Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to address two pressing issues before our country today; substance abuse and mental health. This week, I introduced H.R. 4867, the Youth Drug and Mental Health Services Act, along with my colleagues the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett). This bill reauthorizes the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration which provides State mental health and substance abuse prevention grants throughout this country. Drug addiction is often an intergenerational family problem with future use by children of addicts a very common occurrence. Sadly, this is a pattern I regularly saw as a school nurse, but I have also seen the success of SAMHSA prevention programs in my own district, particularly with Santa Barbara's Fighting Back. This program provides successful public awareness initiatives, mentoring, criminal justice partnerships and health care intervention programs. Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to move H.R. 4867 as soon as it is possible. This reauthorization is the best way to comprehensively address the problems of substance abuse confronting our communities. These problems are just too great for us to treat in a piecemeal fashion.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep disappointment about the bill before us and this process, which does not even allow a vote on an alternative plan. As a nurse, I would never shortchange seniors out of their prescription drugs. That is what this legislation does. It is an empty bill which will lead to empty pill bottles for seniors across this country. Simply put, this bill sells our seniors short. Let us pass secure, affordable prescription drug coverage today for all older Americans, not a risky program that subsidizes private insurance companies. I urge a no vote.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Waxman-Hansen amendment. I am outraged that the bill before us today would, in effect, halt the Justice Department's action to hold tobacco companies accountable. This rider would undo an agreement made just 2 days ago here on the floor of this House. That agreement would allow the Veterans Department to support DOJ's litigation. Mr. Chairman, this rider would have the effect of giving the tobacco companies immunity. It gives them a free pass by hamstringing Justice's ability to go after them in the courts. Remember, the tobacco industry produces an addictive product that, when used as directed and intended, contributes to the death of 300,000 to 400,000 people a year, injuring hundreds of thousands more. This industry has systematically attempted to lure children to start smoking and lied about it for years. It has manipulated the levels of nicotine to increase the addictiveness of cigarettes and lied about it for years. Tobacco companies deserve no special treatment. They deserve to be held accountable, and that is what passing the Waxman-Hansen amendment would allow, simple justice. I urge support for this amendment.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words, and I rise in strong support of the Waxman amendment. I do this as a public health nurse, for I have seen firsthand the serious consequences of smoking-related illnesses, and I am appalled at the behavior of the tobacco firms. This is a time when accountability is called for. We speak here today on behalf of our constituents. And I am speaking on behalf of the veterans I represent. I know their national leaders were here today testifying to the Justice Department, but they have spoken to me directly and to many of us across this country, as they are bearing the price for what has happened throughout the decades as a result of their exposure and addiction to tobacco in the call of their military duty. We need to speak for them. I speak also for other citizens in my district, citizens who are aware and are aroused by the injustices that have been done. I think of a particular physician in San Luis Obispo, Dr. Steve Hanson, tireless in his work on tobacco-use prevention among young people in our community but also on the need for treatment to be available, working through the American Medical Association and the San Luis Obispo Medical Society, an articulate voice on behalf of the justice that needs to be done in this case. This amendment will allow for the continuation of litigation to recover tobacco-related health costs that have burdened the American taxpayer for many years. The cigarettes that were put into GI rations and unwittingly caused addictions are now being borne out in the health and illness situations of so many of our seniors who are veterans and who are paying terrific consequences with their lives, suffering from emphysema, heart disease, and cancer as they are aging. These individuals need and cry out for a response that needs to be stimulated and encouraged in this body. Janet Reno has stated that if this rider to the VA-HUD appropriation passes, the Department of Justice would have no ability to continue in their crucial litigation on behalf of veterans. This amendment protects veterans. Under the Medical Care Recovery Act, any recovery of these tobacco costs would go directly to the VA and defense health programs. As Members consider their votes, I urge them to remember that the tobacco companies concealed what they knew about the damaging health effects of smoking for decades. During those same decades, the consequences of smoking were played out in the lives of citizens across this country, and veterans' lives as well; and the cost has been borne by everyone. No other industry is close to matching the cigarette companies' record of misconduct and harm to the public interest. If Congress intervenes in the judicial with this VA-HUD rider, the tobacco industry will receive unprecedented and unwarranted protection that will never be available to other more responsible companies. So Congress must hold Big Tobacco accountable, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Waxman amendment.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I look forward to working with the gentleman.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word, and everyone, I beg your indulgence. I know the hour is late. But, again, this year I also come to the floor to discuss the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program in our national forests. First, I do want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Regula); the ranking member, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks); and their subcommittee. I deeply appreciate maintaining and preserving our Nation's public lands. I understand that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) do not completely agree with my views or those of my constituents on this rec fee. However, I want to commend them for responding to my concerns on this issue. The Interior Appropriations bill does not extend or make permanent this rec fee demo program, as was earlier rumored. I understand the importance of fully funding our forests and my congressional district hopes that we can work together to do just that without resorting to what we believe to be onerous fees. Our national parks, national forests, and other public lands are unique treasures that should be enjoyed today and preserved for future generations. We must provide full and adequate funding for the protection of these priceless resources. But I must oppose the inclusion of the national forests in a rec fee demo program. I have heard from thousands of my constituents who are opposed to the program which the Los Padres National Forest euphemistically calls the Adventure Pass. These citizens strongly believe, as do I, that these user fees represent double taxation. These are public lands, and we should use public funds to support them. Many of my constituents have expressed fears of a trend toward the privatization of our national forests. This is simply wrong. We need to keep these forests open for all of our citizens to enjoy, to take a hike in the woods, to enjoy a sunset, and experience the incredible beauty of the natural world. As public servants, we must remember that the people we serve are not simply customers using our public lands, but are the owners of these lands. We need to find a more equitable way to support our national forests. Some families in my district say the imposition of the so-called adventure pass has stopped them from going to visit the Los Padres National Forest, and I do not believe that is right, Mr. Chairman. I urge the subcommittee to reject any attempts to make this program permanent in conference. Any extension of the rec fee demo program or change in its status should be made in regular order. I want to work with the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Regula), the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), and the leaders of the authorizing committees to review this program and identify alternative ways to provide the necessary funding to maintain our forests. There are many ways we can go about doing this. Last night, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) offered an amendment which I strongly support which would have ended the rec fee program, while still maintaining full funding for our national forests. Today he is offering another amendment, and I understand the gentleman has agreed to work with him. I also support that effort. I have introduced bipartisan legislation, the Forest Service Immediate Relief Act, which would terminate the Recreational Fee Demonstration Program at our national forests and offset the lost revenue by eliminating one timber subsidy. Whatever the means, we must find alternative ways to fund our national forests without unfairly taxing the very people, like those in my district, who simply want to enjoy the beauty of their backyards.

Mrs. CAPPS. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mrs. CAPPS. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this critical amendment to increase funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Arts are our cultural language. They bring our communities together and serve to define who we are as a society. Both the NEA and the NEH broaden public access to the arts and humanities for all Americans and improve the quality of our lives for our children and our families. I spent a good deal of my career in public schools, and I have seen the positive impacts that arts has in our children's education. The arts teach our children rhythm, design, creativity, and critical thinking. The arts have also been shown to deter delinquent behavior of at-risk youth and to help dramatically to improve academic performance, truancy rates, and other critical skills among our children. As the new economy demands a workforce that can think and work innovatively, arts education provides a crucial part of that skill building, skills that can begin at a very young age. For example, in a child's elementary school class trip to the museum. In my district on the central coast of California, students have been exposed to the virtues of music, poetry, and dance as a result of our National Endowment of the Arts support. Students from Santa Barbara, San Marcos, and Morro Bay High Schools had the opportunity to participate in the Essentially Ellington program and study the jazz music of Duke Ellington. Students and adults have been exposed to poetry through National Poetry Month at the Lompoc Public Library, Miguelito Elementary School, the Dunn School in Los Olivos, the San Luis City County Library, and the University of California in Santa Barbara. Thousands of my constituents have been thrilled and inspired by the Mozart Festival in San Luis Obispo, the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra, and the LINES Contemporary Ballet, which has performed at both Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria and CalPoly University in San Luis Obispo. These exhibits and performances have been funded and supported by NEA. For slightly less than 36 cents a year, all Americans have access to all that the arts have to offer. It is a small price to pay for one of our Nation's richest and most effective resources. And so I urge my colleagues, let us vote for our children and support the Slaughter-Horn-Johnson amendment to strengthen both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply disappointed that the House leadership has continued to delay debate on real campaign finance reform. According to a Washington Post editorial, they claim to be seeking only to strengthen reform. In fact, their goal is to kill it. It turns out they do not like disclosure, they like the dark. 527 groups are tax-exempt, political organizations which try to influence elections. They raise and spend millions of dollars to influence our Federal campaigns, with no disclosure whatsoever. These groups pose a grave threat to our democratic process. The American public is demanding action now. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) and the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) have good bills that deal with a real issue at hand, plugging the loophole in the Tax Code that allows undisclosed funding and unlimited spending. This discharge petition is about bringing these bills to the floor for a vote. We need to bring a little sunshine into this system. Let us pass a meaning disclosure bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Lowey amendment. Our local school districts cannot raise sufficient funds to do all that is needed, desperately needed school construction funds to repair schools and to improve the overcrowding situation. The city of Santa Maria lies in the heart of my Central Coast district. It has some of the worst overcrowding problems in the country. They have tried repeatedly to raise bonds, funds for this, and were not able to do it. I recently visited Oakley School in Santa Maria, a school built originally for 400 students with an enrollment now of over 900. The school is forced to use precious playground space for 14 portable classrooms, which requires them to hold three different lunch periods. The first lunch period starts at 10:30 in the morning. Mr. Chairman, I am so disappointed that we have done nothing in this 106th Congress to address the overcrowding and needed repairs in our schools across the country. The families of the Central Coast of California have told me again and again that school construction funding is their number one priority. Just this morning I met with some middle school students from Santa Lucia school in Cambria where they carved up their multipurpose building into classrooms, and they have used their library for classrooms. I myself as a school nurse know what it is like to do vision and hearing screening in the janitors' closets. Mr. Chairman, I believe this Congress has to treat school construction in a manner that reflects the importance of our schools and of our education in society and in our communities today. I ask Members to show their support for schools and students in need. Support the Lowey amendment.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Pelosi amendment, which seeks to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health. I commend the committee and Congress for the commitment that has been made to double the NIH budget in 5 years specifically by providing necessary 15 percent increases in appropriations each year. But this year, we are going off track. Our budget is throwing us off our 5-year track. Mr. Chairman, there is not a family in this country that does not feel the promise and the hope of the research that is done under the auspices of the NIH. A year ago it was the deputy director who told my daughter, recently diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, that if she could hold on for 2 years, there was such promising research coming down the pike through NIH. So many families in this country hold their hope in the research that is done and is spawned by our funding for the NIH. Research in the real life miracle areas of Parkinson's disease, cancer research, Alzheimer's, diabetes, these are situations that people across this country are dealing with on a daily basis. We have established a wonderful track record for funding. We need to keep our resolve now and stick to our promise to double the funding in 5 years.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to report that my dear friend, Gary Gallup, a member of the class of 1961 at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was recently honored by the UCSB Alumni Association. He is the year 2000 recipient of the Chuck Graver Alumni Service Award for his steadfast commitment to his alma mater. Gary Gallup was a founder of the UCSB Alumni Association, and served on its Board of Directors in its early years. Gary has worked hard to improve the stature of the campus which now ranks among the top universities in the nation for research and academic quality. It is certainly one of the most beautiful campuses, if I may be permitted a hometown boast! Gary went on to join the UCSB Foundation over twenty years ago, and has since been involved in attracting private support that has been so important to the growth in size, quality, and stature of the university. Most recently, he served as chair of the Foundation, which expects to have a record setting year in fundraising. His voluntary contributions of time and energy often go unnoticed and unrecognized in our complicated world of busy lives. It is therefore quite fitting and proper, and I am pleased to join with the UCSB Alumni Association, to provide recognition to Gary Gallup for his forty years of service and the important contributions he has made to the UCSB campus and the community it serves. Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Mr. Gary Gallup on his receipt of the Chuck Graver Alumni Service Award and his pledge to upholding the vision of the University of California, Santa Barbara. The campus and surrounding area is most fortunate to have such an asset to call upon.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a distinguished constituent, Mr. Reece Duca, for being the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Alumni Association of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Mr. Duca graduated from UCSB in 1966, and has been a resident of Santa Barbara for many years. He founded and built the Learning Company into an internationally recognized leader in the development and marketing of educational software for schools and homes across the nation. The Learning Company was recognized by Forbes Magazine in 1992 as one the ``best small companies in the world.'' Reece Duca continues to pursue his passion for educational excellence through his involvement with UCSB and Stanford University, and his continuing role as an investor and advisor to start-up companies in the field of education and educational technology. One of his new companies is GlobalEnglish.com, an Internet-based educational technology company that delivers English instruction to 115 countries around the world. I have known Reece as an active member of the Santa Barbara community. He is a person who acts on his principles and makes a lasting contribution to the success of those ideals. I also know Reece as a committed husband and father, who has been able to draw upon the wisdom and insights of his wife and children to improve his businesses and advance his goals. Reece Duca prefers to describe his recognition as a ``half of a'' Lifetime Achievement Award, and knowing his as I do, I am confident that there is much more achievement left in this remarkable persons life. I consider the opportunity to represent him in Congress to be a great privilege. Mr. Speaker, please join me in extending congratulations to Mr. Reece Duca for all of his exceptional accomplishments.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to bring to your attention that Professor Frank McConnell was posthumously presented with the Outstanding Teaching Award by the Alumni Association at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Frank McConnell was a professor of English at UCSB for over three decades, and enjoyed a career that touched the lives of countless students who were inspired by his own love of literature. As a member of the UCSB community, I knew Frank well, Mr. Speaker. I knew him to be passionate about the works he was teaching, engaging generations of students with his infectious love of books, writers, and their ability to communicate important ideas. There are many stories about Frank inspiring students to stay in school to finish their degrees, to major in English, and even to pursue a career in academia. Frank also wrote a fiction and non-fiction, including a series of mysteries featuring a character he readily admitted bore a resemblance to himself: ``chain-smoking, hard-drinking, foul-mouthed.'' He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Fulbright Professorship, and chaired the 1991 Pulitzer Prize fiction jury. Also over the course of his distinguished career, Frank was named the Mortarboard Teacher of the Year five times. Frank McConnell, however, was not a ``typical'' academic. He could be flamboyant, colorful, and even eccentric. His classes did not end when the bell rang and the period was over. His students would follow him to the coffee shop, the student center, or the pizza parlors in Isla Vista. He helped make college fun and stimulating at the same time! We miss Frank, and extend to his wife Celeste our best wishes for a quick recovery. She and Frank would have been proud of Celeste's son, Eric Friedman, who was raised from a young age by Frank. Eric received the award on behalf of Celeste--and Frank--and was himself a wonderful tribute to Frank's life. Teachers, as you know well, Mr. Speaker, are among America's most important treasures. Frank McConnell was an exceptional gem, and his talent contributed in its own modest way to our Nation's greatness. I want to congratulate UCSB Chancellor Henry Yang and the UCSB Alumni Association for their emphasis on the value of teaching at a first rank research university, and for recognizing this exceptional and inspirational teacher, Professor Frank McConnell. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleges to stand and join me in paying special tribute to Dr. Frank McConnell.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule, and I am also in strong opposition to the provision in this bill which would bar OSHA from implementing its ergonomic standard. This standard would protect hundreds of thousands of American workers suffering from musculoskeletal disorders every year. As a public health nurse, I know the debilitating effects these disorders can have. They are the most prevalent, expensive, and preventable workplace injuries, accounting for more than one-third of all occupational injuries and illnesses serious enough to result in days away from work, affecting more than a half a million workers each year, and costing businesses over $15 billion. Congress has prevented OSHA from issuing an ergonomic standard since 1995. So many medical and professional organizations have strongly encouraged OSHA to act without further delay on this ergonomics rule. Medical and professional organizations have strongly encouraged OSHA to act without further delay on this ergonomics rule. These groups include: The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association, and the AFL-CIO and all of their affiliated unions. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed that this appropriations process has once again become the means by which we leave our workers without the safety protections they deserve. I believe it is irresponsible to prohibit OSHA from acting in the best interests of American workers. I object to the rider on the Labor-HHS appropriations bill.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise against this rule on H.R. 8, the Estate Tax Bill. And once again I call on Congress to tackle the issue of section 527s. These so-called 527 groups are tax exempt political organizations which try to influence elections. They can spend millions of dollars on negative ads, direct mail campaigns, and phone banks. I want to read to my colleagues directly from the Web page of a 527 loophole from my home State of California. This Web page tells a potential donor that they can make contributions in unlimited amounts. These can be from any source and they are not ever going to be a matter of public record. These 527s pose a grave threat, I believe, to our current democratic process. Unfortunately, our House leadership will not give us a vote on this important issue. It is my hope that the next time I come to the House floor to discuss these 527s it will be to pass the bill authored by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett). Surely, in the House of Representatives, we can do something to close this loophole and to clean up our election laws, and we should do it now.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues in commending Israel for its courageous withdrawal from Lebanon. The Israeli action sends a strong signal that Israel is very serious about pursuing a comprehensive peace with all its neighbors. At the same time, it is critical for this Congress to demand a cessation of all terrorist activities in southern Lebanon and to strongly encourage the government of Syria to remove its troops from Lebanon as well.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the importance of a conference report that passed in the House this afternoon, the Agriculture Risk Protection Act conference report. This bill provides important support for our Nation's farmers and ensures that Americans will have a steady and affordable food supply. I wish to address an issue that is of particular importance to my central coast district in California, and that is the spread of Pierce's Disease. I am pleased that this bill includes much-needed funding to combat Pierce's Disease and the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter which spreads it. This disease is having a devastating effect on California vineyards and needs to be brought under control before it does even greater damage. Although outbreaks in my district have been limited, recent sightings of the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter are very worrisome. Just the other day, eggs of the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter were found on plants at two northern San Luis Obispo County nurseries. While we have been experimenting with different ways to combat Pierce's Disease, currently, there is no known cure. Central coast wine grape growers are banding together and contributing funds of their own to fight this disease. We in the Federal Government need to support these efforts. I joined members of the Wine Caucus in urging the agriculture subcommittee to increase funding for combating Pierce's Disease. I am pleased that this subcommittee saw the importance of this issue and provided appropriate funding in the Agriculture Risk Protection Act conference report. This bill provides the necessary support for our vineyards, with over $7 million in funding for control and containment activities in California, and $25 million to compensate growers for losses due to three different diseases, including Pierce's Disease. These Federal dollars will join with State funds and the private money raised to make a concerted effort to eradicate Pierce's Disease. That is our goal. We cannot rest until a cure for this disease is found, and the Glassy- winged Sharpshooter is no longer a threat. Mr. Speaker, I am glad and pleased that this bill makes available a major step in that direction.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall 231, passage of H. Con. Res. 331. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Agriculture Risk Protection Act Conference Report. This bill provides important support for our Nation's farmers an ensures that Americans will have a steady, affordable food supply. I want to address an issue that is of particular importance to my district--the spread of Pierce's Disease. I am pleased that this bill includes much-needed funding to combat Pierce's disease and the Glassy- winged Sharpshooter which spread it. This disease is having a devastating effect on California vintners, and needs to be brought under control before it does even greater damage. Although outbreaks in my district have been limited, recent sightings of the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter are very worrisome. Just the other day eggs of the Glassy-winged Sharpshooter were found on plants at two northern San Luis Obispo County nurseries. While we have been experimenting with different ways to combat Pierce's Disease, currently there is no known cure. Central Coast wine grape growers are banding together and contributing funds to fight this disease. We in the federal government need to support these efforts. I joined members of the Wine Caucus in urging the Agriculture Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee to increase funding for combating Pierce's Disease. I am pleased that the Subcommittee saw the importance of this issue and provided appropriate funding in the Agriculture Risk Protection Act Conference Report. This bill provides the necessary support for our vintners with $7.14 million in funding for control and containment activities in California and $25 million to compensate growers for losses due to three different diseases including Pierce's Disease. We cannot rest until a cure for this disease is found and the Glassy- winged Sharpshooter is eradicated. I'm glad that this bill takes a major step in that direction.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am a cosponsor of the act to repeal the telephone excise tax, but I am rising now in support of the motion of the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) to recommit, because we need to make the public aware of section 527. So-called 527 groups are tax-exempt, political organizations that try to influence elections. They can spend millions of dollars on negative ads, direct-mail campaigns, and phone banks. Not too long ago, I had never even heard of section 527s of the IRS code. Now, our constituents face the possibility of a negative ad campaign streaming into their homes paid for by undisclosed, far-off donors, distorting their elections. Mr. Speaker, 527s pose a great threat to our current democratic process. Unfortunately, the House leadership will not give us a vote on this important issue, so voters do not know who is behind the 30 second TV ads trashing their candidates. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this motion to recommit so that we can make the public aware of section 527s and the damage that they are doing to our current political system.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and I want to remind and encourage all of our colleagues to support this lifesaving piece of legislation, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act. By setting the example through authorizing the use of automatic defibrillators in public buildings, in Federal buildings, we will do our part in saving additional lives. We will also be setting a great example for this country in the way we want to move forward. Again, I commend my colleague for bringing forward the bill and urge its passage. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Ms. Carson).

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in strong support of a lifesaving piece of legislation, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act. I would like to commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) for introducing this legislation, for working hard to ensure that it would receive a full hearing in the committee level. I want also to commend the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Bliley), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), my colleagues on the Committee on Commerce, for moving it through our committee structure. The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act does two key things. First, it instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make recommendations to promote public access to defibrillation programs in Federal buildings and other public buildings across the country. These recommendations would ensure the health and safety of all Americans by encouraging ready access to the tools needed to improve cardiac arrest survival rates. Second, this act extends Good Samaritan protections to Automatic External Defibrillator users and the acquirers of the devices in those States who do not currently have AED Good Samaritan protections. This protection will help encourage lay persons to respond in a cardiac emergency by using the external defibrillation device. These devices, AEDs, are small, easy to use and laptop size. They can analyze the heart rhythms of a person in cardiac arrest to determine if a shock is necessary; and when it is necessary, they will automatically deliver a lifesaving shock to the heart. Every minute that passes before a cardiac arrest victim's heart is defibrillated or shocked back into rhythm, every minute that passes, his or her chance of survival decreases by as much as 10 percent. As a result, less than 5 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims will even survive. Recently, I was very fortunate to hear the testimony of Mr. Robert Adams, describing how his life was saved in Grand Central Station in New York City by a publicly available AED. This moving story is a sure indication of the lifesaving capabilities that this bill will unleash. Currently, I serve as the cochair of the Heart and Stroke Coalition in the House, so I have a special interest in the area of heart disease. Working closely with the American Heart Association, the American Red Cross, this coalition is a bipartisan and bicameral group which is concerned with heightening awareness of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, the coalition works to promote research opportunities in the area of heart disease and stroke and acts as a greater resource on key issues, such as public access to automatic external defibrillators. The American Heart Association estimates that, with increased access to AEDs, up to 50,000 lives could be saved each year. That is reason enough for us to pass this legislation. So I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2498, the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.