Shelley Capito

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Norma Lee Clise of Hampshire County, West Virginia for her decades of service to her community. It is an honor to announce Norma Lee Clise as the 2002 ``Knight of Olde Hampshire.'' Retired from the Central Telephone Company, Norma Lee Clise is a charter member of the Hampshire County ``Jaycee-ettes'' and active with the Shawnee Girl Scout Council. For 43 years, Norma Lee has served the American Legion Auxiliary Hampshire Unit 91 in Romney, West Virginia. Named Hampshire County Volunteer of the Year in 2001, Norma Lee is a recipient of the Ruby Ward National Public Relations Trophy and was also named ``Distinguished West Virginian'' in 1970. Always active in local issues and affairs, Norma Lee served for 25 years on the Hampshire County Executive Committee, acting as co-chairman, secretary- treasurer, and Delegate to the State Convention. In honor of Norma Lee Clise and her longstanding commitment to public service, I ask my friends in Hampshire County and my colleagues here to join me in recognizing Norma Lee Clise.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5012) to amend the John F. Kennedy Center Act to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a project for construction of a plaza adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and for other purposes.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 5005, the Homeland Security Act and I commend the committee for their fine work. Mr. Chairman, the way our country prepares for and responds to emergencies since the events of September 11 must be a key component of our homeland security strategy. To that end, I think the President should be commended for putting nearly all of the Federal emergency management and response responsibilities under the Department of Homeland Security. By making emergency management and response a priority under the new Department, we will change the mindset of merely reacting to disasters to include a comprehensive plan of helping communities better prepare for emergency situations. A broader perspective on emergency preparedness will help our cities and towns across the country be ready to respond to terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergency situations that could paralyze a community that is ill-prepared for a surprise scenario. Initiatives such as State-to-State pacts for emergency response situations must be promoted in order to better use our resources that can be shared across the country. I think it is important to highlight a few national ``firsts'' included in this bill. Building a national incident management system to respond to attacks, consolidating existing Federal emergency response plans into a single national plan, and developing comprehensive programs for interoperative communications technology. The emergency preparedness and response portion of the Department of Homeland Security will continue current Federal support for local government efforts to promote structures that have a lesser chance of being impacted by disasters. It will bring together private industry and citizens to create model communities in high-risk areas. Like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, every community in America, no matter how large or how small, needs to always be prepared. A firm structure demonstrated by the Federal Government will provide the help and guidance that towns, cities and counties need as they continue to ensure the safety of citizens across the country. I support this bill wholeheartedly.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in favor of House Resolution 496, expressing the sense of Congress that Major League Baseball should implement a mandatory steroid drug testing program and ban the use of the drug from the sport. I really do not have much to add from the very compelling speeches that we have heard here, but I am a mother of three actual high school athletes, and I would like to talk about how I think professional ballplayers' use and abuse of steroids has become a children's health issue. Mr. Speaker, recent studies have shown that steroid use among student athletes is on the rise. Some studies have suggested as many as 12 percent of high school athletes use steroids. I believe that is a frightening statistic. Other surveys have indicated that student athletes are either unaware or unconvinced of the harmful effect of steroid use. Amazingly, among high school seniors, disapproval of steroids has dropped from 1997, where 91 percent of high school seniors disapproved, to less than 86 percent in the year 2001, while the belief that steroids pose a great risk has fallen from 67 percent to 59 percent in the year 2001. These numbers are very troubling. Kids are learning that steroids are acceptable and not dangerous, and from who are they learning this? They are learning from those whose athletic performance is the highest standard, those who are the role models, the professional athlete. Either the youth of America is ignorant, or not concerned about the side effects that have been mentioned here today, stunted growth, infertility, loss of hair, increased risk of stroke, heart disease and liver cancer. More than ever, kids are emulating what they see professionals doing, and that is using and abusing steroids to enhance their athletic performance. Mr. Speaker, the fact that our children are copying this destructive behavior should be appalling. There is no doubt that parents, teachers and coaches need to take a tough stance on this issue. All of us have a responsibility for our children's health. But it is absolutely crucial that we have the help of professional sports players and Major League Baseball to send a strong and clear example that steroids have no place in America's athletics.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, recent news from the corporate world has been pretty grim. All too often we have seen headlines from corporations like Enron and WorldCom that reveal appalling abuse and fraud leading to layoffs and bankruptcies. From the magnitude of the problem, it looks as though corporate fines are simply not enough to discourage billions of dollars in fraud. It is time for stronger penalties such as those offered in this bill. The workers in my district of West Virginia and everywhere else have concerns about their families' futures. Whether they are saving to educate their children, working to secure their own retirements, hardworking West Virginians do not want to see another corporate hocus- pocus act where they get the raw end of the deal. I am proud to say that we passed legislation, CARTA, Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency Act and the Pension Security Act, and today we are taking another step in the right direction. This legislation strengthens laws that criminalize obstruction of justice, close gaping loopholes and requires top executives to certify that their financial statements of their companies are fairly and accurately representing the financial condition of their company. Mr. Speaker, the workers in America want assurances that the dollars they are working for today and saving will be there when it is needed down the road. That is why it is imperative that our colleagues join together and continue to get tough on corporate crooks. I certainly support this legislation.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer my remarks on the prescription drug plan. On May 1, 2002, four of my constituents boarded a bus, traveled from Martinsburg, West Virginia, to Washington, D.C., to offer their voice and their story on how the prescription drug dilemma has reshaped their lives. That day I heard each of their voices; and, unfortunately, it is a voice I hear and we all hear all too often. At each of the town meetings I have had the majority of the questions deal with the high cost of prescription drugs. After one particular town meeting a young lady approached me. She showed me a list of prescription drugs that her mother was taking and the cost of each drug listed besides it. Looking at the list my heart sank. These figures were staggering. Additionally, because of the high cost of her mother's medication, lack of Medicare coverage for her mother, this young woman who had a family of her own was paying for her mother's medication. Is this right, Mr. Speaker? No, it is not. Our seniors deserve the peace of mind of knowing that they can and will be able to afford their prescriptions. Anxiety over the affordability of prescribed medications should not spoil one's golden years. That is why I am standing here tonight. I am choosing to stand here and tell you that Medicare needs to offer prescription drug benefit. To be blunt, we need to offer it. We needed to offer it yesterday or the day before or the day before. This situation should be resolved. It is our duty as representatives to represent the people's voice, and their voice says now is the time. I urge all of my colleagues to stand up, pass this rule, pass the Medicare prescription drug legislation which is extremely beneficial to the senior women of America.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, the House Prescription Drug Action Team and other leaders have been working very hard to provide a plan for a prescription drug benefit to all seniors. We have had many listening sessions, and we have crafted a meaningful prescription drug benefit. We need to pass this plan now, especially for women and our seniors. Women make up more of the population over the age 65 because women actually live, on average, 7 years longer than men. If we look at a snapshot of Americans aged 85 and older, nearly three-quarters of these are women. But they are not just living longer; they have smaller incomes and have fewer financial resources to take care of their pharmaceutical needs. Women are almost twice as likely as men to have incomes below $10,000, and two-thirds of Medicare beneficiaries with annual incomes below the poverty level are women. Fewer financial resources and greater longevity are key reasons why Congress needs to pass this prescription drug plan now. Under this act, men and women under the age of 65 will benefit from substantial discounts. Mr. Speaker, we need to pass this plan now for all seniors, but especially for our women.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, the problem of the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs is one that requires both a short-term and a long- term solution. It is clear that seniors need a permanent, universal, and voluntary Medicare-based prescription drug benefit that provides more savings and more choice. My hope is that Congress will implement what I call a two-tiered approach to the problem, immediate relief through a prescription drug discount card, in addition to a long-term benefit through Medicare. The House Committee on Ways and Means has already passed a bill that uses this approach. Through a generous Medicare benefit and the use of an interim drug discount card, Congress will be able to provide seniors the savings that they need and deserve now and in the future. With the national Medicare-endorsed prescription drug card, seniors will be able to realize a savings between 10 and 20 percent, and once the more comprehensive Medicare benefit is fully implemented, seniors will be able to save 70 percent of their out-of-pocket costs. America's seniors deserve a long-term benefit. An interim measure would help keep the cost down.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 327, the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act. This plan has the ability to really fuel our economy to new heights by reducing the costs and improving the levels of efficiencies for our small businesses, thereby allowing them to expand and create new jobs. In my home State of West Virginia, over 80 percent of our businesses are small businesses. In our State, good jobs are at a premium, and economic growth is our continual goal. This plan will support our State and other States in their goal to reach for more job creation and a stronger economy by helping small businesses thrive and perhaps even helping a small business begin. Mr. Speaker, small business has always been and will continue to be the key to the American dream, but by erecting and ignoring the government barriers that hinder the success of small business, this slows the creation and stifles growth. We have heard a lot of figures today, but I have a new one. According to recent figures by the Office of Management and Budget, American businesses spend 7.7 million hours each year complying with Federal paperwork at an astounding cost of $230 billion a year. Just think how many additional people could be employed or how many additional health benefits could be afforded with that much money. Passing the Small Business Paperwork Relief Act will free the hands of our small business owners by removing the unnecessary regulations that prevent them from doing things that I have mentioned, offering expanded health benefits, employing new employees. All these things could be done with the cost they expend on filling out the mountains of paperwork. We need to work quickly and pass this so that our constituents will not be cheated and our economy will not be stifled by depriving our businesses of many talented and capable workers. I urge my colleagues to recognize the tremendous benefits of this plan and to pass H.R. 327.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for inviting me to join him on this evening to talk about a very critical issue. I think he has addressed a lot of the basic things concerning a prescription drug plan for seniors. I represent the State of West Virginia, which happens to have, or to be the oldest State in the Union. We have a higher percentage of older senior citizens. I see this every day when I travel throughout the district, when I talk to my constituents, and when I talk to other seniors that do not happen to live in my district but might see me at an airport or see me somewhere else, and they are always telling me that the cost of prescription drugs is something that needs to be addressed, and most importantly, needs to be addressed now. I think we have done a lot of talking about this issue. I have certainly talked about it a lot in my town meetings, in my meetings with folks that represent the chain drug stores, the pharmacists, the hospitals, all sorts of variety of folks throughout the district who are expressing concerns about how we are going to address this problem. But talk is, as they say, talk is cheap, and action is what we really need. It is what our seniors deserve. I think the ability to afford medications in one's golden years is really a form of retirement security. We talk a lot about Social Security and the sanctity of that promise made in Social Security and how very important it is. But I think also it is important for our seniors to have as part of their retirement security the satisfaction and necessity of being able to afford prescription medications. I share everyone's concern, and the gentleman's as well, over the rising cost of prescription drugs. It must be and should be an essential part of any health care plan; but unfortunately, as the gentleman mentioned, Medicare is not one such plan that covers prescription drugs. Americans over 65, those covered by Medicare, are the least likely to have help with the cost of their medications, and are the ones in most need of help. So time is ticking, the cost is ticking for Congress, for us to get something done now. The gentleman mentioned the House Prescription Drug Action Team. I am very privileged to be serving on that. I think it is important for us to raise the level of our voices to talk about a most important issue to our constituencies and to Americans. This Prescription Drug Action Team, I think, has worked hard with the committees and the committee Chairs in a bipartisan coalition to try to work together with the other side of the aisle to develop something that we can get to the President's desk. The men and women of West Virginia sent me here to lower the drug costs for seniors. I am particularly interested in seeing this done now and in an affirmative way. For instance, when we kicked off the Prescription Drug Action Team, a constituent of mine was here speaking with us, Betty White from Martinsburg, West Virginia. Betty has a monthly prescription drug cost of $340, which, in my math that I worked out in my office, gets her to $4,080 a year, astounding costs for Betty. She cannot afford to keep paying this and also make the other arrangements in her life to pay for her food and shelter and her necessities in her life, and still pay $4,000 a year for her prescription medications. I think we are on the right track looking at the principles that the gentleman is going to be talking about here in a few minutes, I think, the principles behind the drug plan. But I think it is important for those in West Virginia that are listening to me tonight to realize that all 288,000 seniors in West Virginia will benefit from this plan. That is significant. I think the plan, the plan we are working on, and it is evolving, has more help for the lower-income folks. In my State of West Virginia, again, 79,000 West Virginians, or 28 percent of our State's seniors, live at or below 100 percent of the poverty level. These extremely limited incomes make it impossible to afford astronomical costs of pharmaceutical medication, so a plan that really helps those folks that are having to make the day-to-day struggle for their health, for their well-being, is a plan that I think we need to get in front of Congress immediately. Another aspect of a good, solid plan I think is catastrophic coverage. A lot of the drug therapies, and my colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky, alluded to this, the drug therapies are very, very expensive, and get beyond Betty White's $4,000 and go on into the $8,000 or $9,000 a year range, astronomical costs. I think we need a plan that is going to help our seniors cap off that cost at a certain point where Medicare will pick up the remaining costs of those runaway prescriptions, of exorbitant rates. It is a plan that I know we are going to be able to put together here in the next several weeks. I think we have to make sure that we look at special parts of our population. I am a woman serving in Congress. Women live longer than men, and they are accounting for 72 percent of the population 85 and older; but unfortunately, women are more likely to have lower incomes in their retirement age. There are twice as many women as men aged 65 or older with annual incomes of less than $10,000. This will help the seniors. This will help women who are seniors. I think that is significant. Many women, unfortunately, when they retire, they look at the retirement benefits, or if they have not been in the workforce, they have a problem. They have been home raising their families, contributing to society in a lot of ways, but have not picked up that paycheck. What are we doing for these women? This plan will come and help save these women from having to make the tough choices. I am here to stand by to let my fellow West Virginians, my colleagues, know that I will fight for relief. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs cannot be a political issue. It is not a Republican issue; it is not a Democratic issue. It is a human issue that cuts across all lines across America. As I have said before, the time is ripe. The time is now. We need to capitalize on this momentum and make sure that we join together in a bipartisan way and formulate a prescription drug plan for our seniors now. The time is now.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Nancy Guthrie, president and owner of Capitol City Communications, in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. Ms. Guthrie has achieved the title of Home-Based Business Advocate of the Year. The West Virginia District of the United States Small Business Administration, a leader in the promotion and growth of our state, gives this award annually. Ms. Guthrie began Capitol City Communications in 1996 at her home in Charleston, West Virginia, to provide public relations and advertising services. Capitol City Communications has since grown statewide. Ms. Guthrie embodies the values that created the American success story: self-reliance, hard work, perseverance and optimism. I commend her for her contributions to the West Virginia economy. Successful small businesses not only serve as the backbone of the economy, they anchor communities and promote civic pride. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Ms. Guthrie's tremendous achievement as the West Virginia Small Business Administration's Home- Based Business Advocate of the Year.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to and congratulating Dr. Virginia Carol Demchik of Shepherdstown, West Virginia who has been honored by the West Virginia Academy of Science as Science Teacher of the Year. The West Virginia Academy of Science is an organization meeting and working with professional associates in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Mining, Physics, Psychology and Education, History and Philosophy of Science and Social Science. It is a corporation chartered by the authority of the West Virginia legislature for the advancement of scientific knowledge and the promotion of scientific work in West Virginia. In receiving the coveted Science Teacher of the Year Award, Dr. Demchik has accomplished no small feat. Dr. Demchik received her BA from Fairmont State College and her MA and Ed.D from West Virginia University. Based on summer grants she has received, Dr. Demchik has attended the College of Graduate Studies at the University of Maryland, American University, East Carolina University, University of Iowa and Shepherd College. In honor of Dr. Demchik's hard work, dedication and commitment to her students and community, I ask my friends in Shepherdstown, and my colleagues here in the nation's capital to join me in recognizing May 23, 2002 as a day of celebration and recognition for Dr. Virginia Carol Demchik.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Luz Dolly Benavides, owner of TransLingual LLC, in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. Ms. Benavides has achieved the title of Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year. The West Virginia District of the United States Small Business Administration, a leader in the promotion and growth of our state, gives this award annually. Ms. Benavides began TransLingual LLC in 1994 in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. She offers translation and interpretation services, private tutoring and Spanish courses. To promote a better climate for minority persons to start or operate a business, she volunteers to teach Spanish classes--with information about Hispanic cultures--to the local banks, law enforcement and judicial personnel. Ms. Benavides embodies the values that created the American success story: self- reliance, hard work, perseverance and optimism. I commend her for her contributions to the West Virginia economy. Successful small businesses not only serve as the backbone of the economy, they anchor communities and promote civic pride. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Ms. Benavides' tremendous achievement as the West Virginia Small Business Administration's Minority Small Business Advocate of the Year.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Geraldine (Jerry) Henderson, owner o Henderson Training and Consulting, in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. She also owns and operates ``A Governor's Inn,'' which is a bed and breakfast, in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Ms. Henderson has achieved the title of Women in Business Advocate of the Year. The West Virginia District of the United States Small Business Administration, a leader in the promotion and growth of our, state, gives this award annually. Ms. Henderson began Henderson Training and Consulting of West Virginia to give advice to business people. She leads classes throughout the state dealing with small business issues such as staff development, supervisory techniques and placing emphasis on hospitality and responsibility to the community. Ms. Henderson embodies the values that created the American success story: self-reliance, hard work, perseverance and optimism. I commend her for her contributions to the West Virginia economy. Successful small businesses not only serve as the backbone of the economy, they anchor communities and promote civic pride. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Ms. Henderson's tremendous achievement as the West Virginia Small Business Administration's Women in Business Advocate of the Year.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, over the weekend the war on terrorism claimed another casualty, the first casualty of a National Guardsman and the first casualty from my home State of West Virginia. Sergeant Gene Arden Vance of Morgantown, West Virginia, was killed in eastern Afghanistan after his unit came under heavy fire. Sergeant Vance served in the 19th Special Forces Unit of the West Virginia National Guard and has been stationed in the Middle East for the past 5 months. Like many National Guardsmen, Sergeant Vance lived a productive life in his local community, working at the local bicycle and kayak outfitting shop in Morgantown while maintaining his training and skill to be called on to serve his country on a moment's notice. On September 11, newly married and just beginning a new semester at West Virginia University, he put his studies and his honeymoon on hold to fight terror in the name of freedom. As an American, it is difficult to hear of any soldier dying in the name of freedom, but in this instance it is especially sad to me and my fellow West Virginians because Sergeant Vance was one of our own. Sergeant Vance died honorably in service to his country. His story of leaving his home to be called to help fight the war on terrorism is the story of many other men and women who serve in our National Guard. Their heroic and noble dedication is an invaluable part of America's work in defending liberty. On behalf of the men and women of the Second Congressional District of West Virginia, I would like to extend our deepest condolences to Sergeant Vance's family and loved ones. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them at this very difficult time.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Ewell A. Ferguson, owner of GTR LABS, Incorporated, in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. Mr. Ferguson has achieved the title of Small Business Exporter of the Year. The West Virginia District of the United States Small Business Administration, a leader in the promotion and growth of our state, gives this award annually. Mr. Ferguson incorporated GTR LABS in 1994 in Gassaway, West Virginia with an idea to produce a new and innovative high frequency x-ray generator. His products are exported to over 15 countries worldwide. Mr. Ferguson embodies the values that created the American success story: self-reliance, hard work, perseverance, and optimism. I commend him for his contributions to the West Virginia economy. Successful small businesses not only serve as the backbone of the economy, they anchor communities and promote civic pride. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Mr. Ewell's tremendous achievement as the West Virginia Small Business Administration's Small Business Exporter of the Year.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Aaron Simmons, founder and president of TreePots, Incorporated, in the Second Congressional District of West Virginia. Mr. Simmons has achieved the title of Young Entrepreneur of the Year. The West Virginia Division of the United States Small Business Administration, a leader in the promotion and growth of our state, gives this award annually. Mr. Simmons began TreePots, Incorporated, with the idea of creating a planter to place around trees. Mr. Simmons' enterprising concept has provided a three-year corporate success for him. Mr. Simmons truly embodies the values that created the American success story: self- reliance, hard work, perseverance and optimism. I commend him for his contributions to the West Virginia economy. Successful small businesses not only serve as the backbone of the economy, they anchor communities and promote civic pride. I urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating Mr. Simmons' tremendous achievement as the West Virginia Small Business Administration's Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for joining in the discussion on the much-needed increase in child care funding that is provided through H.R. 4737. When a mom is going to work for the first time, and she has children, she is thinking to herself, I want to concentrate on my job, I want to do the best thing I can do, but a part of her mind is thinking about her children because she is a good mom and she is trying to do the best for them. The best way to ensure her success in the work force and her success with her family is good solid child care. As a representative of an economically distressed State, I know that thousands of parents in my district depend on subsidized child care. In my home State of West Virginia, 85 percent of the children in child care are in subsidized child care. I am from a rural State. It is tremendously expensive for parents to transport their children and to provide child care in rural States. Today, there are over 13,000 parents and children who benefit from this in West Virginia, and this increase will ensure that more parents will have the opportunity to benefit. Parents are in desperate need to find quality, safe, and affordable child care for their children. H.R. 4737 will continue high levels of support for child care while adding, at a minimum, $2 billion in additional funds for child care over 5 years. Let us ensure the success of the parents and the children and their futures. I urge all my colleagues to stand up and support this increased funding for child care. Parents and children alike need it.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to and congratulating Kenneth Seldon of Hampshire County, West Virginia. For over 50 years, Mr. Seldon's hard work and dedication to his community have been truly inspiring. With a work ethic deeply rooted in the American Dream, Kenneth Seldon has faithfully operated Riverside Service and General Store in Yellow Spring, West Virginia since May 22, 1952. In addition to operating the business, Kenneth also served as Yellow Spring Postmaster from 1957 to 1982. Mr. Seldon is also a charter member of the Capon Valley Ruritan and an active member of the Timber Ridge Christian Church. In honor of Kenneth Seldon's 50 years of hard work, dedication, and commitment to his family and community, I ask my friends in Hampshire County and my colleagues here in the nation's capital to join me in recognizing May 19, 2002 as a day of celebration and recognition for Kenneth Seldon.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 356 authorizes the use of the Capitol grounds for the greater Washington Soap Box Derby qualifying races to be held on June 22, 2002. The event is open to the public and free of charge and the sponsor assumes responsibility for all expenses and liabilities related to the event. The races are to take place on Constitution Avenue between Delaware Avenue and Third Street Northwest. The participants competing in the events are residents of the Washington metropolitan area and range in ages from 9 to 16. Participants will compete in three open divisions based on their experience in building their vehicles. This event is currently one of the oldest of its kind in the country, having taken place for over 55 years. The winner will go on to represent the Washington metropolitan area at the national finals to be held in Akron, Ohio, later in the summer. Participants in these events learn the value of hard work, dedication and attention to detail, since any loose parts or screws may affect their time in the event. I support the resolution and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on House Concurrent Resolutions 347, 348, 354, 356, the measures just considered by the House.

Mrs. CAPITO

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 353 authorizes the 2002 District of Columbia Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run, to be conducted through the grounds of the Capitol on June 7, 2002. The Capitol Police will host the opening ceremonies for the run, starting on Capitol Hill, which will be free of charge and open to the public. Over 2000 law enforcement officers representing 60 local and Federal law enforcement agencies will carry the Special Olympics torch in honor of and to show their support for the 2,500 Special Olympians who will participate in this annual event. For over a decade, Congress has supported this worthy endeavor by enacting resolutions for the use of the grounds. Since its inception, the Torch Run has been launched from the West Terrace of the Capitol building. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. CAPITO

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