Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this legislation. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer), the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and the ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. I acknowledge the hard work and passion of good friends on both sides of the issue; leaders on one side eloquently stating the challenges that remain in our relationship with China, others highlighting the opportunities this agreement presents for Americans and the China people. I believe we share the same goals. We all want to expand our economy and to increase opportunities for all Americans. And we all want to encourage reform in China, nurturing freedom for over 1 billion people, making the world a safer place for everyone. This debate has shown that people of good intentions can strongly disagree on a means to achieving the same ends. I am convinced that passing permanent normal trade relations and engaging with China is the best course for our economy, our national security, and the Chinese people. I know that increased exports of wine, citrus, beef, and other farm products will benefit the families of my central coast district in California. And I know the high-tech industry, so critical to our economic future, will gain critical access to Chinese markets. But I also strongly believe the Chinese people will, in the long run, win as well. I note the recent statements by the Dalai Lama endorsing China's entry into the World Trade Organization and by Taiwan's new president in support of PNTR. These are calls for continued engagement with China, and they are calls we should heed. But passing PNTR is only the first step. The real work now lies before us. We must ensure China lives up to its commitments in this agreement. We must encourage American companies to uphold the very best of our values in China. We should not shrink from this challenge and this opportunity by refusing to engage with China. We must continue to highlight China's human rights shortages and encourage the voices of progressive change in that country. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, today the House considered H.R. 4475, the Transportation Appropriations bill for FY2001. Due to an important family event, I was unable to vote on the measure. Had I been here, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall No. 210 and ``no'' on rollcall No. 209.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, the Transportation Appropriations bill will make critical investments that are needed throughout our country to improve our transportation infrastructure, promote economic development and ensure safe travel. In particular, Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight two vital projects contained in the legislation for which I was able to obtain funding. The bill contains $250,000 to help the county of Santa Barbara to build a bicycle/pedestrian bridge in Goleta. CA. This will provide safe passage for pedestrians and bicyclists over a major county road, U.S. Highway 101 and a railroad, connecting a large residential community with a major shopping center, a 25-acre community park and coastal access. The bill also contains $240,000 to allow the Santa Maria Organization of Transportation Helpers, Inc. [SMOOTH] to purchase a second set of three new 21-passenger, wheelchair-lift-equipped minibuses. SMOOTH is a nonprofit organization that for 23 years has been providing transportation services for seniors, disabled, economically disadvantaged and geographically isolated persons. In response to my request last year for $480,000 for six new minibuses, Congress appropriated $240,000 in fiscal year 2000. These new funds would allow SMOOTH to complete their bus expansion and replacement program.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidable detained earlier today and missed rollcall vote No. 154. Had I been here I would have voted ``yea.'' Stated against.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4365, the Children's Health Act of 2000. As a school nurse, a mother, a grandmother, children's health is an issue that has been of great concern to me throughout my life. This bill would dedicate more Federal spending to childhood diseases, including autism, early hearing loss, juvenile diabetes, and many others. I want to highlight the new focus on infant hearing loss. I recently served as a panelist at a briefing on infant hearing held by the National Campaign for Hearing Health. Every day, 33 newborns leave hospitals in this country with undiagnosed hearing loss. Yet, only one- third of all infants are tested for this most common birth defect. More than half of the infants born today with hearing impairments go undetected until age two or three, which can have a long-term impact on language, social, and cognitive skills. We can do better than that for our children, especially since new and effective treatments are now available. This legislation will provide needed grants to develop statewide newborn and infant hearing screening evaluations and intervention programs and systems. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join parents and grandparents with children and grandchildren who suffer from these childhood diseases in supporting this very important bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and I wish to pay tribute to 4 remarkable teachers on the central coast of California. What a joy this is. Last month Tory Babcock, an English teacher at Santa Ynez High School, was named Santa Barbara County Teacher of the Year. She was cited for her work in challenging students to embrace reading and writing, as well as her professionalism, her enthusiasm and success in motivating students in the classroom and beyond. She will be considered for California Teacher of the Year in the fall. Dr. Ed Avila was recently chosen by Hispanic Magazine as Hispanic Teacher of the Year. Dr. Avila is the director of the Endeavour Academy, an engineering and applied science preparatory school within a public school. A national panel of Hispanic leaders and educators selected Dr. Avila for exhibiting excellence in curriculum innovation, subject competence and the ability to motivate students. Just last week, Kevin Statom was chosen by Lucia Mar School District as Teacher of the Year. As head of the Arroyo Grande High School math department, Mr. Statom has been praised specifically for his efforts to get disinterested students turned on to math. Students at the high school praised him for spending at least 20 hours a week outside the classroom giving them the extra help they need. Finally, Mark Fairbank, a Paso Robles High science teacher, was recently chosen as one of the three best teachers in California. He is also under consideration for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Mr. Fairbank is an expert in alternative learning tools and cross curricular learning that can help students who learn visually, such as those with dyslexia. Mr. Speaker, the Central Coast of California has much to be proud of. I am glad that we here in Congress are taking the time to honor our teachers. The education of our children and, indeed, of our future as a Nation rests on the quality of our Nation's teachers.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. As an original cosponsor of this bill, I know how important it is that everyone have access to their local TV stations. Locally-broadcast TV is most Americans' primary source of news, weather, and emergency information. But in my district and in rural areas across this country, many people cannot watch their own local stations. The hills and valleys in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties preclude thousands of my constituents from receiving local TV over the air. Some of my constituents do not have affordable access to cable, or they want a different choice. Many of them turn to satellite TV, but they could not get their local stations over the satellite. So last year we passed legislation allowing so-called local into local broadcasting. But we knew then what we know now, most markets in the country will not be covered. Outside the top 40 media markets, local into local broadcasting is not going to happen because there is not enough money in it. Citizens in places like the Central Coast of California still will not have access to their local stations through satellite TV, and local broadcasters still will not be able to get their signals to people who need them most, the folks in their own communities. This is simply unfair to my constituents and to millions of other Americans in rural and underserved areas. The loan program that this bill sets up will help to bridge this gap, so I urge my colleagues to support this critically important bill. Our constituents in rural America deserve access to their local stations. This bill is fair, this bill is just, it is worthy of our support.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the City of Santa Barbara. This past Sunday, I was honored to join the citizens of Santa Barbara in celebrating the rich history and legacy of our community. Santa Barbara is a vibrantly diverse city that draws its heritage from the Chumash, Spanish, Mexican, American and European peoples. Although the incorporation of the city was in 1850, there are other milestones that preceded this date. The community was named in 1602 by Sebastian Vizcaino, a Spanish employer, who came to the area on Saint Barbara's day. In 1782, the King of Spain directed that a presidio be constructed in Santa Barbara and in 1786, the Mission was founded. Both the Presidio and the Mission hold much cultural significance to the citizens of Santa Barbara today and serve as an important reminder of our shared history. In 1850, a charter was adopted by a vote of the citizens and established Santa Barbara as one of the five California charter cities. As a charter city, the citizens of Santa Barbara enjoy ``home rule'' and as a result, the city is a model of how a community can preserve and sustain a high quality of life for its people. Today, Santa Barbara boasts strong public and private schools, the nationally recognized University of California, Santa Barbara, Westmont College and Santa Barbara City College, as well as thriving small businesses, high-tech and tourism industries. But above all, as Santa Barbarans, we pride ourselves on the beauty of our environment and the quaint charm of our community. The importance of clean water, clean air and open spaces has long been recognized as a key to our community's success and we remain committed to protecting the unparalleled beauty that Santa Barbara possesses today. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to represent Santa Barbara in Congress and I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the many achievements of the citizens of Santa Barbara and the contributions that the city has made to America. We wish the community of Santa Barbara 150 more years of success and prosperity.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I support this bill to give taxpayers more rights when dealing with the IRS, but taxpayers should also be protected from shady political organizations. This would be a better bill if it included the Doggett amendment on so-called 527 groups. These are tax-exempt political organizations trying to influence elections. They spend millions of dollars on negative ads, direct mail campaigns, and phone banks. Where do they get their money? From the shadows. 527 groups do not have to disclose how much money they raise or where their money comes from. Voters do not know then who is behind the 30- second TV ads trashing their candidates. There is absolutely no accountability, and the American taxpayer is footing the bill. There is an old saying, Sunshine is the best disinfectant. The Doggett amendment would bring a little sunshine into this shadowy corner of politics. As tax day approaches, Mr. Speaker, I urge the House leadership to let us vote on the Doggett amendment so we can give the American taxpayer and the American voter the break they deserve.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I stand today as a former nurse and strong supporter of the National Institute of Nursing Research, to draw your attention to the tremendous challenges faced by women suffering from chronic health conditions that affect their productivity and quality of life. I urge my colleagues to join me in making the advancement of women's health a national priority. Because of my nursing background, I know first-hand that it is imperative to assure access to quality healthcare. And as a woman, I know that we have special health needs. Studies show that women suffer from a variety of ailments such as heart disease, breast cancer, and depression at alarming rates. Women experience more chronic illness and are prescribed more medications by their physicians than men. Depression, for example, most often strikes women between the ages of 25 and 44. Because of the devastating impact of depression on women during these prime productive years, depression now ranks as the number one cause of disability in women. I was proud to co-sponsor a recent congressional briefing with the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research entitled, ``Reaching Gender Equity in the 21st Century: A Renewed Focus on Women's Health.'' The briefing featured nurse researchers who presented compelling data on different chronic, debilitating conditions that affect women three times more often than men. The National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) appreciates the affects of chronic diseases on a woman's productivity and has merely touched the tip of the iceberg relative to women's health needs and concerns. I am proud to be a member of the nursing community and support the continued work at the NINR. I am circulating a letter to the Appropriations Committee, calling for a significant increase in funding for NINR. NINR is currently undertaking important research to help Americans most efficiently manage their health care problems, so that they will not have to seek hospital care. The purpose of NINR is to support and conduct research and research training to reduce the burden of illness and disability, to improve health-related quality of life, and to promote health and prevent disease, including research on the best methods to help people choose health-promoting behaviors and lifestyles. Research programs supported by the NINR address a number of critical public health and patient care questions, including women's health issues. Here in Congress, we need to support efforts to empower more women to understand and effectively manage chronic illnesses and live more productive and happier lives. We also need to reaffirm our commitment to advancing the understanding of women's health in this country and to assure that scientific knowledge is quickly put into medical practice. I am proud to support NINR and its research, and to have co-sponsored their recent event focusing on women's health. We have made major accomplishments in this area, but we in Congress must keep supporting these efforts. There is still so much to be done.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, it has been a full 5 months since the Breast and Cervical Treatment Act was passed unanimously out of the Committee on Commerce. This life-saving bill currently has 289 cosponsors and enjoys strong bipartisan support. Mother's Day is approaching. What better gift for mothers and grandmothers around this country than to provide treatment for breast and cervical cancer to underserved women? I learned today that the House leadership has agreed to move H.R. 1070 before Mother's Day. I applaud this decision and urge the Speaker to bring a clean bill to the floor for a vote. How much longer must the mothers of this Nation wait?

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lieutenant Commander Edward R. Cassano, who has served as Manager of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary for the last four years. Ed will be stepping down from his post at the Sanctuary next week, but he will not be leaving his passion for the ocean. Ed will assume the role of Executive Director at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Ed's commitment to our oceans and coastal resources is second to none. Throughout his tenure as Sanctuary Manager, Ed has led efforts to broaden the role and increase awareness of the National Marine Sanctuary Program and it is for this reason that I have been proud to support our Sanctuary Program here in the House. One of the things Ed is best known for is his ability to bring people together and create partnerships. For example: the Marine Educators' Regional Alliance represents over 30 organizations concerned with marine education; the Research Activity Panel representing over 25 marine institutions that join together to identify research needs in the Sanctuary; and the Sanctuary Advisory Council which brings together community organization and local, state, and Federal agencies to ensure public input for the Sanctuary Program. All of these were formed under Ed's leadership. Mr. Speaker, last month the California Coastal Commission passed a Resolution honoring Ed for his dedication and outstanding contribution to the State of California and the National Marine Sanctuary Program. This Resolution states that Ed's work is a proud legacy that has significantly improved the quality of life for the people of California and the Nation. I couldn't agree more and I am truly honored to be Ed's Representative in Congress, and more importantly, his friend. I know that his leadership on marine and coastal issues will continue.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I bring to the attention of my colleagues an extraordinary woman, Selma Rubin who was revered by her colleagues, family, and friends on March 28 as she celebrated her 85th birthday in Santa Barbara, CA. I feel so proud to honor my friend and colleague, Selma. The community of Santa Barbara and I are enormously fortunate she made California her home. Selma represents the true definition of what it means to be a citizen--a citizen of the world. Her sensibilities have led her to dedicate her life to championing the causes of human rights, women's rights, the environment, poverty, and peace. Selma is on the board of over 30 local, state, and national organizations, including the Alzheimer's Association, American Civil Liberties Union, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara Grand Opera Association, The Sierra Club, Los Padres Chapter, and the Citizens Planning Association. These organizations represent the highest of philosophies in their purpose. Not only does she serve tirelessly, but she possesses the charisma to inspire others to participate. Every volunteer she has recruited has become a friend. She has as many friends as she has hats. And for every hat she dons, Selma wears it with a mind full of wisdom, compassion, and nobility. Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure and inspiration for me and our community to be a part of Selma's mission and we are emboldened to continue her legacy. I truly feel privileged to represent Selma Rubin in Washington.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. I rise in strong opposition to this rule. The emergency spending bill appropriates $9 billion. However, this rule does not make in order the Wu-Kuykendall-Capps amendment to provide just $14.2 million to help hard-pressed West Coast fishermen. Pacific Coast fishermen have had their livelihood restricted by the Federal Government's effort to restore the West Coast groundfish fishery. This is costing hardworking men and women millions of dollars in lost income. It is hurting communities up and down the coast like Morro Bay and Avila Beach in my district. The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have requested disaster assistance for fishing communities. The administration recognized their need and asked for this funding. The money would fund important research and stock assessment of the fishery, it would allow for the buyback of permits and boats, and it would help communities cope with the loss of a big industry. The fishing men and women in my district would rather be on the water hauling in their catch. But if we are going to keep them off their boats, it is imperative that we help them to feed their families. I am disappointed in this rule. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of a fiscally responsible federal budget. I have been very consistent in what I believe we should be doing with our federal budget and projected surplus. First, we need to pay down the $3.7 trillion national debt. Last year, we paid $230 billion in interest on the debt--that's almost the size of the Defense budget. Families use times of plenty to pay off debt first--the government should as well. We owe it to our children to get rid of this burden. We must shore up Social Security and modernize Medicare. Social Security faces a huge challenge with the coming retirement of baby boomers and we must prepare for that now. Providing prescription drug coverage, and increasing payments to Medicare HMO's and hospitals will ensure that central coast seniors have the quality health care they deserve. We must also make critical investments in education, health care, defense, and veteran's programs. Schools on the central coast are overcrowded, putting an extra burden on our teachers and potentially shortchanging our kids. Millions of Americans lack health insurance and this adds to overall health care costs and human misery. Our troops are stretched too thin and we have neglected our veterans' needs for far too long. And, of course, we must enact some commonsense tax reform. Fixing the marriage penalty, ending the Social Security earnings limit, lifting the estate tax burden from small businesses and family farms--these are all reforms we can accomplish this year. To meet these goals I will be supporting the alternative budget presented by Mr. Spratt. While it does not fully reflect all my goals, it comes closest. And it clearly is superior to the leadership plan. This mainstream budget puts $364 billion of the non-Social Security surplus toward paying down the debt. The leadership bill puts none of the non-Social Security surplus into debt reduction and may even begin spending the Social Security surplus once again. The mainstream proposal will extend Medicare and Social Security solvency by at least 10 and 15 years, respectively. The leadership bill does not provide the necessary safety net for the future generations of seniors. The budget I support provides for prescription drug coverage for all our seniors. The leadership bill is silent on who is covered. The Spratt proposal puts $1 billion more into law enforcement than the leadership bill. And this budget allows for responsible increases funding for education, science and medical research and development to insure that we provide our kids with the all the opportunities they deserve. The leadership proposal freezes funding for 5 years for all higher education assistance, meaning fewer Pell grants and Head Start slots for our kids. Finally, this mainstream budget provides for critical funding for energy research and conservation programs. The leadership bill, even in these times of high gas prices, actually cuts these budgets. Simply put, Mr. Chairman, the budget I support allows us to continue on a path of fiscal responsibility, while continuing to meet the future challenges that face our society.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I am an original cosponsor of the Oil Price Reduction Act. We simply must take some common sense steps to reduce the price of gas. In my district, which normally has some of the highest gas prices in the country, gas now costs over $2 per gallon. My constituents are hurting and need help. In its original form, H.R. 3822 would have allowed the Administration to halt arms sales to countries that are gouging American consumers by raising oil prices. But the House leadership has weakened the bill and now it only counsels diplomacy. I'm all for diplomacy and have encouraged the Administration to forcefully engage all the OPEC countries about this issue. But diplomacy has its limits. Simply put, this country should seriously reexamine our policy of selling arms to countries that seek to gouge American consumers and hurt our economy. And to add insult to injury, these are some of the same countries that American men and women risked their lives for in the Persian Gulf war. Today, thousands of dedicated soldiers, sailors, airmen and women continue putting their lives on the line to keep Saddam at bay and these countries safe. I will vote for this bill, but we need to take a much firmer stance with the OPEC nations. For example, while the original bill would allow the administration to restrict arms sales, I might have gone further and required that arm sales be halted. Amendments to that effect won't be allowed in today's debate. In addition, I am very disappointed that the House is not going to be voting on other key issues to address high gas prices. I believe we should stop exporting Alaskan oil to foreign countries and I have cosponsored legislation to do that. While our gas prices have doubled over the last year, we send 60,000 barrels of oil a day to Asia. If not exported, this oil would go to the west coast. We should be voting to halt those exports and give American families the benefit of American oil. We should also consider proposals to swap oil out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Making available oil from the SPR could offset the shortages produced by the OPEC countries production cuts. This would weaken OPEC's ability to unilaterally raise our gas prices. Finally, we should be aggressively developing renewable energy sources and alternative fuels. This would reduce our reliance on foreign fuels, while at the same time helping to preserve our environment. But we must also make sure we don't do certain things that would not lower the price of gas, but would reduce safety on our roads and threaten the Central Coast economy and environment. For example, some have advocated getting rid of the 4.3 cents federal gas tax. That won't help consumers who have seen a gallon of gas double in price. And it would cost California alone over $1.7 billion over the next 2 years in funds to build and maintain our roads and bridges. This funding has provided for the installation of call boxes on Highway 166 near Santa Maria and will support the widening of the dangerous Highway 46 near Paso Robles in my district. Others have advocated more oil drilling off the California coast. This would be a huge mistake--most of the oil there is for making roads and tar, not gasoline. And new oil drilling threatens to devastate the local economy and environment. Mr. Chairman, we need to take some serious steps to address high gas prices and I am deeply disappointed that the House will only be allowed to vote today on one, largely symbolic gesture. The American people deserve a lot more than that.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw my colleagues' attention to the following article by David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in Santa Barbara. Although I do not agree with all of the views stated in this op-ed, it is a thoughtful and provocative article and merits a close reading. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation does important work in the struggle to wage peace and end the threat of nuclear war, and I commend their work in this area. [From the Santa Barbara News-Press] The Most Important Moral Issue of Our Time (By David Krieger) There are many reasons to oppose nuclear weapons. They are illegal, undemocratic, hugely expensive and they undermine rather than increase security. But by far the most important reason to oppose these weapons is that they are profoundly immoral. Above all, the issue of nuclear weapons in our world is a deeply moral issue, and for the religious community to engage this issue is essential. For the religious community to ignore this issue is shameful. I have long believed our country would become serious about providing leadership for the elimination of nuclear weapons in the world only when the churches, synagogues and mosques became serious about demanding such leadership. The abolition of nuclear weapons is the most important issue of our time. I do not say this lightly. I know how many other important life-and-death issues there are in our world. I say it because nuclear weapons have the capacity to end all human life on our planet and most other forms of life. This puts them in a class by themselves. Although I refer to nuclear weapons, I don't believe these are really weapons. They are instruments of mass annihilation. They incinerate, vaporize and destroy indiscriminately. They are instruments of portable holocaust. They destroy equally soldiers; the aged and the newly born; healthy and the infirm. Nuclear weapons hold all creation hostage. In an instant they could destroy this city or any city. In minutes they could leave civilization--with all its great accomplishments--in ruins. These cruel and inhumane devices hold life itself in the balance. There is no moral justification for nuclear weapons. None. As Gen. Lee Butler, a former commander in chief of the U.S. Strategic Command, has said: ``We cannot at once keep sacred the miracle of existence and hold sacrosanct the capacity to destroy it.'' That nuclear weapons are an absolute evil was the conclusion of the president of the International Court of Justice, Mohammed Bedjaoui, after the court was asked to rule on the illegality of these weapons. I think it is a reasonable conclusion--the only conclusion a sane person could reach. I would add that our reliance on these evil instruments debases our humanity and insults our Creator. Albert Einstein was once asked his opinion as to what weapons would be used in a third world war. He replied that he didn't know, but if there was a third world war, a fourth world war would probably be fought with sticks and stones. His response was perhaps overly optimistic. Controlling and eliminating these weapons is a responsibility that falls to those of us now living. It is a responsibility we are currently failing to meet. Ten years after the end of the Cold War, there are still some 36,000 nuclear weapons in the world, mostly in the arsenals of the U.S. and Russia. Some 5,000 of these weapons remain on hair-trigger alert, ready to be launched on warning and subject to accident or miscalculation. Today arms controls is in crisis. The U.S. Senate recently failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the first treaty voted down by the Senate since the treaty of Versailles. Congress has also announced its intention to deploy a National Missile Defense ``as soon as technologically feasible.'' This would abrogate the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, a cornerstone of arms control. The Russian Duma has not yet ratified START II, which was signed in 1993. Efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons are also in crisis. There is above all the issue of Russian ``loose nukes.'' There is no assuredness that these weapons are under control. There is also the new nuclear arms race in South Asia. There is also the issue of Israel possessing nuclear arms--with the implicit agreement of the Western nuclear weapons states--in their volatile region of the world. The Non-Proliferation Treaty is also in crisis. This will become more prominent when the five-year review conference for the treaty is held this spring. Most non-nuclear weapons states believe that the nuclear weapons states have failed to meet their obligations for good faith negotiations to achieve nuclear disarmament. More than 180 states have met their obligations not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. The five nuclear weapons states, however, have failed to meet their obligations for good faith efforts to eliminate their nuclear arsenals. The U.S. government continues to consider nuclear weapons to be essential to its security. NATO has referred to nuclear weapons as a ``cornerstone'' of its security policy. Russia recently proposed that the U.S. and Russia go beyond the START II agreement and reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals to 1,500 weapons each. The U.S. declined, saying it was only prepared to go down to 2,000 to 2,500 weapons each. Such is the insanity of our time. Confronting this insanity are four efforts I will describe briefly. The New Agenda Coalition is a group of middle-power states--including Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Sweden and South Africa--calling for an unequivocal undertaking by the nuclear weapons states for the speedy and total elimination of their nuclear arsenals. U.N. resolutions of the New Agenda Coalition have passed the General Assembly by large margins in 1998 and 1999, despite lobbying by the U.S., U.K. and France to oppose these resolutions. A representative of the New Agenda Coalition recently stated at a meeting at the Carter Center: ``A U.S. initiative today can achieve nuclear disarmament. It will require a self-denying ordnance, which accepts that the five nuclear weapons states will have no nuclear weapons in the foreseeable future. By 2005 the United States will already have lost the possibility of such an initiative.'' I agree with this assessment. The doors of opportunity, created a decade ago by the end of the Cold War, will not stay open much longer. The Middle Powers Initiative is a coalition of eight prominent international non-governmental organizations that are supporting the role of middle power states in seeking the elimination of nuclear weapons. The Middle Powers Initiative recently collaborated with the Carter Center in bringing together representatives of the New Agenda Coalition with high-level US policymakers and representatives of civil society. It was an important dialogue. Jimmy Carter took a strong moral position on the issue of nuclear disarmament, and you should be hearing more from him in the near future. Abolition 2000 is a global network of more than 1,400 diverse civil society organizations from 91 countries on six continents. The primary goal of Abolition 2000 is a negotiated treaty calling for the phased elimination of nuclear weapons within a timebound frame-work. One of the current efforts of Abolition 2000 is to expand its network to over 2000 organizations by the time of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference this spring. You can find out more about Abolition 2000 on the web at www.wagingpeace.org. A final effort I will discuss is the establishment of a U.S. campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has hosted a series of meetings with key U.S. leaders in the area of nuclear disarmament. These include former military, political and diplomatic leaders, among them Gen. Butler, Sen. Alan Cranston, and Ambassador Jonathan Dean. I believe we have worked out a good plan for a Campaign to Alert America, but we currently lack the resources to push this campaign ahead at the level that it requires. We are doing the best we can, but we are not doing enough. We need your help, and the help of religious groups all over this country. I will conclude with five steps that the leaders of the nuclear weapons states could take now to end the nuclear threat to humanity. These are steps that we must demand of our political leaders. These are steps that we must help our political leaders to have the vision to see and the courage to act upon. Commerce good faith negotiations to achieve a Nuclear Weapons Convention requiring the phased elimination of nuclear weapons, with provisions for effective verification and enforcement. De-alert all nuclear weapons and de-couple all nuclear warheads from their delivery vehicles. Declare policies of No First Use of nuclear weapons against other nuclear weapons states and policies of No Use against non-nuclear weapons states. Ratify the comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and reaffirm commitments to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Reallocate resources from the tens of billions of dollars currently being spent for maintaining nuclear arsenals to improving human health, education and welfare throughout the world. The future is in our hands. I urge you to join hands and take a strong moral stand for humanity and for all Creation. We do it for the children, for each other, and for the future. The effort to abolish nuclear weapons is an effort to protect the miracle that we all share, the miracle of life. Each of us is a source of hope. Will you turn to the persons next to you, and tell them, ``You give me hope,'' and express to them your commitment to accept your share of responsibility for saving humanity and our beautiful planet. Together we will change the world!

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, March 8, 2000, I was on a plane returning from my district and was unable to attend votes. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Rollcall Nos. 29-- ``aye''; 30--``aye''; 31--``aye''; 32--``aye''; and 33--``aye''.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and join my colleagues in strong support of this legislation, and I commend the leadership of this House, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Matsui). It is a good day when we can be so united in a bipartisan way to end an unfair tax on our working seniors. Mr. Speaker, many seniors work because they need to. They should not be penalized for trying to put food on their table. They should be supported. Seniors in my district have been telling me this is something that they need. Some seniors work because they want to. They should not be penalized for remaining active and involved. These seniors should be supported as well. Our country is the richer for it. It is time to act in this way. Today we will have, I hope, unanimous support to remove this onerous burden on working seniors and end the earnings limit. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor his Majesty the late King Hussein and her Majesty Queen Noor of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and to bring to the attention of my colleagues a special event that will take place on April 6, 2000. On this evening, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will sponsor ``A Royal Evening for Peace'' in Santa Barbara, California. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation works to create a more peaceful and secure future for humanity through its projects and activities, and annually honors an outstanding individual in the cause of peace. This year the Foundation will honor the late King Hussein with its prestigious Peace Leadership Award for his courageous efforts in forging an atmosphere of trust and peace in his country of Jordan and throughout the Middle East. Her Majesty Queen Noor worked with her husband in these pursuits and has carried on this work creating peace in Jordan and around the world. She has worked tirelessly to eradicate landmines, improve the lives of women and children, and promote economic sustainability. Mr. Speaker, I know that the immeasurable contributions that King Hussein and Queen Noor have made to their country and to the world have changed the course of history. Their dedication to peace and humankind will continue in perpetuity. I thank her Majesty Queen Noor on behalf of the 22nd Congressional District of California and I am honored by her visit.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, last week the House voted on the Marriage Tax Penalty Act (H.R. 6). Had I been present for this vote, I would have voted ``aye.'' The bill passed the House with strong bipartisan support by a vote of 268-158. I firmly believe that this Congress should enact some common sense tax reform--including ending this unfair burden on married taxpayers. Since coming to Congress, I have cosponsored legislation to address this inequity because I know that this is something we must fix. It is unfair that some couples pay an average of $1400 more in taxes simply because they are married. So I am pleased that we can offer this common sense relief for American families. But while I would have supported this bill, we can improve upon it as it makes its way through the legislative process. Specifically, the benefits of the bill must be targeted more directly to middle class families who are currently saddled by the marriage penalty. This will bring relief to those Americans who most need it, and free up additional resources for other critical priorities--paying down the national debt, modernizing Medicare, saving Social Security, and making investments in education, health care, the environment, and national defense.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, due to a death in my family I was unable to attend votes recently. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Rollcall No. 8--``aye''; No. 9--``aye''; No. 10--``aye''; No. 11--``aye''; No. 12--``aye''; No. 13--``aye''; No. 14--``aye''; No. 15--``aye''; No. 16--``aye''; No. 17--``aye''; No. 18--``aye''; No. 19--``aye''; No. 20--``aye''; No. 21--``aye''; No. 22--``aye''; No. 23--``no''; No. 24--``aye''; No. 25--``no''.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring to the attention of my colleagues a firefighting legend, Michael F. Marko, who was honored by family and friends on January 4 as he celebrated his retirement as assistant fire chief for the 30th Space Wing that is located in my congressional district. Michael Marko faithfully served the 30th Space Wing for 33 years. He participated in and commanded the safe mitigation of more than 12,800 fire emergencies during his years of service. Michael has also been an integral member of the Vandenberg Professional Firefighters Local F-116 since 1971 and has been instrumental in working for the rights union members now enjoy. In honor of his many years of service to the union, Michael was awarded by his colleagues a lifetime membership. Through his actions, he saved numerous lives and billions of dollars in Defense Department assets. Michael also personally supervised the launch of countless Delta, Titan, and Peacekeeping rockets, enhancing America's national security. We have Michael Marko to thank for ensuring a permanent American presence in space that will continue to grow in this new century. Mr. Speaker, as impressive as any complete accounting of Michael's accomplishments would be, it would not do justice to the long lasting and immeasurable contributions he has made to the 30th Space Wing. I am truly honored to represent Mr. Marko in Washington. I send my most heartfelt appreciation on behalf of the 30th Space Wing, the community of Vandenberg, and the people of Santa Barbara County for his hard work and dedicated service. I know that Michael's leadership will be missed by the 30th Space Wing of Santa Barbara County.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to a very brave young woman, Brandi Dias. Ms. Dias suffers from acute myeloid leukemia and recently had a stem cell transplant, using her own marrow to fight the cancer. I am happy to say that she is doing well. After her own experience with trying unsuccessfully to find a bone marrow donor match, Brandi became interested in attracting volunteers to the National Marrow Donor Program. The National Marrow Donor Program facilitates transplants from volunteers and unrelated donors for patients of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Brandi has focused on attracting and retaining volunteers to participate in the NMDP Registry, where people can search for matching donors. Believing that donors are more likely to remain committed to the program if they participate in a thorough education program prior to joining the NMDP Registry, Brandi submitted a proposal for a pilot program that will include two-hour seminars covering the process of becoming a bone marrow donor. I am proud to say that Brandi has received word that her Bone Marrow Donor Pilot Program proposal has been funded. The funding will allow for a donor pilot program in San Luis Obispo County and for four donor drives beginning in January 2000. The goal of this pilot program is to encourage and educate the public about the need for bone marrow donors and to assist in retaining donors on the registry. And so I salute Brandi Dias today. She has shown courage in her fight against leukemia and transformed this experience into community activism that will benefit patients across San Luis Obispo County. I am proud to represent her in Congress.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to bring to the attention of my colleagues an extraordinary man, who will be honored by family and friends on November 20th as he celebrates his retirement from the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transportation Department and Spirit of '76 Association. Alex K. ``Bud'' Geren faithfully served the Santa Barbara Metropolitan Transportation Department for twenty-five years. Bud also served as coordinator, recruiter, and volunteer driver for MTD buses on the Fourth of July. For Bud's dedication to safely transporting members of the community each year after the Fourth of July fireworks, he earned the title ``Mr. Fourth of July.'' Too often, people who work in the public transportation community are not given proper credit for the service they provide. Without the leadership and service of people like Bud, our quality of life would be diminished. Bud also served the community on the Board of Directors for the Sparkle and Traditions Committee. In addition, Bud was co-founder of the Santa Barbara Family Fourth Coordinating Committee. I believe that his dedicated service in these organizations earned the sincere appreciation and admiration of the people of Santa Barbara County. Mr. Speaker, Bud has made immeasurable contributions to his community. I am truly honored to represent Mr. Geren in Congress. I send my most heartfelt appreciation for his hard work and dedicated service.