Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer).

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. It is wonderful to watch a deathbed conversion, because with regard to LIHEAP, the very fact of the matter is that over and over and over again the majority party has in fact opposed LIHEAP. Not only that, they have tried to abolish the Energy Department in 1995, they proposed to abolish LIHEAP and, furthermore, what they tried to do with LIHEAP is to really, in a very Scrooge-like plan, force millions of very low- income families to make the choice between food and heat.

Ms. DeLAURO. This is about LIHEAP today. It is about a continued activity of the majority to do in a program, to not properly fund it, not only in the year that we are, in forward-funding the money in the future. We are asking to fund this at its maximum, at $1.65 billion, because the folks who need this assistance all across this country have been sorely shortchanged by the majority.

Ms. DeLAURO. 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. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 7(c) of rule XXII, I hereby notify the House of my intention tomorrow to offer the following motion to instruct House conferees on H.R. 4577, a bill making appropriations for fiscal year 2001 for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. I move that the managers on the part of the House at the conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the bill, H.R. 4577, be instructed to insist on the highest funding level possible for the Low- Income Home Energy Assistance Program in Fiscal Year 2001 and Fiscal Year 2002.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding member of the New Haven, Connecticut community and my dear friend--Don Diminstein. I am proud to join Mayor John DeStefano, members of the Atwater Senior center, and the City of New Haven as they gather to salute Don for his many years of outstanding leadership and service. After nearly five decades of public service, Don continues to serve the City of New Haven with unparalleled dedication and commitment. A life-long resident of New Haven, Don has been a leading figure in our community for many years. His extensive record of commitment to the community includes public service in a variety of capacities. Don will leave a legacy in the incredible example he has set for us by his professionalism and sense of civic duty. I am consistently amazed at the energy and tenacity Don continues to demonstrate on behalf of New Haven residents. For nearly four decades, Don has served in the City of New Haven in the field of Human Services. First, as a member of the Board of Alderman, then as an original staff member of the New Haven's first anti-poverty agency, Community Progress, Inc., and most recently as an employee with the City's Elderly Services Department which he now heads. Don's career has taken him across the lines of every demographic group, from our children to our grandparents. Don has truly had a significant impact on the entire New Haven community. As one of the first members of Community Progress, Don played a major role in the development and implementation of employment and training programs. Since their inception, these programs have given thousands of men and women the skills they need to join the workforce and provide for their families. During his tenure with the Elderly Services Department, Don has worked diligently to make sure the needs of our seniors are met. He is known throughout the Greater New Haven area as a strong voice on behalf of seniors and always willing to go to great lengths to ensure their interests are represented. Determined and inspired to make a difference in our community, Don's commitment to the families and elderly of New Haven extends beyond his professional career. ``Man's rent on Earth is his service to others''-- a classic quote that has become Don's lifelong motto. He has touched the lives of many with his volunteer efforts, including with such organizations as the Westville Youth Association, the New Haven Area Mental Health Association, the Bikur Cholim Sheveth Achim Synagogue, and the League of Women Voters. These are only a few of many community organizations he has helped. I have often said that our communities would not be the same without the efforts of volunteers and this is especially true in Don's case. He has had such a profound impact on the City of New Haven that there is no doubt it would not be the same without the compassion and generosity he has demonstrated. I am proud to stand today and join Don's wife, Patricia, family, friends, and colleagues to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation for his outstanding service and invaluable contributions to our community. The residents of New Haven are better off because of all of Don's good work. Thank you, Don, for all you've done.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation. Instead of helping those that faced the real cuts in 1997, what our Republican colleagues have done is they have gift wrapped an early Christmas present for the same HMOs that continue to reduce coverage for seniors and in many cases drop their coverage altogether. Unlike hospitals, home health, hospice providers, Medicare HMOs did not have their funding cut in 1997, yet this past year, we invested $1.4 billion in Medicare+Choice and the Medicare HMOs returned the favor by dropping nearly 1 million seniors, 56,000 in my State of Connecticut alone. And guess what? There is no meaningful accountability in this piece of legislation. These folks can pull the rug out from under people after a year. That was not changed at all in this piece of legislation. I say to my colleagues, they got $1.4 billion, talk about bang for the buck, and they let all of these people adrift. The Republican bill would now give the Medicare HMOs 41 percent of the money in this bill, $10 billion. It is wrong, it is unfair, it does not help those who need it the most.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Conference Report on Estuaries and Clean Waters Act. This bill provides critical relief to the Long Island Sound and estuaries across the country. Estuaries are an integral part of our environment, as well as our economy. They give live to and provide a habitat for many important species, they naturally cleanse our water, they provide protection against floods and storm damage, and serve as a playground for children and families during the summer months. The health of our nation's estuaries are critical to the protection of our natural heritage, and to those who make their lives off these waters. The Long Island Sound, in particular, is one of the most complex estuaries in the country--10 percent of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the Sound and millions more flock to it for recreation every year. It brings in more than $5 billion annually to the regional economy from various activities--all of which require clean water. However, these natural jewels are in danger of being lost forever, Estuaries are suffering from severe water quality problems, declining habitat quality, and, in some areas, total habitat loss. More than 50 percent of wetlands in coastal states have been destroyed--an amount equal in size to six Grand Canyons. If you don't want to take my word on how important an estuary can be to our communities and our economy, I invite you to visit with the lobstermen in my district. Walk the docks with them, and listen to their stories. We are suffering a massive lobster die-off in the Long Island Sounds that has virtually wiped out an industry. While we are still searching for the specific cause of the die-off, we do know that a safer, cleaner Sound would mean that incidents like this would be less likely to occur in the future. This bill provides a sensible approach to a problem that has plagued efforts to clean up our estuaries--the lack of a reliable, steady funding source for implementing conservation and management plans. Cleaning up estuaries cannot be piecemeal effort. This conference report takes a step in the right direction by authorizing the Long Island Sound Program at $200 million over five years--a significant increase over the $3 million a year it currently receives. It takes a comprehensive approach to fix such a complex problem. That is why I have fought alongside Nita Lowey to pass the Water Pollution Control and Estuary Restoration Act, which we first introduced nearly eight years ago, and which we fought for again in the current Congress. I want to thank all of my colleagues that have supported this effort over the years, especially my colleagues from Connecticut and New York, who have worked together to bring relief to the Sound. Thank you for working together on a bipartisan approach to fixing a non-partisan problem. We have an obligation to protect and preserve the Sound for future generations. It is the right thing to do for our children and for our economy, and for men and women--like the Long Island Sound's lobstermen that are still struggling to stay afloat. I urge the House to pass this important legislation.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, one or two points I might make here is that, quite frankly, the continuing resolution is enough time for us to try to do our business here if we have not accomplished it. But the fact of the matter is that this is going through next Wednesday. We will not be here. They are letting us out of here. There will be no work done on the issues that we have to focus on until we get back next Wednesday. So it is really a little bit disingenuous about the amount of time that we need in order to get business done, when no business will be done on prescription drugs, on Social Security, on any other issue that is important to the people in this country. Secondly, to my good friends across the aisle, quite frankly, the only people, the only people who have shut this government down, not once, but twice, have been my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle. So that if any one wants to talk about jeopardizing Social Security or veterans' benefits, take heed my friends, because my colleagues did it not once, but twice. But I will just say that here we go again, another week comes, another weeks goes, and this Republican Congress continues inaction on a specific issue, I might add, in my view, which is a critical priority for this country, and that is education. Mr. Speaker, instead of trying to fashion a bipartisan agenda, where we invest in our schools and our teachers, reduce class size, increase accountability and standards, the Republican leadership today is going to push through another stopgap measure that only preserves the status quo, the fourth, fourth stopgap measure that the House will consider. Quite frankly, it ought to be the last. Instead of working only 2 days a week naming post offices, this Congress ought to stay here every single day until the work of the American people is done. My friends, that is what we are paid to do. That is what we get elected to do in this body, and we should do it, it is what our obligations are. Mr. Speaker, the final budget for this year is now 2\1/2\ weeks late. It did not have to be this way. We could have moved forward by crafting a bipartisan budget that reflects the values of this great country, which paid attention to America's number one priority, the education of our children. The Republican leadership rejected bipartisan progress. They drafted a budget that puts tax cuts for the wealthy at the very head of the line, and they pushed education to the bottom of the list. We are left with their misplaced priorities. This House has passed $750 billion in tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. They have spent not one dime to modernize America's crumbling schools, not one dime to hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class size, increase discipline and to hold schools accountable for the results. The analysis on their tax cut is as follows: 43 percent of their tax cut goes to the richest 1 percent of the people in this country, that is folks making an average of about $915,000 a year, and for those folks, they are going to get $46,000 a year in a tax cut. And by his own admission, Governor Bush, 2 nights ago, said yes, in fact, that the tax cut was going to the richest 1 percent of the people in this country. Yes, in fact, a trillion dollars was coming out of this Social Security. Let me just say, it is, in fact, in their own words, we need to do the people's work in this House; that is what it is about, and we need to look at what we are doing about education, what we are doing for retirement security. These folks need to really understand what the priorities are.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to pay tribute to one of the finest institutions for higher education in our nation. It is an honor and privilege to join with the New Haven Colony Historical Society in congratulating Yale University on its 300th anniversary. On October 24, faculty, students, alumni and community members will gather as Yale University is honored with the 2000 Seal of the City Award. For the past eight years, the New Haven Colony Historical Society has bestowed this honor on an individual or institution whose activities or ideas have significantly added to the quality of life, the prosperity, or the general improvement of greater New Haven. For three centuries, Yale University has been a cornerstone of support for the New Haven community and has made significant contributions in all of these areas. Nearly three centuries ago, a group of Congregational ministers created a ``Collegiate School'' where youths could be instructed in the arts and sciences and prepared for public service in both the Church and the Civil State. That commitment has been reflected in Yale's mission and role as an educator of leaders and a center for scholarship and research. Over the past several years, Yale University has played an instrumental role in the city of New Haven's efforts to revitalize Greater New Haven. Yale has forged a strong relationship with the city of New Haven, working with city administrators to ensure that the needs of our children and families are given every opportunity to build strong communities of which we can all be proud. Yale University has had a profound impact on our community and our nation, not only as a leading academic institution, but as a center for public policy, the arts and sciences, and medicine. Since its inception in 1701, Yale has been home to some of our country's most infamous characters who have helped to shape the course of our society and our nation. Yale's alumni have been government leaders--Presidents Taft, Ford, Bush, and Clinton; they have made major advances in medicine and science--Eli Whitney, Samuel Morse, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Murray Gell- Mann; and they have contributed to the arts--Sinclair Lewis, Charles Ives, Cole Porter, Paul Newman, and Meryl Streep. Over the last three hundred years, Yale University has educated many of our most invigorating leaders and inspiring figureheads, bringing our nation ever forward into the future. As we look ahead into the new millennium, we can be assured that Yale University, its administrators, faculty, and alumni will be there to help greater New Haven and our country continue to grow and flourish. It is an honor for me to stand today to congratulate Yale on its tercentennial and to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation for their innumerable efforts on behalf of our community.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to join Notre Dame High School Alumni in paying tribute to an outstanding member of the Hamden, Connecticut community, Police Chief Robert Nolan. In a career that has spanned three decades, Bob has served the Hamden Police Department with dignity and integrity-- exemplifying the qualities we expect of law enforcement officials. His unparalleled level of commitment and dedication to the Hamden community throughout his career has been incredible. He has been a driving force in community awareness and public safety, striving to give our families better neighborhoods in which to raise our children. His work has had an invaluable impact on our community and we are all grateful. Rising through the ranks of the Hamden Police Department, Bob has served the community in several different capacities--the myriad of awards and citations that adorn his walls are testimony to his unwavering dedication. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with him on several projects throughout his tenure. Nearly five years ago, as an Inspector in the Department's Youth Division, Bob participated in one of the first Law Enforcement Forums sponsored by the Anti-Crime Youth Council, a program which I created to help high school students address the increasing occurrence of youth crime and violence. He was an integral part of re-opening the doors of communication between law enforcement officials and teenagers in Hamden. With so many serious challenges facing our young people, his efforts on this issue have been inspiring. I am also proud of the work we have done to bring necessary funding to the Hamden Police Department. As the grants administrator for the Department, Bob has been responsible for ensuring that the Department has access to available state and federal funding--providing the Department with the ability to continue improving in its mission to serve and protect the residents of Hamden. In addition to his professional contributions, Bob made time to volunteer for a variety of service and civic organizations. Honored by the Knights of Saint Patrick, the Civitan Club, the Marine Cadets of America and the Notre Dame Scholarship Fund, Bob has demonstrated an incredible and unique dedication to the community on a personal level as well. His volunteer efforts to raise funds on behalf of these organizations have been invaluable. With his outstanding record of good work, he has demonstrated a unique commitment to public service, leaving an indelible mark on the Hamden community. Bob's dedication and generosity has truly enriched the Hamden community. His diligence and extraordinary hard work have gone a long way to improving the neighborhoods of Hamden and fostering a strong relationship between the community and the Department. I would like to extend my personal thanks to him for all the assistance he has given to myself and my staff. For his many contributions, professional and volunteer, I stand today to join his wife, Shirley, daughters, Dawn and Robyn, family friends and colleagues in congratulating Chief Robert Nolan for his innumerable efforts on behalf of our community and extend my best wishes for continued success.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I regret I was absent from the floor of the House on October 12. Had I been present, I would have voted for the motion to instruct conferees to have an open conference on bankruptcy reform. I look forward to this conference. An issue as crucial as this deserves a full and fair debate. Bankruptcy reform should expect responsible efforts from both debtors and creditors that extend credit far beyond what individuals are capable of paying back.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the Republican reimportation bill is a scheme that is so full of loopholes you can drive a truck through it. It denies seniors a chance at relief from the skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs. Seniors are being choked to death with the cost of prescription drugs. What we need to do, and what our goal should be, is to provide a prescription drug benefit through Medicare that is voluntary and covers all of our seniors. Today, we have this sham pharmaceutical reimportation bill that was made in the dead of night by a very few Members of the Republican leadership behind closed doors. Today, prescription drug manufacturers can import prescription drugs. They are the only ones who can import prescription drugs into the United States. They have unfairly used this to control the distribution of the drugs at the expense of seniors. Seniors know, and we all know, that people in other countries pay 20 to 50 percent less for the same medications. Zantac, made by Glaxo- Wellcome in the U.K., is marked up by 58 percent in the United States. Our seniors deserve better; they deserve the same medication at the same price. This reimportation scheme really restricts access to safe, affordable prescription drugs from abroad. It gives drug manufacturers a veto over the imports, and it is set to die just 5 years after the FDA regulations are in place. Currently, U.S. reimporters cannot bring foreign drugs with labels that are different than the American labels into this country. The Republican leadership scheme traps U.S. reimporters by refusing to let them relabel the drugs, forcing them to violate copyright and trademark laws if they want to bring those affordable drugs to our seniors. Example: Dilantin. Made in Canada with one label; U.S., different label. We cannot bring the Canadian Dilantin into the United States without the same label. The pharmaceutical companies do not want to give permission to relabel Dilantin. That is what this is about. This is one more attempt by the Republican leadership of this House to work with the pharmaceutical companies to thwart every single opportunity to bring in prescription drugs that seniors need to keep them healthy and to keep them alive. They do not want to, in fact, bring the cost of those drugs down, to bring the prices down so that people can get the medications that they need. It is wrong and it is unconscionable and it is immoral for us to engage in this kind of trickery here today. Vote against this rule.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, our seniors face skyrocketing prices of prescription drugs. Many are forced to choose between purchasing their medication and buying groceries. For those skipping meals or missing rent payments, a prescription drug benefit is vital to returning dignity to their lives. In July, this House passed an amendment to allow U.S. pharmacists to buy medications at the same low prices paid for in other countries, 20 to 50 percent less for the same drugs, and then we could pass those savings on to our seniors. It makes sense. But last week in the dead of night the Republican leadership twisted this amendment into a deal full of loopholes so big that they could drive a truck through them. The deal does nothing for seniors. It only protects the pharmaceutical industry profits. This compromise artificially restricts access to safe and affordable drugs abroad. It gives the drug industry a veto over all imports. Our seniors deserve better. They deserve the same medications at the same prices that people are paying for overseas. It is time for the Republican leadership to stop using empty rhetoric. We should have a pharmaceutical plan that works. We ought to have a prescription drug benefit through Medicare. If there must be reimportation, then in fact let us be able to reimport those drugs at a price our seniors can pay for.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) for bringing this resolution to the floor today. Increased awareness is vital if we are, in fact, to empower women in the fight against breast cancer. I thank my colleague for drawing attention to this issue. Over the past 10 years, we have made great strides in the fight against breast cancer through an increased investment in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. But sadly, for many women, the fight against breast cancer also means waging a battle with their HMO over the amount of time that they can stay in a hospital. Studies have shown that the average hospital stay for breast cancer patients in Connecticut and across the Nation is decreasing. Despite the medical standard of 2 to 4 days to recuperate and gain physical and emotional strength, insurance companies regularly refuse to cover a hospital stay and women find themselves forced to leave the hospital only hours after surgery, still groggy from the anesthesia and in physical and emotional pain. This is the reason I introduced the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act, H.R. 116. The legislation ensures that women receive the care they need and deserve while recovering from breast cancer surgery by guaranteeing a minimum stay of 48 hours for a woman who is having a mastectomy and 24 hours for a woman undergoing a lymph node removal. It simply says that any decision in favor of a longer or shorter hospital stay will be made by a doctor and a patient, not an HMO. The bill has the bipartisan support of over 220 cosponsors, more than enough, I might add, to be able to pass this House. Yet regrettably the leadership of this House has refused to allow the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act to be considered on the floor. Resolutions and raising awareness are vital, and I wholeheartedly support this effort. It is through education and the awareness of this issue that, in fact, so much and so many of our resources have been directed at breast cancer. We also need to empower women as they struggle with breast cancer. I urge the leadership of this House to bring this bipartisan bill to the floor. I have said on this floor many times in the past that I am a survivor of ovarian cancer. When I went home, I had a very loving family. They were not health care professionals but they cared deeply and took care of me. Having the additional stay in the hospital for someone who is facing a life-threatening illness is so critically important to both their physical well-being and survival as well as their emotional well- being and survival. We can pass a bill that has 220 cosponsors. It is a bipartisan bill. I hope that I can engage my colleagues in this effort to help us to bring this bill to the floor.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this motion to instruct. We were promised that in this Congress under this Republican leadership that the trains were going to run on time. Well, not only has the train not run on time, it has completely derailed. To tell members of any committee that they are not even able to sit as a conferee on their own bill in fact undermines the credibility of this House. It is an affront to each and every Member. This does not protect the decisions that were made by the members of the subcommittee. I am a member of this subcommittee. I take the job very, very seriously. This conference report was negotiated in the dead of night by a few members of the Republican leadership behind closed doors. Let me say that we worked hard with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle up until this point, the gentlewoman from Ohio and the gentlemen from New York, California, and Florida and myself, we were engaged. My God, we have been left out of the process. This is not a democracy. This is capitulation. Do you know what is in this bill? Vital things, incredibly important to people in this country. The prescription drug reimportation piece of it is vital to our seniors. It says we are going to bring down the cost of prescription drugs to people in this country, to seniors in this country. Sanction reform for our farmers, it says let our farmers sell their products overseas, alternative fuel source, food stamps, nutrition programs for women and children, help for hard-working families and their families. Connecticut leads New England in farm income, in fruit, and milk production. As a Member of Congress, it is my responsibility to represent my constituents. This report denies my constituents a chance to be heard. Too much is at stake. Let us allow the conferees to sit down, to review the issues, to make their determinations. Let them do their job. When you lock Members of this House out of the conference, when a handful of people decide to cast votes, then you shut my constituents out of this process. That is not the message that this House needs to be sending.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans told us that in this Congress the trains were going to run on time. Not only is the train late, it is not even heading in the right direction. Today, we consider a continuing resolution, an emblem of failure. In the past 3 weeks, the Republican leadership has not completed even one of the 11 remaining spending bills. While they remain consumed with limping out of town to defend their record, the pressing issues of education, HMO reform, prescription drug coverage for seniors, and responsible tax relief remain unaddressed. The American people deserve better. Outside of the spending bills we will have to pass, what has the Republican-led Congress accomplished? Woefully little. The leadership claimed that education was among their priorities. Yet the leadership refused to work with Democrats to modernize America's crumbling schools, reduce class size and increase accountability. A failing grade on education. And these issues are not just about numbers or bricks and mortar. This is about individual attention in the classroom, expectations and standards in our classroom, making sure that teachers and youngsters are held accountable, helping to raise our national standards and to allow for there to be the ability to teach youngsters about what is right and what is wrong and reading and writing and arithmetic and respect and hard work. That is what the education piece is all about, while million of Americans are losing control of their health care because of HMOs. In my State of Connecticut, 56,000 seniors had the rug pulled out from under them and are scrambling to find health insurance coverage before the end of this year. But the Republican leadership refuses to challenge the special interests by helping us to pass a Patients' Bill of Rights. There is still time, but the Patients' Bill of Rights remains on life support. Seniors are seeing their retirement savings drained by the crushing cost of prescription drugs; and yet the Republican leadership continues to oppose adding an affordable, reliable, universal and a voluntary prescription drug benefit to Medicare. When seniors needed help with prescription drugs, the Republican leadership offered a placebo. Let me just say about prescription drugs, this is about who we are and what our values and what our priorities are and that we have to provide people some relief on prescription drugs because they are being crushed with the cost of those drugs. On tax relief, the Republican leadership also chose partisanship and rejected offers to work with Democrats to give middle-class families much-needed tax relief. The 106th Congress had an historic opportunity to meet the Nation's needs and yet the Republican leadership has squandered this chance by placing partisan rhetoric ahead of bipartisan progress that will truly benefit working families, middle-class families in this country. The American people deserve much, much better.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, you can easily have a voluntary program which, if people are satisfied with what kind of health insurance coverage and prescription benefit coverage that they have, if they are happy with that, they can continue that. If you allow it to be useful to all seniors, where everyone has the opportunity for this benefit, then by virtue of the fact that every senior, not only those who make under $12,600 but those who are in the middle class as well will be able to enjoy the benefit of getting those prescription drugs down. Once you even it out and everyone has the opportunity to have that kind of prescription drug benefit, you drive the cost of prescription drugs down. It is why the pharmaceutical companies are opposed to it. It is why the Republican House leadership is opposed to it, because it ties in directly with where the special interests are today.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to pay tribute to an exceptional member of the New Haven, CT, community and a good friend, Joe Warshaw, as he leaves the Yale School of Medicine to become the Dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Vermont. Joe, who currently serves as professor and chairman of Pediatrics and Deputy Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Yale University School of Medicine, has been an outstanding figure at Yale Medical School for over 30 years. His deep commitment and dedication has always been focused on some of our Nation's most vulnerable citizens--our children. Joe is broadly published in his pediatric sub-speciality, developmental biology and neonatal and perinatal medicine, and Joe is well-known for his dedication to improving children's health. Throughout his career, he has been an active member on a number of boards and medical organizations, including the American Pediatric Society, the American Society for Clinical Investigations, and Eastern Society for Pediatric Research. Joe has served on the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institute of Health, numerous external review panels, and the editorial boards of Pediatrics and Pediatric Research. Just this year, Joe was honored for his work in neonatology and developmental adaption by the Cerebral Palsy Foundation with the 2000 Weinstein-Goldenson Medical Science Award. Joe's profound humanitarianism extends beyond his medical abilities and has touched hundreds of lives. Some of my most cherished memories of Joe are of his selflessness during the Christmas season. Each holiday season my husband, Stan, and I have the privilege of touring Yale-New Haven Hospital with Joe, who dons his Santa Claus suit, visiting each hospital room and spreading Christmas cheer. The most precious of these moments are when he arrives at the neonatal care unit--bringing the promise of hope and holiday miracles to these very special infants and their families. Words cannot begin to express the inspiration Joe has been to our community. Joe's career has taken him across this great Nation--New Haven and the Yale School of Medicine has been fortunate to have been home to his talent for so many years. Joe has been a strong leader in New Haven's healthcare community, always ensuring that those least able to make their voices heard. It is with great pride that I stand today to join family, friends, and colleagues in extending my sincere thanks and appreciation for his many contributions to our community. My best wishes to Joe and his wife Cynthia as they depart for Vermont. He will certainly be missed, by the Yale Medical community and the city of New Haven alike.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to congratulate Albertus Magnus College on its 75th anniversary. With the purchase of a New Haven mansion renamed Rosary Hall, the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Spring founded Albertus Magnus in 1925. Since then, the Albertus Magnus community has become a landmark in the city of New Haven. Initially a women's college, Albertus Magnus has expanded its program base to meet the needs of a our changing community. Dr. Julia McNamara, President of Albertus Magnus, has served as the driving force behind these innovations. Her dedication to students, commitment to excellence, and creative energy have been the key to the renaissance at Albertus Magnus. The New Dimensions Program is an excellent example of how Albertus Magnus has created new and innovative programs to open the doors of education to a broad spectrum of students. Introduced only six years ago, the New Dimensions Program is an alternative education program that allows working adults to obtain their Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's degrees in Management at an accelerated pace convenient to their schedule. This nontraditional program has allowed hundreds of working men and women to further their education while continuing in their careers. In addition to its dedication to educational opportunity and academic excellence, Albertus Magnus is a tremendous resource to the New Haven community. Administrators, faculty and students are involved with service organizations throughout the city--demonstrating a deep commitment to enriching our neighborhoods and making a real difference in the community. As a host site for the 1995 World Special Olympics, Albertus opened its campus to thousands of children and families who traveled to New Haven to participate in the games, playing an instrumental role in the success of that extraordinary event. Albertus Magnus College, though small in comparison to other local schools, is rich in history and committed to providing its students with the skills and confidence necessary for future success. Over its 75-year history, Albertus Magnus has continually dedicated itself to providing its students with an exceptional college experience. I was privileged to be asked to teach international politics in the 1970's at the college, and I thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Recently graduating the largest class in its history, Albertus Magnus has succeeded in fulfilling the dreams of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Mary of the Springs--creating a collegiate environment that successfully challenges students to realize their full potential as scholars and as human beings. It is my great honor to join with the administrators, faculty, students, alumni, and community members who have gathered this evening to express my heartfelt congratulations on the 75th anniversary of Albertus Magnus College and extend my best wishes for continued success.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I stand today to welcome Ambassador Hannibalsson and the ``Islendingur'' to the New Haven Harbor as many gather to celebrate the millennial anniversary of Leif Ericson's voyage from Iceland across the North Atlantic to the shores of North America. The center of a long historical debate, the Viking Sagas come to life with an outstanding cultural exhibit and the arrival of the ``Islendingur''--a replica of the Viking Ship ``Gaukstadaskip'' that sailed 1,000 years ago. For centuries, the Vikings did not record their history in books. Instead they passed their culture, traditions, and stories generation to generation in oral sagas. Much of our knowledge of these courageous people comes from the written records of their European neighbors which, unfortunately, recounts only a 200-year history as raiders and plunderers. It is only in the past century that archeological digs have brought credit to the stories of the Norse expansion across the Atlantic--bringing a new fascination and excitement for this rich culture. The most recent archeological work has revealed important evidence of the Viking expansion. Uncovering settlements, complex trade networks, and well-preserved artifacts has given us tremendous insight into the lives of the Vikings. Remarkable mariners, without maps or navigational equipment to chart a course, Viking captains, like Erik the Red and Leif Ericson, relied on their knowledge of the stars, sun, and the patterns of nature to guide them across the seas. When we look at the incredible accomplishments of the Icelandic people, we see a group that displayed unparalleled courage--leaving everything they knew to discover and explore new lands. Throughout history, we have witnessed a unique quality in the human spirit, a drive to explore beyond what we know and understand, to travel into the unknown in search of new experiences. The Vikings embodied this drive and it is this spirit that we celebrate today. I am honored to rise today and join the Icelandic Millennium Commission and the New Haven community in commemorating this very special era of our history. My congratulations and best wishes to all.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today only the manufacturer of a drug can import a drug into the United States. Pharmaceutical companies have unfairly used this regulation to control prescription drug distribution at the expense of seniors. Seniors know that people in other countries pay 20 to 50 percent less for their medications. Consider this: Zantac, made by GlaxcoWellcome in the United Kingdom is marked up by 58 percent in the United States. Our seniors deserve better. They deserve the same medication at the same price. No one should have to choose between food and vital medications. The Republican leadership should stop supporting the pharmaceutical industry's race for profit at the expense of seniors' financial security. They should stop their rhetoric and false issues and talk about the real issue, which is the cost of prescription drugs. We have the opportunity to support the safe reimportation of prescription drugs. We should do it, and we should do it immediately while we are still in this session of Congress. Let me tell my colleagues that the Republican House leadership does not want to cover seniors through Medicare, and they do not want to bring the cost down through the reimportation of prescription drugs.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, seniors face skyrocketing prices for their prescription drugs. Many choose between purchasing their medications and buying groceries. We need a prescription drug benefit through Medicare. It is a necessity that would bring dignity to our seniors' lives and we need to do this. In addition, the House needs to fight for lower prices. In July we passed an amendment to allow U.S. pharmacists to be able to purchase prescription drugs at the same low prices paid for in other countries, 20, 30, sometimes 50 percent less for the same drug, and then pass the savings along to seniors. It is common sense. It will bring seniors relief from the crushing costs of prescription drugs. The pharmaceutical companies are waging an all-out campaign against reimportation. It is time we stood up for our seniors. It is time that the Republican leadership stop using empty rhetoric and protect our seniors' right to affordable prescription drugs. We should allow reimportation of prescription drugs, and we should do it now.