Michael Capuano

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the career of Major General George W. Keefe, who recently retired from his post as the 41st Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. Major General Keefe, appointed interim Adjutant General on July 24, 1999, and Adjutant General January 7, 2000, was the first Air Force officer to hold this position. Born and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts, Major General Keefe attended Holyoke College, where he received an Associate in Business degree. He joined the Massachusetts Air National Guard in 1956 as a Crash Fire Rescue Specialist and rose to the enlisted rank of Master Sergeant in Westfield's 104th Tactical Fighter Group. Upon becoming an officer, Major General Keefe served in various capacities within the Massachusetts Air National Guard, including the 104th Combat Support Squadron Personnel Officer, Base Supply Operations Officer, Comptroller, and Chief of Supply. His leadership abilities elevated him to the positions of Commander of the 104th Resource Management Squadron, and Deputy Commander for Resources for the 104th Tactical Fighter Group. In 1993, the Major General became the Group's Vice Commander. Major General Keefe was selected as the Vice-Commander for the Massachusetts Air National Guard in 1994 and assumed the position of Assistant Adjutant General for Air in 1995. As Adjutant General, Major General Keefe was the Governor's senior military advisor responsible for protecting life and property, preserving peace, order, and public safety in times of natural disaster and civil emergency. He also had a responsibility to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau for providing operationally trained, equipped and mission-ready forces to support national security objectives. Major General Keefe is enshrined in the U.S. Air Force Enlisted Heritage Hall at Maxwell AFB as one of the only general officers who enlisted as an E-1, was promoted through the ranks to E-7, and then rose through the officer ranks from First Lieutenant to Major General. He holds several distinctions, including being the last member in uniform who served in the Berlin Call-up, serving at Plattsburg AFB from October 1961 to September 1962. Among his awards and decorations, Major General Keefe has received the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (with three oak leaf clusters), Air Reserve Forces Meritorious Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal (with Bronze Star), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and Armed Forces Service Medal. The Major General also has been awarded the Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon (with nine oak leaf clusters), Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with gold and bronze hourglass device), Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon (with Bronze Star), Air Force Training Ribbon Massachusetts Medal of Merit, Massachusetts National Guard Service Medal (with gold eagle), Massachusetts National Guard Desert Storm Service Award and an Award for Heroism for the City of Northampton, Massachusetts. Major General Keefe has four sons, Gary, James, Patrick and Timothy. Three of his sons are current members of the Massachusetts National Guard. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the nation owe Major General Keefe an enormous debt of gratitude for his service to his country. On behalf of my colleagues in the Massachusetts delegation, I commend Major General George W. Keefe for such a distinguished military career and I wish him continued success in all his future endeavors.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a remarkable woman, constituent, and friend, Sister Janet Eisner, president of Emmanuel College, Later this month, on April 28, Sister Janet will celebrate 25 years as the college's president. Founded in 1919 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, a French order established to educate the daughters of the poor, Emmanuel College, under the leadership of Sister Janet, remains true to that mission. Under her leadership, thousands of young women from disadvantaged backgrounds have studied and received degrees from the college. Though today's students are from a more diverse socio-economic pool, Emmanuel continues to provide need-based financial aid to more than 70 percent of its students. Herself a graduate, Sister Janet has embraced many of the schools traditions, while at the same time, advocated for programs and policies that have addressed the changing needs of the college and its students. In 1979, she became president of a small private liberal arts women's college. Since then, Sister Janet has transformed Emmanuel into a coeducational institution with a greater emphasis on math and science. As a result of her efforts to have Emmanuel embrace the math and science disciplines, the Merck Pharmaceutical Corporation has recently built a major research facility on campus, greatly expanding laboratory access for the college's faculty and students. Sister Janet believes, as I do, that the future of the New England region depends upon scientific intellectual capital and biomedical innovation and she is determined to ensure that Emmanuel and its students have a place in that future. With that in mind, Sister Janet serves on the Executive Committee of MASCO, the Medical, Academic, and Scientific Community Organization of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, and has organized her academic neighbors into a formidable consortium, ``the Colleges of the Fenway''. This consortium includes Simmons College, Wheelock College, Wentworth Institute, Massachusetts College of Art, and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences. In addition to her efforts to maintain a high level of academic excellence at Emmanuel, Sister Janet has preserved and deepened the college's commitment to community service. Freshman Orientation includes an introduction to volunteer opportunities in Boston food pantries, after-school programs, environmental projects, homeless shelters, and hospices. As a result, Emmanuel's students devote countless hours to community service activities such as providing educational tutoring and mentoring to Boston's at-risk children. Last fall, Sister Janet dedicated the Jean Yawkey Center for Community Leadership to focus and support community engagement. The Yawkey Center joins the Carolyn A. Lynch Institute, formed to support urban teachers, in linking Emmanuel students with public and private inner city schools. Few people have achieved what Sister Janet has achieved, and yet she firmly believes that there is far more to accomplish at the college. Lilies adorn the seal of Emmanuel College, but I think Sister Janet's contributions to Emmanuel are more emblematic of the flower of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur: the sunflower. The sunflower is strong, brilliant, and constantly seeking light. I could not think of a more fitting description of Sister Janet's tenure at Emmanuel College. I congratulate Sister Janet for a remarkable 25 years as president of Emmanuel College and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, you have heard all the legal arguments, all the moral arguments. We see these things differently, and I understand that. I am here to speak for myself. I have a living will that I wrote years ago, and I will check it myself as many Americans will. The bottom line is, I do not want you interfering with my wife and me. Leave us alone. Let us make our own decisions. It is not up to you. That has always been the way it has been in this country, and that is the way it should be. For 6 years I have been hearing how the nuclear family is all we care about. Now we do not. Stay out of my family. If you can do it here, you can do it to me. You can do it to every one of my constituents. Leave us alone. Let my nuclear family make my decisions and my wife's decisions without your input.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Chairman, I voted against H.R. 1268 ``The Emergency Supplemental Bill for Fiscal Year 2005.'' While it contained some good measures, humanitarian assistance for Darfur, funds for tsunami relief and aid to support the newly elected leadership of the Palestinian Authority, like many pieces of legislation these days, it also contained an egregious and completely non-germane addition, the REAL ID Bill. I already voted against this bill. It fails to make us safer and it does nothing to reform our immigration laws in useful ways. Instead of focusing on meaningful reform, this bill makes it much more difficult for an immigrant fleeing persecution to find asylum in our country, and essentially mandates a national identity card. This vote was primarily about our ongoing military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. I supported the use of force in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime sheltered and supported al Qaeda terrorists who attacked our country and made plain its determination to continue. I wish we had committed sufficient troops and resources to complete our mission in Afghanistan, kill or capture Osama bin Laden, and commit to the country's reconstruction. I voted against the use of force in Iraq. I wish I had been wrong, but all that I feared has come to pass. Weapons of mass destruction have not been found. Terrible slaughter continues and civil war may yet break out. But the ongoing violence in Iraq does not constitute a budgetary emergency and should not have been unforeseen. We were at war when the FY05 budget was proposed. Why then the pretense of a Supplemental Budget? I honor the sacrifice of our soldiers and their families and the courage of the millions of Iraqis who risked their lives to vote in a free election. I hope that their elected leaders will deserve their trust and that they will negotiate an inclusive government and draft a constitution that respects human rights. I hope they can demonstrate a prudence and foresight that our own government has not shown. I voted for the FY05 Department of Defense appropriations bill and I hope that I will be able to vote for the FY06 Defense appropriations as well. My vote was a vote of no confidence in the President and in his conduct of foreign affairs.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, few people have embodied the educational values and progressive nature of Massachusetts better than Dr. Dorothy Ferebee. Born Dorothy Celeste Boulding in Norfolk, Virginia on January 15, 1889, she was a distinguished African-American physician, administrator, and activist. The grandchild of slaves, she forged a path, overcoming countless obstacles, to build a career that would inspire many but could be replicated by none. Though a native of Virginia, Dr. Ferebee spent the early part of life in Boston. At a young age her family moved north from Norfolk to Boston, Massachusetts where Dorothy and her brother Ruffin grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. The two siblings matured in a nurturing environment surrounded by relatives that served as role models and encouraged scholarship. One of Dorothy's uncles, George Lewis Ruffin, was the first African-American graduate of Harvard Law School and later became Massachusetts's first black judge. Despite the legal influence of her extended family, there were eight attorneys among them; Dorothy's sights were set on medicine. While her friends played with toys, she cared for sick and injured animals, ``I would nurse and help the birds that fell out of trees, the dog that lost a fight.'' A true daughter of Boston and its surrounding communities, Dr. Ferebee's secondary, undergraduate, and professional education came exclusively from institutions in Massachusetts' Eighth Congressional District. She graduated from Boston English High School with highest honors and went on to attend Simmons College. Upon completion, she applied to medical school and was one of the first black women accepted by Tufts University School of Medicine. Although she excelled, she was among the top five in her class, was elected a member of Zeta Phi, an honorary medical society for women, and was named Class Historian, she was denied access to internships at white hospitals. Never one to give up, she moved to Washington, DC, for an internship at Freedmen's Hospital, the precursor to Howard University and one of the few hospitals that would allow her to continue her education. There, in 1928, she married Claude Thurston Ferebee, a dentist and member of the teaching staff at Howard University. Dorothy Ferebee had a very long distinguished career in the medical profession. After completing her internship in 1925, she began her own medical practice and became a professor at Howard University School of Medicine. Not one to sit idly, she was also in charge of student health services at Howard University, directed a health care project for Black sharecroppers in Mississippi, and founded organizations that provided health care for Blacks and day care for children of working mothers. Dr. Ferebee's time in Washington, DC, allowed her to grow professionally, but she never forgot her Massachusetts roots. Toward the end of her career, the connection to her home returned. President John F. Kennedy, former Congressman from the eighth district of Massachusetts, appointed her to the Council for Food for Peace. Though she could have concluded her career when she resigned from Howard University at the age of seventy-nine, she returned to her home state and continued to lecture about preventative medicine at Tufts University. Never digressing from her passion of selflessly helping others, she worked late into her life eventually passing away on September 14, 1980 of congestive heart failure. Mr. Speaker, though Dr. Dorothy Ferebee's heart stopped working for her at the age of ninety-one, it never failed to work for others. As a physician and activist, Dr. Ferebee fought to break barriers that impeded progress for Blacks and women. The consummate humanitarian, she worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the downtrodden. Her efforts carried her to the far comers of the world and her legacy will continue to be felt globally, but she will always have her home and beginnings in Massachusetts' Eighth Congressional District.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from New Hampshire.

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, just yesterday the gentleman who runs the Democratic cloak room was brought to the hospital for a little problem, and I understand that as he was heading towards the hospital clutching his chest, he was heard to say, ``It's okay, I've seen the Red Sox win. It's okay.'' He will be back soon. But I will tell my colleagues that though many of the Sunday morning pundits are now thinking that some of us in Boston are scratching our heads wondering what happened on some issues this year, the truth is we are all looking at each other wondering how do we enter next year's baseball season now that we have won. We know what to do when we lose: do not worry, next year is it, we are going to make this trade. We have not got a clue how to deal with a win. So all of us at home are really kind of standing wondering now what do we do. We will figure it out, and we will stumble through. And the only thing I will say for the rest of the night is in 86 years, I will be back again to do this one more time.

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I am going to submit this for the Record but I would just like to read the first two paragraphs of an article that appeared in the Boston Herald: ``When Margaret `Peg' Coyne lost her desire to eat, when she could no longer rise from her parlor chair, walk to the kitchen and fix herself a cup of tea, there was still the Red Sox. ``When the grand nieces who kept a vigil by Aunt Peg's hospice bed were sure the pain, the morphine and the Ativan had eased her into a tranquil delirium, Johnny Damon would step into the batter's box and Peg's 93-year-old eyes suddenly opened.'' It is a longer article than that that I will submit for the Record. But I think those two paragraphs catch the tenor of how the Red Sox Nation feels. This is something we have waited for a long time and many people have come and gone. There have been fantastic players that have been with the team over the years that have given us joy. Johnny Pesky. The right field foul pole is named after Johnny Pesky because he gave us so many thrills while he was playing. [From the Boston Herald, Nov. 1, 2004] Angel in the Outfield Sends Heavenly Miracle From Above (By Peter Gelzinis) When Margaret ``Peg'' Coyne lost her desire to eat, when she could no longer rise from her parlor chair, walk to the kitchen and fix herself a coup of tea . . . there was still the Red Sox. When the grand nieces who kept a vigil by ``Aunt Peg's'' hospice bed were sure the pain, the morphine and the Ativan had eased her into a tranquil delirium, Johnny Damon would step into the batter's box and Peg's 93-year-old eyes suddenly opened. ``Come on, Johnny! Come on, Johnny!'' she cried out at the television screen, her voice frail but unbowed. ``We couldn't understand how she knew the inning, let alone the batter,'' Jeannie Boutin recalled. ``When we asked her, Peg just said, `Because I pay attention, what do you think, Besides,' she'd say, `they run the numbers along the top of the screen.' And, of course, she always wanted to see her Johnny.'' ``Oooh, my sister loved Johnny Damon all right,'' Nora Coyne said. ``She loved how he managed to get on base. Peg loved Johnny's heart. But then, of course, she was always saying, `I wish Johnny would cut his hair and shave that beard.' '' Nora betrayed the kind of self-conscious blush one might expect from a fan of, say, 19 . . . or maybe 29. She happens to be 89. Ah, but when you venture this deep into the heart of Red Sox Nation--to the cozy sanctuary of a South Boston parlor where two easy chairs sit side-by-side--age is little more than a state of mind. And baseball is what keeps you forever young. The Coyne sisters didn't particularly care for Babe Ruth. Why? ``Because Peg and I were there at Braves Field, when the Babe came to play for the Braves at the end of his career,'' Nora explains. ``We used to sit in this box right there beside the Braves' dugout. We knew all the Braves. Really, they were our favorites for a long time. We always like the National League guys, because they were a lot more friendly. ``Oh . . . I'm sorry, back to Babe. Well, you see, all these little kids came down from the grandstands to get his autograph, and the Babe . . . well, he just ignored all the little kids. My sister and I thought that was really awful. We never forgot it. And, of course, don't get me started on the Southie girl Babe married. Her name was Nora, too. She lived on Fourth Street, just above F (Street), I think. And what did the Babe do but leave her for a New York showgirl.'' In between caring for several generations of family--my wife and our son among them--and stitching curtains in factories throughout Southie, Roxbury and Dorchester, Peg and Nora didn't just watch baseball . . . they lived it. There are tales of how the ancient Sox pitcher Boo Ferris charmed Peg and Nora with a ``Hello Girls,'' on his way into the Harvard Club, or how Ted Williams fired off a string of ``bad words'' when the sisters stepped in front of his Caddie. ``Dizzy Trout, the Detroit pitcher, was sitting next to him in the front seat,'' Nora remembered, ``and he just laughed.'' On the final day of this past August, during a Red Sox winning streak, Peg Coyne's vantage point on this season shifted from a blue parlor to a celestial box seat. My son's theory was that in return for letting go and coming to heaven, God had surely promised Peg that the Sox would catch the Yankees down the stretch. When Johnny Damon finally emerged from his playoff slump in truly miraculous fashion, Nora's phone rang off the hook. ``It's Peg,'' all the nieces screamed, ``Peg's there in the outfield with him.'' ``When Keith Foulke made the last out,'' Nora said, ``I leaned over to say something to Peg. But there was only an empty chair. I wanted her to know what just happened. The Sox finally won it all. They took the Series. But then, of course, my sister already knew. She was watching everything from a much better seat . . . way up there. And she was smiling.'' Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Lynch).

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan).

Mr. CAPUANO. Further reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, we will have to get a translator. Mr. Speaker, this resolution congratulates the men of the Red Sox and the owners of the Red Sox for their dedication and their commitment to the sport and to their fans. They have opened up the park, I will translate that word, too, later on. They have opened up the park to the public. They have had the players out there talking to the people who come to the games. They have closed off a piece of public turf so we can expand the experience of Fenway. For those fortunate enough to come to the convention this summer in Boston, I am hoping most Members got to go to Fenway Park, still the smallest ballpark in the major league, yet always sold out because the people of New England support their team. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is a thank you to the best of our ability to thank the men of the Red Sox and the owners and to the entire Red Sox nation for 86 years of unflagging support and dedication to a team that has so often let us down but every year came back and gave us more to cheer for.

Mr. CAPUANO. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not object because this is a resolution congratulating the greatest team in the history of baseball, the Boston Red Sox, who after 86 years finally relieved all New Englanders, and all wonderful people in America, of the greatest burden in the history of sports, 86 years of drought. No more. No more. The Cubs come next. Mr. Speaker, down three to nothing against one of the greatest teams in baseball, they staged the greatest comeback in the history of sports, sweeping four games in a row against a fantastic Yankees team and one of the greatest rivalries in professional sports today, and then sweeping a four-game series against the Cardinals, another fantastic team, that many of us thought would win the World Series this year. Not only did they do that, when they came home, we were fortunate enough a few years ago to have the Patriots win their championship in football. We had a million people in downtown Boston celebrating that. The Red Sox won, and we had well over 3 million people. That is half the population of the State of Massachusetts. We had people flying in from all over the country to witness a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I heard that many people went to cemeteries and gave hats and gave baseball cards to their loved ones who were not here to see this. I heard that some people brought the ashes of their loved ones to the parade because there were those of us who just had no understanding of how to win with our beloved Red Sox.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to honor Howard Leibowitz as he completes his service with the City of Boston. Howard served as the director of the Office of Intergovernmental Relations for Mayor Thomas M. Menino since 1994, creating strong relationships with members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation and their staff. Howard began his service with the City of Boston in 1987, first as the director of federal relations for Mayor Raymond Flynn and then as the first press secretary in Mayor Menino's administration. Howard Leibowitz is a life-long resident of the City of Boston. He grew up in Brighton and Mattapan, attended Boston Technical High School, and currently lives in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Howard graduated from Brandeis University and worked in his first political campaign as a teenager. He served the people of City of Boston and the administration of Mayor Thomas M. Menino admirably. His many accomplishments include authoring the Boston Neighborhood Investment through Capital Expenditures program and the Senior Home Repair Program, helping to draft the federal Community Housing Partnership Act, and providing national leadership through the city's participation with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities. Howard served as part of the teams that brought the Democratic National Convention, two annual meetings of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities' Congress of Cities to Boston. Howard is an active member of his community and is particularly committed to affordable housing and economic growth and development. He was a champion for city's legislative efforts to raise new monies through the Municipal Revenue Package. Mr. Speaker, Howard was a tenacious and effective advocate for the City of Boston and its constituents during his tenure, developing and fighting for legislation and policies to improve the lives of Boston residents, at the federal, state and local level. I am extremely grateful for his efforts on behalf of many of my constituents and appreciate his hard work and dedication. He will be sorely missed. Howard, congratulations on a job well done.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for the time. I am standing here as living proof. I live in a district. I have been married for 30 years. I have two wonderful children. I now have the honor of representing, I do not know how many, married gay couples, and not once, not once has my wife and I had a discussion now that we have to split up because we have gay couples living near us. Not once have I had a single discussion by a single constituent who said, you know what, I am not going to get married because we can have gay marriage. Not once have I had a single child come to see me and say, oh, my God, save me, save me from having gay couples next door. Yet I have had people, heterosexual couples, come to me and try to help them bring children from around the world so that they can enjoy the company and the love that they can share with children. I know gay couples, both married and not married gay couples, who are raising children. Some of those children are theirs. Some of those children are adopted. Some of those children are the children of their family members who have passed away. I am not aware of any that are somehow being twisted; society is coming to an end. I am living proof; you will be okay. We will survive this, and all that will happen is that a few people, a few of all of our constituents, will have some joy in their life. I am not threatened. My wife is not threatened. My children are not threatened. My world is not threatened, and it will not be. It is not threatened in Canada. As a few points of information, these judicial activists, these terrible, horrendous people who have the audacity to interpret the Constitution of Massachusetts, happen to be appointed by Republican governors. Terrible. As a final point of information, the people of Massachusetts will most likely have the opportunity to vote on this in a few years. Let them speak as well.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Robert Moses who tonight will receive the prestigious Harold W. McGraw Jr. Prize in Education. Dr. Moses is a Civil Rights activist, math educator and creator of the highly acclaimed Algebra Project, which is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Along with Dr. Moses, Geoffrey Canada, Cecelia Cunningham and Janet Lieberman are being honored during an awards ceremony at the New York Public Library. The four have been chosen to receive the prestigious 17th annual award for dedicating themselves to closing the achievement gap. These individuals have worked tirelessly and creatively to give children with few advantages the opportunity to achieve, both academically and ultimately professionally. Dr. Moses believes that math literacy is the key to 21st Century citizenship. He created the Algebra Project to help middle school students make the conceptual shift from arithmetic to algebra so they can be prepared for algebra in the eighth grade, and thus a college preparatory math sequence in high school. Three decades later, the Algebra Project reaches approximately 9,000 students per year. I salute Dr. Moses and the other honorees for their remarkable and untiring contributions to education. America's youth will reap the rewards of their selfless dedication. They are truly gifted educators who have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the brave actions of a hero. First Lieutenant (1/LT) James O. Conway will be memorialized this weekend in East Boston, Massachusetts where he gave his own life half a century ago to save the lives of many neighborhood residents. On October 2, 1954, 1/LT Conway, a member of the Air National Guard, 101st Fighter Interceptor Squadron, flew his jet into an embankment after it had lost power upon take-off at Logan Airport. This undaunted act of courage was done in an effort to save the neighborhood of East Boston from the trauma, damage and potential loss of life that more than likely would have resulted from the crash landing of a military jet in a densely populated residential area. The residents of East Boston have long recognized 1/LT Conway as a hero. This Saturday, the East Boston community will formally memorialize this act of heroism in a dedication ceremony. This ceremony comes at a time when thousands of men and women in the National Guard are serving our country in its latest time of need. These modern-day heroes carry on a tradition of selflessness that was exemplified by 1/ LT Conway a generation ago. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our solemn gratitude to 1/LT James O. Conway, his family and all of the men and women who have made the supreme sacrifice protecting our Nation at home and abroad.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I was not present to vote on September 13th due to the death of a close family friend. I intended to vote ``nay'' on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to H. Con. Res. 363, condemning the human rights violations in Syria. While I am strongly opposed to the human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Syrian government, I am troubled by some of the language in the resolution. Specifically, the resolution states: ``Whereas the family law of Syria as applied to Muslim women is governed by Sharia (Islamic) law and is discriminatory in marriage, divorce and inheritance matters.'' While I fundamentally disagree with this law, I feel that this statement unnecessarily denigrates the religious-based laws of a sovereign nation. In addition, I would have voted ``aye'' on H. Con. Res. 667 and ``aye'' on H. Res. 760.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 467, which calls the current situation in Sudan by its proper name: genocide. Throughout years of civil war, the government in Khartoum and its militia sympathizers slaughtered tens of thousands of people in Southern Sudan and enslaved many others. Over the past two decades, it is estimated that more than two million people have died from war related causes and famine. Now violence has escalated in the Darfur region of the Western Sudan, where government-sponsored militias have been ruthlessly targeting various ethnic groups. More than 30,000 civilians have already been brutally murdered and approximately one million civilians have been forced to flee their homes and are now either internally dispatched or seeking refuge in neighboring Chad. These numbers cannot capture the horror of daily life in Sudan where violence, death and disease run rampant and young men cannot go outside the refugee camps for fear of being killed. Any woman or girl who dares to leave in search of food or water instantly becomes a target for rape or murder. With each passing day, more and more people are suffering and dying. The United States must act swiftly to end this genocide and punish those responsible for these heinous crimes against humanity. By considering this resolution, we are taking the first step in what will be a long road to ending years of violence in Sudan. The President, the Secretary of State, the U.N. and the international community must all declare this genocide and offer all assistance possible to end the atrocities occurring in Sudan. It is my hope that the international community will come together and send a multi- national force to Sudan to provide security and to help with the delivery of humanitarian aid. If the world community is unwilling to do so or cannot do so in a timely manner then I believe the U.S. should send a force of its own to Sudan. Although I was an ardent opponent of the war with Iraq, I do believe that in certain instances unilateral force is both necessary and justified. This is undoubtedly one of those times. Tens of thousands of people have already died and thousands more will perish if we stand by and do nothing. If the world remains silent in the face of genocide, then America alone must act. The America that I know and believe in is a moral leader in the world and taking the leading role in bringing an end to genocide in Sudan will save thousands of lives and move us closer to fulfilling our true destiny.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my views on the conflict in the Middle East. I am deeply saddened by the seemingly endless bloodshed in the Middle East. The conflict has claimed the lives of too many innocent victims, Israeli and Palestinian alike. I have always believed and continue to believe that the United States has a role to play in assisting and supporting a negotiated peace in the region. I do not seek to assign blame but instead to ensure that we do all we can to achieve that end. I have no illusions that this conflict will be easily resolved, or that the United States can impose a solution--all we can do is urge the parties to make peace and support a process that offers some chance of success. I support a two state solution to the conflict in the Middle East with Israel and Palestine coexisting as democratic states with secure, internationally recognized borders. Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan for an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza strip and certain areas of the West Bank presents an opportunity to get the peace process moving again and to lay the foundation for an eventual Palestinian state. However, I do not believe that withdrawing from these areas, in and of itself, will bring peace. We, and others in the international community, need to work with Palestine to end terrorism and foster and build a strong, stable democracy. Until this goal is accomplished, I strongly support Israel's right to defend herself against attacks. Israel is currently building a security fence to block out suicide bombers and others wishing to harm Israelis. I have concerns over the placement of the fence in certain areas and it is my hope that this fence will be a temporary structure that can be dismantled when peace is achieved. Lastly, I believe that all final status issues, including final borders and refugee issues, must be negotiated by the parties and supported by all nations committed to peace, so that Israel and Palestine can feel confident that their agreement will endure. I fear that the issue of peace in the Middle East will be brushed aside during campaign season. We must not merely call for peace, we must make it a priority. To this end, I have sent a letter, which I have attached and will submit for the record, to President Bush asking that he appoint two individuals, a Democrat and a Republican, to help the parties seek peace and set forth a practical agenda for doing so. This dramatic gesture would remove peace-seeking from partisan politics and make plain to the world that Americans are united in their commitment to finding a peaceful solution. I personally am determined to do all that I can to ensure that this issue remains at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy and that progress is made toward finding a peaceful resolution. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, June 7, 2004. President George W. Bush, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you because I believe that the United States must, as it has in the past, take action to advance the cause of peace between Israelis and Palestinians. I do not seek to assign blame, but to end the bloodshed. Prime Minister Sharon's disengagement plan presents an opportunity that ought not to be lost by inaction. I share your conviction, expressed last month, that ``all final status issues must still emerge from negotiations between the parties. . .'' I share, too, your belief that the United States has a role to play in fostering such negotiations. The suffering is acute, for both Israelis and Palestinians. Insofar as we can help bring the parties together, we ought to take action now. Our good offices should not be suspended because of the election campaign. Therefore I respectfully urge that you appoint two Americans, a Republican and a Democrat, to help the parties seek peace. I would not presume to dictate your choice: there are wise and just men and women in both parties. I ask that you select a bi-partisan pair and offer their services to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, to meet with them, together or separately, to set forth a practical agenda for seeking peace. Sincerely, Michael E. Capuano, Member of Congress.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CAPUANO

Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 591, a resolution recognizing the contributions of community banks to the Nation's economic well-being and prosperity and expressing the sense of the House that a month should be designated as Community Banking Month. Community banks play a vital role for our country. Of the 7,712 commercial banks in operation today, all but 419 are community banks having assets of less than $1 billion. Community banks are known for being close to their customers and provide the leadership for many civic endeavors. These bankers are able to make loan decisions locally and reinvest local deposits into their local communities. Community bankers also are active in helping people understand the sometimes complex nature of the banking business. Many community bankers participate in efforts to help consumers know the dangers posed by identity thieves. In Georgia, for example, these bankers made presentations to almost 50,000 of our citizens, giving them tips on how to avoid becoming a victim. These same bankers also helped educate our citizens on how to apply for a business loan, how to choose banking as a career, and how to get a mortgage refinanced. While the total number of community banks in the United States is decreasing due to consolidation, new community banks are proliferating. In fact, 1999 witnessed the highest number of new community banks formed in nearly a decade, with 268 new charters reported. Community banks focus attention on the needs of local families, businesses, and farmers. They channel most of their loans in the neighborhoods where their depositors live and work. Community banks offer their customers services at attractive prices. For example, average rates for checking accounts and other depository services on average are 15 percent lower at small banks than at large, multistate institutions, according to the 2001 PIRG report. They can offer nimble decisionmaking on business loans, because decisions are made locally. And because community banks are themselves small businesses, they understand the needs of small business owners. Their core concern is lending to small businesses and farms. What does it mean to be a community bank? Community banking is a devotion to serving community customers and communities. They put people into homes, serve small businesses, and help them grow and prosper. They provide student loans and set up retirement plans for their customers. Mr. Speaker, community banks and the more than half a million people who work for them truly deserve our recognition for their contributions to the Nation's economy and well-being.