Tom Davis

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday, May 9, 1998, the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department is celebrating its 70th Anniversary. This anniversary marks the culmination of a long, proud history of providing fire-suppression and emergency medical services to the fine citizens of the City of Fairfax, Virginia. Early records indicate that there was a volunteer fire brigade in the Town of Fairfax around the turn of the century. A group of visionary citizens decided that a firefighting system needed to be set up to protect their town from the ravages of fire. Their manual firefighting efforts were fortified by their purchase of a horse or man pulled chemical wagon to increase their firefighting efforts. This chemical wagon would allow them to fight fires with ``some'' water pressure. On April 7, 1928, the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department was legally chartered. At this time, the department became the proud owner of their first motorized fire truck, a 1927 Childs. A garage was also built to house this fine piece of fire equipment. They were now able to respond in a more efficient manner to emergencies when asked by the townspeople. In the 1960's the Town of Fairfax became the City of Fairfax. Fairfax's population had increased along with their need for more fire protection and firefighters. Career firefighters were hired to join volunteers in answering the call for help, and the City of Fairfax built their first fire station to house their fire apparatuses and equipment. Today, the City of Fairfax has grown to a population of 19,622 and is 15.9 square kilometers in size. The Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department responded to an astounding 8,000 fire and emergency medical calls last year. That's an average of 22 calls a day, which equals to almost one call per hour. The Fairfax Volunteer's strong fleet of fire and rescue apparatuses are housed in two fire stations, 3 and 33. Fire Station 3 houses the duty Battalion Chief, a pumper, a ladder truck, and an advanced life support medical unit. Fire Station 33 houses a rescue engine and an advanced life support medical unit. Taking an active role in one's community is a responsibility we all share, but which few of us fulfill. Yet, the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department firefighters take great pride in providing round the clock emergency services to its neighbors. I know the visionary citizens who started this organization seventy years ago would be proud to see that what started with just a bucket has grown into one of the most respected volunteer fire departments in my district, the Eleventh Congressional District of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in paying tribute to the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department's distinguished volunteer and career firefighters who place their own lives on the line for their fellow citizens everyday. They are truly deserving of the title ``hero''.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, we are dealing with a structure today that is a dinosaur and H.R. 1872 remedies that. Thirty-five years is a long time since the original act and in the communications industry it is even a longer time. And since the act was passed originally, technology, the worldwide industry structure have changed dramatically. A monopoly structure might have been required at the time to develop a global network, but today it has become a problem, a dinosaur keeping rates far above the costs and limiting the service and facility innovation that we would otherwise get. This legislation solves that problem. It opens up the international satellite markets to facilities-based competition, and it properly restricts the activities of the international satellite organizations until this goal is well on its way. It permits providers other than COMSAT to directly access INTELSAT and Inmarsat so that rates for end users can go down more immediately. It allows customers to take advantage of these lower rates by permitting them to renegotiate contracts agreed upon when only a monopoly existed before. As for COMSAT and the international organizations, it allows them to move ahead in this new competitive environment so long as they operate in the best interest of a competitive marketplace. Mr. Chairman, if we want the 21st century to be America's century, we need to continue to restructure our competitive environment so that we can compete and maintain our edge globally and this legislation does that. This opens up tremendous potential for U.S. consumers and industry. I think that it is particularly good for the end users, the consumers around the globe. And just as we have seen in the domestic telecommunications market, competition brings lower rates, better services, and increased technological innovations. The very same benefits are going to come from this important bill in the international satellite marketplace. I think it deserves the support of everyone in this Chamber.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, it is with an abiding respect and great reluctance that I oppose the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), my friend and colleague, but I support this legislation. I think a few things need to be said. First, this is not taking one cent from the public schools in the District of Columbia, which have the highest spending rate per pupil in the Washington region right now. And I will join the gentlewoman in making sure they have the money to continue to build a quality public school system. But we have tried through a presidentially appointed control board to make the system better, and it is clear it is more than a one-year ordeal. It is going to take several years. We recognize and we have to recognize the current failures of the public school system that the Washington Post this morning labeled ``troubled.'' The dropout rate is the highest in the region. Test scores the lowest almost in the country. Opened four years in a row late. It is just not operating. It is so bad that no Member of Congress sends their kids through the District of Columbia public school system today. The President and the Vice President, offered those opportunities, did as most of us and declined and opted for private schools, and I do not blame them or fault them in any way because the school system today is not something that we could be proud of. Madam Speaker, I want to work to make it better. This is a scholarship. This bill allows not just the opportunity for some of the poorest of the poor to send their kids to private schools. It allows the option for dollars for tutoring and dollars for teacher training and the like. What has happened in this city over the last 20 years is that the middle class and the upper class have responded by sending their kids to private schools or moving out of the city where there are school systems that are delivering an educational quality. What we are trying to offer here is a scholarship opportunity for the poorest of the poor in the city to give their children the same opportunity that Members of Congress have to send their kids to quality schools. Opponents have said we are imposing this on the city. We are not imposing anything on the city. There is an article in the Washington Post today that talks about the Ted Forstmann scholarships for the city. Seven thousand poor families applied for this $1,700 grant, and they have to put up $500 of their own, when they could take a free public school system, and they are still overwhelmed with responses. I predict that we will get more responses to this program should this become law. One lady, Karen Leach, said ``I prayed every day. I just prayed every day,'' that she would be able to get the additional scholarships to send her kids where they could get a quality education. I think this bill will answer the prayers of a few thousand other parents in the city as well. As I said, it is not imposing vouchers. We are not imposing these scholarships on anybody. If parents do not want them, then they should not apply and should not take them. But please do not tell single mothers like Karen Leach that because they are poor, working poor, working two jobs in some cases to give their kids a better life, that they cannot have access to these educational scholarships just because their political leaders are afraid to admit that perhaps the school system is not working and is not functional in some cases, it has not opened on time for four years, and some of the other things we have discussed. It should not mean that the poor students cannot live and have the American dream like the rest of us. I agree with my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. Let us fix the system. Let us give the public schools more dollars to do the job. We increased spending in the classroom last year. But even the presidentially appointed control board is not going to fix the schools overnight. For Christopher Leach, who is mentioned in the Post article today, which I will submit for the Record, and others who are going to be in the third grade next year, the schools they will be going to are not functional, are not at an acceptable level for any of us to send our kids. They will never have another chance at the third grade while we are busy fixing the system. Next year is it for them. What we are trying to offer a few thousand kids the opportunity to have a system with the educational quality that the rest of us enjoy. And while we all know their schools do not meet the standards we want for our kids, why would we relegate them and not give them the kind of choices the rest of us have? But because we are richer, because we can send our kids to private school or we can move to wealthy suburban areas where they have different school systems, we deny them the opportunities that we have. Madam Speaker, with the gap between rich and poor growing greater in America and in this region every day, we cannot afford to relegate these poor students to a dysfunctional school system. They deserve these opportunity scholarships. I support the legislation. Madam Speaker, the Washington Post article which I previously referred to follows: [From the Washington Post, Apr. 30, 1998] 1,001 D.C. Students Win Scholarships (By Debbi Wilgoren) Hundreds of low-income District parents are receiving calls and letters this week telling them that they have won scholarships to help them take their children out of the city's troubled public school system and enroll them in private schools. They are the winners in a computerized lottery, held Monday and Tuesday, that awarded privately funded scholarships of as much as $1,700 each to 1,001 children to cover 30 to 60 percent of private school tuition. The money will go to about 750 families, who will receive separate scholarships for each of their children. ``I prayed every day. I just prayed every day,'' said Karen Leach, a single mother who works nights as a security guard and won scholarships for her sons, Christopher, 8, and Christian, 5. ``I just want my kids to have the best that I can get for them.'' Leach said she will use the money to put her children back in Catholic school. Her older son attended Assumption School in Southeast Washington from nursery school through second grade, but he and his 5-year-old brother enrolled at Leckie Elementary School in far Southwest last fall because Leach could no longer afford tuition. The two children have done fairly well in public school this year, but Leach said she believes they will get a better education and more individualized attention in Catholic school because classes will be smaller and the other children will be better behaved. At Leckie, she said, ``some of the kids are just out of control.'' The number of scholarships, which are being provided by the five-year-old Washington Scholarship Fund, has more than doubled this year, thanks to the largess of Wall Street tycoon Theodore J. Forstmann and John Walton, heir to the Wal-Mart fortune. They donated a total of $6 million to the effort last fall. At a news conference yesterday announcing the 1,001 winners--chosen from more than 7,500 low-income applicants-- Forstmann said he intends to launch similar funds soon in as many as 30 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles. That would greatly expand a new type of philanthropy that already is helping to pay the private school costs of 14,000 children across the country. The effort coincides with growing national concern about the quality of public education provided in mostly poor, urban school districts. It comes as publicly funded, privately operated charter schools are opening in the city and many states, and as Republican leaders in Congress are pushing for taxpayer-funded private school vouchers for poor students in the District and elsewhere. The House is expected today to pass legislation, already approved by the Senate, that would set up a D.C. voucher program despite strong opposition from Education Secretary Richard W. Riley, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), local officials and parent groups. President Clinton, however, has promised to veto the bill, and congressional leaders say they lack the two-thirds majority needed to override his veto. Opponents of voucher programs say the government should use its resources to improve public schools. They also complain that such programs unfairly favor parochial schools, where tuition is much lower than at most secular private schools. Forstmann refused to take a position yesterday on the issue of taxpayer-funded vouchers. But he dismissed suggestions that he and other donors should give money to public schools, saying many public school systems are so dysfunctional that donating to them does not help children. ``It's a little like putting money into the former Soviet Union,'' he said. ``If the system worked, we wouldn't have to be here.'' Forstmann said he believes public schools will work better if they are forced to compete more directly with private schools for students. He appealed to others to give money so more poor children can choose between public and private school. Yesterday, he met with Leach and a few other parents, then telephoned several additional winners. Fund Executive Director Douglas D. Dewey said all scholarship recipients will be notified by telephone and mail this week. Those who were not selected will receive letters by Monday or Tuesday. The organization originally planned to award 1,000 scholarships. But at the last minute, it decided to include an applicant who was not selected in the lottery but whose academic struggle--he has repeated third grade twice--was featured in a Washington Times article Monday.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend yielding this time to me. Let me just say here I do not think there is a wrong and right on this issue. I think there are two competing public policy objectives. One objective just focuses on the AIDS epidemic, on getting people who are using bad needles good needles so they can continue their habit, but at the same time at least have them use a needle that will not infect them with a virus. And I understand that. And under this amendment State and local governments in the private sector who already fund these programs can continue to do that. We are not wiping that out. But the other policy objective, and I think we have to look at this, each day over 8,000 young people are going to try an illegal drug for the first time. Heroin use rates are up among youth. And while perhaps eight persons contract HIV directly or indirectly from dirty needles, 352 start using heroin each day, and more than 4,000 die each year from heroin- and morphine-related causes. We send a wrong signal when we tell people it is illegal but we are going to give out a clean needle for people to pursue this illegal habit, and I think it looks terrible from a public policy objective to have the government really funding these programs and encouraging the use of illegal drugs. Mr. Speaker, I think that is where we get into the mix on this. And although if our only objective were AIDS, that would be fine, but we have the competing objective here of getting people, the government is saying it is all right to use it, and here is a clean needle by the way. And we are going to fund this even though, if they are a veteran in a VA hospital, they may have, or someone who is in a hospital on Medicare, they may have to pay for their own needles, and we may charge them for it. That is how this gets so ridiculous, and that is why I support the Wicker amendment. Even assuming the needle exchange programs can further accelerate the declining rate of HIV transmission, I think the risks of these programs encourage a high ratio of heroin, and they outweigh the potential benefits. So that is where I come down on this, with all due respect to folks who I think are very narrowly focused and I think admirably so on the other side. The President's own drug czar has spoken very eloquently on this. He knows that the use of taxpayer dollars could, in fact, be better diverted in areas of drug prevention.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to this year's winner of the Best of Reston Community Service Awards. These awards are made annually by the Reston Chamber of Commerce and Reston Interfaith to honor businesses and individuals who have provided extraordinary service to others in the community. This year's winners are: Appalachian Spring for community outreach and leadership as a small business. Manager Gina Cocomello and her staff have made enormous contributions to the community by conducting food and supply drives for the Embry Rucker Community Shelter, selling tickets to Reston Interfaith events, and supporting South Lakes High School and the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival. They are also active in the Chamber's Small Business Counsel. Appalachian Spring has generously provided community support wherever needed. Atlantic Realty Companies for commitment to the belief that developers must help meet the needs of the communities in which they build and that a safety net of social services is important for the entire community. Atlantic Realty's contributions include supplying space for child care benefiting low-income families, a freshly mulched playground for homeless children, and a Village Center where senior Fellowship House residents can safely and conveniently shop. By joining their professional mission with the original vision of Reston, Atlantic Realty has improved the quality of life for those that work, live, and play in Reston. David M. Haas for continuous service and outstanding leadership as a civic leader and arts supporter. As a member of the Reston Association Board of Directors, the Reston Community Center Board of Governors, and the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce, David has exercised intelligence, compassion, and fairness in balancing economic needs with good planning and community stewardship. His artistic contributions have been highlighted in his work with GRACE, the Arts Alliance of Reston, and the Reston Community Players. David has offered a wealth of enjoyment to the community through his artistic vision. Calvin Larson for advocating the legal rights of AIDS victims and for thirty years of service to the Reston Community. Cal has provided pro bono legal advice to the Whitman Walker Clinic in Northern Virginia, treating clients and their cases with compassion and sensitivity. He has served in leadership positions on the Reston Community Association Board, RA Pathways, RA Elections committees and the Save Lake Anna Committee. As a member of Friends of the Community Center, he started the Venture Mentoring Program, Cal has helped shape Reston through his service and generosity to others. Lynn Lilienthal for her lifetime of tireless work as a children's advocate and for her leadership in the Greater Reston Community. Lynn served on the Reston Interfaith Board for twelve years, including five years as President. She is co-owner and Executive Director of PALS Early Learning Center, and is chairperson of the Embry Rucker Community Shelter Citizens Support Committee. Her three decades of community service have touched thousands of lives in the community. Susan Spencer for recognizing the needs of under-privileged children in our community and for finding creative solutions to help the children and parents at Forest Edge Elementary School. A physical education teacher and technology specialist, Susan established the Community Service Club, to help students obtain holiday gifts for their families and friends. Sensing the need for students to be computer literate, she spent evenings, weekends, and holidays installing computer equipment and setting up computer labs. She donated her own money for equipment, then taught herself how to install it, bringing the Internet into the classroom. Susan's dedication to Forest Edge Elementary School has encouraged the hopes and dreams of its students and parents. Charles Veatch for his dedication to preserving Reston's past and improving Reston's future. Chuck's contributions include starting Ethics Day at South Lakes High School, creating an archival record at George Mason University detailing the Development of Reston, serving on the board of Reston Historic Trust for Community Revitalization, and donating the use of a large storage facility to the Embry Rucker Community Shelter for collecting food and supplies for those in need. Chuck has helped thousands in the community develop a sense of the past and of the success that the future may hold. Richard Williams for kindly and quietly supporting the less fortunate in the Greater Reston Community through an endless number of volunteer activities. Since retiring from the government, Richard dedicates his time to his family, his community, and those most in need. His efforts include donating food to a single parent undergoing chemotherapy, building a house with Habitat to Humanity, shopping for swimsuits for homeless children attending Laurel Learning Center, cooking dinner for Reston Interfaith-sponsored parenting classes, and providing rides for those needing transportation. Nicknamed ``Saint Richard'' by staff and children at Laurel Learning Center, Richard unassumingly touches the lives of hundreds of the community. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in commending the Best of Reston Award winners for all of their hard work and dedication in making their community an outstanding place to live and work.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Annandale Lions Club, a truly outstanding organization that has served Annandale, Virginia for fifty years. The Club overcame initial obstacles to become a great fixture in our community, providing valuable support wherever the Lions saw a need. The Annandale Lions Club received its Charter in 1948 when Annandale was a tranquil rural community. The Club was off to a rocky beginning. By the end of the first year, membership had waned from thirty to twelve members, meeting attendance was poor, and the club's finances were in disarray. The Club's future looked precarious as Lions International District leadership discussed revoking the Club's Charter. The Club's remaining members, along with several new members rallied in a valiant effort to save the Club. Under the new leadership of Erskine ``Erk'' Worden as President and Victor Ghent as Secretary- Treasurer, the Club began a legacy of service to the community which continues to this day. Throughout its fifty year history, the Annandale Lions Club has embraced the Lions philosophy of ``We serve''. The Club's numerous activities have benefitted youth, community betterment, and healthcare. Noteworthy projects from the early years include providing playground equipment and furnishing a clinic for the old Annandale Elementary School, the endowment of a then-maternity ward at Fairfax Hospital, supplying yellow school patrol raincoats with hats or hoods to twelve or thirteen elementary schools, supplying bleacher seats to Annandale High School when it opened in 1953, and later providing financial help with the athletic field lighting system. Many projects helped transform rural Annandale to the bustling suburban area it is today. During the early years, the Club provided a map to the local Fire Department to facilitate prompt responses to emergencies. The map was updated yearly to reflect Annandale's rapid growth. In 1959, the Lions embarked on a project to install street signs at all unmarked intersections, until the County began to install street signs County-wide about six years later. Around 1960, the Annandale Post Office and Annandale Fire Department were in need of a street numbering system to aid in locating houses. Lion Merlin ``Mac'' McLaughlin, a land-surveyor then in private practice, volunteered to work with the Postmaster to develop a house numbering system for the entire Annandale postal area that could accommodate urban growth. Fairfax County implemented the 9-1-1 system in 1970 requiring that houses be numbered. Due to the effective system that the Lions Club had created, Annandale was allowed to retain the existing house numbers and the system was expanded throughout the County. As the community changed and evolved over the years, the Club's service activities have adjusted to meet the changing needs and priorities of the community. Some of the numerous Club projects over the years include sponsoring or co-sponsoring a scout troop, sponsoring ball teams in Little League and Babe Ruth League, constructing the children's playhouse at the Annandale Christian Community for Action's (ACCA) Day Care Center and landscaping the ACCA Elder Care Center, providing Leader Dogs and service dogs to community members, collecting and sending food and clothing to disaster areas around the country, and providing chairs and landscaping to the George Mason Library. In addition, the Annandale Lions Club supports a number of projects benefitting sight and hearing screening and research, including the Virginia Lions Eye Institute for which they recently purchased a Fundus camera to take Fluorescein angiograms of the retina. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in thanking each and every Annandale Lion for their hard work and dedication to helping others in making Annandale a great place to live. I wish the Annandale Lions Club continued success in all of its future endeavors.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Philip Bigler, the 1998 National Teacher of the Year. Philip is a history teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. The National Teacher of the Year Program is the oldest and most prestigious award to attract public attention to excellence in teaching. Philip is truly deserving of this great honor. For almost twenty years, he has captivated students by recreating history in the classroom. His students have experienced a polis of ancient Greece, cases argued before the Supreme Court, and pilgrims on the hajj to Mecca without ever traveling from the classroom. Outside the classroom, Philip's students have discovered history firsthand by interviewing residents of the Soldiers' and Airmen's homes about their experiences in the World Wars. Philip's most significant achievement as a teacher is his ability to instill a lasting love of history. His students learn to appreciate that civilization rests upon the foundations of the past and that they inherit a rich, intellectual legacy. Philip's inspiration to teach was instilled by teachers from his own school years. His 8th grade teacher Mary Josephine taught him his love of learning, and in high school, a battle-hardened marine, Colonel Ralph Sullivan, showed him the rigor of academics and taught him a thirst for knowledge and reading. His love of history led him to take a break from teaching to serve as the historian at Arlington National Cemetery but his appreciation for the importance of teaching brought him back. He has spent his entire teaching career in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area. Philip and his wife Linda, who is also a teacher, share the great love of educating young minds. Philip is also an accomplished author and has previously been honored with the Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award, the Hodgson Award for Outstanding Teacher of Social Studies, and has twice been honored with the Norma Dektor Award for Most Influential Teacher from the Students of McLean High School and the United States Capitol Historical Society. I know my colleagues join me in honoring Philip Bigler. Philip ignites a spark of enlightenment in each of his students, motivates their interest, and cultivates their minds. I have the highest appreciation for his dedication to teaching and inspiring our children.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out some of the provisions in section 140 of the bill entitled ``Quality through competition.'' As I understand the provisions, it reflects the following important points: First, it is going to provide for substantial savings to States by providing for a single, consistent rule for the administration and accounting of costs for engineering and design contracts that are funded with Federal-aid highway funds. Second, it acknowledges and permits the use of the expedited process in the existing FAR, which is applicable to qualifications-based selection procedures for architect, engineering, and related services of smaller projects which fall below the threshold of $100,000. Third, by using the term ``simplified acquisition procedures,'' it does not change or authorize the avoidance of the contract administration and audit requirements specified in the section. Fourth, this section provides no authority for a contracting authority to waive the requirements of the contract administration or single audit provisions provided in this section. Mr. Chairman, I would ask the gentleman from Pennsylvania, is my understanding correct?

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Just to continue, Mr. Chairman, in support of this bill, the Trust Fund dollars are like user fees people pay at the gas pumps to come back and improve our Nation's transportation system. This bill, instead of spending Highway Trust Fund dollars collected at the gas pumps on defense or health care, deficit reduction, or some other worthy endeavor, simply spends the Trust Fund user fees for their intended use. In local government, when I was in Fairfax County, if we had raided a trust fund and used it to spend the dollars for water or sewer or another use, we would have gone to jail; but at the Federal level it is perfectly legal to do that. But this starts to straighten that and bring some fiscal accountability to the Trust Fund dollars for our taxpayers. Secondly, there have been some comments about demonstration projects or earmarking. In my region, Northern Virginia, over the last 25 years we have been consistently shortchanged from the State government. Money that goes through Richmond does not come back to Northern Virginia in any way, shape or form to our proportion of highway use, population, vehicle miles or anything else. Yet we have the greatest need for transportation dollars. We have historically been shortchanged by the State. This legislation contains over $10 million for the completion of the Fairfax County Parkway through Reston, $25 million for road widening of Route 123, $10 million for the Virginia Railway Express, a transit alternative down the 95 corridor. These projects are not my projects, they are not political projects, they were requested and coordinated with the local governments in that region, who knew that if they had to wait for Richmond to deliver, they may be waiting a decade. We are putting them out on top. I applaud the Chairman and the Ranking Member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Jim Oberstar), for addressing these needs for our region, which has had traffic jams and is probably the traffic jam capital of the country. This legislation will go a long way to alleviate that. I strongly support this measure and ask my colleagues to support it.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 1997 Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce Valor Award winners. The Valor Awards honor public service officers who have demonstrated extreme self-sacrifice, personal bravery and ingenuity in the performance of duty. There are five categories: The gold Medal, the Silver Medal, the Bronze Medal, the Certificate of Valor, and the Lifesaving Award. The Silver Medal Award Winners are Lieutenant Steve Barr, Technician I Richard Scott, and Technician I Channing Furr. Lieutenant Barr, Technician I Scott, and Technician I Furr showed outstanding judgement and initiative after a car crashed into the rear of a restaurant. Beneath the car, a natural gas line severed by the crash created an explosion hazard, with the driver, suffering from severe traumatic injuries, trapped inside. Acting quickly and effectively, the team members were able to mitigate the gas leak and attend to the patient, by demonstrating outstanding initiative and judgement. The Bronze Medal Award Winners are Officer Bryan E. Sutton and Officer J.S. Dillon. Officer Sutton responded to a complainant whose husband was threatening suicide. The husband appeared before the wife and Officer Sutton brandishing a knife. Officer Sutton placed the wife out of harm's way and calmly talked the husband into surrendering, thereby bringing a potentially volatile situation to a safe conclusion. Officer Dillon responded to a burglary in progress where shots had been fired. He arrived to find that suspect had taken an occupant hostage at gunpoint. Officer Dillon negotiated with the hostage, successfully diffusing a potentially life-threatening situation with no injuries or loss of life. The Certificate of Valor Award Winners are HM3 Robert R. Robinson II and Police Administrative Specialist Donna Lisa Belcher. Petty Officer Robinson, while on vacation, heard about a severe accident on his CB radio. He proceeded to the scene where he located and assisted victims until medical help could arrive. Petty Officer Robinson's expertise, dedication to duty, and professionalism were a tremendous asset to the arriving rescue personnel. Police Administrative Specialist Belcher assisted in the apprehension of a suspect who had been wanted for murder for several months. Due to her persistence and ingenuity, she was able to locate an address for an out-of-state relative where the suspect was found and arrested. The Lifesaving Award Winner is Telecommunicator Alma Boteler. Telecommunicator Boteler received an emergency 9-1-1 call from a man whose pregnant wife of six months was giving birth to her baby in a toilet. Because of Telecommunicator Boteler's ability to effectively communicate life-saving procedures under difficult circumstances, the husband was able to remove the baby from the toilet and give it mouth to mouth resuscitation, saving the baby's life. Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues join me in congratulating these fine heroes, who every day, unselfishly devote themselves to aiding those in need. I have the highest appreciation for their untiring dedication and outstanding service.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it gives my colleague, Mr. Moran, and myself great pleasure to rise today and pay tribute to Mrs. Martha McCash and Mrs. Thelma Gallant McDonald, two outstanding citizens of Northern Virginia for their dedicated community service. On March 25, they will be honored by the Inter-Service Club Council of Springfield ISCC as co-recipients of the Bob Westmoreland Award for Person of the Year. Martha is currently the Secretary of the Kiwanis Club of Springfield and formerly served as President. She coordinates the activities of twenty-two Kiwanis-affiliated Key Clubs in area high schools. Martha's devotion and hard work has earned her the support of the high schools' faculty advisors, the President of the Springfield Club, and the Capital Kiwanis Key Clubs Zone Administrator. Her past honors for outstanding community service include the Capital District Kiwanis Governor's Distinguished Service Award, the Kiwanis International Distinguished Club Officers Award for 1995, and 1996 and 1997, and the Capital District Kiwanis Distinguished Member Award for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997. Martha's clear dedication to service makes her truly deserving of the Bob Westmoreland Award. Thelma has persevered through the great personal loss of being twice- widowed, to devote herself to community service. For ten years, she was involved in American Legion Auxiliary Unit 176 Junior activities. As a Girl Scout Troop Leader, Thelma was active in a program to provide performing groups to local schools. She has been involved with the Host Lions Club for thirty-five years, first as a spouse, then as member in 1994. There she trained and managed Lions Club sponsored baton corps, served on the Club Board of Directors, chaired the local Nursing Home Bingo prize project, and chaired a project that collected over one hundred lap rugs for a nursing home and seniors. In addition, she is active in church programs to aid handicapped children and a local nursing home, and has logged over one thousand hours of volunteer service at Fairfax Hospital. The Bob Westmoreland Award is well bestowed on Thelma with her unwavering commitment to others. Mr. Speaker, we know our colleagues join us in congratulating these two outstanding women on their service and dedication. We appreciate their true spirit of giving and helping others that makes the Northern Virginia community such a fine place to live and work.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is with deep sadness that I rise today to announce the passing of a great historian and teacher, Henry Steele Commager. His contributions to our nation during the twentieth century are beyond measure. He taught generations of Americans to respect the genius that lay behind one of the greatest documents in world history, the United States Constitution. Mr. Commager died on Monday, March 2, 1998 at the age of 95. It is difficult for me to believe that such a prolific American historian is gone. When I was a student at Amherst College, I had the honor of having Mr. Commager as an instructor. This brilliant scholar reminded his students about the unique circumstances and rare, combined genius that existed when our republic was created. In addition, he worked tirelessly to awaken a true respect for and commitment to our government institutions from his students. Under his tutelage, I came to learn about the power of our Constitution and the importance of its structure in every facet of our government. I believe Mr. Commager's tireless passion led many young people such as myself to public service. Moreover, I firmly believe he showed many of his students how to be active citizens committed to fighting apathy in the American electorate. Mr. Commager encouraged all politicians not to be afraid of their moral convictions and to vote on the principles that originally elected them to office. He was a strong-willed man with the singular courage to pursue the hearts and minds of all Americans. His writings were not limited to the academic world, rather he actively sought to engage all individuals and rouse in them a passion for our history, our founding fathers, and our institutions of government. Henry Steele Commager dedicated himself and his life's work to preserving our Constitution. I know that Henry Steele Commager will be missed by lawmakers in both chambers who were influenced by his many writings, particularly The Growth of the American Republic. The breadth of his work and its lasting legacy will always serve as a reminder of Mr. Commager's patriotism and the strength of his commitment to democratic principles. My deepest condolences go to Henry Commager's family, his wife Mary Powesland and his children. Recent articles in both The Washington Post and The Washington Times illustrates Mr. Commager's contributions to our nation. [From the Washington Post] Henry Steele Commager, 95, one of the leading scholars of U.S. history, died March 2 at his home in Amherst, Mass. The cause of death was not reported. Dr. Commager taught U.S. history at colleges and universities for more than a half-century. Since the 1930's, he had maintained a torrential outpouring of writing aimed not only at sophisticated scholars but also at undergraduates, high school students and the general reader. He had the gift, rare in an academic, of being able to seemingly effortlessly translate historically complex matters into supremely lucid and deceptively simple prose. Generations of his readers learned that their country was truly admirable and that, if it sometimes stumbled, it always righted itself. Dr. Commager, who called himself an independent Democrat, wrote with the faith of a Jeffersonian liberal in the aims and abilities of the American people and clearly admired the nation's past. As a champion of the U.S. Constitution, once calling it the ``greatest monument to political science in literature,'' he wrote of this country's greatness as not unrelated to the sweeping growth of social justice. He lectured Americans not only in classrooms but also in some of the best-received general history texts of his time. He may be best known for ``The Growth of the American Republic,'' written with Samuel Eliot Morrison and published by the Oxford University Press in 1931. Noted historian Allan Nevins hailed the book as ``the most entertaining, stimulating and instructive single-volume history of the United States as yet written.'' Dr. Commager and Nevins collaborated on the work's 10th edition, which was published in 1987. In 1941, Dr. Commanger co-wrote ``Our Nation,'' which became a leading high school U.S. history text. In 1942, he and Nevins co-wrote ``America: The Story of a Free People,'' a best-selling book for the lay reader that covered U.S. history from the first British settlers to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. In addition to immensely popular general histories, Dr. Commager also wrote on more specialized topics. These included a 1936 biography of a pre-Civil War New England theologian and abolitionist, and such philosophic offerings as ``The American Mind,'' ``Freedom, Loyalty and Dissent,'' ``The American Character'' and ``The Empire of Reason.'' He also was a prodigious editor, making historic writing more accessible to the general reader. Works he edited included Alexis de Tocqueville's ``Democracy in America,'' Benjamin Franklin's ``Autobiography'' and Francis Parkman's ``The Oregon Trail.'' He once maintained that his most significant work may have been his now-legendary ``Documents of American History,'' first published in 1934. Growing to more than 600 documents, its 10th edition was published in 1988. Dr. Commager was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Chicago. Orphaned before he was 10 years old, he was raised by a grandfather, a Chicago clergyman. The future historian began earning his living at age 15 by working in a local library. He received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and master's and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Chicago. He also received a master's degree in politics from Oxford University in England and attended the University of Copenhagen. During World War II, he worked for the Office of War Information in Europe and also was an official Army historian. He taught history at New York University from 1926 to 1938 and then at Columbia University before joining the faculty at Amherst College in the 1950's. As a teacher, Dr. Commager promoted discussion if not downright battles in the classroom. A champion of civil liberties, he had tangled with Sen. Joseph McCarthy (R-Wis.) in the 1950's over the professor's opposition to loyalty oaths. Even in the 1980's, he continued to lecture politicians on history and civil liberties, quoting Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes to the effect that ``we should be ever receptive to loathsome ideas. George McGovern, the former South Dakota senator and Democratic presidential candidate, who once taught history with one of Dr. Commager's popular texts, told the Associated Press that the historian's public pronouncements helped sway policy makers to question the Vietnam War. ``He certainly influenced me in making certain that I was on the right track. My own instincts and reading and study convinced me of that. To have a person of the status of Henry Steele Commager saying the same thing was very reinforcing,'' McGovern said. Over the years, Dr. Commager wrote for such publications as Current History, the Atlantic Monthly and the Nation. History, however, reported that he owned at least a thousand classical record albums, which he played while working. Dr. Commager also was enthusiastic about sports. He had written works on baseball and was a rabid college football fan. At least one parent of an Amherst graduate recalls Dr. Commager shouting ``advice'' from the stands, in no uncertain terms, to an embattled Amherst football coach. Dr. Commager was a member of numerous historical societies, as well as Phi Beta Kappa, and the American Scandinavian Society.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce Public Safety Award Winners. The Public Safety Awards honor the City of Fairfax's finest Police Officers and Fire & Rescue personnel who have gone above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. On Thursday, February 26, 1998, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce will present the Annual Public Safety Awards to these brave public servants at the Fairfax City Holiday Inn. 1997 Officer of the Year: Detective Albert L. Leightley, III. On October 10, 1997, Detective Leightley successfully apprehended two credit card fraud suspects. From his interview with these suspects and from further investigations, Detective Leightley was led to other accomplices. By the time Detective Leightley closed this case, he had eight criminal arrests and had assisted the surrounding jurisdictions in closing numerous criminal cases of their own. Detective Leightley is known for solving the ``impossible'' larceny cases, often given few facts, leads or physical evidence. He has an outstanding record of closing forty-nine percent of his cases with a sixty-four percent arrest rate for 1997. 1997 Dispatcher of the Year: Betty I. Powers. On September 21, 1997, Dispatcher Powers was working alone in communications when two serious incidents occurred almost simultaneously. She remained calm under pressure as she dispatched police and fire department support to a felony traffic stop and to a hostile fight situation. This is just one of many examples of the professionalism and dedication to duty routinely displayed by Dispatcher Powers. 1997 Firefighter/Paramedic of the Year: Fire Medic Bruce Suslowitz. During the seven years Fire Medic Suslowitz has been with the Fairfax City Fire Department, he has consistently performed outstanding service to those in need. He has gained the trust and faith of his patients with his compassionate, caring and professional manner. He has not only been an invaluable asset to the community but to the Fire & Rescue Department as well. He has participated on numerous department committees, created several public service programs, and has served as a mentor to Paramedic interns. 1997 Lifesaving Award: Officer Eduardo J. Azcarate. In the early morning hours of September 21, 1997, Officer Azcarate was dispatched to George Mason University to provide assistance in ending a large fight. When he arrived on the scene, he rushed to the aid of a stabbing victim. While his fellow officers controlled the crowd, Officer Azcarate performed rescue breathing on the victim until Fire & Rescue units arrived. Officer Azcarate helped saved the victim's life by stepping into a hostile situation and without hesitation, performing emergency medical intervention. 1997 Lifesaving Award: Battalion Chief Kenneth Hahn. On July 17, 1997, Battalion Chief Hahn responded to the home of a man who was having chest pains, but did not want fire department aid. The man insisted on waiting for his friend to take him the hospital. Battalion Chief Hahn was concerned for the man's well-being and insisted on staying with the man until his friend got there. Ten minutes later, the man went into cardiac arrest. Battalion Chief Hahn quickly called to help, and initiated Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation until more fire department assistance arrived. Battalion Chief Han then addressed the concerns of the man's family and friends. Battalion Chief Hahn's conscientious actions were vital in saving this man's life. 1997 Lifesaving Award: Captain John Ahrens and Fire Medic William Schwarz. On September 29, 1997, Medic 33 was dispatched for an obstetrical emergency. When Captain Ahrens and Fire Medic Schwarz arrived, they found a woman lying on her back with a 2 month premature infant on her chest. Captain Ahrens and Fire Medic Schwarz worked feverishly to resuscitate the little boy. They were continually challenged to improvise and reassess all treatment efforts due to the extremely small size of their patient. Due to their professional, capable, and highly competent performance under difficult circumstances, the infant was delivered to the emergency room with the best possible chances for survival. Mr. Speaker, I would like to send my sincere gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to those distinguished public servants who are truly deserving of the title ``hero.'' Their professionalism and initiatives have earned them the well deserved Public Safety Awards from the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. It is because of these outstanding public servants and their peers that Fairfax City continues to be one of the finest cities in the world.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the 1998 Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce Valor Award Winners. On Thursday, February 12, 1998, the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce will present the Annual Valor Awards at the McLean Hilton. The Valor Awards honor public service officials who have demonstrated extreme self-sacrifice, personal bravery, and ingenuity in the performance of their duty. There are five categories: The Gold Medal of Valor, The Silver Medal of Valor, The Bronze Medal of Valor, The Certificate of Valor, and The Life Saving Award. The Valor Award is a project of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. This is the twentieth year that these awards have been presented. The Silver Medal of Valor is awarded in recognition of acts involving great personal risk. The Silver Medal of Valor Award Winners for 1998 are: Police Officer John Alford, Police Officer First Class Randyll E. Newman, Police Officer First Class Dennis E. Voebeau, Police Officer First Class Michelle A. Wicker, Police Officer First Class Jeffrey K. Rockenbaugh, and Second Lieutenant Jesse F. Bowman. The Bronze Medal of Valor is awarded in recognition of acts involving unusual risk beyond that which should be expected while performing the usual responsibilities of the member. The Bronze Medal of Valor Award Winner for 1998 are Police Officer First Class Daniel C. Gohn, Police Officer First Class Scott F. Moskowitz, Master Police Officer Anthony J. Ruffel, Police Officer First Class Steven W. Faett, Police Officer First Class Michael J. Weaver, Master Technician Kerry R. Jackson, Technician Samuel L. Gray, Technician Robert J. Alvarado, Master Police Officer Michael W. Bishop, Police Officer First Class T. Brad Carruthers, and Police Officer First Class David R. Moyer. The Certificate of Valor is awarded for acts that involve personal risk and/or demonstration of judgment, zeal, or ingenuity not normally involved in the performance of duties. The Certificate of Valor Award Winners for 1998 are Firefighter Gregory G. Foley, Lieutenant Wesley L. Marshall, Technician Anthony E. Doran, Technician Michael D. Hendershot, Lieutenant Charles D. Mills, Sergeant Diann L. Makariak, Police Officer First Class John J. Kiernan, Jr., Police Officer Chad E. Mahoney, and Police Officer First Class Scott F. Moskowitz. The Lifesaving Award is awarded for acts taken in life-threatening situations where an individual's life is in jeopardy, either medically or physically. The Lifesaving Award for 1998 are Technician Joseph P. Gorman, Lieutenant Michael A. Seabright, Public Safety Communications Center Assistant Supervisor Mary Ann Gerald, Police Officer First Class Paul J. O'Neill, Police Officer First Class Abraham Gelabert, Police Officer First Class Randolph A. Conley, Public Safety Communications Assistant Arlene Foote, Public Safety Communications Assistant Ronald D. Brooks, Police Officer Timothy C. Benedict, Police Officer First Class John W. Jackson, Police Officer Pierre J. Geis, Firefighter Brian K. Morton, Captain Randall J. Kennedy, and Lieutenant David L. Prohaska. Mr. Speaker, I would like to send my sincere gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to these distinguished public servants who are truly deserving of the title ``hero.''

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that my name be removed as a cosponsor of House Concurrent Resolution 182.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I am disappointed to know George Washington has been overruled by the House Parliamentarian before today. I appreciate my friend offering that amendment, and it is not in order. Mr. Chairman, I had an amendment that I was going to call up that would have at least clarified the Ronald Reagan National Airport, that is currently contained in the legislation, and would have made it the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. That would have stopped some of the confusion we hear. It would have kept Washington's name in it. Whether it demarks the location or a great President and Virginian, I am not certain. But as I understand it, there will be opposition on the other side to this amendment, so I will not bring it up at this point. Am I correct there is to be opposition to that amendment to change it from Ronald Reagan National Airport to the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport?

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I am certain that the chairman of the committee appreciates that kind of loyalty to his amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend, and, with that, I will not call up the amendment.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, it is not a killer amendment from this side of the aisle's point of view. If you do not consider it a killer, we do not consider it a killer amendment. I think it does bring some clarification. I have not had a parliamentary ruling. I would hope, since there is opposition from the other side, and I am disappointed to hear that, at least in the conference, we could clarify that. If this legislation is going to go through, I think it is very important that we keep the name Washington National Airport as a part of it. To many it is always going to be known as that. You have the DCA designation as it moves through customs and it moves through the baggage checks, and to change those, I think, creates a whole series of problems that were not contemplated by the bill's authors. I would ask the chairman of the committee if he could assure me in conference if this is an accommodation that could be reached?

Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is offered by myself, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran), and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella). It is bipartisan. This amendment simply says that the act will take effect on the date that the Secretary of Transportation secures the consent of the Washington Metropolitan Airport Authority for the redesignation. Congress would go ahead and redesignate it, but we would ask the authority to share in that decision-making. Let me explain to this body, I am a great fan of President Reagan's. I was his cochairman in Fairfax County, my county, in 1976, when he opposed the sitting Republican President, and in 1980. I was a delegate to various State and county conventions for Ronald Reagan in 1976, 1980 and 1984. His picture adorns the wall in my office. I believe he was a great President. I think he is worthy of great recognition. But the good news and the bad news in this debate reminds me of a story of a man coming up for a dinner and saying, the good news is we have voted to make you man of the year; the bad news is it was a 5-to-4 vote. Ronald Reagan deserves more than a 5-to-4 vote. He deserves a mandate. We are not getting that here, we are not getting that in Congress the way this has developed, unfortunately. Ronald Reagan stood for and warranted and recognized that localities should have control of this airport. Look at what Ronald Reagan's vision of a Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority, the legislation he signed in 1986, has done. If my colleagues have been out to Dulles and looked at the terminals out there and looked at the renovations that have been done, that would not have been completed if the Federal Government still owned and operated this airport. But under the leadership of the airport authority, under their bonding capacity, those renovations have been made and Dulles is now an international airport, and a model for international airports across the world. Look at the new terminal at National. If there is one indicia of the legacy of Ronald Reagan, it is that terminal there at National Airport, which is new, it is modern, and it is a result of Ronald Reagan's work and legacy when he signed that legislation and gave control of the airport to the airport authority. That work would not have been done had it gone through the Federal appropriation process with the controls and the conflicts in terms of where the dollars are spent. So there is a Ronald Reagan legacy at National Airport. This amendment simply allows the local airport authority, created by Ronald Reagan, signed into law by the President in 1986, to share in the renaming of this airport. This is not a partisan Republican, such as former Governor Linwood Holton, the first Republican governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, supported this amendment. A number of Reagan members of his administration serve on that authority and advisory and support this amendment and believe that Ronald Reagan would want local control honored in the renaming of any airport that he was involved in in creating that authority. The airport authority has had 2 lawsuits against this Congress when we tried to intervene our mandate onto their authority. As the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) noted earlier, we lost both of them. What a terrible tragedy it would be if we were to pass this, if we were to be sued and lose this and have it overturned in court because of some judicial interpretation, and both of those earlier suits went to the U.S. Supreme Court. They were not just lower level cases. Ronald Reagan deserves better than this. He was a great man. He deserves a mandate, not a sharply partisan debate, which is the way this has unfolded, unfortunately. This amendment is not about the history of the airport. This region was originally the Washington Hoover Airport, where the Pentagon is, and it was the Gravely Point project; it developed from there into the National Airport and then later the Washington National Airport. It has a long history. This is not about Ronald Reagan's legacy, which is a legacy I think historians will treat very kindly: A President who presided over the demise of the Cold War, the falling of the Iron Curtain; a time of great prosperity, and who signed the Airport Authority Act into law in 1986, a landmark decision that helped make this the airport it is. This amendment is about a principle that he stood for and believed in, and that I believe is local control. I think we not only violate local control, we violate the principles he stood for if we try to impose from Congress, without consultation and the approval of that local airport authority, which is chaired by a Republican, I might add, to have them participate in the process. I would ask for approval of this amendment, Mr. Chairman. I think that this is the way to go. A lot of Members over here are wondering if this is the appropriate legacy, but no one here wants to vote against somebody who we consider to be a great President, and this I think allows the localities to share in this decision-making, as it should be, and I think as he would want it if he were here speaking. So I ask for approval of this amendment.