have given the gift of life, more than 20,000 individuals received an organ transplant in 1996. However, each year, the number of organs donated in the United States falls tragically short of the need. Sadly, more than 55,000 people are on the national organ transplant waiting list and about 10 will die each day as the waiting lists continue to grow. Organ donation is increasing, but not fast enough to come close to meeting the need. In recent years, progress has been made in creating awareness of the need for organ donation. Most Americans indicate they support organ donation. Nonetheless, only about 50 percent of families asked to donate a loved one's organs agree to do so. Moreover, thousands of opportunities to donate are missed each year, either because families do not know what their loved ones wanted, or because potential donors are not identified for organ procurement organizations and their families are never asked. To address these barriers to donation, government and private sector partnerships must be focused on * * * * * * that we from government and the private sector. But most importantly, we need volunteers willing to share the gift of life. To achieve this goal, there must be an emphasis on increasing consent to donation and referrals to organ procurement organizations. However, we must also ensure that our social and work environments are amenable to persons serving as donors. That is why I urge support of my legislation H.R. 457, the Organ Donor Leave Act, which would provide federal employees an additional 7 days to serve as a bone- marrow donor, and 30 days to serve as an organ donor. Passage of this measure would stand as a model for private employees to amend their personnel policies to grant additional paid leave to living donors who give bone marrow, a kidney, or other organs. Without donors, transplant surgeons cannot save even one life. With just one donor, they can save and improve as many as 50 lives. I believe that we must all pledge to join the national community of organ and tissue sharing by closing the gap between donated organs and tissue and the people who need them. With this commitment, we pave the way for our nation to be able to answer the hopes and needs of those who now wait too long for a second chance at life. I urge support of H.R. 457 and challenge all Americans to say ``yes'' to organ and tissue donation.

Mr. CUMMINGS

Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, recently, leaders of the National Council of Women's Organizations came to Washington. Foremost on their agenda was the impact of Social Security reform proposals on women. These women said ``Don't forget about us.'' Our nation's social security system has had a successful tradition of providing ``assistance'' to our seniors and disabled. However, changes in our society's economic and social conditions warrant structural revisions. Although there is no immediate danger to the system, the threat of insolvency has moved us to take action to preserve Social Security for the ``baby boom'' generation. As such, this debate is not about whether reform is necessary, but what structural revisions would best suit our seniors. Mr. Speaker, I submit to you today that as we evaluate these revisions, I will not forget that Social Security benefits are essential to the women of America. I will not forget that without Social Security, more than 50% of all women over age 65 would be living in poverty today. I will not forget that during their most employable years, women earn only about 74% of what men are paid. And, I will not forget that women are less likely to work full-time and more likely to spend time outside the paid labor force while raising children. As a result, only 26% of women over age 65 received a pension of annuity payment in 1995. Our current Social Security benefits structure protects workers with lower lifetime earnings--including most women and minority workers. Social Security provides an inflation-protected benefit that lasts as long as the beneficiary lives. Since women tend to live longer than men, they are in greater danger of outliving their other sources of retirement income; but it is impossible to outlive one's Social Security benefit. The current system also provides extra benefits to spouses with low lifetime earnings which helps many women, even if they did not work at all outside the home. Further, Social Security provides benefits to spouses of any age who care for children under 16 if the worker (other spouse) is retired, becomes disabled, or dies. Women represent 98 percent of recipients receiving benefits as spouses with a child in their care. In the future, Social Security will continue to be important for women. As the labor force participation rates of women rise, women will reach retirement with much more substantial earnings histories than in the past. Therefore the percentage of women receiving benefits based solely on their own earnings history is expected to rise from 37 percent today to 60 percent in 2060. However, this means that 40 percent of women will continue to receive benefits based on their husband's earnings. These aforementioned provisions allow us to claim that our current retirement system is equitable and just. Significantly, both financial necessity and social justice demand that to maintain this claim, a new system must retain minimum, guaranteed benefits and critical protections so that women are not penalized for inequity in pay and for taking care of the rest of us. As Franklin Roosevelt stated: ``* * * [this] law will take care of human needs.'' Let's not forget women's needs. I urge my colleagues to remember women and support social security reform that would bring their real life needs and circumstances into account.