Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to honor the Southern Connecticut State University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa on their 25th anniversary. Phi Delta Kappa members provide a variety of services to promote and improve education in our community. Members of this successful international organization are Connecticut educators who are continually active in the education arena and dedicated to the ideals of service, research, and leadership. They are teachers, principals, administrators and superintendents--people who are with kids every day, who have given their all to ensuring that our children have the best start in life. On October 3, 1973, one hundred and twenty charter members were initiated into the newly formed chapter of Phi Delta Kappa at Southern Connecticut State University. Twenty-five years later, I am proud to say, this chapter has grown to nearly 500 members strong. It is these individuals, and all that they contribute, which make the Connecticut school system a success. Membership in this fraternity is recognition of the contributions to education made by our educators. I commend the members of the Southern Connecticut State University Chapter for all the work they have done in order to guarantee that our children will develop the skills they will need to build a successful future. On behalf of the parents, students, and the residents of Connecticut, I thank you for your good work. It is for 25 years of dedicated and distinguished service of all members of the Southern Connecticut State University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa that I am proud to stand and recognize their achievements today.

Ms. DELAURO

Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Speaker, the Beta Tau Boule Chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity is memorializing a man whose lifetime achievements can only be described as inspiring. As a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, Edward Alexander Bouchet was both an accomplished physicist and educator-described as a consummate scholar, very knowledgeable in all areas, yet extremely modest and a person who set a wonderful example of politeness and graciousness for the community. Born in 1852, Edward Bouchet grew to be an exceptional figure in African American history. Bouchet's accomplishments as a leader in the academic achievements of African Americans are a true legacy to their heritage. Bouchet became not only the first African American to obtain a doctorate in any discipline, but one of the first six to be honored with a Doctorate in Physics in the Western Hemisphere and one of the few among many entitled to wear the Phi Beta Kappa Key. The countless lives which he touched as he traveled the country, were inspired by this remarkable man. Dr. Bouchet has been described by former students as the contributing factor to continue and go on to greater achievements in higher education. Dr. Bouchet's quiet, scholarly life reflects a deep devotion to teaching and good works. Returning to New Haven in 1916, Dr. Bouchet was laid to rest in his place of birth two years later. Today, I am honored to join with Paul McCraven and the Beta Tau Boule Chapter of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, and the many sponsors, as they commemorate the outstanding lifetime achievements of Doctor Edward Alexander Bouchet with the unveiling of a new burial monument. His lifelong dedication to education and his contributions to African-American history set in stone--a legacy never to be forgotten.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand before you to honor a citizen of Connecticut who has graced the New Haven area and the world with his architectural achievements. Over his long and illustrious career, Cesar Pelli has literally changed the landscape of our cities and our nation with his socially responsive and uplifting designs. Anyone who has flown into the new terminal designed by Cesar Pelli for the Washington National Airport can appreciate the genius of Pelli's designs: his belief that each building be shaped by its location and purpose; his sense of space, light and harmony; and his commitment to creating gracious, accessible buildings which facilitate public use, enjoyment, and interaction. Each of Pelli's designs complements and emerges from the existing cityscape, yet transcends and elevates the surrounding structures. His architectural projects across the world serve diverse purposes and peoples, including the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles, the United States Embassy in Japan, the Commons of Columbus in Columbus, Indiana, the New York World Financial Center and Winter Garden, the Morse and Stiles Colleges at Yale University, the International Finance Center under construction in Hong Kong, and the renovation of the New York City Museum of Modern Art. New Haven has been fortunate to have Cesar Pelli call it home since 1977, when he became the Dean of the Yale University School of Architecture. It is fitting that tonight in New Haven, Mr. Pelli is being honored at Casa Otonal, the residential community for the elderly whose inner city campus of workshops, residences, and on-site services and intergenerational programs was designed by Cesar Pelli 22 years ago. Pelli's campus fosters a sense of community among residents and the surrounding inner city neighborhood, reaffirming Casa Otonal's mission and enhancing its success. It is this commitment to city landscape and life which has earned Mr. Pelli more than 100 awards for design excellence, including the American Institute of Architects 1995 Gold Medal for a lifetime of distinguished achievement and outstanding contributions. Cesar Pelli, we thank you for your commitment and contribution to our cities and to urban life. It is my great honor and privilege to join with the residents and staff of Casa Otonal, and with your family and friends, to pay tribute to your remarkable achievements.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dave Kelly a dedicated employee of the Stratford Army Engine Plant, and the devoted President of the United Auto Workers Local 1010, who retired on August 1, 1998. Dave is a wonderful friend, and it gives me great pleasure to acknowledge his years of leadership and service to his fellow workers, and to his community. Since he began working at AlliedSignal in 1959, and since he first committed himself as a union representative in 1966, Dave has stood up for the fundamental rights of his fellow employees--fair pay, health coverage, and a secure transition to new jobs and bright futures. His extraordinary work and dedication in carrying out his duties as President of Local 1010 will certainly have a lasting impact on the hard working men and women throughout Connecticut whom he served. Dave stood side-by-side with me in the night to prevent the closing of the Stratford Army Engine Plant where thousands of exceptional engines were built to power our military's helicopters, jets, boats and tanks. When defense budgets shrunk with the end of the Cold War, Dave negotiated a contract to make the plant more efficient and competitive--to give Stratford a chance for the future. When the Army put the plant on the base closure list, Dave joined together with his fellow employees and community leaders to fight the decision. When AlliedSignal turned its back on Connecticut and pulled out to move its operations to Phoenix, Dave continued to fight on severance pay, extended medical coverage, and educational assistance promised by AlliedSignal to its former employees. Dave has also distinguished himself as a leader in his community, serving under Governors Grasso and O'Neill as the Budget Commissioner for the Commission for Drug and Alcohol Abuse for 15 years. He is also committed to lifelong learning, ultimately earning his master's degree from Yale University in 1989. Dave's distinguished career has been a great source of pride. His dedication and determination to improve the lives of the hard working families of Stratford will be his lasting legacy. The members of Local 1010 and the community of Stratford have all benefitted from his unwavering commitment. For this, we join with his wife, Susan, their children, David, Margaret, Laura, Paige and Ryan, and his grandson John in offering him our lasting gratitude and congratulations on his retirement.

Mr. DeLAURO

Mr. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of a dedicated and highly respected member of the Hamden Police Department whose decision to retire ended a career in law enforcement which spanned more than forty years. Chief John Ambrogio leaves a legacy of dedication, integrity, and excellence spanning over four decades, and he will not be forgotten by his fellow officers or by the citizens of Hamden. Chief Ambrogio dedicated nearly a third of his life to leading the Department of Police Services with dignity and virtue, and his work has had a profound effect on the quality of life in Hamden. Eighteen departmental commendations as well as various other professional accolades reflect the commitment and devotion John has given to Hamden and its residents. John's good work is reflected in dramatic reductions in crime rates, the inauguration of the annual Halloween party, and the development of a progressive and highly effective police department-- just a few examples of the contributions he has made to the Hamden community. As a professional law enforcement officer, the various ways John has influenced the community are innumerable. Hamden residents credit John's work as Chief of Police as the most important factor in keeping Hamden a safe community, which is relatively free of criminal activity and drug trafficking. John Ambrogio has become an indispensable figure in Hamden and replacing him will be a tremendously difficult task. It is with great pleasure that I join with his wife, Maureen, his children, and grandchildren as we honor my dear friend Police Chief John Ambrogio for more than forty years of dedication and commitment to the Town of Hamden. I wish him many happy years in his retirement.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise to pay tribute to the Reverend Juan Martinez of New Haven, Connecticut. Reverend Martinez has spent 36 years developing and enriching his community, ministering to our souls and nourishing our spirits. Reverend Martinez arrived in the United States from his native Puerto Rico in 1950, and served his country in our military in the Korean War. Upon his arrival in New Haven in 1962, he established the Pentecostal Church Door of Salvation. Through this church, Reverend Martinez has selflessly devoted himself to the Hispanic community and to the entire city of New Haven. He is the eldest Hispanic minister pastoring in New Haven, and serves as Executive Treasurer for the International Latin American Council of Churches. He is the founder of the New Life Corporation Housing Development Corporation, and is the co-founder of the Associacion Ministerial Evangelica Hispanica de New Haven. Reverend Martinez has contributed so much to our New Haven that it is difficult to know how to begin to describe his dedication and service. He embodies the values of commitment to family and dedication to neighbors, and is a role model to us all. He is a powerful voice of justice and equality for the Hispanic community, and therefore for our city. He has worked with four mayors of New Haven to improve housing for the needy. He has organized an annual food drive, and founded a community youth and children's program which serves over 120 children, nurturing their minds, enriching their spirits, and giving them a safe place to play and learn. For 36 years, Reverend Martinez has been a force in his community for all that is right and good. It is with great pride and honor that I join with his family, friends, and community to say thank you and congratulations.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize and congratulate the Regional Workforce Development Board for its service to the greater New Haven community in Connecticut. The backbone of any community is the relationship between businesses and residents. For the past twenty years, the Board, which is the Private Industry Council for greater New Haven, has nurtured this relationship to expand the regional economy. The Regional Workforce Development Board has served as a liaison between the business community and area residents, narrowing the gap between employers' needs and the skills of the region's potential and existing workforce. With advancing technology rapidly changing the business environment, employers face the challenges of upgrading the skills of their workforces. Employees must obtain the skills needed by industry. The Board has implemented a strategy that gives residents of Greater New Haven essential skills, and creates a pool of qualified individuals available to work. The Regional Workforce Development Board provides job training to thousands of greater New Haven residents each year. It focuses on the entire community including summer youth job programs and special opportunities for the economically disadvantaged. The contributions that the Board has made to the New Haven community are remarkable. Its work truly represents the heart and the spirit of our community by ensuring that residents and businesses grow together. 1998 marked three anniversaries for the Board. It marked the twentieth anniversary of the creation of private industry councils. Fifteen years ago, the council assumed responsibility for overseeing federal employment and training programs. And, the Private Industry Council evolved into the Regional Workforce Development Board five years ago. By administering a variety of innovative federal and state job training programs, the Board has filled a need for thousands of area residents and businesses. Businesses are helped by ensuring that job applicants have the training they need. Employees are helped by receiving skill training so that they are employable after downsizing or a layoff. Area residents have been trained to work in manufacturing, at hotels, and to develop the skills of at-risk youth. They have assisted many families in making the transition to the workforce following passage of the welfare reform bill. The Workforce Development Board has made greater New Haven a far better place to live and work. I am proud to honor the Board for these accomplishments, and for all of the work it has done to help our region's workforce, businesses and community.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call to your attention the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Honorable Philip Pastore, a life-long New Haven resident who has served both the city of New Haven and the State of Connecticut with distinction throughout his law career. Judge Pastore has dedicated his life to making our justice system work. In both his personal and professional life, he has earned a reputation for his fairness, integrity, and commitment to upholding and respecting the law. These qualities are demonstrated in the many judicial cases he has tried, presided over, and rendered judgments on for more than half a century. Judge Pastore retired only 3 years ago, leaving a legacy which included positions as a Democratic state representative and Superior Court judge. It is fascinating to listen to Judge Pastore's stories of the century of history he witnessed, along with the remarkable changes and tremendous progress to the judicial system. Although he no longer practices professionally, he continues to keep up-to-date on current case law, and his wife still reads the Connecticut Law Journal to him. Many seek his advice, knowing his counsel is offered with wisdom, justice, and compassion. Plaques cover the walls of his home to honor the services he has donated to the community. Indeed, his long career has left an indelible mark on the residents of Connecticut, and especially his close friends from the Wooster Street neighborhood. It is difficult to find someone whose commitment to excellence equals his own. I join with his wife, Margaret, his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren to honor Philip Pastore on his 100th birthday. Best wishes for continued fulfillment and happiness. Happy Birthday!

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, for 2 years this Republican Congress has put partisanship ahead of progress. They have consistently kowtowed to special interests. They killed HMO reform, campaign finance reform, tobacco reform, and attempted to raid the Social Security trust fund. In the last few days Democrats have had to fight tooth and nail to reduce America's class sizes by hiring 100,000 teachers. Now Republicans, it is unbelievable to me that they take such pride in the fact that they have prevented school modernization, denying our kids the opportunity to have our schools wired up to the 21st century and that they could take advantage of the technology that will only help them compete in the 21st century. Let me just say that this Republican Party is out of touch with mainstream America. I am not the only one who thinks so. Jack Kemp, not a well-known Democrat, and I quote: Today the Republican Party is adrift, without an agenda and without purpose beyond its seeming preoccupation with saving the congressional seats of its incumbents. This Republican Congress has failed the American people.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, that comment, I mean it is exactly right. It lowers local property taxes, and that is so critical. My State of Connecticut, people feel like they are choked with taxes; and property taxes are particularly onerous. So I commend the gentleman and the gentlewoman for making that point so particularly. It just shows how convoluted our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are, how they want to obstruct the meaning of these programs, and their intent, and, in fact, really throw up a smoke screen about programs that could help, not only to make sure, as our colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas said, that we have modernized schools, afford the increased numbers of teachers, to be able to assist our children, and to be able to do something for local areas with regard to the tax burden that they have. I just want to say that, over the last several days, I have been so proud to join with my colleagues while we have talked about these issues on the floor of the House, with the entire Democratic Caucus, for standing so tall on this issue of education and our kids and their future and with the President. Because despite what our colleagues on the other side of the aisle are saying tonight, and I understand psychology, but I think the American public has heard loud and clear over the last few days where the Republican leadership in this House was on the issue of 100,000 new teachers, and where the President of the United States and the Democratic Caucus has been on this issue. We won this particular piece today for the children of America, 100,000 teachers, because, and I want to set the record straight, because the Democrats fought very, very hard to make it happen. It was not because the Republican leadership in this House felt that this was worthwhile fighting for. I will tell my colleagues what they did think was worthwhile fighting for in these last few days. They wanted to put more money into the defense budget for a study of chewing gum. Chewing gum. Something called Stay Alert, which may have an effect in keeping people awake, keeping even our troops awake. I use that little point to say that, no matter what they say today, we need to take a look at their remarks from yesterday and the day before and the day before and over this last year of what they felt about adding 100,000 new teachers, about reducing class size, and about modernizing our schools. There is a lengthy record, and I believe the American people understand it loud and clear. I also think it is very, very relevant to this debate that, after they have caved in on this issue, because of the strength of the Democratic will on holding firm, they take it as a badge of victory as to not have moved on the issue of school modernization. They claim that is a victory. I mean, what kind of a victory and where are my colleagues' values if they believe that modernizing our schools is not a direction that we ought to be going in and to make it possible for our kids to have the opportunity for advanced technology, for wiring to the Internet, for an environment which is an excellent learning environment. The fact of the matter is, is that we are here, and we have been here for the last several days because of a Congress that is controlled by the Republican Party that has failed to do anything, not only on education, but on HMO reform, on saving Social Security, on campaign finance reform, on tobacco legislation. I would like to just read, not a quote from any Democrat, not a comment from any Democrat, but this is a quote from Jack Kemp. As far as I know, he has not changed his party in the last 24 hours. He says, ``Today, the Republican Party is adrift, without an agenda and without purpose beyond its seeming preoccupation with saving the congressional seats of its incumbents.'' That is what they are about. It is not about meeting the needs, not only of our children, but America's working families and the people who send us here to do a job on their behalf. So I know we are happy about the 100,000 teachers. But we do not have enough time to sit back and say it is done. It has only just begun. We have to stand tall every single day and every single night and be on this floor to talk about those issues that the American people care about.

Ms. DeLAURO. I just want to add a comment because I think that the gentleman is absolutely right, that it is the American dream and education has been the great equalizer. We have said this on this floor a number of times. It has been the opportunity that we have all had no matter where we come from or what gender we are or what socioeconomic group we are from, we have had the opportunity of public education. That has allowed us to succeed. If you think about it, this age of new technology, if the schoolhouse or the school building is not going to be the place where youngsters can have access to the new technology, which is truly the key to the future in the same way that we have had access to textbooks, every child has a textbook, we are rapidly coming to a situation where every child is going to have to have a computer. We are looking at an infrastructure, an education infrastructure that does not allow for that at this moment. So that you are going to take education backward, because this new technology, if not available to everyone and every school district, we are then going to have the haves and have-nots, and that opportunity that public education being the great equalizer then no longer holds true. My community, I come from an urban area, in the northeast, it has an old infrastructure, whether it is roads, whether it is buildings, or anything else. We did a survey, we had 71 schools respond to it. The average age of the elementary school buildings is 50 years old; more than half of the schools regularly hold classes in areas designed not to be classrooms as we talked about; more than 50 percent of the schools have no computer lab or room. The majority of the schools have no computers designated for teacher use. Many schools do not have computers in every classroom. So a youngster does not get that opportunity in the classroom. Now, it is true that many families today have the economic wherewithal to have a computer, but many do not. So when that child goes home, they do not have the same advantage as someone who can go home and because of an economic status that that family has this kind of a technology. If we are not careful, we are going to set education back. We are going to set a generation of our youngsters back. For me, I will be very honest with you, I thought the Internet was something that Michael Jordan had worked out, it was a basketball thing here. My kids have rapidly taught me that that is different. But I am at the curve coming down. My kids, your kids, the youngsters today, this is their ticket to success. If our education infrastructure does not meet the demands of the time to allow our kids to compete, they are going to continue to fall further and further behind. That is why this is so critical, to maintain that standard, to realize that American dream that our youngsters need to have.

Ms. DeLAURO. I just want to make one more point. I think it is critical to understand that today in the newspapers and in the commentary is that they feel they had won a victory by not moving on the issue of school modernization. I think that speaks volumes. Because you are right, we have got to have a Federal role, not do everything but have an involvement as we have said here. But they take it as proud that they did not do anything in this area.

Ms. DeLAURO. I just want to say to the gentleman that I am proud to have been part of an effort in these last several days to stand tall and to stand strong for America's children. The battle on this issue we won, and the Republicans had to cave on that issue. We will fight the battle for school modernization, but we will also in a Congress that failed to do what the American public has clamored for to do something about managed care reform, to do something about making sure that we save the Social Security system that has been one of the success stories of this country, of today providing two- thirds of America's seniors with over one-half of their income, and we have to make sure that that is a program that is strong and safe not only for those today who are in the program, for the next generation and for generations after that. And we have to focus our attention on those issues, as well as tobacco legislation and campaign finance reform, and in the same way that we stood tall and strong on the issue of education, the American public needs to know that we are going to be there, the Democrats are going to be there on these issues in the next several weeks, in the next several months, in the next Congress which I believe we will hold the majority in that Congress, and to make in fact the reality of opportunities that the majority party let go in this session and that they failed to do something about. That is where we have to go next.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sadly offer my condolences to the family and the friends of Matthew Shepard. I deeply thank my colleagues, the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette) and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) for introducing this resolution and giving us all an opportunity to voice our sorrow at this horrifying act of violence. It is difficult for any of us to fathom the sort of hatred and prejudice that could lead a young person to carry out such a horrible attack on another young person. What leads to that sort of pent-up anger and hatred? Accounts from family and friends tell us that Matthew was a kind, a gentle and a caring young man who was always ready to lend a helping hand, always ready to try to figure out what he could do to help others make their way. So, it is a sad day, and I am sad that today as we are moving into a new century that we still see this kind of fear and this hatred directed toward people simply on the basis of who they are, based on their sexual orientation or based on the color of their skin or based on anything that anyone views as different from what they know. It is wrong. We are truly a Nation of differences. We are built from people who came from so many different lands from so many different backgrounds and we need to learn to accept and to embrace these differences. Our diversity, in fact, is what makes us so strong as a Nation. It should never tear us apart and it should never do anything to inflict pain and suffering on others. I hope that we learn a lesson from this tragedy, though it is hard to fathom that we could learn something from this awful act. But we do not want to have Matthew die in vain. I hope that the Congress will stand together to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act. I think we need to send a strong message that there is no place for hatred in this land of ours, and that these types of horrifying crimes cannot and will not be tolerated.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, this Republican controlled Congress has failed, and it has wasted the American people's time. Let me just say that what they have not done is they have accomplished less than a Congress typically does across a 2-year period. On specific issues, they made no progress on making sure that Social Security and Medicare were preserved for future generations. They did not change the way, in fact, we run our campaigns and the amount of money that is raised in those campaigns, and they have done nothing about protecting patients' rights and managed care reform. Last night they caved under the President's pressure, Democrats' pressure, to allow 100,000 new teachers to go into our schools in grades 1 through 3 to help our children, and yet today they take pride and view it as a victory that they did not want to move on modernizing our schools, to wire up our schools so that kids can get the opportunity to be on an Internet, so they can in fact be able to compete in the future. They view that as a badge of honor. Quite frankly, this is a Congress that has done a hit and run on the American people.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Here we go again. We are here for the fourth time to pass a continuing resolution. Why are we here? Because this Republican- controlled House has still not completed the work that the American people sent us here to do. The fact of the matter is that they are in the majority. They are in charge. Let us take this opportunity to look at the many accomplishments Republicans take such pleasure in touting. Have we put more teachers in the classroom to make sure children get the attention that they need to learn? No. Have we modernized schools and hooked classrooms up to the Internet so that children will have access to the technology they need for a successful future? No. Have we invested in teacher training to make sure that students have talented, enthusiastic and creative teachers to learn from? No. Have we reformed the managed care system? No. Have we reformed the campaign finance system? No. Have we reformed the Social Security system? No. Let us work together. Let us work together to try to improve our schools. I am distressed to hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle raise the bureaucratic bogeyman. Teachers are not bureaucrats. Teachers are our best hope for the future. The Democratic plan would add 100,000 teachers to our classrooms. It is modeled after the successful COPS program. Democrats passed a bill to add 100,000 new police officers to our streets. That program has helped to make our streets safer. One hundred thousand new teachers in our classrooms will help to make our schools better. The COPS program works. Do not listen to me, it is what chiefs of police are saying around this country, because it is about Federal dollars and the local, local control. Just ask your local police. The police chief of Miami has said that he has seen a 30 percent drop in crime since the bill was passed. He said that the drop was made possible because of the crime bill. Police chiefs all over the country thank us for adding 100,000 new cops to our streets. Our parents and our youngsters will thank us for 100,000 new teachers.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today this do-nothing Congress will try to buy some time to pass a budget that they had all year long to complete. The last few days, the Republican leadership has steadfastly refused to reduce the size of our classrooms by giving local schools, local authority the funding that they need to hire 100,000 new teachers. They call it federal intrusion, but I tell my colleagues 2 years ago Republicans said that the Cops program was federal intrusion on the local police departments, but when we put 100,000 more cops on the street, we made dangerous neighborhoods safe again. We gave police departments, local police departments, targeted resources so that they could make local decisions, and it worked. Now what we need to do is to do the same thing, to help our schools in the same way. Mr. Speaker, we need to put 100,000 teachers in America's classrooms. We need to reduce the size, give our kids the attention that they need, bring greater discipline to our classrooms and allow our kids to succeed. Just as more cops has meant more safety for our families, more teachers means a better education for our kids.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, we all get the opportunities as Members of Congress to get a little booklet called: How Our Laws Are Made. My suggestion is to my Republican colleagues that they save their copies and reread this document because it says the fact that a proposal cannot become law without consideration and approval by both Houses of Congress is an outstanding virtue of our legislative system. The fact of the matter is that last January the President laid out an education proposal. He said: Let us reduce class sizes, let us increase the number of teachers, let us modernize our schools for our children, let us give them every single opportunity that they need in order that they might succeed in a very, very competitive world. My suggestion to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle is to stop holding up this budget process over the funding of America's public schools. The very fact of the matter is they get an F for education. Let us focus our time and our attention in the remaining days that we have here to reduce class size, modernize our schools, increase the numbers of teachers in our classrooms for the benefit of our children.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. I want to thank my colleagues for their really eloquent comments. A lot of us are here tonight, I am not going to speak very long, because there are lots of people whose voices ought to be heard. It is a critical issue. It is a values issue. It is who we are and what we define as a priority for this Nation. I have often said education is the great equalizer in this country, and it has allowed for so many of us, whatever our gender or religious affiliation or party affiliation or socioeconomic status the ability to use our God-given talents in order to try to succeed. And it is a mystery to me that here we are at 9:20 at night, and for almost the last two years, or at least a year, have been trying to focus in on education, some very simple proposals that the President laid out last January, and that we want to try to have our children have some opportunity for some attention in schools, to reduce the class size, not just because of numbers. That is not what the issue is. You take the class size and you reduce that number in grades one through three from sometimes 22, 24, 26, up to 32, 36 students in a classroom today, down to 18, and you allow that teacher to have some individual time with each and every child. So that I know that my youngster is going to get the benefit of some individualized attention. That also helps the teacher to deal with a better environment for learning, better discipline opportunities, when you have got a smaller number of children, all with the express purpose of looking at increasing our standards, making both teachers and students more accountable, and, in essence, more of an opportunity to learn. That is one of the proposals we are here talking about and struggling for, quite frankly: Increase the numbers of teachers, 100,000 teachers. We have had a wonderfully successful increase in the number of cops on the beat, community policing, because we had a COPS Program with a partnership between the Federal Government and local government to increase the number of policemen on the beat in our country. This is a very similar type program. Let us increase the number of teachers. Better education, more safety, these are the kinds of values that the people that we represent have asked us to engage in. Modernizing our schools, not because our kids ought to go to school in palaces and these grandiose buildings, but in fact in some places with falling roofs and paint and exposed wiring and a whole variety of poor infrastructure in our public facilities, it is to clean up that problem. But probably more importantly than the bricks and the mortar is the opportunity. I have got lots of old buildings in my district in Connecticut. We are an old industrial city. We cannot wire these facilities up to the Internet. We cannot give our kids the kinds of adequate ability and technology that allows for them to be able to compete and to succeed. That is what modernization is about. So, I mean, these are three kinds of areas that it seems to me are very basic. And here we are over the last year fighting for these issues, with the President leading the way, and we are at the last hour of this Congress, when we have been unable to even get a hearing on any of these critically important issues. And our hope is that we can in the next remaining days of this Congress, or even the remaining hours, we have got time. We have got time. We can do it. The majority, the Republican majority in this body, if they wanted to, in a heartbeat, in a heartbeat, could decide that that is where our goals are, that is where our priorities are. These are what our values are about. I have just one more comment to make, because I think there is a very big difference, a very, very big difference, in the philosophy that we bring to this body. No one here, that is here tonight, to talk about this issue, believes that government should do everything for people. That is not what this is about, because there are those on the other side of the aisle that say our colleagues want to just throw money at this problem. That is not it at all, especially when the Federal Government contribution to education from kindergarten to 12 years is 7 percent. It is rather minimal, when we think about it. But the fact is that I happen to believe, and I know my colleagues here tonight who are speaking on this issue believe, that in fact it is government's obligation, their obligation, to help people by crafting those tools that are necessary for people to meet the challenges in their lives. That is what these programs are about, helping them to meet the challenges of educating their kids, making sure that their kids have the opportunity to succeed for the future. That is basic to every parent in this Nation. As my parents wanted to leave me with the opportunities to succeed, each and every one of us views it as our responsibility to help our kids have a better future, and we happen to believe that in fact government has a role in helping to that end; not to do everything, but to help in the process. I am afraid and sad to say that not all, but particularly the leadership on the other side of the aisle, does not believe that government has any role to play in providing those opportunities for our kids, and that is a sad day. My hope is that we will turn that around in the next few days of this Congress. I thank the gentleman and I thank my colleagues for the opportunity to share this with them tonight.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Women's Health Research and Prevention Amendments of 1998. This bill will make significant contributions to research in many diseases which affect women. I thank Chairman Bilirakis for his work in drafting this legislation and moving it to the floor so quickly at the end of this session. Women's health research and has been ignored for far too long, and this bill will add to the important progress we have made over the last several years. As an ovarian cancer survivor, I am particularly pleased that this bill will reauthorize programs into research for ovarian cancer. Currently there is no diagnostic test to detect ovarian cancer in the early stages when it is highly curable. Instead, most cases of ovarian cancer are found in the advanced stages, and nearly two-thirds of women with the disease die within 5 years of diagnosis because their illness was detected too late. This research will help the National Institutes of Health to continue its work to improve early detection, find new treatments, and one day find a cure. But there are a number of other bills before this Congress which would do just as much to promote women's health, and I am deeply disappointed that we have not yet had the opportunity to act on them. We have not yet taken any action to outlaw drive through mastectomies by passing the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act. I introduced this bipartisan bill in the first days of the 105th Congress, and it has 219 cosponsors--Republicans and Democrats alike, enough to pass it today if it was brought to the floor for a vote. This bill is vitally important in ensuring that breast cancer patients get the care they need to recover from this devastating surgery. Congress has not yet acted to pass legislation that would ensure that women with no health insurance, who are diagnosed with breast cancer after getting a mammogram through the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, have access to treatment. As it stands now, many women who discover through this screening program that they have breast cancer are left in the unfathomable position of being unable to afford the treatment they need to survive. Other important women's health bills we have yet to address include: legislation which would provide coverage of reconstructive surgery after mastectomies for breast cancer patients; legislation which would outlaw genetic discrimination by insurance companies; and legislation which would allow women to choose OB/GYNs as their primary care physicians. I am also disappointed that this bill does not expand the Centers for Disease Control's WiseWoman project. During the 103rd Congress, we started this demonstration project at three clinics which participated in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. WiseWoman gives uninsured women access to better all-around health care, and allows them to develop relationships with staff that keeps them going back for fellow-up care. The clinics participating in this project do more than just test for breast and cervical cancer--they test for high blood pressure, diabetes, and other illnesses. The WiseWoman program has been highly successful in improving women's health and I would hope that as Congress expands funding for the successful Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, we would expand the WiseWoman program as well. This bill is a good first step in furthering a research agenda that will improve women's lives. I hope that we can continue to work together to pass all of these bills which are vital to the health of American women.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I have learned that some financial institutions are charging teller fees to customers who want or need to see a bank teller. In effect, they will be fined for not using an automatic teller machine. This is patently wrong, and today I am introducing the ``The Depository Institution Customer Protection Act'' that would prohibit financial institutions from charging these fees. Customers should be able to converse with bank and credit union representatives without being charged to access their own money or to make a deposit. Some customers may be unable to use ATMs, especially if they are blind or using wheelchairs. And no ATM or automated phone system can answer every question about an account. Seniors on fixed incomes, families living on today's pitifully low minimum wage, and blind or disabled customers--including veterans--will be penalized for the ``privilege'' of making a deposit or taking funds out of their account. Even the most sophisticated customers sometimes need to speak with a teller. Now banks will punish individuals who are simply asking for assistance. My own mother is 85 years old and is still an active public servant. Yet I recognize the difficulty she has interacting with today's technology. I am confident that many of my colleague's parents--and perhaps some of my colleagues themselves--have difficulty using automatic teller machines. Like many of my colleagues, I have been hearing from constituents who feel bombarded with automatic teller machine user fees. Now, customers will be charged for discussing a transaction with a human teller too. Financial institutions are squeezing money out of customers and other consumers--money that should be used to improve our economy, not line the pockets of our wealthiest institutions. This user fee hurts the customers with limited means the most. These consumers may not be able to access electronic commerce, yet they'll be punished by the institution that holds--and makes money off--their assets. The bill I am introducing today will prohibit banks and credit unions from charging these onerous fees. I urge my colleagues to stand up for consumers, and protect our most vulnerable citizens from unfair human teller fees. Please join me in this effort by cosponsoring the ``The Depository Institution Customer Protection Act.''

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, it is absurd. The Republican-controlled Congress has had this session of the Congress shut down for the last 2 years. They have failed. For 10 months the leadership has stalled, dallied and wasted the American people's time and money. Republicans are running scared out of town this week, and they will leave without having delivered anything for the people of this country: no small class size for grades 1 through 3, no classrooms connected to the Internet, no guaranteed access to emergency rooms, the right to choose your own doctor, no guaranteed access to specialty care, and no accountability for HMOs for making medical decisions that they are making today, and nothing by way of reform to help Social Security except to raid the Social Security Trust Fund. They have done a hit and run on the American people. They killed tobacco reform on behalf of special interests, and they killed campaign finance reform for special interests. This Congress, this Republican- controlled Congress, has failed, and the American public knows it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Let me just set the stage, if I might, for a moment. Civics 101, Congress 101, whatever we want to call it, Congress is responsible for producing a budget. Congress is responsible for passing appropriations bills; that is, spending on various programs, education, defense, the environment, health care. The President gets involved at the end of the process. So what do my colleagues mean when they say that the President is not around or has not been around? This body, in fact, has not sent the President anything to do. I will tell Members why they have not sent the President anything to do. Because we have the Congress here, Republican-controlled, I might add, in case you did not know it, that has spent the least number of workdays in decades, the least number of bills enacted in decades, no budget, no budget since the budget process began. They have not produced a budget. They are in charge. No budget. I will tell my colleagues that they might also want to know, because it is important to know, that there were no bills to improve public education, nothing on managed care reform, campaign finance reform, bills to reduce teen smoking, protect the environment and no minimum wage increase. Zero, nada, nothing. But one may think that this has happened because of the process here rather than by design. So let me tell my colleagues what some of their folks have said. This is the chairman of the National Republican Campaign Committee. He said, write the 60-second commercial that we want to run the last week of the campaign, then focus the rest of the year aiming toward it. We want to quote the Speaker of the House, who, in fact, is in charge of this body, the President is not in charge of this body, but the Speaker is, this is what he says. Other than passing a continuing resolution, and I might add, Mr. Speaker, that we are on the third continuing resolution, other than passing a continuing resolution to go home, there is nothing that we have to do between now and the election to win that election. Someone who was a scholar about the congressional process says, it is pretty clear that when Congress left last fall, they wanted to get out as quickly as they could, come back as late as they could, and stay in as little as they could. The basic attitude of the majority, the Republican majority, is that the more we are in session, the more we will screw up. So we should just do the minimum. Mr. Speaker, that is what they have done. They have done less than the minimum. We have a few remaining days here. Let us do something for the kids of this country. Let us increase the number of teachers that we have. Let us modernize our schools and do something for the children of America.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support this tax extender legislation, which will continue important tax benefits for businesses and individuals. This bill extends the research and development tax credit, which encourages the development of cutting edge technology and supports the creation of high paying, good jobs in states like Connecticut. From the defense industry to the biotech industry to software development, this tax credit plays an important role in maintaining US leadership in the world economy and helping our firms compete against their global rivals. I am also pleased that this bill extends the Work Opportunity Tax credit, to create incentives that help businesses, particularly small businesses, afford new staff and help move people from welfare to work. Likewise, the permanent extension of income averaging for farmers will help family farms to sustain their businesses through the swings of income which so many farms experience from year to year. This bill also accelerates the phase-in of duductions of health insurance premiums for the self-employed. Under this bill, 75% of the cost of health insurance can be deducated in 2002, and 100% can be deducated in 2003. For too many self-employed individuals find the cost of health insurance prohibitive, and this legislation will assist them in obtaining the health coverage that they and the families which depend on them need and deserve. I am pleased to support this bipartisan bill, which will strengthen businesses, particularly small businesses, and help them to improve their competitiveness and to hire more employees at livable wage. And I look forward to working with my colleagues in the early months of the next legislative session to strengthen the Social Security retirement Trust Fund, so that we can enact broad-based tax relief for all working families.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. If the gentlewoman will yield for one second, because I think it is interesting, and this is a quote, because we started talking earlier about how special interest money plays into this effort. It happened, as we pointed out, with tobacco, and there was a $40 million ad campaign by the tobacco companies to defeat tobacco legislation, and they succeeded. They succeeded. Now, this is what Senator Lott said, that the Senate Republicans need a lot of help from their friends on the outside. ``Get off your butts; get off your wallets.'' Then we see another $40 million ad campaign by the group of votes here. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore