Lois Capps

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, since arriving in Congress over a year ago, I have been fighting for a real Patients' Bill of Rights. I am an original cosponsor of this landmark legislation to rein in health maintenance organizations, the HMOs, and to return decision-making power to patients and their doctors. I am committed to seeing that Congress take decisive action and pass this bill now. The only way to make comprehensive HMO reform a reality is to work together in a bipartisan way. That is why I was so disappointed last July when powerful special interests overpowered patients and blocked efforts to bring such a comprehensive HMO reform bill to the floor. Instead, they rammed through a Band-Aid that would have done nothing to actually protect patients. Our health care system needs serious medicine, not a political placebo. The American people deserve better. As a nurse, I know firsthand the importance of health care that is accessible, of high quality, patient-centered health care. Basic patients' rights can often mean the difference between life and death. As a Member of Congress, I was recently appointed to the House Committee on Commerce which oversees much of our Nation's health policy. If we are to accomplish anything in the field of health care, passing comprehensive managed care reform must be at the top of our agenda this session of Congress. Medical decisions need to be made by patients and their doctors, and patients should have all of the information they need to make these critical decisions. These are the plain truths about health care. Mr. Speaker, this historic measure will guarantee patients basic rights by allowing people to choose their own doctors, ending oppressive gag rules so patients have access to all critical treatment options and establishing health care quality and information standards which we can all follow. Most importantly, this bill will hold HMOs accountable by giving patients critical legal recourse when insurance companies deny necessary medical coverage. If patients can sue their doctors for poor care, they should be able to sue the big insurance bureaucrats who determine these cost-cutting decisions. Mr. Speaker, last weekend I was privileged to join my colleagues on both sides of the aisle at the bipartisan retreat in Hershey, Pennsylvania. There people of many different philosophical political backgrounds talked about the need to restore civility to government and make our constituents proud. In the spirit of Hershey, I sincerely hope that all of our colleagues will work together to pass in this session a real Patients' Bill of Rights. By putting patients before profits, we can be a Congress that does something real and finally passes comprehensive managed care reform legislation now while we have the opportunity before it is too late.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the special order time of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown).

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my esteemed colleague the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for yielding, and I am so pleased to participate today, because as we grapple, and we are, and we will and we must, grapple with this issue of Social Security, one of the most critical aspects of the analysis is recognizing the unique role that this wonderful program, securing the lives of our seniors, plays in the lives of women. As has been stated, more than half of the recipients of Social Security, 60 percent, are women. And we women depend on these benefits for a longer time and for a greater proportion of our income than do men. In addition, the poverty rate among women over 65 would nearly triple if Social Security were taken away. For these reasons, we must think very carefully before radically changing Social Security from a government safety net to a private investment program. Social Security is especially important to women senior citizens during this discussion for several reasons. The bottom line is that the benefits are disproportionate. Currently, women receive fewer benefits than do men. This is for several reasons, as I mentioned. First, women continue to earn less than men. Currently the average woman earns about 75 percent of what the average man makes in annual earnings. Second, the man's connection to the workplace is very strong and firm. The woman's connection to the workplace is much more tenuous. Women are much more likely to interrupt their careers to stay home and raise children, or to stop working in order to provide care for elderly parents and other relatives. On average, women spend 11.5 years out of the workforce during their working lives. These two factors mean that building a personal savings is more difficult for women. Recent studies show that on average a woman's pension is worth only slightly more than half of a man's pension. Women also live an average of 7 years longer than men do and therefore run a much higher risk of exhausting any personal savings and, therefore, must rely on Social Security for almost all of their retirement income in so many instances. The underlying idea behind Social Security has been that in concert with a company's pensions or today's 401(k) plans and personal savings, Social Security should be one of the three legs for a family's retirement stool. This remains as important today as when this program, Social Security, was started in the 1930s. Converting the program to just another retirement program based strictly on earnings would do a disservice to millions of women and increase the already high rate of poverty among elderly, single, widowed women. I am committed to working with my colleagues who join us on the floor today, and we are determined to ensure that Social Security is made solvent for the long term, and that any reforms take into consideration the very unique role of all of the women in our economy.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution. A unilateral declaration of statehood by the Palestinians would be a provocative act that would threaten the peace process. The President opposes such a declaration, and Congress should put its opposition on the record. Both the Oslo Accord and the Wye Memorandum prohibit unilateral actions by either side. For years, it has been mutually understood that critical final status issues--prime among them the question of a Palestinian state--must be resolved in the context of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, not through unilateral actions. My only problem with this resolution is that it is not strong enough. Congress should be on record opposing all unilateral acts, including, but not limited to, a declaration of Palestinian statehood. This resolution would be immeasurably strengthened if it opposed any and all unilateral actions by either party. In my view, Congress can do its part to advance the peace process by urging both parties to resist political temptations and refrain from unilateral actions. Mr. Speaker, attaining peace in the Middle East is of paramount importance to U.S. national interests. The alternatives to a successful peace process are economic disruption, terrorism, and even war. The ability of future generations of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and enjoy economic prosperity depends on the peace process. The two main ingredients to continuing the peace process are active U.S. involvement and strict adherence to the historic agreements hammered out in Olso and at Wye. This resolution urges one party to fulfill its commitment. In order to achieve peace, all parties must do their part.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H.R. 774, the Women's Business Center Amendments Act. In addition to reauthorizing this important program, this bill will increase funding for the Small Business Administration's Women's Business Center program by $3 million. I strongly support the vision of this program as well as the increase in funding levels. Providing assistance and services to women considering entrepreneurial endeavors is vital to the success of the economy of the 22nd District of Columbia and our entire nation. On the Central Coast, 80% of all business activity is generated by small business, and many of these businesses are run by women. Assisting small businesses, and ensuring that the doors of economic opportunity are open to all women, are priorities for me in Congress. Currently, there are only 60 Women's Business Centers in 36 states, but many more are needed. At this time, women in my congressional district must travel over 100 miles to reach a center, and for many this distance precludes them from availing themselves of those resources. By increasing the funding for this program, we will be able to reach out to the many women that are now underserved on the Central Coast and throughout the nation. Women's Business Centers assists women entrepreneurs at all levels of business development by teaching the principles of finance, management and marketing. The program has demonstrated particular success with low-income, single and minority women. The assistance provided at Women's Business Centers enables women to fight poverty by giving them the tools to become self-sufficient, successful business owners who are leaders in their communities. I strongly urge my colleagues to pass this bill and support the Women's Business Center program.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, due to a family illness I was unable to attend votes this week. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Rollcall No. 34--aye; 35--aye; 36--no; 37--aye; 38--aye; 39--aye; 40--aye; 41--aye; 42--aye; 43--aye; 44--aye; 45--no; 46--no; 47--no; 48--no; 49--yes.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this legislation. In Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties issues such as overcrowded classrooms, quality instruction, and the need for technology in the classrooms have been raised again and again as I meet with constituents and local education leaders. Under the existing Ed-Flex program, the Department of Education gives twelve states the ability to grant local school districts waivers from certain federal requirements, if the state believes that the waiver would foster local school reform efforts. This legislation would extend that demonstration program to all fifty states. I am a strong supporter of local control for our schools. School superintendents, teachers and parents really know what is best for the children in their communities. And there are some excellent examples of how states currently employing Ed-Flex rules are engaging in creative educational programs. Oregon, for example, has allowed community colleges and high schools to work together in a consortium to improve their professional technical education program, rather than run separate high school community college programs. This has resulted in an increase in the number of students completing those programs and graduating from high school. The state of Kansas has used the waiver to provide all-day kindergarten, a pre-school program for four year old children and new reading strategies for all children. These are truly innovative education initiatives and we should encourage such innovation. I also believe that the key to successful Ed-Flex programs is to require that states have in place a viable plan for assessing student achievement and establishing concrete numerical goals. If we have no standards and goals with which to measure achievement, we will never really know if we are helping our children or failing them by relaxing long-time federal regulations. Certain challenges in our education system cry out for national solutions. For example, I see a clear need for a federal role in class size reduction. Last year the President signed into law the first installment of his seven year program to hire 100,000 well prepared teachers to reduce class sizes. My own district just received over $1.5 million dollars of this funding. This is a great start. But our priority must be to continue to address the important issue of class- size reduction in this Congress. Additionally, after I came to Congress a year ago, I immediately undertook a comprehensive survey on the state of Central Coast schools. I held meetings with local school officials in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria to explain the survey and distributed them to every school district on the Central Coast. The results clearly indicated that overcrowded classrooms, overuse of portable classrooms, aging buildings and a lack of access to technology for students are serious problems in our communities. In response to these survey results I co-sponsored several school construction bills. This Congress must act now to address the critical issue of modernizing our schools. I have also introduced my own legislation, the Teacher Training Technology Act. My bill establishes a competitive grant program to award grants directly to local school districts that set up or have a plan to establish programs to train teachers in class-room related computer skills which can be effectively integrated into the curriculum. By the year 2005, more than a million new computer scientists and engineers, systems analysts, and computer programmers will be required in the U.S. We must ensure that our children are fully prepared to compete in our future economy and that our teachers are prepared teach them. In closing, I would like to again state my support for this Ed-Flex legislation and the need for high standards and accountability. I am committed to bringing Federal resources to bear to ensure that schools across the country are best prepared to educate our children.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this important legislation to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society--residents of nursing homes. This bill would prohibit a nursing home from discharging or transferring a resident if the nursing home voluntarily withdraws from Medicaid. It would also require nursing homes that do not participate in Medicaid to inform individuals who would become residents that it does not participate in Medicaid and that it may transfer or discharge such a resident if he or she no longer is able to pay on their own, even if they become Medicaid-eligible. The series of events that brought us this legislation are the worst nightmare for nursing home residents and their families. In April, 1998, a Tampa, FL, nursing home attempted to evict 52 Medicaid residents under the guise of remodeling the facility. Eventually, after the courts and the state intervened, the nursing home relented and invited back all the discharged patients. But the point is not that the residents are back in their nursing home. The point is that they shouldn't have had to put up with this callous and potentially fatal disruption in their lives. The culmination of a year of confusion came last April. As Nelson Mongiovi of Tampa testified before the Health Subcommittee last month, when he went to the facility where his mother was living after newspaper stories began to appear about Medicaid dumping: (I) saw many residents being moved out so rapidly that no one knew what was going on. The residents were crying hysterically, not knowing what was happening or where they were going. Within two days, ten residents had been evicted from this facility . . . There was utter chaos at the facility at this time with everyone, residents and family members, trying to determine what, if anything, would we be able to do. Mr. Speaker, this legislation will hopefully put an end to scenes like that. Protection for Medicaid-eligible nursing home residents is critical because of the large proportion of residents, often over 60% of a facility, who eventually end up on Medicaid. Typically, nursing home residents rely on Medicare to finance the first 100 days of nursing home, and then the resident relies on his or her own resources until they become eligible for Medicaid. According to some estimates, 63% of the elderly exhaust their own resources within 13 weeks and 87% within 52 weeks. These residents, who have spent all their own resources, should not be treated as second class citizens in nursing home facilities just because they now fall under Medicaid. This bill offers that protection, for residents now in homes and for future residents. I am pleased that the Commerce Committee acted swiftly on this legislation and that the House has seen fit to act quickly as well. We must protect our vulnerable seniors in nursing homes, and their families, from the type of callous disruptions that the Mongiovi family faced.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, due to a family illness, I was unable to attend votes this week. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Roll Call No. 29--``aye,'' Roll Call No. 30--``aye,'' Roll Call No. 31--``aye,'' Roll Call No. 32--``aye,'' and Roll Call No. 33-- ``aye.''

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, due to a family illness I was unable to attend votes this week. Had I been here I would have made the following votes: Rollcall No. 22--``aye''; rollcall No. 23--``aye''; rollcall No. 24--``aye''; rollcall No. 25--``aye''; rollcall No. 26--``aye''; rollcall No. 27--``aye''; rollcall No. 28--``aye''.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share with all of my colleagues the award for Lifetime Achievement that was presented to my distinguished constituent Warren Dorn by the Alumni Association of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Warren Dorn, UCSB class of 1941, has had a remarkable record of public service. He served as the Mayor of Pasadena, California which is famous for its Rose Bowl and Caltech University. He served four terms as a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. His service to L.A. County was honored in 1986 by the dedication of the Warren M. Dorn Recreation Complex at Castaic Lake. Following his retirement from the Board of Los Angeles Country, Warren Dorn was persuaded to continue his public service as the Mayor of Morro Bay, California in my district. Morro Bay is noted for its distinctive coastal beauty and excellent restaurants! Warren Dorn remains active in his community as President of the Morro Bay Beautiful Foundation. Based on his record, I am confident that Mr. Dorn has many more lifetimes of achievement remaining to be recognized. I wish to join the entire UCSB community in honoring this outstanding individual for his lifelong dedication to local public service.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, it is with special pride that I share with my colleagues the recognition given to Dr. Barry Tanowitz, professor of Biology at the University of California, Santa Barbara for his teaching skills. The 1999 Teaching Award given by the UCSB Alumni Association recognizes university professors who are able to combine scholarly achievements with pedagogical talent. Dr. Tanowitz, who received his Masters and Doctorate at UCSB, teaches three popular lower division biology courses, making difficult material both accessible and exciting for over a thousand students every year. In addition, he personally maintains a website in order to provide additional instruction. We often hear that college professors do not pay enough attention to students or to teaching skills. Dr. Tanowitz is an active leader in efforts to improve university level pedagogy across the campus. And he is still able to find time to devote to his scholarly investigations and writings, and to his family. Mr. Speaker, this award holds a special place in my heart as well. In 1998 the UCSB Teaching Award was presented posthumously to my husband, Walter Holden Capps. I can attest to the challenges of combining outstanding teaching with the rigors of research and scholarship which is faced by all university professors. I can also attest to its rewards, and the wonderful way in which these rare individuals have managed to touch so many lives. I am proud to join my friends at UCSB in recognizing the wonderful achievements of Professor Tanowitz and with him many, many years of continued success.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share with my colleagues the award for Lifetime Achievement that was presented to my remarkable constituent Bob Sherman by the Alumni Associations of the University of California, Santa Barbara. Bob Sherman, UCSB Class of 1947, has had a phenomenal record of success as a national and international senior tennis champion. He has won more senior tennis titles than all but one other player ever. Over the past thirty-five years there have been only a few in which he did not win a national or international championship. As recently as 1996 he won the singles Grand Slam. Yet in our hometown of Santa Barbara, he is better known as a very popular tennis pro and instructor who is eager to work with students of all ages. Bob Sherman remains active and competitive, with many lifetimes of achievement remaining in his wonderful career. He is a member of the UCSB Athletic Hall of Fame and is a testimonial that excellence can be achieved at every age, and therefore an example to us all. I am proud to join my friends at UCSB in recognizing Bob Sherman's on-going lifetime of achievement.

Mr. CAPPS

Mr. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Berry) for organizing this important time for us to speak today, and I am so honored to join my colleagues and the others really who are speaking around the country who are trying to give voice to our seniors as we bring to the attention of the House of Representatives a veritable scandal, I believe, which is occurring in our country today. I know that seniors on the central coast of California, where I live, and I believe that we are seeing evidence that seniors throughout the country, are paying outrageously high prices for their prescription drugs. Even worse, these inflated costs subsidize the discounts that high-profit HMOs get for these very same drugs. These inflated costs are rising every day, so they are rising at a faster rate even than the cost of living. Seniors are paying more this month than they paid a few months ago for their prescription medications. And this unfair practice has caused many of our older Americans to cut back on their medications, leading some to choose between buying food or filling their prescriptions. Last September I conducted the first comprehensive study of the impact that these big drug companies' high prices are having on the central coast of California's senior citizens. My office then released a report on the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and, more importantly, a major reason why these costs are so high, and the findings are startling. Seniors in my district pay, on average, 113 percent more for the 10 most widely prescribed drugs than do the HMOs buying the same drugs. These are critical medications, like Zocor, for reducing cholesterol; Norvase, for reducing high blood pressure; and Relafen, for relief from arthritis. Prescription drug companies give huge discounts to managed care companies for these and other drugs. Other buyers, such as pharmacists, pay substantially more for the same drugs and must pass those higher costs on to their customers, many of whom are seniors. The average senior fills between 9 and 12 prescriptions a year. This is a far greater number than any other segment of our population. It is estimated that the elderly, who make up approximately 12 percent of the population, use one-third of all the prescription drugs. Today, in Santa Barbara, in the News-Press, our local newspaper, it was reported that Ticlid, one of the most widely prescribed medications for persons who have had strokes, sells to HMOs for around $34 for 60 tablets. In my district, the average price seniors, who have to pay out-of-pocket for this drug, are being charged an overwhelming $131, nearly a 300 percent markup over the price the HMOs are paying. This huge difference in prices is not going to the retail pharmacists in Santa Barbara or Santa Maria or Arroyo Grande. According to my study, the local pharmacists on the central coast are paying an average of $100 to $110 for Ticlid. The final price seniors pay includes only a reasonable markup to the outrageous price that pharmacists are being forced to pay to the drug companies. No, the extra money the seniors are paying goes to the drug company so it can continue giving big discounts to HMOs and managed care companies. It is a very sad story that seniors are paying more in money for drugs than they should while HMOs are reaping a huge profit based partly on the huge discounts they get from drug companies. But there is an even sadder element. Many seniors simply cannot afford these high prices. They live on fixed incomes, especially as they keep on rising. So, instead, they take half the prescribed dose or they do not buy these lifesaving drugs because they cost too much. For example, Harriet MacGregor, in Santa Barbara, told my staff that because of the high cost of her five prescriptions she must sometimes skip or reduce her dosage. As a nurse, I am particularly appalled when I hear these stories. This is an intolerable situation. Seniors should not have to be subsidizing the profits of the HMOs, and they should not have to choose between filling their prescriptions or buying food or paying rent. I want to give credit to the pharmaceutical houses for developing the medications that save seniors' lives and enable them to live quality lives longer. These drugs are keeping our older Americans out of hospitals and out of nursing homes. We want them to take the medications. We have to find a way for them to be able to do this. Yesterday, I was a proud cosponsor of legislation to address this issue. This Prescription Drug Fairness Act for Seniors, introduced by my good friends and colleagues, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jim Turner), the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Tom Allen), and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Marion Berry), will allow pharmacists an opportunity to receive the same big discounts that HMOs get for the drugs that they dispense to seniors. This cost saving will be passed on to the seniors. This legislation is long overdue and will ensure that seniors pay reasonable prices for the lifesaving drugs they so desperately need. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. This important bill brings to mind another related problem: 35 percent of American seniors have no prescription drug coverage. Medicare, this health safety net for millions of elderly and disabled Americans, does not cover outpatient prescription drugs. So many seniors are forced to pay for these spiraling costs with absolutely no assistance. Mr. Speaker, we must examine ways to improve Medicare. As we do that, I believe we must seriously consider extending prescription drug benefits to the elderly and to the disabled. We should also ensure that seniors are not subject to pharmaceutical price discrimination. In closing, we can and should do everything we can to safeguard access to these life-extending and life-enhancing prescription medications for our seniors. I thank the gentleman for the opportunity to speak.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an extraordinary wife, mother, and citizen recently named 1998 Carpinterian of the Year: Betty Brown. Betty began her years of exemplary service in Carpinteria, California as a member and leader of the Eastern Star, a service organization and social group where she assumed the role of Worthy Matron in 1965. In the 1960's, Betty served as a mother advisor for the Rainbow Girls and continued to be a role model for young women. This devotion was seen in her involvement with the Children's Home Society, which helped unwed mothers and orphans with family counseling and adoption services. Betty was actively involved in the Carpinteria auxiliary called Los Chiquitos. Betty's commitment to advancing the success and happiness of adolescent girls was again evident through her commitment to Girls Incorporated of Carpinteria. She was a critical force in the Girls, Inc. building project, dedicating countless hours to raising funds for the new facility. Betty has also served as a national member of the Board of Trustees for Girls, Inc. The Carpinteria Community Church, Carpinteria Rotary Club, the Carpinteria Republican Women, the Capinteria Women in Agriculture and the American Heart Association have all benefited from Betty's desire to serve her community. Mr. Speaker, I commend Betty Brown for her extraordinary service to young women and the Carpinteria community, and honor her as the 1998 Carpinterian of the Year.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Mary Scopatz of Santa Barbara, California as she retires on January 29, 1999 after serving our local schools for 28 years. Mary began her distinguished career in 1970 as the Department Chair and teacher for the Santa Barbara High School Business Education Department. After only three years, she was named Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 1973. In 1978, she served as the Project Director for Disadvantaged Students, and then became the coordinator for the Youth Employment Training Programs and the Private Sector Involvement Project. After receiving her Educational Doctorate in 1980, Mary focused her attention on involving local industry with education as the Director of the Santa Barbara Industry Education Council, and providing year round and summer employment opportunities for young people as the Director of the Career and Youth Employment Programs. Mary has also shown a deep commitment to her community through her involvement in organizations such as the American Vocational Association, the California Business Education Association, as a member of both the Santa Barbara and the Goleta Chambers of Commerce, the Santa Barbara Youth Coalition, and the Children's Resource and Referral program. Recently, my office had the pleasure of working with Mary on establishing a Job Corps Program on the Central Coast. Her determination and commitment to the success of young people is unquestionable. Mr. Speaker, I commend Dr. Mary Scopatz for her lifelong work as a committed, innovative educator. Her dedication and vision will be missed but never forgotten.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Fielding Institute. The Fielding Institute has been a leader in distance learning for mid-career professionals since it was founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1974. With the development of a revolutionary ``Learning Community'' concept that provides lifetime learning opportunities for its scholars, the Fielding Institute has maintained its leadership in the field. The Institute has built an outstanding reputation for its graduate programs, including doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, Human and Organizational Development and Educational Leadership and Change and a masters program in Organizational Design and Effectiveness. Their approach offers highly effective, customized, professionally rich and interactive learning processes, along with significant possibilities for learning created by emerging electronic technologies. In providing a graduate learning experience using technology that is uniquely tailored to the professional and personal needs of adult learners, the Fielding Institute has been at the forefront of the distance learning movement. And so Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Fielding Institute. They have provided 25 years of service and outstanding graduate learning opportunities to the scholars of California, the United States and the world.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary young person who has recently been named the Junior Carpinterian of the Year: Sylvia Martinez. As a student attending Carpinteria High School, Sylvia has had many successes. In addition to her class ranking and impressive 3.8 grade- point average, she was the recipient of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Scholastic Achievement Award last year, and a recipient of the Golden State Exams Awards in 1995 and again in 1998. At school, Sylvia is a leader in the Interact Club, the Director of Elections in the Student Body Association, a varsity player in Track and Field, and was voted Most Valuable Player in Basketball last year. She is a strong role model to other Latina students and an inspiration to many. Most impressive however, is Sylvia's commitment to her community. Before she was ten, Sylvia was a volunteer at Main and Aliso Schools as a teachers aide and was active in numerous summer Migrant Education programs. One of her advisors has described Sylvia as a ``bright, inquisitive, compassionate person who has dedicated her young life to fulfilling a dream of becoming a successful humanitarian.'' I believe that someday she will be. Mr. Speaker, I commend Sylvia Martinez for her hard work, vision, and commitment to her community and world.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of American Indian Health & Services. American Indian Health & Services is a non-profit organization that has been providing needed health services to Native Americans in Santa Barbara County since 1995. The mission of the organization is to improve the health and general welfare status of urban American Indians by providing quality comprehensive health services that are culturally appropriate, accessible and socially responsive. The organization serves all members of tribes and nations in an atmosphere that respects individuality, culture and identity. American Indian Health & Services is celebrating five years of care and has received Federal, State, County and private funding to provide alcohol and substance abuse counseling, medical and dental care, youth programs, elders programs, benefits counseling and disease prevention. As a nurse, I am very pleased to join the Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers in celebrating five outstanding years of care.

Mrs. CAPPS

Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Fielding Institute. The Fielding Institute has been a leader in distance learning for mid-career professionals since it was founded in Santa Barbara, California in 1974. With the development of a revolutionary ``Learning Community'' concept that provides lifetime learning opportunities for its scholars, the Fielding Institute has maintained its leadership in the field. The Institute has built an outstanding reputation for its graduate programs, including doctoral programs in Clinical Psychology, Human and Organizational Development and Educational Leadership and Change and a masters program in Organizational Design and Effectiveness. Their approach offers highly effective, customized, professionally rich and interactive learning processes, along with significant possibilities for learning created by emerging electronic technologies. In providing a graduate learning experience using technology that is uniquely tailored to the professional and personal needs of adult learners, the Fielding Institute has been at the forefront of the distance learning movement. And so Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the Fielding Institute. They have provided 25 years of service and outstanding graduate learning opportunities to the scholars of California, the United States and the world.