Rosa DeLauro

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, for 10 months the American public has been very clear in asking for one particular piece of legislation from this Congress, managed care reform. It has been very clear in defining what it wants from a Patients Bill of Rights, it is just common sense: the ability to choose your own doctor, guaranteed access to emergency rooms, guaranteed access to specialty care, a ban on all gag rules that limit doctors from offering treatment options and the right to hold HMOs accountable for their decisions. Yet during this Congress the Republican leadership stalled, dallied, and in the end, passed a sham bill that did not do any of the things that the public wanted. We have 4 days left in this session to pass meaningful managed care reform. The cost of delay is serious. In the past week, 200,000 Medicare recipients have been dropped by their HMOs. This is wrong. It must be addressed before more people are put in jeopardy. Madam Speaker, we need to put patients before profits. The doctor's office must be a place for medical decisions, not business decisions. We owe it to the American people to pass meaningful HMO reform and do it now.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today 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 regret that I have been denied the opportunity to join this most important constitutional debate, and I rise to announce my intention to vote against an open-ended inquiry that is bad for our families and bad for this country. Announcement By The Speaker

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this astonishing rule. The Labor-HHS bill has often been described by both Democrats and Republicans as the people's bill. It reflects our priorities as a Nation, the health, the education and employment of our children and our families. What, then, does this rule reveal as Republican priorities? Will we debate full funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps poor seniors and families with children heat their homes without sacrificing prescriptions or food? No, we are not going to do that. Will we debate the elimination of the summer jobs program, which provides summer employment for nearly half a million teens who would otherwise be employed in this country? No, we are not going to do that. Will we debate the $2 billion shortfall in education funding in this bill? The need for modern schools, so that our children can learn the skills that they need to get the good jobs of the 21st century? The need to reduce class size, train more teachers, ensure that every child gets the attention and the discipline that he or she needs in order to be able to learn? No, we are not going to do that. Will we debate funding for child care, to ensure that children have safe places to learn while their parents are at work? Will we debate after-school care, to keep kids off our streets and out of trouble in the hours after school ends and before mom and dad get home? No, we are not going to debate that. What, then, will we debate? What is the Republican right wing's highest priority? Legislation requiring parental consent for birth control, which will violate State laws, frighten teens away from receiving the counseling and screening for sexually transmitted diseases that they need to stay healthy, and increase teenage pregnancy and abortions. Certainly, this is an important issue. I believe teens should talk to their parents before making these decisions. But it is not more important than all of the priorities represented in this bill. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, for the past 2 years, the Republican majority has failed to act on the basic issues that face hardworking Americans. This Congress has failed to pass meaningful HMO reform, killed efforts to reduce teen smoking, undermined attempts to reduce school class size, ignored the need to bolster the minimum wage, and suffocated serious campaign finance reform. Because Republicans control this Congress, the American people are not guaranteed that they can choose their own doctor. They do not have guaranteed access to hospital emergency rooms. And American people cannot hold HMOs accountable for medical decisions. Because Republicans control this Congress, our children will not have smaller class sizes next year. Because Republicans control this Congress, teenagers will not be safe from big tobacco's nefarious marketing and consistent lying. Because Republicans control this Congress, there will be no increase in the minimum wage for families who work hard and who play by the rules. Tough luck, America. Republicans are in charge. For 2 years, America's needs have been ignored. That is the legacy of this Republican controlled Congress.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I rise today opposed to this report and opposed to the way the Republican leadership has run roughshod over the will of the majority of the House, the majority of the Senate, and the American people. We have discussed this issue many times before. The full House voted twice, the Senate voted once in support of contraceptive coverage for Federal employees. This is basic health care for women, health care that will help to reduce the number of abortions. But to satisfy their right wing, for political reasons, the Republican leadership is once again extending the arm of government into the doctor's office. They claim to know better than doctors. It has been said many times before, but let me say it once again. This provision will not require plans to cover any form of abortion, including RU486. We all know that the law forbids Federal health plans from covering any form of abortion. What was intended here was to ensure that women have access to the health care that they need and that they deserve. It enables couples to reduce the need for abortion.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding time to me. I am grateful for the rapid work the gentleman from Florida (Chairman McCollum) and the Committee on the Judiciary did to bring this important legislation to the floor. I was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Clement), and the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) on creating what is a new and improved and a bipartisan piece of legislation to combat identity fraud. I rise in support of the McCollum substitute amendment to H.R. 4151, the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act, which makes technical modifications to the bill. As Members have heard from my colleague, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg), identity theft is growing. It is a harmful crime. It hurts the economy, it destroys consumer credit, and it places a burden on consumers to keep their identities under lock and key. It took a nightmare story from my own constituent, Denice, and Denice does not want her last name known because she continues to be frightened by what has happened to her and her family, to bring the issue of identity fraud to my attention. Denice contacted me 2 years ago and told me her story. Thieves had used her stolen identification to access credit in her name in Rhode Island and again in Utah. The thieves made more than $2,000 in purchases and rented several apartments. Denice has worked for more than 2 years to clear her good name and credit through multiple contacts with credit reporting agencies and an attorney. This identity fraud case has cost her a tremendous amount of time and huge sums of money. The identity thief who stole her identity is continuing to use her identification to access credit in her name. In response to her case, and numerous other similar stories brought to my attention, I introduced the Identity Piracy Act to fight identity fraud. Today, I am pleased to join forces with my colleagues to pass the Identity Theft and Assumption Deterrence Act that incorporates important changes from the Identity Piracy Act. The bill incorporates language from my identity fraud bill that eliminates the dollar threshold making identity fraud a Federal crime. Under other identity fraud legislation, a thief had to steal both a victim's identity and $1,000. The new bill will ensure that the theft of identity is a crime, with enhanced penalties for stealing credit, for drug trafficking, and for violent crimes. Identity fraud is a crime that leaves unsuspecting victims open to years of frustration and debt while they try to clear their credit. It exposes financial institutions, insurers, and consumers to financial losses from stolen credit and other fraud. The base of support for passing this legislation is universal. Consumer groups, financial service institutions, and privacy rights groups all support this legislation. And the chairman identified a number of those groups. Although ultimately the best weapon to stop crime is awareness and prevention, the new legislation that we are voting on tomorrow will be another weapon in the arsenal in the fight against identity fraud, and I am delighted and pleased and proud to join forces with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this piece of legislation.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this conference report. I am pleased that it increases funding for veterans health, public housing, and services for some of our most needy citizens. I remain concerned that under the VERA formula, Connecticut veterans may face additional cuts in their health services, and I look forward to working with the VA and the rest of the Connecticut delegation to address this problem. I am pleased that the report includes language which directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revisit its flammability standards for children's sleepwear. In 1996 the CPSC voted to weaken the standards for children's sleepwear which protect children from being burned. Those standards, which had been in place for more than 20 years, required children's pajamas to be made from material which self-extinguishes if it catches on fire. The standards are credited with saving tens of thousands of children from injury and death. The language in the conference report gives the CPSC the opportunity to examine all the data and revoke, modify or retain its weakened standard without waiting for the numbers of children burned to rise. I am proud to join Congressmen Weldon and Andrews, Fire Marshalls, Chiefs, and fire safety organizations from around the country in supporting this language and calling on the CPSC to return to its original, protective standard. This is truly a matter of life or death for many children, and I appreciate the assistance of Chairman Lewis, Ranking Member Stokes, and all of the conferees in addressing this important issue.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4000, a bill to designate the U.S. Post Office in Chester, Pennsylvania as the ``Thomas P. Foglietta Post Office Building.'' Tom Foglietta's years of government service at the local and national levels, his foreign policy expertise, and his 1997 appointment to U.S. Ambassador to Italy, make him thoroughly deserving of this post office name designation. After two decades on the Philadelphia City Council--starting as the Council's youngest member at age 25, Tom Foglietta continued to serve Pennsylvania and the nation during 16 years in Congress. As a local legislator and later founder of the Congressional Urban Caucus, Tom comprehends the range of challenges our nation faces. He has applied his understanding of the cities both here at home and abroad. And he has proven that he can ably represent America's rich diversity overseas. Tom Foglietta's congressional work on foreign affairs and defense issues has allowed him to ably serve our nation's interests with an important ally--Italy. His distinguished career allowed him both to represent our country's interests and to preserve and strengthen the vital relationship between the United States and Italy. I'm proud to support this naming bill, and I'm proud to call Tom Foglietta my friend.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) for arranging for us to have this opportunity to talk about the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education bill. I want to voice my strong opposition to this rule and to this bill. The Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill has always been known as the people's bill, the bill that reflects our priorities as a Nation. Unfortunately, this bill funds only a few important programs at the expense of education and job training for some of our neediest citizens. And while I am pleased that we are increasing our much-needed investment in biomedical research, we cannot do so at the expense of the most vulnerable members of our country. There are so many problems in this bill, I do not think I can cover them in the short time that I have. Let me just give my colleagues a couple of examples. It eliminates LIHEAP, the low-income heating energy assistance program that provides heating assistance to low-income seniors, including more than 75,000 families in my State of Connecticut. Across the Nation, millions of seniors and families with small children depend on this program to pay their heating bills in the coldest months of the winter. Without this kind of assistance, many will be forced to choose between heating their homes and buying the food and the medicine that they need to stay healthy. This bill wipes out summer jobs which provide career opportunities for disadvantaged youth, including more than 4,000 young people in my State. I visited a summer jobs program in West Haven, Connecticut. The students there use the money they earn to help their parents pay the bills. It is an opportunity for them to learn skills that will help them in the future. I understand that there will be a token amendment to put small amounts of money into LIHEAP and summer jobs. We need more than tokens. These are investments which in the long run pay off. This bill also cuts $2 billion out of the President's education initiatives. It cuts Goals 2000, the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, Title I grants, Eisenhower Professional Development State Grants, Safe and Drug Free Schools. Cutting these programs means fewer teachers will have access to training programs, fewer students will have access to computers in their schools, and fewer districts will receive grants to help their students achieve high standards. I urge my colleagues to vote against this rule, vote against the bill. Let us go back and draft legislation that makes a strong investment in education and other programs that our families depend on.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise before you today to honor the Southern Connecticut State University Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa on their twenty-fifth 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 five hundred 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 twenty-five 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, let me say thank you to my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), for yielding me time and for the wonderfully high compliment. I am much appreciative. I also would like to recognize the gentleman from New Mexico (Chairman Skeen) and our ranking member, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur), for their outstanding work to bring this conference report to the floor. I am pleased to rise in support of the conference report. The report omits dangerous language which would have had the chilling effect of slowing or stopping research on drugs to treat cancer, ulcers, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis and many other serious illnesses. Science, not politics, should dictate whether drugs are approved and made available to the patients whose lives depend on them. I am pleased that this conference report reaffirms that important principle. The conference report also provides $4.2 billion in critical emergency aid to help agricultural families across this country recover from the terrible losses suffered due to disease, El Nino and other natural disasters, and from the Asian financial crisis and the loss of export markets. I voted in conference to increase these funds. Farm communities are facing the worst agricultural crisis in a decade, and I believe that additional funds will be needed to address this crisis. However, I am pleased that the conference report takes an important step in the right direction to get aid to our farmers. Despite my desire for higher funding for disaster relief, WIC nutritional assistance, food safety and the FDA tobacco initiative, I would like to say thank you to the chairman and the ranking member for their hard work in putting this package together. I would also like to extend my thanks to the staff who have helped to make this possible. They make it possible for us to do our work.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, Social Security is one of our Nation's greatest success stories. It is the financial bedrock for our country's elderly, and for all hard working American families who want to retire with some peace of mind. Two-thirds of our seniors depend on Social Security for more than half their retirement income. But right now, Social Security is under attack: this bill would raid Social Security to pay for a tax bill. The Archer bill pays for its tax plan with money from the Social Security Trust Fund--money that Americans have invested for their retirements, money that the program needs for long-term survival. I believe in tax cuts, but I believe we must protect the Social Security Trust fund first. We cannot undermine our retirement security for the sake of ten cents per day today. I urge my colleagues: don't be irresponsible. Protect our Social Security trust fund, and protect our retirement savings. Vote for the Rangel tax cut, which ensures the solvency of the Social Security trust fund. Oppose the Archer Social Security raid.

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, Social Security is one of our Nation's greatest success stories. It really is financial bedrock for our country's elderly, for hardworking American families who want to retire with some peace of mind. I think it is important to note that two-thirds of our seniors depend on Social Security for more than half of their retirement income. But in fact, Social Security is under attack. This bill would raid Social Security to pay for a tax bill. I believe in tax cuts. Too many parents today sit at their kitchen tables trying to figure out how to pay their bills. They are raising their children, they are working harder to making ends meet. I also believe when they sit there that they have a certain relief knowing that Social Security will be there when they retire. The American public overwhelmingly wants to make sure that the Social Security trust fund is there to pay for Social Security and nothing else, not tax cuts today that jeopardize Social Security tomorrow. Do not take my word for it. Martha Phillips, with the conservative Concord Coalition: ``Policymakers who are lining up to spend those so- called budget surpluses should keep in mind that the money they are talking about consists entirely of Social Security's annual trust fund surpluses.'' Steve Moore of the Cato Institute, another conservative organization: ``The solution is simple: Formally wall off Social Security from the rest of the budget to prevent continued thievery from the trust fund.'' Vote for the Rangel tax cut proposal. It says, let us not raid Social Security to pay for tax cuts. We can have our tax cuts when Social Security is safe and secure for the future.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, today marks the one hundredth 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 three years ago, leaving a legacy which included positions as a Democratic state representative and a 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, I rise in opposition to fast track. Today's legislation could be an opportunity to make a new beginning, to define a progressive role in trade for the next century for America. But this bill does not do this. It is a step backward. We are not divided here today on the benefits of free trade. We embrace it. We are divided on how to best achieve it to compete in the global economy. I believe this fast track proposal turns its back on hard-working Americans. It will not defend small business owners and workers from the threat to their security posed by our trading partners' cheap labor and low standards. It does precious little to move away from the pattern of lost jobs, reduced labor, and lower living standards seen under NAFTA. American families are struggling every single day to make ends meet. America has the opportunity and the responsibility to ensure that American values define the international market and that our citizens build solid futures. Let us show that the Congress of the United States cares about and understands America's hopes and fears for the future. Vote ``no'' on fast track.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the Social Security raid. I believe in tax cuts but not at the expense of Social Security. The tax bill before us would drain $80 billion from the Social Security trust fund. This is money which Americans have invested for their retirement. It is money which Social Security needs for its long- term solvency when the baby boomers retire. But do not take my word for it. Take the word of economists and experts. Henry Aaron, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, believes that it would be imprudent to use the surplus for tax cuts. Chairman Alan Greenspan, when asked if he supports spending the Social Security surplus tax for cuts replied, I have always emphasized that we should be aiming for budgetary surpluses and using the proceeds to retire outstanding Federal debt. Listen to our Republican colleagues, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Neumann) said it well when he stated on the floor of the House, there is no business in America that would go to their pension fund, take money out of the pension fund, and use it for pay raises. So why does Congress think it can use Social Security surpluses for tax cuts? This is a totally unreasonable proposal. Unless, however, the Republican leadership does not truly believe in Social Security. I believe that they do not. Listen to their words. In 1984, Majority Leader Armey said that Social Security was a bad retirement, a rotten trick on the American people. I think we are going to have to bite the bullet on Social Security and phase it out over a period of time. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, on November 10, called for the program to be replaced over time by mandatory individual retirement accounts. This is in 1986. Under his proposal the program's payroll tax, which he calls anti- savings and anti-jobs, would be abolished and replaced with a value- added tax. They do not believe in it. However, the American public believes in it. And when questioned, 90 percent said that they did not want to spend Social Security surpluses for tax cuts. Social Security is too important, too important a part of our lives to be jeopardized for a short-term gain. I urge my colleagues, oppose this tax bill which raids the Social Security trust fund.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, over the past 6 years Democrats have worked extremely hard and pretty much on their own, I might add, to get our fiscal house in order. We have balanced the budget, created a better economy, and we have, in fact, generated the potential, the potential of a surplus to help pay back the debt that we owe to Social Security. Let me tell my colleagues now about how that is being jeopardized. The Republican leadership in this House wants to take the surplus in the Social Security system which, in fact, is generating that surplus that we have in our budget, they want to take that money and they want to raid it. They want to use it for tax cuts. Social Security is one of the great success stories of this Nation. Two-thirds of our retirees depend on Social Security for over half of their income. It is bedrock. It has been there, and it needs to be protected. And it needs to be preserved for the future. It is now under a sneak attack. Make no bones about it. While the country is distracted, they want to take that money. Are Democrats for tax cuts? You bet. But not at the risk of the Social Security trust fund.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I thank both gentlemen for the opportunity to be able to speak on this issue this afternoon. I am very, very proud to sponsor this bill which will designate the U.S. courthouse in my hometown of New Haven, Connecticut, as the ``Richard C. Lee United States Courthouse.'' Richard C. Lee epitomizes all that a mayor can and should be and is truly a model mayor of a city for this century. Dick Lee's dedication to the City of New Haven is illustrated by a lifetime of public service. His career began as a reporter. He became editor of the New Haven Journal Courier. He later became editor of the Yale News Digest and director of the Yale University News Bureau. He went on to a career as a public servant after that. After twice running and losing, he became New Haven's youngest mayor in 1953. He served for 16 years, longer than any mayor since. There is a historic dimension to Dick Lee's administration. During his tenure as a mayor, he was deeply involved with and dedicated to issues of urban renewal. He initiated an economic revitalization plan marking a turning point in New Haven's history. He was particularly interested in the human side of urban redevelopment. He incorporated community outreach into the public school system; added staff to the public schools to facilitate relationships between faculty, students, and others; he developed job training programs; he served as President of the United States Conference of Mayors. Because of his success in New Haven, his solid reputation led to his becoming principal advisor on urban affairs during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, where he led the way for similar programs throughout the country. After retiring as mayor, Dick continued to serve his community by serving as executive director of the United Way of Greater New Haven from 1975 to 1980. His later achievements included an appointment to the Committee on Judicial Review in 1976, and chairing the State Library Board from 1984 to 1986. In 1987, he was appointed to the Judicial Review Council. He later joined Union Trust as the chairman's representative in New Haven. Let me just say that Dick Lee understood how vibrant and alive cities are and what role they can play in making sure that people have the kinds of opportunity that they needed economically and what kind of a social fabric one needs in order for a people to be able to succeed. On a personal and political level, the DeLauro and Lee families have been close for years. I witnessed firsthand his knowledge, insight, and caring for the New Haven community. My mother, Luisa DeLauro, served on the Board of Aldermen under Dick's administration. I fondly remember Dick's relationship with my father, Ted DeLauro. They were great friends and they worked together on numerous projects for the betterment of the New Haven community. Throughout my life, Dick Lee has been both a mentor and a friend. On September 13th, 1987, Dick was inducted into the Knights of St. Gregory, a Papal honor for ``exemplary conduct as a citizen living up to his full measure of influence and creativity in the community.'' It is exactly this commitment to community that distinguishes the life of Richard C. Lee, and it is with great pleasure that I sponsor this legislation. Dick Lee is now 82 years old. He probably will be angry with me for mentioning his age, but he truly epitomizes what a public servant is in our country. This courthouse will be a lasting tribute to a man who has been one of the most dedicated and effective mayors of this century, and I thank the gentlemen for allowing me this time to speak on his behalf.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the so- called Dollars to the Classroom, which leaves schools with no guarantee that they would actually get any additional dollars. This bill would distribute education grants based solely on student population, not based on poverty rates, or having a good idea for making a school work, demonstrating success and improving student achievement, or any other criteria. And once the money goes out, we have no way to hold the States accountable for how they spend taxpayer dollars. In fact, there is no accountability that is built into this program. We need to make sure that all of our American children who attend public schools learn to the high standards, that they have qualified teachers in classrooms who are equipped with up- to-date materials, and our kids are able to attend school in a safe environment. This bill would accomplish none of those goals. It would repeal 31 of the most effective education programs on the books. Among the casualties, Eisenhower Professional Development Program. This supports teacher training in math and science. School To Work, which helps young people realize their aspirations and to develop career goals. Safe and Drug Free Schools, which gives parents security in knowing that their child is safe when they are in school. All of that would be gone. If we are truly serious about improving public education, and we must be serious about improving public education, then we would be talking here today about reducing class size, about putting 100,000 new teachers in grades 1 through 3, not just because of numbers, but because of smaller class size. What it does is it allows for individual attention, it allows for more discipline. It creates better standards. What we would be doing here today is to say, let us modernize our schools. Let us provide local government with a tax credit that allows them to build schools and new classrooms and to be able to wire their schools up to the Internet to get the new technology that our youngsters need in order that they may succeed for their future. That is what we would be discussing here today, if our goal is to improve our schools and make sure our children learn. This Dollars to the Classroom is spurious, it does not work, it will not work. Let me just say one more thing. My colleague from Pennsylvania who was in the chair before, and I do not know if this will resume, will talk about those States that are increasing their dollars. Well, my State of Connecticut will lose money, 8.5 percent of dollars, $2.5 million. In addition to which, what is not being discussed here is that in the overall appropriation bill that the committee just passed, all of these programs are cut back by 20 percent, so that this notion that there are additional dollars going to the classroom is really a false promise. What we need to do today is to vote ``no'' on this bill and vote for a Democratic substitute that in fact says, let us improve public schools in this country. Let us give all of our kids the break that they need and the opportunity that they need to succeed for the future.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, Social Security is the single most successful domestic program in our Nation's history, we all know that. It is a long-term financial bedrock for this country's elderly, for disabled, hardworking American families. Two-thirds of our elderly depend on Social Security for over half of their income. Social Security keeps 800,000 children out of poverty every year. Mr. Speaker, right now Social Security is under attack. What we have here is a situation where the Republican leadership of this House wants to raid the Social Security Trust Fund in order to provide an $80 billion tax break. I am for tax cuts, Democrats are for tax cuts, but let me just say this to my colleagues: If it was not for the Social Security Trust Fund, what people have to understand, we would not be showing a budget surplus. The surplus belongs to Social Security. It is not a spare cookie in the bottom of the jar just for the taking, and that is why Democrats are insisting that we should put any budget surplus toward the trust fund; let us not raid it.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, Social Security, the most successful domestic program in our Nation's history, is under attack. Sadly, this attack is coming from within. It is a sneak attack, coming from the Republican leadership, under the guise of tax cuts. Two-thirds of our country's elderly depend on Social Security for over half of their income. The Republican sneak attack will take $80 billion that we need to shore up the Social Security trust fund. They would rob the Social Security surplus. We cannot allow a sneak attack on Social Security while the Nation is preoccupied. That is what the Republican leadership is hoping for. We cannot let them get away with it. Democrats support tax cuts, but tax cuts should not come from the Social Security trust fund. Our Nation's elderly depend on Social Security. Our children depend on it. Working families depend on Social Security. The $80 billion sneak attack will hurt all of them. Mr. Speaker, let us save Social Security first.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to rise today to pay tribute to the Reverend Juan Martinez of New Haven, Connecticut. Reverend Martinez has spent thirty-six 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 thirty-six 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, it is my pleasure to rise in support of the bipartisan Community Opportunities and Educational Services Act, which reauthorizes and strengthens some of our most important programs to help needy families: Head Start, LIHEAP, and the Community Services Block Grant. I am pleased that the Committee has chosen to drop counterproductive, controversial amendments that would have undermined the quality of Head Start programs, and instead has emphasized efforts to improve the quality of services the program offers. I am particularly pleased that the Early Head Start 0-3 program is being expanded, although I would urge the conferees to adopt the 0-3 set-asides in the Senate bill. Recent scientific discoveries have highlighted the importance of the highest possible quality care in the early years of life. Under the Senate legislation, only one in every 25 eligible babies would be served by the Head Start program; the House bill provides $185 million less over five years than the Senate-passed legislation. I am also pleased that the Committee is reauthorizing the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which has assisted so many needy families in my home state of Connecticut and throughout the country. Too many seniors and families with children are forced to go without food or prescription drugs during the winters' coldest days because they do not have enough money to pay their heating bills and other necessities. And who can forget the deaths in the midwest last year caused by the heat. Seniors who owned air conditioners but were too afraid of the bills to turn them on suffered heat-related illnesses and even died simply because they didn't have the money to pay their energy bills. As we reauthorized the LIHEAP program at $1.1 billion, I call on the House to reject the Labor-HHS appropriations bill which eliminates funding for LIHEAP for next year, and provide full funding for this important program. The Community Services Block Grant also provides vital services to low income families, including child care, weatherization assistance, home delivery of meals to seniors, and other vital programs. This block grant, which is administered by community groups throughout the country, helps to create a safety net for our most vulnerable citizens. I commend the Committee for its bipartisan legislation, and urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. DeLAURO

Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, as a cancer survivor, I am proud to join my colleagues in expressing my support for the Mammography Quality Standards Reauthorization Act. This bill improves the high national standards for mammography. It requires breast cancer screening centers to use only radiology technologists and equipment designed for mammography, and to hire only qualified physicians to analyze mammograms. It also requires facility inspections by qualified inspectors to ensure that Health and Human Service mammography standards are adhered to. The women who will benefit from this legislation are our neighbors, our colleagues, our kids' teachers, the women we stand in line with at the store. Early detection truly gives women a fighting chance against cancer. That's why enforcing the quality standards for a mammograms is essential to winning the battle. I would also like to take this opportunity to honor the women who are bravely fighting this deadly disease right now, to remember those we loved who have lost that fight, and to renew our commitment to funding a cure. Many of us have already won the fight of our lives. With the help of early detection we beat a cancer diagnosis. Now we have an obligation to help breast cancer patients win their fights. Thank you again for the opportunity to speak on this important issue that touches the lives of so many American women and their families.