Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my distinguished colleague, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).

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

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). (Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the ranking member of the Committee on Commerce. (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Nurse Reinvestment Act, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this important legislation, H.R. 3487. I want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) for their hard work on this issue and their willingness to help us get this legislation to the floor this year. The staff members Ann Esposito and Jeremy Sharp have been mentioned, and I want to add two others, John Ford and Katie Porter. I also particularly want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the ranking member of the full committee, and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the ranking member of the subcommittee, for their unswerving support for this effort. They have made this bill a priority, and I doubt if we would have seen this action so quickly without their dedication. They and their staff have made the effort to see that this legislation could move in the waning days of this session. This bill is based on legislation that I introduced in April, H.R. 1436. That bill was the product of a lot of hard work of the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), and a variety of nursing and health care groups, including the American Nurses Association, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. H.R. 1436 now has 228 bipartisan cosponsors. The bill before us will authorize new scholarships to help prospective nurses complete their education more quickly. These scholarships will help a broader range of people to find their way into a very rewarding career, one that will be in much great demand, no matter the strength or weaknesses of the economy. It will also authorize public service announcements to educate the public about the need for more nurses, the opportunities available for educational assistance, and the rewards of a care-giving career. Our profession needs the positive and accurate description within this PR campaign. One of the major problems we face is the misperception that nursing is an unappealing career and that it is women's work. These PSAs will help us counter that impression and explain the value and benefits of a career in nursing. These benefits have been brought to sharp relief for us by the events of September 11. The bill will direct the General Accounting Office to study the faculty needs of our nursing schools and education programs. As my colleagues know, I am one of three nurses currently serving in the Congress. Before I was elected to this House, I served the people of Santa Barbara County in California as a public health nurse for 20 years. I know firsthand the challenges facing our hospitals and our health care providers and the consequences if we fail to meet them. One of the most important difficulties we face is a shortage of nurses, especially registered nurses. Current events, as I have said, have highlighted the importance of having a strong and effective public health system. September 11 and the recent spate of anthrax letters reminds us that our safety and our well-being depend on the ability of our hospitals to care for us and our loved ones, and having enough nurses is a critical component, both in the hospital and in many public health settings. Nurses are the first line of defense in our health care system. They will be the ones treating victims of biological or conventional terror attacks; and right now, we do not have enough of them, not enough of them even for our daily needs. Last week, we passed legislation to address many of our Nation's needs in terms of bioterrorism, and now it is time to make sure we have the workforce necessary to carry out that bill's provisions. Data on the nursing workforce show that staffing shortages are increasing, and recruiting new registered nurses is becoming progressively more difficult. We already need 125,000 registered nurses to fill the existing vacancies of today, according to the American Hospital Association; and by 2010, less than 9 years from now, 40 percent of the RN workforce will be over 50 years old. In contrast, the number of RNs under 35 has fallen to 18 percent. Simply put, there are not enough new nurses joining the workforce to replace those expected to retire in the next 10 years, and this problem will be compounded by the 78 million baby boomers retiring and needing more health care. Congress needs to act on this problem quickly. We need to pass the Nurse Reinvestment Act. This bill represents several good steps toward a comprehensive solution to the nursing shortage and, to be sure, as has been mentioned, there is much more we will need to do, including increasing funding for nurse education programs; but this is an excellent start. I will be pleased if we can move it forward. I urge all of my colleagues to support nurses and vote for the Nurse Reinvestment Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. I thank Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Evans, and their hardworking staff for their leadership on this important legislation. I wish to highlight a critical provision contained in H.R. 1291 that I have worked on for some time. This provision would end a Catch 22 faced by vets and VA researchers. In the past, vets could lose benefits for an ``undiagnosed illness'' if participation in a VA study determines that a vet's illness is not service connected. This issue was brought to my attention, as I am the author of the ALS Treatment and Assistance Act, which was enacted into law in the past Congress. VA researchers told me that some vets might not participate in the study to look at connections between their Gulf War service and Lou Gehrig's disease. I learned that some vets feared losing their much- needed benefits by participating in the study. H.R. 1291 fixes this problem by letting the VA protect compensation in such cases. This provision is based on a bill the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and I introduced earlier this year. With the passage of this bill, vets can participate in important VA studies without fear of the loss of needed health benefits, and future VA research studies can attract the broad participation they need to be successful. This bill could not be more timely. Yesterday, the VA announced that the findings of this study show Persian Gulf veterans are nearly twice as likely as other veterans to develop Lou Gehrig's disease. This is a very troubling finding. Clearly, other study is needed. I am pleased the VA has indicated they will continue to work hard to investigate this disturbing connection. I am also pleased the VA has assured my office that Persian Gulf Veterans affected by this illness will immediately begin receiving compensation for what is now shown to be a service-related illness. Mr. Speaker, today marks the 3-month anniversary of the unspeakable attacks against our Nation, and once again our brave servicemen and women are in harm's way thousands of miles away from home. As they fight to protect our freedom and democracy, the least we can do is to pledge to safeguard their health when they return as veterans. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation and doing what is right for our veterans and our military personnel.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a woman who has dedicated so much of her time and effort to the citizens and organizations of the community of Santa Barbara, California, Ms. Carnzu Clark. In appreciation of all her efforts, the Anti-Defamation League will pay tribute to Ms. Clark on Sunday, November 18, 2001 by honoring her with the ``Distinguished Community Service Award''. Before moving to Santa Barbara in 1967, Ms. Clark began her career in public service by working for the United States government. She became involved in a Senate Committee's investigation of violations of agricultural laborer's rights in California, and later served with federal health, welfare and education agencies that sought to lessen the impact of World War II on communities throughout the United States. From 1943 to 1947 Ms. Clark served with the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration in Washington, D.C., and then contributed her services to the Displaced Persons Programs in the U.S. Zone of Germany. After moving to Santa Barbara, Ms. Clark immediately began contributing to numerous community organizations. She has served as president of the UN Association, as well as on the boards of Direct Relief, Planned Parenthood, League of Women Voters, NAACP, UCSB Music Affiliates, the Santa Barbara Music Club, the Youth Symphony, and the Student Aid and Pillsbury Committees of the Santa Barbara Foundation. Ms. Clark has additionally found time to serve on the Fund for Santa Barbara's first grants committee, and donates her time as a Botanic Garden docent. She is also a supporter of the Family Service Agency, the Transition House, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of Tres Condados, Casa Serena's Oliver House, and the Women's Economic Ventures. Indeed, it is difficult to imagine Santa Barbara without Carnzu Clark's presence! I am so pleased to be able to honor Ms. Clark, as she is truly a unique individual She is justly deserving of the ADL's Distinguished Community Service award, and I am so proud to represent a citizen of her caliber in Congress.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to two extraordinary citizens of the Santa Barbara community, Natalie and Raymond Myerson. On November 18, 2001, the Anti-Defamation League will honor this district couple with the ``Distinguished Community Service Award''. I cannot think of another couple that would be more deserving recipients of this honored award than the Myersons. Individually, they have each contributed so much to the Santa Barbara community, and as a couple it is almost inconceivable how much they have accomplished. Since moving to Santa Barbara in 1973, the Myerson immediately became involved with the community. For the past 27 years, Mrs. Myerson has been a member of the Distinguished Member Award of the Santa Barbara Music Club, which she is presently the chair of. In addition, she is extremely active in Hillel, AIPAC, Hadassah and the American Jewish Committee, and has served as the co-president of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission for the last three years. Mrs. Myerson is also a member of the League of Women Voters and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History League, and is an honorary member of the Santa Barbara Symphony Board. Raymond Myerson has also demonstrated his leadership characteristics in various organizations throughout Santa Barbara. Having served as a board member and treasurer of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History for the past 20 years, he has subsequently become an honorary trustee. He has also dedicated 15 years to being the treasurer and a board member for the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. Additionally, he has been the treasurer and a board member for the University of California, Santa Barbara Affiliates for 12 years, and is currently chairman of the Affiliates ``Economic Forum Funding Fellowship'' in the Graduate School of Economics. He is a member of the Chancellor's Council at UCSB, the President's Council at Santa Barbara City College, and the Ventura County and Santa Barbara County Committees on Foreign Relations. In addition, Mr. Myerson is a past board member of UCSB Hillel, an active member of AIPAC, a member of the President's Council of the American Jewish Committee, a member of B'nai Brith, and an active supporter of the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation. The Myersons have been invaluable to the Santa Barbara community, and I would like to acknowledge them for their outstanding accomplishments. It is my greatest pleasure to honor this extraordinary couple, and I am so pleased to represent citizens of their caliber in Washington, D.C.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge Sunday, November 18, 2001 as a Day of Understanding. In a society where so many diverse ethnicities and beliefs coincide with each other every day it is important that we take the time to realize and appreciate all the different cultures that are represented throughout the United States. The County of San Luis Obispo in California has resolved that November 18th be recognized as a Day of Understanding, in order to promote understanding among many different faiths. As a nation, we need to take this opportunity to listen and learn about one another's faiths, and attempt to understand different cultures and practices. Religious intolerance and lack of understanding has long contributed to wars between different groups throughout the history of mankind. It is time to recognize and appreciate cultural differences instead of condemn and remain ignorant about them. In a free society, peoples of divergent faiths should endeavor to understand and respect one another's different religious and spiritual heritages, beliefs, hopes and dreams, and it is my hope that by acknowledging the Day of Understanding we are taking the first step in making this possible. I encourage you to pause this Sunday, November 18, and take the time to ask a neighbor, friend, or co-worker about his or her culture or religion that may be different than yours. We should all attempt to learn more about and appreciate the multitude of cultures that surround us every day, and I am so pleased that the citizens of San Luis Obispo County have taken the initiative in creating this wonderful Day of Understanding.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to an extraordinary citizen of California's Central Coast, Tom Sullivan. Because of his longtime dedication to the United Way, the organization honored him on November 9, 2001, in San Luis Obispo, CA. Although Mr. Sullivan has been with the San Luis Obispo chapter of the United Way since 1988, he has served the United Way for over half a century, beginning in 1950 when he was living in Texas. Countless communities throughout the United States have benefited from Mr. Sullivan's dedication as a volunteer, and he recently received a lifetime appointment as the Director Emeritus of the Board of Directors. In addition to the United Way, Mr. Sullivan has been a board member for numerous other organizations, including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, the San Luis Obispo County Latino Outreach Council, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Advisory Council, and the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. He is also a member of the Cuesta College Cultural Diversity Committee, a member of the Community Advisory Group of the Grizzly Academy-CA National Guard, a member of the County of San Luis Obispo Economic Advisory Committee, a Director of the San Luis Obispo County Economic Vitality Corporation, and a Regent of the Newman Catholic Center. And I'm sure that, if possible, this list will only continue to grow until every last San Luis Obispo County organization has benefited in some way from Mr. Sullivan's remarkable community dedication. Tom Sullivan is a truly extraordinary individual, and I am so proud to represent a citizen of his caliber. He has been a tremendous asset to his community, and I wish him the best of luck in his new position with the United Way. He has truly earned it, and will be an irreplaceable asset to the board.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay special tribute to a woman who has exhibited extraordinary efforts in uniting the Santa Barbara community through music. On November 10, 2001, the Beacon of Light Foundation honored Mama Pat for her 21 years of community service. Mama Pat founded the Inner Light Community Gospel Choir in 1980 with the goal of introducing African- American gospel music to the Santa Barbara community. Citizens from all walks of life and backgrounds demonstrated a willingness and desire to sing gospel music. The choir is nondenominational and interracial, and has done wonders for bringing diverse cultures together. The choir has been a wonderful way of uniting multiple ethnicities and sharing musical traditions among cultures. Mama Pat is also a member of the international organization, the Gospel Music Workshop of America, which was founded by the Reverend James Cleveland. She was responsible for introducing the Inner Light Community Gospel Choir to this organization. Since its induction, the Inner Light Community Gospel Choir has performed throughout the United States and Scotland. In addition to her musical contributions to the community, Mama Pat has also been instrumental in educating the community about African- American history. She worked hard to obtain the Black History Flags that fly along State Street in Santa Barbara every February in honor of Black History Month. Mama Pat is such a wonderful individual who has made such extraordinary accomplishments in the Santa Barbara community that it is only fitting that we pay tribute to her today.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to the most recent addition of the Marian Medical Center, the Marian Medical Center West. Since its inception on May 20, 1940, the Marian Medical establishment has found the perpetual need to keep expanding in order to better serve the growing community of Santa Maria, California. In 1940, eight Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity were assigned to Santa Maria to manage and staff a hospital for the growing community of approximately 8,000 people. The new facility was named Our Lady of Perpetual Help Hospital, by its first administrator, Sister Noella Dieringer. Three years later, in 1943, the 1000th baby was born at the hospital, and it became apparent that the Santa Maria community was growing fast. Sister Marilyn Ingram worked hard to secure land in the Santa Maria area, and, through the generosity of Captain and Mrs. Allan Hancock, a new facility, Marian Hospital, was able to open its doors in 1967. Today, the Marian Medical Center has expanded to include a 130 bed acute care hospital, a 95 bed extended care center, a dialysis unit, a home health agency, infusion services, a hospice program, and outpatient healthcare services. Yet as the Santa Maria community continues to grow, the medical center must expand as well. The addition of the Marian Medical Center West will help alleviate overcrowding in the hospital's main facility by providing 36 inpatient beds and expanded outpatient facilities. The Marian Medical Center has provided services to thousands of Santa Maria residents over the last 60 years and with the addition of the new center thousands of more citizens can be served in the future. I am honored to have the opportunity of recognizing the Marian Medical Center West on its grand opening, and it pleases me that this facility continues to prosper.

Ms. CAPPS

Ms. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to a woman who has been invaluable to California's Central Coast, Mrs. Margaret C. Mosher. Because of her generous dedication and devotion to young people, Mrs. Mosher was honored at the Annual Kids Auction on November 3, 2001, in Santa Barbara, CA. Proceeds from the Annual Kids Auction will benefit youth development programs at local Boys and Girls Clubs throughout California's 22nd Congressional District. Since its inception 18 years ago, this auction has raised over a million dollars to support programs that benefit over 4,000 youth a year. After school care, computer training, and drug abuse and gang prevention programs are only a few examples of the services that will benefit from the auction proceeds. It is fitting that the Annual Kids Auction will be honoring Margaret Mosher this year, as she has spent over 20 years dedicating herself to the Boys and Girls Club Organizations. Striving to aid the organization in as many ways as possible, 18 years ago Mrs. Mosher established an annual fundraiser, the Bill Oliver Memorial Golf Tournament. All of the proceeds of this tournament go directly to the Goleta Boys and Girls Club. In addition to her dedication to the Boys and Girls Club, Mrs. Mosher is currently the president of the Samuel B. Mosher Foundation. She is also the president and owner of the Dos Pueblos Orchid Company and the owner of the Perry Investment Company. She is on the advisory board of the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the International Eye Tissue Bank. She is also on the board of directors for the John Tracy Clinic and the Los Angeles Orphanage Guild. In 1992 Mrs. Mosher received the UCSB Alumni Association's Honorary Alumni Award. She has been a trustee of The UCSB Foundation since 1983, and is a member of the Chancellor's Council, the Lancaster Society and the Legacy Circle. Numerous children have benefited from Mrs. Mosher's generosity, and I am so pleased to have this opportunity to honor her and thank her for all the wonderful things she has accomplished.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was detained in returning from my district last night due to delays in my flights and missed three votes. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Rollcall Nos. 426-- ``aye'', 427--``aye'', 428--``aye.''

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me time. I rise in strong support of the Oberstar substitute to make our skies safe. September 11 demonstrated that aviation security must be part of the frontline of our national defense. As such, it must be the responsibility of Federal Government. This means putting professional law enforcement agents in charge of securing our airports and our airplanes. This is essential to protect American citizens. Mr. Speaker, those of us who fly across the country back and forth each week have come to know the flight attendants, the pilots and the gate attendants very well. They are passionate as they tell us that today's system simply does not work. The present system has not worked in the past as we have seen, and it will not work in the future. The Oberstar substitute makes substantive and fundamental changes in our airport security. It will give the public confidence to fly again. We need professional law enforcement in charge, and this includes a process by which every piece of baggage can be screened. I urge my colleagues to support the Oberstar substitute.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to celebrate the consummation of placing the Dixson Ranch property in a Conservation Easement. This easement will ensure that the Dixson Ranch, which has been farmed for over a hundred years, will be in agricultural use in perpetuity. The Dixson Ranch was purchased by Mr. A.W. Dlxson on October 2, 1905, for $12,000 in gold coins. The property consisted of 41 acres, and a farmhouse that was built in 1894. The Dixson family grew row crops on the farm, including several different varieties of lettuce, and eventually leased the ranch to the Kingo Kawaoka family, who farmed it until they were removed to the Japanese internment camps during World War II. In 1941, A.W. Dixson's son Gordon, Gordon's wife, Wilma, and their two young daughters, Sara, age 6, and Molly, age 4, moved to the farm. After the war ended, Kingo Kawaoka's family moved back to continue farming in the area. A cousin of the Kawaokas, Noriharu ``Bill'' Kawaoka, managed the Dixson Ranch from 1954 until his death in 1992. In 1975 the ranch was designated as an agricultural preserve through a land conservation contract with the City of Arroyo Grande. This contract stated that the land would be used for farming purposes rather than property development. Additionally, the Coastal San Luis Conservation Resource District awarded the first annual Soils Stewardship Award to Wilma Dixson at age 89. Today, the Ikeda Family leases and manages the farm, while Jim Dickens, the son of Sara Dixson, and his family live in the farmhouse, making them the 4th generation of Dixsons to live on the ranch. The Dixson family is committed to soil conservation and agricultural land stewardship as well as sound economic planning. In order to ensure that they would be able to permanently protect their productive farmland, the Dixsons were awarded a grant through the State of California's Farmland Conservancy Program. The program promotes cooperation between government, non-profit organizations, and individual landowners in order to purchase agricultural conservation easements. This was augmented by a federal grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. I believe this easement is a prime example of the public and private sector working together to ensure agriculture remains viable while simultaneously preserving open space, I am honored to have the Dixson Ranch in my congressional district.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to honor the impending Santa Barbara Gay Pride Festival that will be held in Santa Barbara, California on Saturday, October 20, 2001. This festival celebrates the advancements the members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community have made. It has evolved over the years from a small picnic in a park to a major festival in Santa Barbara that more than 5,000 people are expected to attend. Gay Pride festivals are held in hundreds of cities nationwide, and this year the Gay Pride Festival will be celebrating the 31st anniversary of the world's first gay pride celebration. This is the first year that the festival will be held in downtown Santa Barbara, rather than outside the city center. By moving to a larger venue, the Santa Barbara Gay Pride Festival hopes to educate the community at large, as well as to promote inclusion among many different religious, ethnic, social and business groups. Another goal of the festival is to promote awareness among the larger community, as it is hoped that with awareness comes respect. Gay Awareness Day has been established to reflect on the progress made by the LGBT community, as well as an opportunity to celebrate acts of courage and determination in the pursuit of civil rights. The mere size of the festival demonstrates how much advancement the gay community has made over the last three decades and I can only hope that celebrations like this will continue for years to come.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be able to join in extension of remarks that were made earlier this evening by many in the Women's Caucus to stand to speak out this evening against domestic violence and I am graciously thanking my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for yielding time for me to enter into this dialogue with my other colleagues earlier this evening. I thank the gentleman for yielding that time to me as well. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is the last day of that month. It is a time when battered women's advocates, policy makers and grassroots activists across this Nation focus the public's attention on the insidious epidemic of domestic violence. Of course, we can call attention to this fact and these matters in October. The challenge is before us every single day of the year. In the United States alone, nearly one-third of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or a boyfriend at some point in their lives. For this reason I am introducing legislation which would provide women of all ages and backgrounds with preventive services such as domestic violence screening and treatment. With a simple screening test that can be administered by any health care provider such as a personal health provider, a doctor, a clinic, an emergency room provider, red flags and signals can be given and referrals can be made which can pick up more instances and get people into prevention and treatment much earlier. I believe that it is vital that we begin to educate young women and men in an effort to prevent the incidence of domestic violence and to curb its devastating effects. Not surprisingly, current Department of Justice statistics indicate that women in their high school years to their mid-twenties are nearly three times as vulnerable to attack by husband or boyfriend or former partner as those in any other age group. So we must keep in mind that domestic violence has ramifications for more than just those parties who are involved. It affects every family, every workplace and every community. For these reasons it is essential that we all play a role in combatting the prevalence of this epidemic. If we can take responsibility and action, we can prevent this criminal act from occurring. Action can be as simple as contributing money or clothing to a local battered women's shelter, volunteering time to a program that aids victims of abuse, talking to a child or to a classroom about relationship violence, posting awareness materials in public places. I stand here this evening in recognition and to honor the many people in my community on the central coast of California who work diligently each day staffing shelters, raising funds to keep the shelters going, working to develop materials within nonprofit groups that serve young women, Girl Scouts and Girls Clubs and Boys Clubs entering our school places and working with classroom teachers to create a climate of awareness and acceptance and referral possibilities. This is diligent work that goes on day in and day out in my community and across this Nation. This is the way we will get to the heart of the matter and the way we can hope for raising a generation of young people who can speak out against violence, can learn alternative ways of conflict resolution and protecting themselves and their friend and others, and that we can hope for a time when domestic violence will be a thing of the past. At the close of this month, we must remember that each citizen has a duty to help end domestic violence, not only nationally but also globally, and we think and are mindful of the Afghan women who are now subjected to the Taliban regime for whom this is an ever-present part of their lives. But our work does not stop today on the last day of October. We must continue to work diligently every day, every hour and every minute to put an end to domestic violence and all violence against women.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to Dennis Shaughnessy, who retired on September 14, 2001. Though his departure is a great loss, I would like to congratulate Dennis and thank him for 30 years of service and dedication to the County of Santa Barbara Probation Department. Dennis Shaughnessy began employment with the Probation Department in 1971 as an officer assigned to the Santa Barbara Juvenile Hall. From the outset of his career, Dennis performed at an outstanding level and was identified as having management potential on his very first employee performance evaluation. He soon was promoted to Deputy Probation Officer in 1973, and began quickly moving up the ranks in the Probation Department from Senior Deputy Probation Officer to Supervising Probation Officer to Administrative Division Chief to his final position of Deputy Chief Probation Officer, the position he has held since 1996. In addition to the innumerable hours Dennis has dedicated to the Probation Department, he also has found time to serve on various State committees, including advisory committees for the California Board of Corrections and several criminal information subcommittees with the Department of Justice. He has also initiated several programs that have been cited for outstanding merit by the local Juvenile Justice/ Delinquency Prevention commission. Specifically, the Los Prietos Boys Camp, a program in his division, has received much recognition. The Los Prietos Boys Camp is a program that provides an opportunity for juvenile offenders to be rehabilitated. The program provides at-risk youths opportunities to refurbish computers for the Santa Barbara County Education Office's ``Computers for Families'' program, or provide forest maintenance services for the Los Prietos National Forest. The program has been so effective it was awarded the CSAC Challenge Award in November 2000. Mr. Speaker, for his lifetime of service and commitment to community involvement, I recognize and salute Dennis Shaughnessy and thank him for all his efforts on behalf of the entire Central Coast community. I am confident that Dennis will remain a prominent figure in the community as he enters a new phase in his life. We all owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude, and I wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, 7 weeks after the unspeakable terrorist attacks against our Nation, the country and Congress do face serious challenges. A first priority must be to ensure the safety and security of our airlines. The Senate passed a comprehensive airline security bill by unanimous vote. It is unconscionable that this House has failed to act. Ensuring airline safety is not only important to the security of our citizens, but it is a critical component to our economic recovery. Mr. Speaker, how can we even consider an economic stimulus package that does not include direct assistance for the nearly half a million American workers who have lost their jobs as a direct result of September 11. The unalternative bill, which I support, would extend unemployment and health care benefits for these employees. Instead of these priorities, securing our airways and helping laid off workers, the bill before us is a collection of inappropriate tax measures. It will not help our economy in the short term and it will hurt us in the long term. Mr. Speaker, I have voted for tax relief time and time again. This package favors special interests, not the public interest. I urge my colleagues to defeat this rule and this bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from West Virginia, for yielding time to me. I appreciate being able to stand here. It is an honor to join with my colleagues on this important topic of breast cancer and Breast Cancer Awareness Month being in October. Mr. Speaker, our colleague who just spoke referenced the fact that when we women come to Congress, we bring our life stories with us. I have in front of me as I speak today the face of my sister, my sister Frieda, who a year ago was going about her life, but in the ensuing months in November got the report back from her mammogram and then her biopsy, and indeed, needed to go through that whole year of treatment, which was surgery on both breasts and followed by chemotherapy, followed by radiation. It is a very daunting challenge that so many women face across this country. So I speak of this opportunity in this place; but I speak also about my sister, and all the many sisters we have across this land today. It was indeed a highlight of mine in the last session of Congress to be a part of the effort, it really felt like a groundswell, to see enacted the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act which my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), just referred to, and highlighted and outlined its importance. It is an honor for me to be part of the legislation which is currently finding its way, the bill by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), which requires that NIH conduct studies to see if there is an environmental connection between breast cancer and the statistics that we find ourselves with today. I am pleased to be part of the effort to reauthorize the breast cancer stamp, which has generated so much needed revenue for breast cancer research and efforts. I am proud to be part of the effort to double the funding for the National Institutes of Health, where so much important research continues in this area. We must not forget that it is a very vital part of the Patients' Bill of Rights, the reforming that is needed for our managed care system which will allow the inclusion of clinical studies to be part of health insurance plans. But I want to also give recognition to the important, remarkable work that women have done across this country on their own, the coalitions that have built up: the Race for the Cure; the event that just transformed my community this last weekend, the Avon three-day event. On last Friday morning, 3,000 folks came out to send off the team taking part in this major fundraising effort to raise awareness but also funding, funding that is so needed in the area of breast cancer research and treatment. It is the national breast cancer coalitions indeed, as has been mentioned already, which have spearheaded much of the legislation that we are following through with here. That is the way it should be done. The inspiration comes from the lives and hearts and communities where women and their families and their loved ones, and men as well, face the diagnosis, are strong in the face of it, and go forward. As the situation has changed over the years with breast cancer, I give great credit to those who were out in front insisting that it be a topic we talk about, insisting that it have its place in our research dollars and in our treatment efforts, and that it be also such an important part of the awareness of all people in the country, and those women who seek to have treatment after a diagnosis; and that they are willing to go through that and have their treatments and exams each year. Then I will close with my own story, because 2 weeks ago it was my turn to go for my annual mammogram, which I do every year, and to have come back some questions, some doubts; and to have the radiologist sit down with me and say, I think you need to have a stereotactic biopsy. My heart began to pound, even though I knew that the chances are that it could be benign. All women who face this in the waiting room of whichever place they go for screening know that feeling. So I was scheduled and had the biopsy. Then you wait again for the news from the surgeon. I am very grateful that my story was good. At this point it is negative. I will follow the course of revisiting, re- examinations. I will be faithful in doing that. But as I stand here and talk about this very personal experience for me, I am aware that today in this country there are places where women do not know to go to get a mammogram; where it is hard to find the clinic, it is hard to get time off from work to do it, it is hard to make these pieces come together. Also, there is a lot of fear still in the hearts of people across this land. This word ``cancer'' is a scary word and an ominous word, and one that we want to put under the bed and under the carpet and not have to face it. I urge those who are part of our discussion this afternoon to spread the word to acknowledge the fact that, yes, there was once a time when it was truly something to be terrified of, but though it is still a tough diagnosis, that the treatment rate is so much advanced, so much improved; that there is much hope there. We stand here in Congress able and willing to continue the work so that one day it will not only be a treatable disease, but one that we can look forward to its elimination.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend and thank my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) for organizing this special order on the plight of women in Afghanistan, and I thank also the Women's Caucus, particularly the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) for hosting this and gathering us together to speak in solidarity with our sisters in Afghanistan who are enduring such terrible hardship and prejudice and imprisonment in their society. Mr. Speaker, it is an important topic which we should repeat over and over and over again in this well, even as we are able to do this in this country in stark contrast to the way of life our sisters across the world are now enduring. For 5 years the Taliban militia have ruled Afghanistan so severely restricting and denying a woman's right to participate in social, economic, cultural and political life. We have known about this and seen news accounts. 5 years is a long time. Prior to the Taliban control, many Afghani women held positions of great leadership, obtained higher education degrees, were engaged in professions and business interests in their community, adding to the vibrancy and strengthening of the economy. In the capital city of Kabul, 70 percent of school teachers, 50 percent of the civilian government workers, and 40 percent of the doctors were women. It is a different story today. Women are denied access to education entirely. They are barred from the workplace, and as we have been listening this evening in the special order, they are forced to remain in their homes. Family planning is outlawed in the region, and women are forbidden to see a male doctor or surgeon. And, of course, the female doctors and nurses are prohibited from working; and, therefore, the majority of Afghani women are unable to seek medical treatment of any kind. In this century in this world. For these reasons, I with my colleagues, 52 of my colleagues, are cosponsoring legislation condemning the destruction, the Taliban's deduction of preIslamic laws which until their rein were the law of the land. I am also cosponsoring a resolution with many of my colleagues which refuses to recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. Of course we are doing that for many reasons, but one of them surely must be the actions that they have taken against women and that they need to restore the women in Afghanistan their basic human rights. The square of fabric that many of us are wearing, a piece of the burqa, the clothing of the Afghani women, we wear as a sign of solidarity to their suffering and torment. And I came to the podium following my colleague who wore the entire burqa. As I watched the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) standing in this place, which is the symbol of freedom that all of us enjoy in this country, her voice muffled, she could barely read the words on the page. This is today, this modern world, and yet in Afghanistan, and of course a woman would not even be allowed to be here, but they are confined even within their homes to wearing this kind of garment. Women, as we have heard this evening and will continue to hear I am sure, women who ignore the decrees are beaten, publicly flogged and even murdered for a slight infraction of the rules. Through such public beatings the Taliban has succeeded in cowing the civilian population into submission, so it is even more critical during this time of political upheaval and turmoil that this country, the United States, continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the children and also to the women who have been forced to flee from their native land and forced to live the kinds of lives that they are living. We remain and must remain committed to bringing the Taliban into compliance with international norms of behavior on all human rights issues. I know all of us stand in awe here as we speak on this topic. We stand in awe before the women of Afghanistan who are daring, even against all of these signs of oppression, daring to speak out, daring to gather the children together to teach, the young women, the girls, to offer them classes knowing that if they are caught, their lives will be ended. Even as we speak freely in the House, our sisters in Afghanistan are finding ways to gather together to strengthen each other, to hold on to their inner burning of freedom, and they are counting on us to give them support. Across this land there are groups that have sprung up. In my district I was approached by several women who are part of organizations contributing money to give aid directly to these women to support them in their freedom-fighting mission that really does reach to the heart of what we stand for in this country. So we stand in awe and solidarity with the women of Afghanistan, and we must work in this place. Mr. Speaker, that is why I say to my colleagues, I hope this is just the beginning of our speaking out. We must speak out in ways across this country to join people together, women, but everyone together, to support the efforts of women in Afghanistan, to throw off their yokes of oppression and to be able to return to a life that they know and burns within them, the passion for that way of life in their hearts. We have to find a way to let them know that the world is watching and supporting them and encouraging them in their struggle to retain and regain their sense of dignity and regain their personal freedoms.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the preservation efforts for endangered Island fox. This unique species inhabits San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente Islands in the chain of Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California, and its once thriving population has declined in recent years. The Channel Islands have been called the ``Galapagos of North America'' and I believe that this is an accurate description of the extraordinary natural resources that exist on the islands. Each of the islands has a unique ecosystem, which is home to numerous indigenous species. The island fox is one of these distinct species. It is found only on the Channel Islands and is a distant relative of the gray fox. These playful animals have spent most of the last 10,000 years thriving at the top of the island food chain. However in recent years they have become threatened due to a variety of circumstances. However I am happy to report that extraordinary efforts are being made to reverse this trend towards extinction. In the last month the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed listing the Island Fox as an endangered species. That act was an important step forward in the work to reestablish this species. Finally, I would like to recognize the inspirational efforts of the fifth grade students at Mound Elementary School in Ventura. They have chosen the preservation of the Island Fox as their G.A.T.E. project, and have formed their own organization, ``Save Our Species,'' which is an affiliated educational unit of Jane Goodall's ``Roots and Shoots'' organization. I believe that we should all follow the example set by these devoted young people and work together to ensure the Island Fox population returns to its historic levels.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, as we begin our long recovery from the attacks on our nation last week, many of our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones. I think we have all been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity by the American people. I has been one of the few silver linings in an otherwise dark, dark cloud hanging over this nation. Among Congress' many tasks, I believe it is our duty to enable and magnify this generosity in the most productive way. And I am very proud that so many members have introduced legislation to that effect. In this effort, Congressman Shays and I are introducing the September 11th Families Stamp Act. This legislation would establish a commemorative stamp to assist the families of those who lost their lives in the attacks last week. Our bill would instruct the Postal Service to issue a stamp in the memory of the victims. Like the very successful Breast Cancer Research stamp, this stamp would cost six cents more than a regular first-class stamp. The extra money raised would be distributed to the families of those who lost their loved ones, at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or in the four hijacked airliners on September 11th. The Breast Cancer Research stamp has raised $20 million since its inception in 1997. The funds raised by the September 11th Families Stamp would be distributed by the Office of Victims of Crimes, in the Department of Justice, and would be tax-exempt for the recipients. The stamp would be issued by December 1, so that it is available for the holiday season, and would be in circulation for two years. And I am very pleased to say that this is only one of several ideas put forward to help the families torn apart by last week's terrible events. My colleagues, Representative Ackerman and Representative Fossella, have a bill to issue a stamp specifically for the families of the firefighters, police, and rescuers lost in this tragedy. Representative Engel has introduced a bill to issue a commemorative coin to do much the same. Representative LaFalce has put forward a Victory Bond bill as yet another excellent way to allow Americans to give to the relief effort. And Representative Velazquez has introduced legislation to allow people to devote their tax refunds to the relief efforts more easily. I think it is absolutely wonderful to have so many options before the Congress. And I hope that more members will come up with such good ideas and keep introducing legislation to help the victims. but I also want to encourage the leadership to use these ideas in developing a comprehensive package to build upon America's generous desire to help all the victims of these unspeakable events. Clearly, nothing will ever make up for the terrible loss our countrymen have suffered. But we can at least help make their lives easier as they go forward.