Diana DeGette

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen). (Mr. BENTSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 576, supporting efforts to increase childhood cancer awareness, treatment and research, introduced by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Pryce), is a sobering reminder of the rising incidents of pediatric cancer. We cannot overemphasize the importance of protecting America's children. They are our Nation's future and its most precious resource. Hence, they deserve the same breadth of our Nation's biomedical resources as we devote to fighting cancer in adults, namely, cutting- edge research, targeted treatments, and medical education initiatives based on their unique needs and physiology. Children are not simply ``little adults.'' The recommendations in this resolution are critical to decreasing the burden of childhood cancers and should guide public policy. With that said, I am also pleased to remind the Members of this Chamber that the bill we just passed, H.R. 4365, the Children's Health Act of 2000, contains an expanded provision from its original title on skeletal cancers in childhood to authorize the Secretary of HHS to devote research resources to learning more about all childhood cancers and improving treatment outcomes. Indeed, these are all steps in the right direction and a clear message to all children and the families whose lives have been forever altered by this disease. I am pleased to support the gentlewoman from Ohio's resolution. I look forward to working with her over the years to increase funding for research into childhood cancer and all pediatric diseases in this Congress. In addition, I would like to highlight one of the provisions from this resolution that Congress should support: ``Public and private sector efforts to promote awareness about the incidence of cancer among children, the signs and symptoms of cancer in children, and treatment options.'' As such, I think that it is important to point out that 11 million children in this country still remain uninsured despite passage of the Children's Health Improvement Act. Uninsured children often do not get the same prevention, diagnosis or treatment needed to save their lives. Consequently, we should take action in this Congress to address the barriers that exist to health insurance coverage that continue to harm the health of children. We should take action to streamline enrollment of kids into Medicaid and CHIP. We should improve outreach efforts to get eligible children enrolled. We should expand coverage to pregnant women which would reduce infant mortality, another leading cause of mortality in children. We should also do everything to encourage States to spend all the money that we have provided them to get children into CHIP. It is a terrible shame that 40 States have failed to spend $1.9 billion. For example, the State of Texas is scheduled to return over 70 percent of its CHIP allocations. That is unfortunate. I encourage Members to consider passage of the Improved Maternal and Children's Health Coverage Act this year. My own State of Colorado also stands to lose money because it has not covered all of the children in Colorado. If we have health insurance for children, parents will be able to take the children to their physicians at the first hints, at the first physical symptoms of cancer, and if that happens, then we should be able to diagnose and treat that cancer at an earlier stage and to save many thousands of lives every year. Again, I commend my colleague for raising this issue. I urge its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. General Leave

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, let us be real here. We are not talking about people who send their mashed potatoes or their parking stubs to a garbage site. Everyone in this room and everyone in the Congress shares the same goal, of giving relief to bona fide small businesses who are unfairly targeted in Superfund cleanups. Mr. Speaker, in fact, as we have heard, there are several excellent bills pending which would achieve this goal, but this bill is filled with corporate loopholes big enough to drive a fleet of garbage trucks through. It is naive to think that by slapping the small business label on this title of legislation Congress would pass a bill that fails to provide real Superfund reform and jeopardizes toxic waste cleanup. Mr. Speaker, I hope the Members see through this and work to pass legislation that will protect individuals and communities, not corporate interests. This legislation, first of all, applies to businesses of 100 employees without consideration of affiliation and not true small businesses whose contributions to the site are small and the costs of cleanup not significant. This bill also reverses years of U.S. jurisprudence by shifting the burden for the potential wrongdoing from the wrongdoer to the government. Mr. Speaker, this big business giveaway is likely to span new litigation and reopen long-closed Superfund cases in an attempt to absolve big business of its responsibility to clean up the toxic messes that it created. It creates incentives for corporate cover-ups so that businesses can hide their responsibility and avoid paying to clean up the contamination. Let us really get serious here. It is time to pass real Superfund reform that protects true small businesses and communities by assuring that responsible parties clean up their toxic waste. Vote no on H.R. 5175.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, what we are talking about here is not abortion and it is not RU-486. It is a high dose of oral contraceptives. We are talking about contraceptives here. School-based clinics provide health care professionals an ideal opportunity to counsel teens about the importance of delaying sexual activity and the risks of unprotected sex. I would hope, we would all hope, that all girls would consult their parents if there has been a terrible mistake made; but unfortunately that communication does not happen in every family. Would we not want then to prevent an unwanted pregnancy and to prevent perhaps even an unwanted abortion? Certainly many State and local governments want to give their school-based professionals that option. I always thought that this Congress was for local control. It seems to me we are for local control if it is our views but not the other guy's views. I do not think that is right. Let our local governments decide whether they want their school-based professionals to counsel girls and to be able to give them these contraceptives. Vote no on this motion to instruct.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize this community leader for her exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service. It is to commend this outstanding citizen that I rise to honor Lorraine Granado. Lorraine Granado has been on the frontlines of progress in Denver for decades. She has been an organizer and powerful advocate in work she describes as ``real life stuff.'' Throughout her life, Ms. Granado has promoted the well being of all people, including Latinos. As an organizer, she describes herself as ``a person who works with people who have a real need, a willingness to do something about it, and a passion for social justice.'' Presently, she is the Executive Director of the Cross-Community Coalition in the Globeville, Swansea and Elyria neighborhoods in Denver. People in these communities have weathered tremendous change over the years and through Ms. Granado's efforts, they are able to better address issues related to economic empowerment and environmental justice because of her common sense approach to problem solving. Through her leadership, the Cross Community Coalition continues to bring tangible benefits to disadvantaged people through their Family Resource Center which offers job training and placement, various social services, and after school programs. Lorraine Granado has helped build a number of organizations through her work in board development, non-profit management, media relations, leadership development, advocacy, teaching organizing techniques, and public policy participation. She has served as an organizing member of various organizations including: the Colorado Women's Lobby; the Elyria/Swansea Economic Development Corporation; Hispanics of Colorado; the National Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign; the Better Jobs for Women Project; the Colorado People's Environmental and Economic Network; People of Color Consortium Against AIDS; and the Colorado Coalition for Full Employment Project. Her accomplishments include: helping to re- write Denver's Industrial Zoning Code to include residential buffer zones; working with members of the National Chemical Manufacturers Association to develop guidance for community outreach; helping stop the placement of a regional medical waste incinerator in the community; developing a conference with the Environmental Protection Agency to address Brownfields issues and explore ways in which community members, developers and government can work together to redevelop communities. It comes as no surprise that Lorraine Granado received the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award because of her beliefs, values, philosophy and determination to forward non-violence as a means of achieving peace and justice. Please join me in commending Lorraine Granado. It is the strong leadership that she exhibits on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Her life serves as an example to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize this community leader for her exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service. It is to commend this outstanding citizen that I rise to honor Polly Baca. Polly Baca has amassed a distinguished record of leadership in our community and service to our nation. Ms. Baca grew up in Greeley Colorado and where she attended high school. After graduating from Colorado State University with a degree in political science, she began her professional career as an editorial assistant for a labor union in Washington, DC. During the Johnson Administration, she served as a Public Information Officer for a key White House Agency and after serving on the campaign staff for the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, she served as the Director of Research and Information for the National Council of La Raza. Poly Baca has always been a trailblazer and upon returning to Colorado, she was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and was the first woman elected to chair the House Democratic Caucus. She was subsequently elected to the Colorado Senate and became the first minority woman and the first and only Hispanic woman to serve in this body and the first Hispanic woman to serve in leadership in a State Senate in the U.S. Prior to joining the Clinton Administration, Ms. Baca was the Executive Director of the Colorado Hispanic Institute, a non-profit entity dedicated to developing cultural competence and multicultural leadership. She went on to serve as the Director of the U.S. Office of Consumer Affairs and in that capacity, she chaired the Consumer Affairs Council and the U.S. delegation to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Committee on Consumer Policy. Subsequently, Ms. Baca was appointed Regional Administrator of the General Services Administration in the six-state Rocky Mountain Region and is the first minority woman and the first Hispanic woman to be appointed to this position. Ms. Baca is nationally known for her leadership skill and has extensive experience in foreign affairs and is a noted international speaker as well. She has lectured in Japan and the Philippines on the American political system and the role of racial and ethnic Americans and women in the American socio-political and economic systems. Currently, Ms. Baca is the CEO of Sierra Baca Services which is a firm specializing in multicultural leadership development and diversity training. Her commitment and service has earned her several awards including being inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame and into the National Hispanic Hall of Fame as an original member. She received the Small Business Administrator's Advocate of the Year Award for Colorado and the Leadership Award from the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Please join me in commending Polly Baca. It is the strong leadership she exhibits on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Her life serves as an example to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize this community leader for her exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service. It is to commend this outstanding citizen that I rise to honor Ophelia Mejia. Ophelia Mejia has devoted a lifetime to improving the condition of children and families in the Denver area. Ophelia was born to parents who emigrated from Mexico and following her father's death at an early age, she graduated from Greeley High School and was employed at the Greeley Tribune while attending the University of Northern Colorado on a scholarship. There, she met her husband and subsequently, they had thirteen children. Ms. Mejia began her distinguished career in early childhood care and development in the Park Hill area where she opened a family childcare home. She then taught preschool, became a director, and began to teach at the Community College of Aurora where she ultimately became department chair for the Early Childhood Education Department. In that capacity, she was able to access many grants in order that students who had difficulty paying tuition could still attend classes. She is now a specialist with the Community Development Institute, a Head Start Quality Improvement Center for Region VIII, where she provides training and technical assistance to sixteen Head Start Programs. Ophelia has an impressive history of civic leadership. She is president of the Colorado Child Care Workforce, a board member of the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, and a member of the Colorado Child Care Commission. She also serves on the Professional Development and Distance Learning Committees of the Colorado Early Childhood Summit. She conducts bilingual and monolingual Spanish assessments of candidates for the Colorado Child Care Development Associate credential and has been on the advisory boards for the early childhood departments of Metropolitan State College, Emily Griffith Opportunity School, First Start, Including Children with Disabilities, and Healthy Start Initiatives. Additionally, she has been a member of the Colorado Child Care Coalition, the early Childhood Educators' Network, the Colorado Community College Faculty Coalition and the Latin Council of Aurora. It comes as no surprise that Ophelia Mejia's devotion and service to our community has been honored and she received the first Outstanding Leaders Award from the Denver Metro Association for the Education of Young Children. Please join me in commending Ophelia Mejia. It is the strong leadership that she exhibits on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Her life serves as an example to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize this community leader for her exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service. It is to commend this outstanding citizen that I rise to honor Wanda Padilla. Wanda Padilla has best been described as a ``dynamo'' and she has had a tremendous impact on our community. Ms. Padilla is the woman behind the scenes at La Voz de Colorado, one of our state's most influential Hispanic bilingual newspapers. Known as the Hispanic Voice of Colorado, this Spanish-English newspaper has been published continuously since 1974, and under her leadership, it has matured into a solid weekly newspaper in the Denver area. Ms. Padilla, who is an Illinois native and graduate of Northwestern University, has been a trailblazer and has built this newspaper business from the ground up. In the beginning, she sold ads, wrote copy, did layouts and billing and distributed the newspaper, all while raising her son Ramon. La Voz de Colorado fills a real need and it has given the Hispanic Community in the 1st Congressional District a strong political and economic voice. Under Ms. Padilla's leadership as Publisher, the newspaper has experienced tremendous growth and she intends to further expand the newspaper to meet the needs of the growing Hispanic marketplace. The tradition excellence and solid commitment to speaking for Colorado's Hispanics has made La Voz de Colorado a standard bearer for journalistic excellence in the Denver Metro area. In addition to her work at La Voz de Colorado, Wanda Padilla is active in the oldest Catholic congregation in Denver, Sacred Heart Church. Ms Padilla also serves as a foster mom for her godchild and his sister. While she admits these duties interrupt her tough schedule, her work with children is a labor ``from the heart.'' Please join me in commending Wanda Padilla. It is the strong leadership that she exhibits on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Her life serves as an example to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the splendid efforts and notable accomplishments of an extraordinary woman in the 1st Congressional District of Colorado. It is both fitting and proper that we recognize this community leader for her exceptional record of civic leadership and invaluable service. It is to commend this outstanding citizen that I rise to honor Veronica Barela. Veronica Barela has made a tremendous impact on our community and has an impressive record of civic involvement. Ms. Barela has served as the Director of the NEWSED Community Development Corporation, since 1978. She is recognized for her skills in community based economic development, community organizing, housing development, civic event management, development of successful arts and culture initiatives, and civic rights work. Her leadership has been the catalyst for the revitalization of Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Her efforts through NEWSED have attracted one hundred and eighty new businesses to Santa Fe Drive and near Westside Neighborhood and, in addition, she has developed two shopping plazas and one mini center for the community. These business development successes have generated over 3,000 jobs for the immediate community. Ms. Barela's efforts have been nationally recognized and NEWSED has developed national standing as a model Community Development Corporation. Veronica Barela has also made great contributions to the cultural life of our community. Through her leadership, the annual Cinco de Mayo celebration in Denver has grown to be the largest outdoor Cinco de Mayo celebration in the United States. Her broad range of activities and interests has been a great service to our city as well. She has served as the Chairperson of the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Board and served as Co-Chair of the Human Service and Education Committee for Denver's Comprehensive Plan 2000. She was President of Hispanics of Colorado and co-chaired the People of Color Coalition. Ms. Barela was appointed to the Consumer Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Board in Washington DC and served in various capacities on the National Community Reinvestment Coalition Board. Other board memberships include Servicios de La Raza, the American Civil Liberties Union, Denver's Urban Economic Development Corporation and the Hispanic Advisory Council for both Mayors Pena and Webb. Her commitment and service has earned her several awards in including the Outstanding Women's Award from Metorpolitan State College. Mayor Wellington Webb declared June 26, 1992, ``Veronica Barela Day'' in the City and County of Denver for her long standing work in civil rights, economic development and community organizing. Please join me in commending Veronica Barela. It is the strong leadership she exhibits on a daily basis that continually enhances our lives and builds a better future for all Americans. Her life serves as an example to which we should all aspire.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to one of the leading causes of injury and death to small children--backing vehicles. Most Americans probably do not give much thought to backing out of their driveway, or a parking space at the local supermarket. Yet reversing the car presents a danger to our children, as well as to the disabled and elderly, that can no longer be ignored. Children under the age of two are more likely to suffer non-traffic- related injuries or fatalities in driveways, parking lots, or sidewalks than any other age group. Moreover, over half of all pedestrian injuries to children in this age group occurs when a vehicle is backing up. Toddlers are especially vulnerable because they are exposed to traffic threats that exceed their cognitive, developmental and sensory abilities. Children have difficulty judging speed, spatial relationships and distance. The risk to disabled individuals and the elderly must also be considered, as they can be unable to move out of the way of a backing vehicle. The risk is augmented as cars get bigger and taller, increasing a driver's ``blind spot'' behind the car, making the driver unaware of what my lie behind. Unfortunately, families in my home state of Colorado are already painfully aware of the danger posed by backing vehicles. In Greeley, Colorado, a grandfather accidentally backed over his 18-month-old grandson with a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), killing the child last December. A few months later, tragedy struck a couple in Denver when an elderly man on an electric scooter was fatally injured when his wife accidentally backed their minivan into him in the driveway of their home. At this time, there are no concrete studies to show the dangers of backing vehicles. I ask the Department of Transportation to conduct a study to determine the number of fatalities, injuries and property damage caused by slow-speed backing vehicle accidents. I urge my colleagues to support such a study.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) for yielding me this time and a special thanks to my colleague to the West, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), for working diligently to make sure that this bill became a reality. This has been a real joint effort with the Colorado delegation. This bill is a very meaningful bill to the residents of Colorado. I just want to add my public thanks. It has been great. Let me talk for a minute about what Black Ridge looks like, because I hiked Black Ridge last summer and was really stunned to see the sublime natural beauty. It is really some of the finest of Colorado's canyon country. Every year, thousands of hikers, hunters, and rafters enjoy the wild canyons, abundant wildlife, and the quiet float down the Colorado River. I have always steadfastly supported the strongest possible protections for the Black Ridge Canyons because they are an outstanding national example of deep sliprock canyons. The area consists of three major canyon systems, innumerable spires and pinnacles, and the second greatest concentration of natural arches in the Southwest, second only to the beautiful arches, of course, in our neighbor to the West of Utah. Additionally, the Black Ridge Canyons' perennial streams and rich riparian vegetation provide critical wildlife habitat for a variety of species, including bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and bald eagles. One of the critical reasons that we need to preserve Black Ridge as wilderness now is because of the impinging growth that we are seeing in Western Colorado. What struck me was, just a stone's throw away from Black Ridge, neighbors walk their dogs, people ride their bikes, and everyone is enjoying the beautiful natural beauty of Western Colorado. But if we do not act now, and why I am so glad my colleague to the west has brought this legislation forward now, we run the risk of having humanity overwhelm these beautiful natural canyons. The thing that strikes me and the thing I think about a lot, while we have these growth pressures in Colorado and throughout the western United States, we also have many, many areas that still deserve wilderness protection in the West. Not every natural area, not every Federal land deserves protection; but there are many areas with unique wilderness characteristics like Black Ridge which still exist. That is why I was pleased last year when I announced the Colorado Wilderness Act, H.R. 829, to include Black Ridge and 48 other areas in Colorado as unique and deserving wilderness characteristics. The lands on both sides of the Colorado River in the proposed national conservation area and the river itself as it goes through contain a wide array of unique natural features that deserve increased protection. The combination of the national conservation area and wilderness is appropriate in this bill, and I am pleased to see that H.R. 4275 includes the Colorado River and all lands within the 100-year flood plain to be managed as if they were in the NCA. I think it is critical that the river and sensitive riparian areas are managed in a manner that provides the utmost protection for this sensitive and heavily used area. Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to see that the areas in Utah that are contiguous to this are also preserved in the bill. I sincerely hope, in conclusion, that passage of this bill is the first step in a concentrated, unified effort of the delegation to protect all of the lands in Colorado which deserve wilderness protection. This picture next to me is not the area we are talking about today, but it is the beautiful Gunnison Gorge Wilderness Study Area that is also included in my legislation. There are 47 other areas besides Black Ridge and Gunnison Gorge which we have in Colorado. While today's legislation provides protection for really the crown jewel of my wilderness bill, there are 48 other areas, beautiful canyons, many of them, that need and deserve protection. I urge Congress to act now. If we pass just one, two or even three of these areas every year, my 6- year-old daughter will be a grandmother by the time we protect all of these lands. More importantly and urgently, the growth that we are seeing in the West will begin to impinge on these critical areas. Again, I thank my colleague. I think this is a critical step, and I thank him for all of the work he is doing for wilderness preservation in Colorado.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I really agree with a lot of what the gentleman of Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) is saying. My concern is, what happens with all of these physicians if we go to debate, if the Coburn amendment passes, and then the bill, then we all have to vote on the bill, and how will those physicians feel if we vote against a bill we support because of this?

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, the Republican leadership is truly offering us a Hobson's choice here. I am a cosponsor of this bill and proud to be one, but I am standing here to urge defeat of this rule because of the Coburn amendment. The Coburn amendment could gag physicians and other providers in two ways. First, providers who have a medical and ethical responsibility to promote the well-being of their patients could be unable to advocate with health plans on their patient's behalf for comprehensive reproductive health care. Second, providers could not negotiate against any onerous restrictions that appear in their contracts. Why did the Republican leadership do this? They did this because they know pro-choice Members like myself, who also are cosponsors of the bill, will never support legislation with provisions that could be construed as gag rules. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) was denied the opportunity to offer a second degree amendment that would have clarified and improved the bill. Was this allowed? No, it was not. Tragically, we have to defeat this rule. We have to send it back, and we have to say, let us pass a bill that is free of poison pills. We have sadly, in my view, reached a point in this Congress where virtually no health care legislation can be passed. The Committee on Commerce, on which I sit, has repeatedly failed to mark anything up, including a children's health bill, because of repeated and ill-fated efforts to impose abortion language. The National Institutes of Health has not been reauthorized for years because of the threat of anti-abortion riders. We have reached a virtual gridlock over abortion riders in every form imaginable. The American public needs to know this, and they need to know how wrong it is. So let us defeat this bill. Let us send it back to the Committee on Rules. Let us write a clean bill. Let us allow the Greenwood amendment to go forward, and let us pass legislation that will allow doctors to organize, just as my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Campbell), wants to have happen.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of providing additional funds to support the Environmental Protection Agency's National Hazardous Waste and Superfund Ombudsman. The Office of the Ombudsman has been instrumental in providing further investigation and access to information for the public on a number of complicated Superfund sites across the Nation. There are many communities across the United States impacted by years of hazardous waste disposal. The very laws and agencies involved in cleaning up these very dangerous sites often become mired in legal tangles and bureaucratic inertia. The Office of the Ombudsman has been an ally of citizens to further insure that public health and the environment remain at the forefront in clean up decisions at Superfund sites. The Ombudsman also plays an important role regarding oversight of the EPA, ensuring that harmful decisions are corrected and that information surrounding Superfund sites is available for the public. In my district, the Office of the Ombudsman was useful in investigating the Shattuck Waste Disposal Site in Denver. The Ombudsman redirected EPA's focus by fostering greater public participation in EPA's decision to allow radioactive waste to remain in an urban neighborhood. To better protect public health and the environment, I believe it is appropriate that the Office of the Ombudsman receive adequate funds to sustain their mission of advocating for substantive public involvement in EPA decisions.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, today I honor George Sakato, a distinguished constituent of Denver and a member of the historic Nisei American Legion Post 185. Today, Mr. Sakato received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Clinton for his valorous efforts during World War II. Under heavy fire, Mr. Sakato led a charge against, and victoriously overcame, an enemy bunker. He and the troops he led exacted a heavy toll on the enemy. As a Japanese-American, Mr. Sakato initially experienced some difficulty enlisting in the military. After being denied by the Army Air Corps, Mr. Sakato enlisted in the 100th Battalion/442nd Regimental Combat Team, which was composed primarily of Japanese-Americans. Because the soldiers of this regiment demonstrated their unending valor and courage on the battlefield, the battalion became the most highly decorated unit in the U.S. military. After facing discrimination as a Japanese-American, it is truly appropriate that Mr. Sakato has been recognized for his superlative contribution to the security of our nation. My only regret today is that this honor was not bestowed on Mr. Sakato a long time ago. We must always take time to honor our veterans, especially those who went above and beyond the call of duty in order to assure freedom and democracy. On behalf of the people of Denver, I would like to express my gratitude for Mr. Sakato's service and my congratulations to him on receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Ms. DeGETTE

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to sponsor this amendment, along with my distinguished colleagues and good friends from the Committee on Commerce, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), to protect the health and safety of millions of Americans. The Clean Air Act contains a provision, section 112, that was intended to reduce the risks posed by hazardous chemicals stored at 66,000 facilities in the United States, to inform the public of these risks, and to facilitate planning for these risks. We know accidents at facilities that store hazardous chemicals can result in environmental damage, and in injuries and even deaths to workers and people in the surrounding communities. Mr. Chairman, fully one-third of the American public lives within 5 miles of one of these facilities. The best way to reduce the risk posed to our constituents is to make public information about risks so that community responders, emergency personnel, schools, and anyone living near these facilities can be prepared. In August of last year, this body passed the Chemical Safety Information Site Security and Fuels Regulatory Relief Act. This bill easily passed the House and the other body and was signed into law by the President last year. In the law, we heeded the concerns of the FBI and the industry that criminals may obtain information required by the Clean Air Act if this information is posted on the Internet. The risk of terrorist attack on one of these facilities remains unclear as, thankfully, no attacks have occurred on American soil. Nonetheless, we sought to balance the community's right to information with any incremental risk that a criminal might have access to the information. In that same law, we required the Attorney General to conduct a study of security at facilities that store or use extremely dangerous materials. One component of the study is a review of the vulnerability of the facilities to criminal or terrorist activity, current industry practices regarding site security, and the security of transportation of hazardous substances. An interim report from the Attorney General is due in August of 2000, and the law requires a full report by August, 2002. Mr. Chairman, if the FBI or anyone else is concerned that the information about these facilities may be attractive to terrorists, then we all must be concerned that these facilities are doing what they can to secure their loading docks, rail spurs, and storage areas from criminal activity. This study will be instrumental to the ability of the Department to accurately assess the risk posed by terrorists and criminals. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, despite the study requirement contained in the law, the Department of Justice tells us they do not have the funds to carry out this requirement. In March of this year, the Attorney General requested a reprogramming in the amount of $750,000 from the counterterrorism fund to do this study. In fact, Mr. Chairman, the chairman, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bliley), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), recently wrote a letter to the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) of the Committee on Appropriations in support of the need for funding, and at the appropriate time in the proceedings, Mr. Chairman, I will request unanimous consent to enter the letter into the Record. Mr. Chairman, to date Congress has not acted on the Department of Justice's request. That is the purpose of this amendment. This amendment will allocate $750,000 in the Department of Justice counterterrorism fund for this study. This amendment will allow the Attorney General to fully comply with our mandate in the chemical safety act and will provide valuable safety information to our communities. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. In my home, for example, which is a transportation and economics center, we are also a home to many environmental issues. My constituents and I know the importance of ensuring that our facilities are safe and secure. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Alison Taylor and Sarah Keim of the Democratic staff of the Committee on Commerce and also Robert Gropp of my staff for their continued hard work on this important issue.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, with the assurance from the chairman that he will work with us on this matter to secure funding for the Department of Justice to conduct the study, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, the amendment I am offering today strikes section 103 from title 1 of the general provisions of the Department of Justice. In effect, this amendment strikes the language in the bill which prohibits the use of Federal funds for abortion services for women in Federal prison. Mr. Chairman, unlike other American women, who are denied Federal coverage of abortion services, most women in prison are indigent, they have no access to outside financial help, and they earn extremely low wages in prison jobs. They are also incarcerated in prisons at great distance from their customary support system of family and friends. As a result, inmates in the Federal prison system are completely dependent on the Bureau of Prisons for all of their needs, including food, shelter, clothing and all of the aspects of their medical care. These women are not able to work at jobs that would enable them to pay for medical services, including abortion services. The overwhelming majority of women in Federal prisons work on a general pay scale and earn from 12 cents to 40 cents an hour or roughly $5 to $16 per week. The average costs of an early, outpatient abortion ranges from $200 to $400. Abortions after the 13th week of pregnancy cost $400 to $700. Even if a woman in the Federal prison system earned the maximum wage on the general pay scale and worked 40 hours a week, which many prisoners do not, she would earn enough in 12 weeks to pay for an abortion in the first trimester if she so chose. After that, the costs of an abortion rises dramatically, and the woman is caught in a vicious cycle. Even if she saved her entire prison income, every single penny, she could never afford an abortion. If Congress denies women in Federal prison coverage of abortion services, it is effectively shutting down the only avenue these women have for their constitutional right to pursue an abortion. Let me remind my colleagues that it is still legal in this country. Let me also remind my colleagues that for the last 27 years, women in America have had a constitutional right to choose an abortion, which does not disappear when a woman walks through the prison doors. The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled on this very point. Nonetheless, the consequence of this funding ban is that inmates who have no independent financial means are foreclosed from the choice of an abortion in violation of their rights under the 14th amendment of the Constitution. With the absence of funding by the very institution prisoners depend on for their health services, many pregnant prisoners are, in fact, coerced to carry unwanted pregnancies to term. The antichoice movement in Congress decries coverage for abortion services to women in the military, women who work for the government, poor women and women ensured by the Federal Employees Health Plan. I vehemently disagree with all of these restrictions. I think they are wrong and mean-spirited. But when Congress denies abortions for women who are incarcerated, the Congress is in effect denying women their fundamental right to choose, and that is wrong. Let me spend a moment to talk about the kind of women in the Federal prison system. Many are victims of physical and sexual abuse, that is how they got pregnant in the first place, and, unfortunately, this cycle can continue once they are incarcerated by abuse by correctional staff as reported in a recently released GAO report. Two-thirds of the women are incarcerated for nonviolent drug offenses. Many of them are HIV-infected or have full-blown AIDS, and Congress thinks I guess that it is in the best interests of the country to force these women to have children. This debate is not about the parenting abilities of women in prison. It is about forcing some women to have a delayed abortion at a greater risk to their health. It is about forcing some women against their will to bear a child in prison when that child will be taken from her at birth or shortly thereafter. In the latter case, it is unfair and cruel to force a woman who does not have the emotional will to go through her pregnancy with limited prenatal care, isolated from her family and friends, and knowing that the child will be taken from her at birth. What will happen to these children, these children who are born to prisoners? Will they be raised by the relatives who do not care about them? Will they be sent to an agency to become a ward of the State? What will happen to them? I doubt that those opposed to this amendment have any real serious answer to this question. In 1993, Congress did the right thing when it overturned this barbaric policy. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to do the same and support the DeGette amendment. Let us stop the rollbacks on a women's reproductive system.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?