Jo Ann Davis

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, as a member of the Committee on International Relations, I rise today to speak in support of H. Con. Res. 41. It is a resolution that expresses sympathy for the victims of the recent and terrible earthquakes in El Salvador. Madam Speaker, many people are unaware and uninformed about the recent earthquakes. On January 13, 2001, the earthquake struck with a terrible thunder; and without a doubt the aftermath shall be felt for many years. Landslides, mudslides, aftershocks and tremors continued after the first earthquake. Then exactly 1 month later on February 13, a second devastating earthquake shook El Salvador. El Salvador is a country that is no longer itself. It is a country that has been transformed by terrible and irreversible events. Without our help, it will be unable to recover, and the result will be thousands upon thousands of displaced persons. Throughout our history, Americans have always been a people who extended their hands to those in need. After World War II, we extended our hands through the Marshall Plan. After the Korean War, we helped to rebuild South Korea. Now after this tragedy, we must help El Salvador. Madam Speaker, this concurrent resolution accomplishes two basic goals. It expresses our sympathy and solidarity with the people of El Salvador. At the same time, it encourages support for ongoing relief and reconstruction assistance offered by the United States, other nations, and multinational organizations. I am not one to blindly support the efforts of these multinational organizations, but in this case the direct reconstruction aid offered by them can only result in good. At the same time, I must clarify that I am strongly opposed to the United Nations' population fund effort in El Salvador to distribute reproductive health kits. Madam Speaker, 1,159 people have lost their lives and 70,000 people are without drinking water. Only by offering the real assistance required and so easily provided by a country with our resources shall we be able to preserve and expand democracy for our posterity. Madam Speaker, now is the time. We must pass House Concurrent Resolution 41. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) has given us this opportunity to extend our own hand in friendship to a neighbor. We must reach out and grasp theirs.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great lady of Virginia, my friend Pina Brooks Swift, who recently died unexpectedly at the age of 65. Pina was the chairman of the Virginia Board of Elections and served as past chairman of Republican counties both in the city of Fredericksburg and in Stafford County, Virginia, two prominent localities in Virginia's first district. Pina was a woman of great energy and integrity who always let you know where she stood, but at the same time respected the opinion of others. She had friends in all walks of life and in both parties. Even those who disagreed with her on some issues, admired her for her candor and genuine affection for her fellow human beings. In my own case, Pina and I shared a common philosophy, though there were a few issues on which we diverged. But no matter, we spoke freely to one another and always parted as the best of friends. The death of Pina Brooks Swift marks the end of a remarkably productive life. She will long be remembered as one of the founding ladies of the modern Republican Party of Virginia, as well as a person who was forceful, kind, caring and a great credit to humanity. She will be deeply missed.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the needs of our servicemen. Often, we will hear that our servicemen require a pay raise. That is absolutely true, however, not for the reasons usually cited. They simple deserve it. Mr. Speaker, over the past several months I have had the opportunity to visit the military bases in my district and to speak with many of the junior solders, sailors, and Marines about their service. Without hesitation, they have all told me that they love serving the country, but are frustrated by the constant deployments, poor housing, and a constant lack of spare parts. I realize that we have addressed some of these problems, but we have much more to do. If we do not more fully address them, we will shortchanging not only ourselves, but actively endangering our grandchildren. However, the issue remains, our servicemen deserve more. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that our President has forwarded a budget that will allow us to substantively increase our servicemen's pay and benefits. This is good for the present, however, more needs to be done in the long term. The realities are ugly. Our servicemen are underpaid. Furthermore, over the past several years, we have set military pay .5% below the Employment Cost Index. This was wrong. It shouldn't have happened. But worst of all, it treats our servicemen as second-class citizens. While civil service has never paid as much as the civilian sector, we should at least ensure that those who provide the most important civil service, defense of our nation, the same level of compensation as other government employees. This is an issue of justice, and an issue of fundamental fairness. It is not acceptable to ignore this issue any longer. Mr. Speaker, now I realize that this is something that cannot be solved overnight. However, it is an issue that we must address for the future. For, if we continue to treat our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in such a manner, they will eventually realize that our servicemen will vote with their feet. While they won't rank it first among their problems, our servicemen do cite this injustice. But, let me take a minute to cite why this is even more urgent. Our services, with our encouragement, have fundamentally transformed to become more family friendly. As a result, the pressure on many servicemen increases when they are forced to move overseas. Oftentimes, their spouse is unable to find employment, and as result, these families lose a significant part of their income. Mr. Speaker, families are a force multiplier when you deal with an all volunteer force. They are a motivator and an integral part of our defense strategy. Because of this, we must address inadequate pay. The time has come. We need to address this now and for the future. We have waited too long. We must raise our servicemen's pay.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, in Newport News, Virginia, I attended the christening of what will soon be the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, a new magnificent aircraft carrier. Mrs. Reagan, the President, Mrs. Bush, and other leaders were in attendance to witness the christening of this vessel and to honor our former great President. It is only appropriate that this awesome vessel be named after the leader who led us to victory in the Cold War. This Nimitz-class aircraft carrier represents the ``peace through strength'' philosophy which played such an integral role in President Reagan's successful foreign policy. It is crucial that we recognize President Reagan's extraordinary foreign policy achievements. This awesome new addition to our fleet will be a testimony to Reagan's enduring legacy of military dominance. America is a better and safer place for having had President Reagan in the White House. However, we cannot sit back and admire his achievements without noting that our world remains a dangerous place. We must direct more attention to our armed forces by reforming and revitalizing our military. When President Reagan left office in 1988, the Navy had 15 aircraft carrier battle groups, and 594 ships in service. It now has 12 carrier battle groups and a fleet numbering about half as many ships. The new administration must support the needs of the military to ensure that our armed forces are well equipped and trained to carry out our Nation's priorities while providing support to our allies abroad.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the two previous gentlemen from Virginia. Madam Speaker, it is with great sorrow that I come to the floor of the House today. Just 4 days ago, 21 men perished in a tragic accident in south-central Georgia. These men represented the finest America and our military has to offer. Twenty-one men died, 18 from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and 3 from the State of Florida. Twenty-one men. Madam Speaker, all these men served in the Air National Guard. They regularly would give up a weekend a month and 2 weeks during the year, if not more, to serve their country. These men were returning from those 2 weeks of duty, and when many of their families gathered to greet them, they received the tragic news that their loved ones' plane had crashed. While I have spoken with some family members, it is simply impossible for me to really know how they feel. But I do know this. Twenty-one lives were lost tragically. With each of these 21 airmen, there is a story. A story of fathers, a story of volunteers, of firemen and civil servants. Madam Speaker, each and every one of these men were civil servants in the truest sense. They would give up time that could have been spent with their loved ones to serve us, the public. We often do not think about that. We should. Madam Speaker, I thought about coming down to the floor to address the critical needs of the military in light of this accident, but there will be time for that in the near future. Today is a time for mourning. Today the Commonwealth of Virginia lost 18 men, perhaps the most tragic loss of life for the Commonwealth since the Bedford unit of the Virginia National Guard was lost on D-Day. While time heals all wounds, it will take time. I can say with assurance that in this circumstance, it will take a long time. My heart goes out to the families of these men. I am praying for all of them. However, Madam Speaker, I would like to extend my condolences directly to the families of Staff Sergeant Gregory Skurupey, Staff Sergeant James Ferguson, Technical Sergeant Michael East, Senior Airman Mathrew Kidd and Major Rick Watkins. I pray that our Lord will grant these families comfort and solace in their time of loss. And I pray that these men who so tragically died rest in peace and may His perpetual light shine on them.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the President of the United States has set out on a mission to return the power of government back to the people. Mr. Bush effectively made the case that was sound fiscal discipline. The Federal surplus provides us with the opportunity to strengthen Social Security, revitalize our armed forces and continue to pay down the debt while returning some of the money back to those who earned it, the American people. By providing tax relief for all Americans, the President's plan takes the extra money out of Washington, where it otherwise will be certainly spent on programs designed to enlarge Federal Government programs. President Bush recognizes that after the bills are paid, the left- over funds belong to the American taxpayers. Rejecting a plan to use a portion of the surplus for tax relief is the equivalent of paying for a gallon of milk at the grocery store with a $10 bill and having the cashier refuse to give you back the change. It is wrong. I feel that the President's plan puts America on the right track towards fiscal discipline as well as providing the American family with much-needed tax relief.

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia

Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I come to the floor today in support of H.R. 93, the Federal Firefighters Retirement Age Fairness Act. As my colleagues know, this bill raises the mandatory retirement age for Federal firefighters from 55 to age 57, allowing Federal firefighters the option of continuing their public careers for an additional 2 years. As a wife of a career firefighter, I understand this lifestyle well and know that there is no substitute for experience in their line of work. This bill has gained bipartisan support from both management and labor and has been endorsed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs as well as the American Federation of Government Employees. In my district, the First District of the great Commonwealth of Virginia, I am proud of the hundreds of men and women who serve our local communities and our Nation on Virginia's many military installations as firefighters. These dedicated individuals often put their lives and health in jeopardy so that property and people are protected. In addition to fighting fires, these men and women provide response to hazardous material incidents, provide emergency medical services, and inspect and protect our Federal facilities and bases. I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Gallegly) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Burton) for working to make this much- needed change in our Federal code, and I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 93.