Eric Cantor

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Organ Donation Improvement Act introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett). This legislation directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a public awareness campaign about the need for additional organs for transplantation. I am privileged to represent the hard-working men and women of the United Network for Organ Sharing, UNOS, in Richmond, Virginia. Their recent corporate campaign to increase organ donation complemented the goal of this legislation, and that is why I want to publicly salute the employees of UNOS and the families and friends of those who have donated the ``gift of life,'' donated organs. According to UNOS, for every patient who receives the organ he or she needs, two more people in need of organs are added to the national waiting list. Unfortunately, less than half of those who register on the waiting list will ever receive a transplant. On average, 15 people die every day because the organ they need does not come in time. In 1999, more than 6,000 people died while awaiting organs. The same year, the waiting list reached a high of more than 67,000 people. UNOS works to address this life-and-death challenge by increasing organ donation and making the most of every organ that is donated. This is accomplished through organ matching and distribution, data research, policymaking, education and public awareness. Recently, several major employees in the metro Richmond area launched employee campaigns to raise awareness about organ donation and increase the number of organ donors in Virginia. The people of Virginia owe these companies and their employees a debt of gratitude for their efforts to promote a gift of life. I want to thank them for their hard work, and I urge passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the UNOS press release of March 3, 2001. [From the United Network for Organ Sharing, Mar. 3, 2001] Richmond Employers Join UNOS To Increase Organ Donation Richmond.--Several major employers in the metro Richmond area have joined the United Network for Organ Sharing's (UNOS) Workforce 2001, a unique effort to increase organ donation. BB & T; Back in Action Health Resource Center, Bank of America, CapTech Ventures, Chesterfield County, City of Richmond, The C.F. Sauer Company, Continental Societies, Inc., Dominion Virginia Power, Durrill and Associates, First Union, James River Technical, McCandlish and Kaine, M.H. West and Co., Medical Insurers of Virginia; Owens and Minor, Pleasants Hardware, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, SMBW Architects, Style Weekly, SunTrust Bank, Tom Brown Hardware, Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ukrop's Supermarkets and First Market Bank, Verizon, Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia, The Virginia Home; Wella Manufacturing of Virginia; Westminster Canterbury; and Williams, Mullen, Clark and Dobbins have committed to educating their employees about the vital need for organ donation. ``Corporate involvement on the local and national level is key to spreading the life-saving message of organ donation,'' said Walter K. Graham, UNOS executive director. ``We need everyone's help to make sure the public has the right information to make an informed decision about organ donation.'' Nearly 700 people are currently awaiting an organ transplant in Richmond, with approximately 2,000 waiting statewide. There were 37 organ donors in Richmond during 2000, leading to more than 200 transplants. Nationwide, 75,000 children, men, and women are registered on the nation's organ transplant waiting list. To date, UNOS reports that slightly more than 22,000 transplants were performed in 2000 using organs from 5,900 cadaveric donors and 4,800 living donors. For the year 2001, we project only moderate increases in donation and transplantation, so of these 75,000 less than one third will receive life-saving transplants this year. The other two-thirds will continue to wait, and perhaps die because the organ they need will not come in time to save them. UNOS, and the employers of Virginia, are working together to change this. ``A lot of people die in the U.S. and in Virginia because they don't get the organs they need so desperately. If we encourage everyone, starting with our own employees, to become donors we can help the situation tremendously,'' said Lynn Williamson, M.D., vice president and chief medical officer for Trigon Blue Cross Blue Shield. One of the main ways the organizations will communicate with their employees about organ donation is a new electronic public service announcement (PSA) that can be sent via e-mail or posted on organization's Intranet site. The electronic PSA highlights the importance of organ donation and gives the viewer concrete steps they can take to be an organ donor. Other ways employers are spreading the message include using posters, brochures and paycheck stuffers. Companies interested in joining the organ donation campaign should contact UNOS at (804) 330-8563. UNOS, a nonprofit charitable organization headquartered in Richmond, VA, maintains the nation's organ transplant waiting list under contract with the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. UNOS also promotes organ donor awareness in the general public and the medical community.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, February is a national celebration of the role of black Americans in all segments of life in the United States. It is a time to celebrate the achievement of blacks in every field from science and the arts to government and politics. February gives us a chance to reflect on how much black Americans have contributed to America and an opportunity to learn from the past in order to look confidently toward the future. Black history in the United States has been a proving ground for America's ideals and this month we celebrate our nation's diversity. The story of black Americans is one of valor in the face of hardship. Because of the struggles they have endured, we have become better people. Through their sacrifice, we have become a better nation. All Americans must be reminded of their undying dedication to the ideals of freedom and liberty upon which our nation was founded. Their progress throughout American history is a true testament to the reality of the American dream. Understanding our past allows us to pursue a bright future as a diverse, but united nation. For this reason, I commend the deserved attention February brings to African-Americans who have shaped our history and who will be an integral part of our destiny. I seek the day when the tragic side of the black legacy in America can be laid to rest once and for all and applaud black Americans for their tremendous contributions to the history of our great nation.

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Resolution 34 and would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde), the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for their leadership on this issue. On February 6, the Israeli people went to voting booths. What they said was loud and clear. They said, enough, enough violence, enough of the policy of peace, enough conceding of land and security. And if we listen closely, we will hear something else, we will hear the people say they do not want peace at any cost but peace with security. It is appropriate today that we congratulate the people of Israel in completing a successful and peaceful transition of power through a democratic election. The election of Ariel Sharon as Israel's Prime Minister, coupled with the new Bush administration, signals a new era for the U.S.-Israel relationship and a new era for the Middle East. Peace will not be sought for the sake of a legacy. I believe very strongly that the United States must maintain its commitment to Israel's security as a fundamental basis of its involvement in the peace process. Any peace deal must come through direct negotiations between Israel and its neighbors without any prerequisites or forced solutions. As President Bush's National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice has said, ``We should not think of American involvement for the sake of American involvement.'' American involvement should occur when we can advance the cause of peace. We must not impose an artificial deadline on the players in the Middle East. Peace must come on their terms, not ours. Peace must come with security, not in spite of it. Israel has always made a sincere commitment to peace in the region. Many times their commitment to peace has caused the loss of lives and land. We need to make sure we stand with and support our only Democratic ally in the region. I join my colleagues today in congratulating Ariel Sharon on his election and welcome a continued dialogue about how to best stop the violence and bring about peace and stability in this vitally important region. Both the United States and Israel are off on the right foot in this new era, and I look forward to working toward a solution that brings peace with security.

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg). (Mr. KNOLLENBERG asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman emeritus of the Committee on International Relations and the chairman of the Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CANTOR

Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for House Concurrent Resolution 14, permitting the use of the rotunda of the Capitol to commemorate the Days of Remembrance of victims of the holocaust. The use of the Capitol rotunda for this occasion is a fitting tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, and I am proud that the United States Congress recognizes the importance of the lessons taught by their death and suffering. It is appropriate that we commemorate those who tragically lost their lives in the Holocaust. However, it is also important to note that the remembrance of this dark chapter of human history serves to remind us of what can happen when the fundamental tenets of democracy are discarded by dictatorial regimes. While we in the United States, the birthplace of Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, have experienced years of peace and prosperity, we must not forget that genocide and human rights abuses continue to occur elsewhere around the world. As the leader of the Free World, the United States must use its power and influence to bring stability to the world and educate people around the globe about the horrors of the Holocaust to ensure that it must never happen again. I am pleased that the growing number of community-based Holocaust museums around the country are a reflection of our increasing awareness of the lessons of the Holocaust. I am proud to be a founding trustee of the Virginia Holocaust Museum and applaud the efforts of those who join us nationwide in support of this noble cause. Only when every person understands the magnitude of the death, destruction, and utter horrors of the Holocaust can we feel we have done everything to prevent its recurrence. Therefore, as we remember the horrors of this dark chapter in human history and remain dedicated to increasing awareness of the Holocaust, I am pleased to be here in support of this resolution regarding the use of the Capitol rotunda on this most solemn occasion.