Peter Deutsch

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I want to join my colleagues from south Florida in support of a new, significant economic development project which is planned for Homestead, FL. This project involves the establishment of a Motorsports Exhibition and Education Center as part of the existing South Dade/Homestead Motorsports Complex. Mr. Speaker, in 1992, Homestead and South Dade County experienced extreme damage from Hurricane Andrew which destroyed countless homes and businesses. In the years since the hurricane, we in south Florida have worked hard to restore and revitalize the economy of this community. It takes a true partnership of government and business to make such an economic recovery. The Motorsports Exhibition Center is an example of such a partnership. The city of Homestead and a number of businesses involved in the Motorsports Speedway have joined together in a nonprofit foundation to seek funding for establishment of the exhibition center which is expected to draw some half million tourists to the Motorsports Complex each year. The project will create hundreds of jobs throughout the South Dade area. Mr. Speaker, the city of Homestead has indicated that it plans to approach the Economic Development Administration [EDA] for partial funding of the Exhibition Center. We are hopeful that the agency will move expeditiously to review the project so that it may consider funding in fiscal year 1997. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my support for the job that EDA has been doing in Florida and around the country in addressing local economic development needs. I look forward to working with the EDA officials in our region on the Motorsports Exhibition Center project.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support S. 640 to emphasize a provision that strengthens our commitment to one of America's greatest natural treasures--the Florida Everglades. This legislation contains measures that will expedite restoration of this endangered ecosystem, authorize critical new resources, and cut through bureaucratic redtape. Mr. Speaker, this bill directs the Army Corps of Engineers to complete its comprehensive Everglades restoration plan and report this plan to Congress by July 1, 1999. The bill also codifies the partnership between the Federal, State, and local agencies which are involved with this effort. This will facilitate better cooperation and information sharing so we can finish the job as soon as possible. Finally, Mr. Speaker, there are many critical projects which must be completed now. Accordingly, this bill authorizes $75 million in new resources to construct projects which are critical to restoration. I thank my colleagues for supporting this bipartisan accomplishment, and I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two exceptional individuals from Sunrise, FL, Ms. Fran Klauber and Mr. Howard Kusnick. They will both be inducted into the Sunrise Chamber Hall of Fame on October 4, 1996 for their notable accomplishments in the chamber and in the local community. This is the second annual Sunrise Chamber Hall of Fame fundraiser dedicated to recognizing outstanding chamber members who have contributed their time and effort to help the chamber achieve a variety of successes in the Sunrise community. I applaud the many years that Fran Klauber has spent as an active member of the Sunrise chamber. Fran has served on the chamber board, the president's advisory council, and has been involved in various programs that bridge the Sunrise business community and the local community. Fran has been instrumental in the success of the One for the Kids Program which brings business and schools together so that students, teachers, and parents can interact with leaders in the community. Fran has actively supported the Sunrise Police Athletic League by helping to facilitate the program which provides sport activities for at-risk youth in the community. She devotes a considerable amount of time to enrich the lives of residents in the community through these programs. Currently, she continues to work on behalf of the education system as an ongoing day chair for the Leadership Sunrise Program, a program which gives business leaders valuable insight into Broward's public education system. Her accomplishments as a member of the chamber will forever touch the Sunrise community. As three term president of the chamber, Howard Kusnick has been an active board member and currently represents the chamber as legal counsel. In 1995, the Broward County Council of Chambers recognized Howard as the Small Business Person of the Year for his leadership, direction and commitment to the business community. As an active member of the Broward Economic Development Council, he has helped to encourage new business in the county to improve the economy. Howard's contributions to the chamber have made a tremendous difference in Broward County. I wish Fran and Howard the best on receiving this prestigious recognition from the Sunrise Chamber. I know that they will each continue to be effective business leaders and make a difference in the community.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 212, a long overdue resolution endorsing Taiwan's entry into the United Nations. Entry into the United Nations is based on certain fundamental principles: peace, democracy, and a willingness to join the international family of nations. Over the past several years, Taiwan has clearly shown that it has satisfied these requirements. First, Taiwan recently conducted a democratically held Presidential election--even in the face of overt military aggression and provocation from Mainland China. Second, Taiwan has repeatedly offered to make significant contributions in international aid to developing countries. Finally, Taiwan continues to provide economic and political stability to the Western Pacific region, one of the most strategic areas in the world. The only thing preventing Taiwan's entry into the United Nations, is the bullying of the authoritarian Chinese regime. It is unconscionable to believe that an undemocratic and repressive nation such as China, the true antithesis of what the United Nations was founded upon, should have the ability to prevent an emerging democracy from joining the community of nations. I urge my colleagues to end this tragic situation and grant Taiwan entry into the United Nations. Pass House Concurrent Resolution 212 as the first step in this process. Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. Speaker, with the approach of Taiwan's National Day, the 85th anniversary of the Republic of China on October 10, 1996, we have a chance to celebrate and applaud Taiwan's spectacular accomplishments during its past 85 years. The Republic of China proudly stands as a model democracy and a major economic power in the world. A great debt is owed its leaders, most notably President Lee Teng-hui. These leaders have created a modern nation out of modest beginnings, and provided other developing nations around the world with an example of the benefits of dynamic economic development and the importance of a commitment to freedom and democracy. To President Lee Teng-hui, Vice President Lien Chan, and Representative Jason Hu of the Republic of China on Taiwan, we send our congratulations and wish them good luck in everything they do, including their campaign to return to the United Nations and other international organizations.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. As all of us are aware, the existence of the direct student loan program is limiting the market for guaranteed student loans. Sallie Mae's restrictive Federal charter provides it with no viable option for replacing business loss to direct lending and to other student loan financing vehicles and to the other 40 or more secondary markets. These factors dim Sallie Mae's future financial prospects. Sallie Mae's privatization will relieve taxpayers of over $50 billion in implicit liabilities. On September 20, in a speech in Portland, OR, President Clinton said, and I quote: ``We're going to privatize organizations that can now work better in the private sector, like Sallie Mae. We've got the direct student loan program. They need to be able to do some other things as well.'' In return for its privatization, Sallie Mae will pay to the Government $5 million for the use of the Sallie Mae name and issue 500,000 stock warrants to the Government, allowing taxpayers to benefit from the future success of the fully private Sallie Mae; subsidizing an effort that will no longer need subsidizing; and making the Government more efficient. Madam Speaker, I urge the support of the bill.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I too rise today in support of the Animal Drug Availability Act. This is Congress at its best, a bipartisan effort which is going to really streamline the efforts at the FDA, that is going to help really major livestock, poultry producers, commercial feed industry, veterinarians, some animal owners, and pharmaceutical companies as well. Currently it takes the FDA an average of 58 months to a new animal drug, and the cost of bringing a drug to the approval stage in some instances can approach $200 million. If the consensus bill becomes law, it will give the FDA greater flexibility in determining the type and number of studies it can accept as proof of an animal drug's efficacy. It will reduce efficacy testing when a drug company seeks approval to use in combination two drugs that are already approved individually. It will eliminate the requirement that a time-consuming field investigation be used in all instances to prove efficacy. It will create a presubmission conference at which the FDA drug companies will agree before an application is submitted on the types of tests needed to approve a drug's effectiveness. And it will increase veterinary oversight in dispensing of certain feed drugs. In addition, the bill implements two items from the National Performance Review. It would allow FDA to set tolerance for drugs used on farm animals whose meat ultimately is imported into the United States. It also would reduce significantly the paperwork involved in licensing of a feed mill to mix animal drugs with feed. The consensus bill maintains all human and animal health protections in current law. Having spoken to individual veterinarians and pet owners, who have unfortunately been denied access to some of the drugs that hopefully will be readily accessible as soon as this bill is adopted, I can again speak from their personal experiences of how valuable I believe this bill will be once it is adopted into law.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak in the short time that I have for the people who are not in this Chamber today, who cannot speak for themselves but have spoken in other settings. This is a picture of Coreen Costello and her family. I am going to quote from a letter that she has written. If anyone wants it, they can ask their Member of Congress for the complete letter. Those who want to ban a controversial late-term abortion technique might think I would be an ally. I was raised in a conservative, religious family. My parents are Rush Limbaugh fans. I'm a Republican who always believed that abortion was wrong. Then I had one. Disaster struck in my seventh month. Ultrasound testing showed that something was terribly wrong with my baby. Because of a lethal neuromuscular disease, her body had stiffened up inside my uterus. Our doctors told us that Katherine Grace could not survive, and that her condition made giving birth dangerous for me-- possibly even life threatening. Because she could not absorb amniotic fluid, it had gathered in my uterus to such dangerous levels that I weighed as much as if I were at full term. At first I wanted the doctors to induce labor, but they told me that Katherine was wedged so tightly in my pelvis that there was a good chance my uterus would rupture. We talked about a caesarean section. But they said this, too, would have been too dangerous for me. Finally we confronted the painful reality: Our only real option was to terminate the pregnancy. She goes on to mention that ``I'm pregnant again and due in June.'' There are health issues that this procedure protects that would be banned and made criminal by this bill. That is a fact. The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Canady] might want to ignore that, but it is a fact. I do not think there is any person that would want this. The gentleman from Florida [Mr. Canady], our colleague, we have got great news that he is engaged now, just got engaged, I guess, recently. Hopefully he is going to have children. I have a daughter who is 4 years old. Some day hopefully she will have children. I pray that no one would ever have to face the choice that some of these women faced, but in the real world people will have those choices and they will have to make that choice of their own health or not, as to the best procedure that is available. I just do not think that it is the right thing for the U.S. Congress to do, to tell Mrs. Costello or other women that they should put their lives at risk in this type of situation.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the city of Weston on becoming Broward's 29th municipality. Through the valiant efforts of the city's new mayor, Mr. Harry Rosen, council members Eric Hersh, Mark Myers, John Flint, and Cindy Fishbein, State Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, State Senator Howard Forman and the entire Broward delegation, Arvida/JMB Partners, Broward County, and the Indian Trace Community Development District, residents of Weston now live in a thriving incorporated community. This is an exceptional opportunity for Broward County because it will increase community development, create economic growth, and provide essential municipal services to residents and businesses in Weston. Emerging in the mid-1970's, the Weston area has come to represent a mix of residential, commercial, and industrial uses. Since that time there has been a considerable amount of long-range planning and development in this unincorporated area of Broward County. In 1994, the Board of the Indian Trace Community Development District recognized the need to incorporate the area so that future delivery of municipal services would effectively serve the expansion. Recently, the residents voted to enact the Charter for the City of Weston. This monumental decision will greatly impact the citizens and businesses that reside in Weston because it will improve the quality of life as well as protect the identity of the community. Situated on more than 10,000 lush acres, Weston is the largest area adjacent to our priceless Florida Everglades. Because of it's unique landscape and distinct urban planning, Weston is an extremely attractive place for prolonged community development. As a municipality, residents will greatly benefit from a higher level of services including a democratically elected governing body, police and fire protection, and dramatic increase in funding levels which will help to maintain the parks and recreation facilities adjacent to the community. Furthermore, the residents overwhelming approval to incorporate the city shows the community's dedication to the city of Weston and their excitement for new ventures. I wish the residents of the city of Weston the best and look forward to the extraordinary opportunities that lie ahead.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the merger of the Jewish Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale and the Jewish Federation of South Broward. This merger creates the third largest federation in the United States. Because of the undying support of south Florida residents, each federation has independently established unique and extremely successful organizations which achieve similar goals. Through the encouragement of the Council of Jewish Federations, the Jewish Federation of Broward County will represent a combination of these notable differences and similarities. This unification is an extraordinary opportunity for the Broward Jewish and non-Jewish community because it will strengthen the federation in south Florida, pool together needed fundraising resources, and better serve the entire south Florida community. There are over 200 associated Jewish federations in the United States that serve approximately 800 communities in the United States and Canada. The Jewish Federation of South Broward was first incorporated in 1943 during very turbulent times for Jews in the United States and abroad. Historically, the federation has raised money to create and maintain social services for Jews within the community, as well as support Jewish programs that aid Jews facing persecution throughout the world. The Jewish Federation of Greater Fort Lauderdale was created in 1967 as the Jewish community began to grow in south Florida. Now, almost five decades later, these two organizations will merge to become one of the most dynamic and visible Jewish federations in the United States. I would also like to recognize Herbert D. Katz, the first president of the newly formed Jewish federation of south Broward and Stuart A. Epstein, vice president of the campaign. Both men have been actively involved in the Jewish community in south Florida and have held executive positions in both regional and national Jewish organizations. The new federation's board will also include vice president for administration/budget, Bernard Feldman; vice president for allocations, Selma Telles; vice president for communications, Jan Klein; vice president for human resources development, Dorothy Weinstein; vice president for planning, Gail Spatz; vice presidents at large, Robert Enslein and Lenny Schnurmacher; treasurer, Jeffrey Kassower; assistant treasurer, C. Scott Rassler; secretary, Gene Glasser; and nominating chair, Esther Gordon. I wish the Jewish Federation of Broward County and the board the best in making this new federation an integral part of the Jewish community in south Florida and look forward to working with the federation in helping them achieve their goals.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, today the south Florida community mourns the loss of Edith Morrison--an admired community leader, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother. I join with Edith's family and her many friends to mourn her loss and remember her positive impact on the south Florida community. Upon moving to south Florida from New York, Edith immediately assumed a top leadership role in our community. Succeeding her husband Julius as president of the Sunrise Democratic Club, Edith was an outspoken public figure known for her honesty and integrity. Edith was known among her friends as a woman who always knew the facts of every important issue. Forever a jealous advocate of equal opportunity for all people, Edith knew when to be out front on an issue and when to exert quiet influence behind the scenes with the utmost dignity. Edith gave generously of her time, having served as president of the Sunrise Lakes Women's Club, active in local labor organizations, and as a lifetime member of B'nai B'rith. Among her family, Edith is remembered as the loving wife of her late husband Julius, the mother of her two children--Marcie and Ross--and as the grandmother of four grandchildren. In life, she earned the highest respect and admiration of all who her knew her. In death, she is remembered as a revered leader who gave unselfishly to her family and community. For all of us whose lives were touched by Edith, we will miss her dearly.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I missed two rollcall votes earlier today because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 400 and ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 401, the House antiterrorism bill.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I missed one rollcall vote earlier today because I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote No. 363, the Fazio substitute for campaign finance reform.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. A question to the gentlewoman from Florida [Ms. Brown], if we can enter into a little dialog, and even with the gentlewoman from Florida [Mrs. Fowler] as well; that the article that she cites, after followup with the agencies involved in Florida, provides some factually inaccurate information. I would ask, would she believe, but I think it is pretty self-evident, some of the statements, they were talking about, that in fact the money they went to Florida under the COPS Program was not for coral reefs watching; but some of the marine patrol organizations were in fact marine patrols offshore, catching drug dealers offshore. Even though they might be in boats and it might seem like a little more fun than walking the beat of an inner city, it is as dangerous and as important for law enforcement as those innercity cops that are doing that.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, let me thank both the chairmen and ranking members and their staffs, as well as my staff, for their work to get to the point where hopefully this amendment is going to be adopted. As the ranking member pointed out, I have been a very strong supporter of the COPS Program. I do not think this penalizes it. As this works through final passage, our hope is that our continued discussion might be able to resolve some of those issues.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, many people, and there is no disagreement in this Chamber that the substance of what the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Ganske] is trying to do makes a lot of sense, but as has been pointed out by a number of colleagues, and I will reiterate and focus in on it, there are clearly cases where the language of this amendment is broader than the intent. It will absolutely include certain biotechnology therapies that were under development that already exist. Whether we like it or not, the companies that do this invest sometimes tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars. If they cannot be provided with a patent for that protection, they just will not develop those lifesaving drugs. I urge the defeat of the Ganske amendment.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Mollohan].

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Rogers].

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Heineman], another former law enforcement officer who has been instrumental in this amendment and instrumental in its companion bill.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the impetus for this amendment came out of an incident in my district where two Plantation police officers, Officers Alu and O'Hara, responded to a hostage situation. In their response to the hostage situation where there were two young girls being held by someone, they went into a residential home. The gentleman set fire to himself and the two girls as well as the two police officers. The gentleman and two girls were killed. The two police officers were in critical condition. One officer, burned over 80 percent of his body, ended up spending 6\1/2\ months in intensive care. During the initial period when they entered the hospital, they found out unfortunately that if they remain permanently disabled they would in fact lose their health care coverage for themselves and their family. They would be able to purchase COBRA coverage for 18 months. COBRA coverage, as most people know, is very expensive. But after that 18-month period they would become essentially uninsurable. What this amendment would do is, throughout the country--the city of Plantation retroactively changed its ordinance, the State of Florida in its last session has required every jurisdiction in the State of Florida to continue health care benefits in the case of a law enforcement officer actively pursuing a criminal investigation or incident like that--to continue benefits. It does not require additional benefits. It only requires benefits that that law enforcement officer would have had had he been able to remain in the job. I know there are at least one or two gentlemen that would like to speak, as well. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Stupak].

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. DEUTSCH

Mr. DEUTSCH. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota. (Mr. RAMSTAD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DEUTSCH. I yield to the gentlewoman from California.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the pledge of the gentleman from Kentucky. I look forward to working through the conference.

Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I had an amendment at the desk in title I. The reason that I was offering this amendment is to increase the funds available in the missing children's program account by $2.417 million, and reducing the State Department's internal organizations and conferences by the same amount. I was seeking this shifting of funds to establish the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center, which will launch the most comprehensive intensive training program on missing and exploited children in American history, touching every State in 18 months. This very targeted initiative is undertaken in the memory of Jimmy Ryce, a 9-year-old boy from my district who was abducted sodomized, and killed by a sexual predator last September. Jimmy's parents, Donna and Horton Ryce, poured their hearts and souls into their child's investigation. Some of the most frustrating, heart-wrenching moments for the Ryces came from a lack of resources coordination between national and local law enforcement. In a letter the Ryces wrote to every Member of Congress this winter, they explained it this way: During the 3 months we looked for Jimmy, we discovered that well-intentioned law enforcement officers spent a lot of the critical first days and weeks to figure out what would be done and what resources outside the local community were available to help. In working with the Ryce family, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Justice Department, and members of the South Florida delegation, we developed a coordinated plan to provide hands-on training for State and local law enforcement on how best to use national resources. This money will be channeled to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the FBI's National Crime Information Center and Child Abduction and Serial Killer Unit, the Morgan P. Hardiman Task Force on Missing and Exploited Children, and the Office on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention who will work in partnership to create a single, massive, targeted national training program in 1997 and 1998. Over the last several decades, Congress has made it a national priority to help States in the safe recovery of endangered children. But until the Federal Government equips law enforcement with the tools necessary to understand and utilize these national resources, we will continue to undermine the Federal role in missing children investigations as well as our chance for the safe recovery of endangered children.