Charles Dent

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H. Con. Res. 281.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 281) congratulating the Chicago White Sox on winning the 2005 World Series.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 281, offered by the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis). This bill would honor the dedication of the Chicago White Sox in winning the 2005 World Series. For the first time since 1917, the Chicago White Sox have had the opportunity to bask in the national spotlight that accompanies winning the Major League Baseball world title. Not only did the title belong to them, but the entire post season did as well. They swept the Boston Red Sox in three games, defeated the Anaheim Angels four games to one to become the American League Champions, and finally swept the Houston Astros in four games to clinch the World Series. The Sox completed an 11-1 postseason run, showing the world their perseverance and teamwork. The White Sox motto of ``Win or Die Trying'' was certainly observed throughout the entire season, not just in the postseason. The Sox showed that they were a force to be reckoned with by winning 99 games during the course of the regular season. They were 66-35 in games decided by two runs or less as well as 38-20 in one-run contests. The celebration continues for the proud fans of the Chicago White Sox. The team kicked off their victory celebration by riding triumphantly into the heart of Chicago. Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets of the downtown area to catch a glimpse of the champion White Sox. Even Oprah Winfrey cleared a segment of her show to honor the team. According to first baseman Paul Konerko, ``Chicago is second city no more.'' I urge all Members to join me in commemorating this momentous event for the city of Chicago by adopting H. Con. Res. 281. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk), my distinguished colleague, who I am told is a Chicago Cubs fan.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution 281. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1285) to designate the Federal building located at 333 Mt. Elliott Street in Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building''.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1285.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 1285 honors two Americans by designating buildings in their honor. This bill designates the Federal building located at 333 Mt. Elliott Street, Detroit, Michigan, as the ``Rosa Parks Federal Building,'' and the annex of the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Building and Courthouse located in the District of Columbia as the ``William B. Bryant Annex.'' Last week, the House passed H.R. 2967, which would have named the building in Detroit after Rosa Parks. We are back here today because the Senate amended their version of this bill to include the designation in honor of Judge William Bryant. Rosa Parks has been eulogized and honored by many people who knew her better than I, but I would like to take this opportunity to express my condolences to those who knew her and praise her to those that will hopefully follow her example. Rosa Parks is well known for a simple, yet historic, act of defiance. To paraphrase something the Mayor of Detroit said at a service in her honor, ``She stood for what was right, by sitting down.'' This act inspired further acts of civil disobedience and earned her the title of the ``mother of the civil rights movement.'' Hers is an example that we should commend to our children and our grandchildren, an example of fortitude and resolution to do what is right, even when it meant great risk to her personal safety. She is truly deserving of this honor we are bestowing today. We are also here to honor Judge William B. Bryant, a Federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Judge Bryant was the first African American to be named Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Though born in Alabama, William Bryant moved with his family to Washington, D.C., at the age of 1 and made D.C. his home for the past 92 years. After serving in the United States Army and attending Howard University, he began his legal career working in private practice and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Judge Bryant was appointed to the United States District Court by President Lyndon Baines Johnson and was later named Chief Judge. His appointment to the bench was monumental during the civil rights movement, as African Americans struggled for rights as full and equal citizens of this Nation. During the civil rights movement, Rosa Parks and Judge Bryant were viewed as heroic icons by African Americans. Today, they are recognized and remembered by people of all races for not only the effect they have on the civil rights movement but also for their subsequent accomplishments. I believe this is a fitting honor to a woman whose actions helped transform and improve our society and to a distinguished jurist who has served our Nation for over 40 years. I support this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in praise of the actions of PPL Electric Utilities and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1600 for the inspiring sacrifices they made in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on behalf of citizens of the Gulf Coast. Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita were two of the most destructive natural disasters to ever strike the United States. In the wake of these catastrophic storms, utilities serving the gulf States reached out across the country for technical resources and skilled labor necessary to rebuild an electric infrastructure destroyed by the forces of nature. PPL Electric Utilities is a great corporate citizen in my district that provides electricity needs for 1.3 million customers in eastern Pennsylvania. When the people of the gulf coast needed assistance, PPL true to form answered the call for help after both hurricanes. More than 180 of the company's employees willingly agreed to leave their homes and their families to help restore an essential basic service, to assist victims of the hurricanes in getting their lives back to normal. Many of these employees were members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1600, skilled, dedicated union members whose efforts were desperately needed in the fight to restore a functioning electrical grid in the devastated areas. These workers endured long hours of work, oppressive heat, uprooted trees, biting insects, and many other hazards to their personal safety. In accomplishing their important task they earned respect and admiration of the people from Mississippi and Louisiana, as well as from those back home in Pennsylvania. Through their hard work, caring and professionalism they became true good will ambassadors of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the 15th Congressional District. It is my intention today to make sure this distinguished body is fully cognizant of the dynamic deference of both PPL Electric Utilities and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1600 and of their exceptional work in the Nation's time of need following Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. By working hand-in-hand, these two organizations toiled long hours to ease the suffering of the many affected by these natural disasters.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) for his leadership and for what he did to organize that congressional delegation visit to Iraq. I enjoyed that and learned a great deal from that experience, along with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess). I think what we learned in Iraq is that clearly there are problems, and those problems remain; but considerable progress has been made. That progress to me was best exemplified by a man from Pennsylvania named Albert Chowansky, Jr. And Albert Chowansky Jr., to me, exemplifies the spirit and sense of purpose reflected by American civilians working and serving in Iraq. This man, Albert is a Frackville, Schuykill County native who left the coal regions in late 1970s, at the time a rather depressed area of the State to study engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia. And this well-traveled engineer is now managing the construction of the Taza power plant near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, and this is that power plant that I am referring to. We learned a great deal from that visit. But this natural gas-powered plant, which Albert calls MOAG, or the mother of all generators, and it really is, is tangible proof of the positive reconstruction efforts proceeding in Iraq. Visiting Iraq, the four of us, we saw efforts to rebuild a country, not just from a recent war, but from decades in which its people and its natural resources were raped and ravaged by an evil tyrant, Saddam Hussein. As part of this bipartisan four-Member congressional delegation that visited Kirkuk, Basra, Baghdad, and Kuwait, we witnessed this and just a handful of the thousands of other coalition construction projects over a few days. You know, many of us marveled at the accomplishments of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers under whose auspices much of this massive construction and reconstruction continues, simultaneously fighting an insurgency, reconstructing a nation, and at that particular moment we were there, assisting in the development of a constitution, the drafting and development of a constitution, which is a daunting objective. Security is intense. Most of the time we wore body armor and helmets, and we were protected by heavily armed personnel virtually all of the time. Nevertheless, I left Iraq feeling optimistic and hopeful that the slow gradual pace to normal life in much of Iraq is progressing, not without setbacks and heart-breaking loss of life, but still with purpose and determination. You know, the transporting of this particular MOAG, the mother of all generators, is a story all by itself. Moving a nearly 500-ton piece of equipment 600 miles from Jordan across the dangerous Al-Anbar Province in western Iraq to Kirkuk by convoy is testament to the extraordinary logistical capabilities of the United States military. You know, after a few ineffective, but still very troublesome, mortar attacks that landed near this particular power plant, Albert Chowansky worked with regional ethnic and tribal leaders to form a local work force, equitably distributing jobs to Sunni Arabs, Shiia Arabs, Tukomeins, and Kurds. This project is nearly complete, and there have been no more mortar attacks. These are just some of the circumstances under which the reconstruction of Iraq's infrastructure is occurring. But there you have an example of just a guy using his good common sense and, realizing there were some attacks, went out and met with local tribal leaders, talked with them, distributed jobs and they all worked well together. And just good old-fashioned American innovation working locally to solve a very different, difficult and complex problem. You know, our delegation also spent time in the southern Iraqi province of Basra at the confluence of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. We visited the nearby port of Umm Qasr and rode with the Iraqi Navy in speed boats through the harbor. The Iraqi Navy is actually more like a coast guard of about 800 sailors trained by the British Royal Navy and tasked with harbor security and with the protection of the oil platforms in the Persian Gulf. This is just a little picture of a meeting with some of the officers of the Iraqi Navy, myself, and the members of the delegation. But we had a wonderful experience with the Iraqi Navy. And you could just get a sense of the professionalism, and of course they were well trained by the Royal Navy. Flying with the British Army in a Merlin helicopter, we viewed the marshlands near Basra. And the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King) just referred to those marshlands. These marshes were originally twice the size of the Florida Everglades until Saddam Hussein drained them as retribution to the marsh Arabs who rose up against him after the 1991 Persian Gulf war. Saddam Hussein displaced and killed tens of thousands of these people, at the very least, whose civilization had lived in this ancient homeland for 5,000 years. It may again be possible to grow crops there, although it is unknown if we can ever fully undo the environmental terrorism of the deposed Iraqi leader. Militarily, the Basra province is relatively quiet and is one of out of 14 of 18 provinces that have seen progress with comparatively less insurgent activity than in some years of Iraq. The Royal Marines regional commander, General Jim Dutton, was quite confident in the capability of the Iraqi Army. We spent a fair amount of time with him. And he had quite high praise for the Iraqi Army in the southern region under his command. Our delegation later then flew into Baghdad via U.S. Army helicopter, Black Hawk helicopters; and we flew a few hundred feet above the ground. We were escorted by Apache helicopters. We flew from Kirkuk at this point back down to Baghdad. The British, we flew in the Merlin helicopters down in the Basra area. But from our view, and just a few hundred feet above ground, we could see oil pipelines and bridges across the Tigris River under construction, along with vacant gun embankments. It seemed like bone dry ditches just about everywhere, irrigation channels that were drug out and bone dry. But there were a lot of ditches and a lot of scars on the Earth, vacant pools of oil exposed next to bodies of water. You know, in Baghdad, in Baghdad's Green Zone actually, our delegation met with General John Abizaid and General George Casey, respectively, the military commanders for Southwest Asia and Iraq. The generals presented, I feel, a very sober yet hopeful analysis of the insurgency situation. Actually, there is not one insurgency in Iraq, but three disparate groups: The disgruntled Baathists, the Sunni extremists, and they are the most dangerous, of course, because they include both domestic and foreign al Qaeda-affiliated insurgents, and the third group are the so-called Rejectionists, a hodge podge of people who for whatever reasons are unhappy or angry but are more likely to be integrated back into the mainstream of society. But regardless, that group of Sunni extremists is the most dangerous because they are al Qaeda affiliated, many of whom are coming from outside of Iraq. The generals told us that every month 3,000 insurgents are taken off the streets. That is what the generals told us. Every month 3,000 insurgents are taken off the streets, that is, they are captured or killed, mostly captured. General Casey said that 180,000 Iraqi security forces are trained and equipped, and that number will be more than 200,000 come January. Our congressional delegation also met with embassy officials for an overview of the political reforms and progress on the constitutional convention that was occurring just down the street. Of course, this was just prior to the constitutional convention being adopted by those who were participating. Federalism, the role of women, women's rights, of course, role of Islam, and control of the country's premier resource, oil, are among the issues to be resolved. And I left feeling persuaded that all sides, Shiia, Sunni and Kurd, are dedicated to reaching an agreement. It was clear that they understood, even though the Kurds and Shiias represented a majority of the country, that they understood that they could not have a country without the Sunnis being included. And that is not an easy thing for them, given the maltreatment that many of them had received at the hands of largely Sunni rule or the Baathists for some time. You know, the American role in that constitutional process was not to impose a solution, but to facilitate discussion and present options. And in fact I just left the Capitol, the Cannon Building where I heard one of my constituents, Colonel Platte Moring give a presentation who helped there. He was in the Army National Guard. He made a presentation about his role in helping the Afghans develop a constitution about a year and a half earlier. And so there were some similarities there. Again, the American role was really to help facilitate discussion, present options, and help them when they got in trouble, not to impose solutions. I think that was very important. That was an experience here in Iraq and of course also in Afghanistan. That same day, we also had lunch with the American-Iraqi Chamber of Commerce, and we later met with three judges overseeing the special tribunal on war crimes who are the people who will try Saddam Hussein for crimes against his people. The judges impressed me very much with their knowledge, their wisdom, and dedication to the establishment of an independent, impartial judiciary. Probably one of the best aspects of that whole visit is meeting with these judges. You get a sense of their commitment to the rule of law and the importance that they have a transparent process and one that they can be proud to show to the world with respect to the trial that they will be conducting at some point in the not-to-distant future. I believe before the end of the year, we are likely to hear more about that. We also spent some time in Kuwait. There we witnessed the up-armoring of the various American vehicles. We also witnessed the massive logistical support operation that dispatches convoys of 800 trucks per day carrying everything necessary to support an engaged military. More than 20 percent of the trucks carry water. Of those 800 trucks, over 20 percent of them were carrying water. I met a gentleman from my hometown. Army Major Steve Miscenzski, an Easton native, was among the Pennsylvanians supporting this effort. We all dined with Steve and other Keystone State natives at Camp Arifjan. We also met some folks from Iowa and Texas. There are always Texans everywhere, a lot of Texans in the Middle East and everywhere we went. It was just great to see them all. Throughout the trip, we ate in these mess halls with soldiers and Marines whose morale was exceptionally high considering the 125-degree heat that we walked into in Kuwait while wearing full body armor and helmets. I think we all would agree, too, that the food was quite good and plentiful. Veterans of previous wars would be envious. We hear our uncles talk in World War II about the old K-rations. They would have been envious of the food, I think, that was being served. At every stop along the way, I was able to share some of the generosity of the people of the 15th Congressional District. I handed out phone calling cards as most of us did. I also handed out Gatorade mix packets to our troops from Pennsylvania and elsewhere, even some of our coalition partners from the UK and the Netherlands and Australia, for example. These items, by the way, were donated by the Dexter and Dorothy Baker Foundation and a drive led by Chapman resident Dottie Niklos of Blue-Star Mothers through the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council. These gifts were well received by our troops. We insisted that they call home and they seemed to do that on a regular basis. Leaving Kuwait, we flew home via Ramstein Air Force Base near Frankfurt, Germany. There we visited wounded troops in the Landstuhl military hospital. Many of the troops were wounded in Afghanistan as well as Iraq. At Ramstein, we briefly boarded an Air Force plane carrying wounded troops back to Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C. On this plane, I had the honor and privilege to meet a young marine, Travis Gray, who was a fellow Allentown native. I do not know who was more excited by that, me or Travis, but I was just thrilled to meet this young man who was on his back in a stretcher in an Air Force plane. I am happy to report that Travis was in quite good spirits. I had called his mother shortly afterwards to give her a report on his condition. He seemed to be doing quite fine and he was improving. I think we had some pretty good news there for Travis and the whole Gray family. The harsh reality of war really struck me and I think it struck my colleagues as well as I stepped off that plane carrying Travis and his fellow comrades to make way for the final two passengers, two unconscious, critically wounded soldiers. Watching as these two soldiers were boarded was an emotional time, as 12 airmen methodically and gently lifted their stretchers and all the life-sustaining medical equipment onto the plane. It was quite a sight and quite emotional. That is where the harsh reality of war really strikes one, witnessing that particular procedure. I left Iraq feeling proud of the Americans serving there. The transition from Saddam's Iraq to a new country, establishing representative government consistent with the country's traditions, heritage and culture, has been painful, grueling and difficult. Nevertheless, our military's perseverance is inspirational, just as is the effort of our civilian personnel. In fact, one of those civilians I met there actually was a Capitol Hill staffer who I bumped into on a cold February night after being in Congress for about a month and a half. I met this young man. I was getting dinner and he was telling me he was about to head over, a civilian with DOD and who did I run into in Iraq, in Kirkuk, but this young man who was so proud of his service and will be home shortly. I have stayed in touch with him. The point is the dedication of our military and civilian personnel to their work and this mission is truly extraordinary. Many people ask me when American troops will leave Iraq. I cannot give a precise answer, but it is my belief there will be a military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan for the foreseeable future. The question is how many troops will be required and under what circumstances will those troops be there. I believe we will see an eventual drawdown of those troops. Like all Americans, I want our troops to come home safely. Like most thoughtful Americans, no matter how they viewed the circumstances leading up to the war or how it has been conducted, I understand that leaving Iraq prematurely without better stabilizing the country could yield catastrophic consequences. That said, as the political and military situation stabilizes and improves, the American presence in Iraq will diminish. For now, it is a matter of patience and will. The gentleman from Iowa again led our delegation and did a great job of it. I should note, too, that he was very gracious and on every occasion really did acknowledge the bravery not just of our personnel but also of the Iraqis who are serving there, many of whom are in the Iraqi navy, for example, and others in the security forces who really cannot tell many of their neighbors and friends what they do for a living. They cannot wear their uniforms to work. They serve at great risk to themselves and to their families but they believe that they have an obligation to make sure that country is stable and safe and free of the types of horrible violence that we have witnessed there far too often in recent days.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for this colloquy, and he made a point that I think needs to be repeated. General Casey pointed this out to us. We were in Iraq in August, and of course there was a lot of press attention about the situation in Iraq, and much of it very negative press. But General Casey said to us, have you read any stories or heard any stories about Iraqi soldiers leaving their positions? Have you seen any stories like that lately? We said, well, no, we have not. He said, well, the reason that is the case is because that does not happen anymore. My colleague pointed that out, that the Iraqi Army is much better trained and equipped than they had been earlier. So sometimes what we do not hear is very important; that the Iraqi Army is standing in, standing much stronger and is much better trained and equipped at doing the job that we expect them to do in many cases. They are not where they need to be just yet, but they are making great progress, and that is a story that has not been told very well, and I am glad the gentleman has raised that tonight. Another thing the gentleman mentioned, too, about Iraq that again has not been discussed very much out in the public, is one of the people who joined us on that trip was a gentleman from the Army, an Assistant Secretary of the Army named Dean Popps, who was part of the CPA, the Coalition Provisional Authority, at one point. We had a discussion. We all know how Congressmen are. We can get very unfocused. We get into our business and we can get a little scattered. But there we were in Iraq and just focusing on the situation in Iraq. And I remember what Mr. Popps said; that when he was with the CPA, he said he looked at 52 state-run businesses, government-run businesses in Iraq, and many of these companies he said were dual-use companies. That is, in the front of, say, a fertilizer factory; yes, they were making fertilizer, but in the back it was chemicals. Or in the front of a sheet metal shop; yes, they were doing sheet metal in the front, but it was rockets or rocket launchers in the back. He even mentioned that anthrax grinders were found over there. He made a lot of comments to us that sometimes you just have not read a lot about that. I thought that was a very interesting part of our experience, talking to people like the Assistant Secretary of the Army, who had been there for some time and actually been on the ground meeting with the people who ran those state-run businesses, to give us a bird's-eye view of what is really happening there. Something else my colleague mentioned that is worth repeating. In Iraq, of course, we all know that they have these tremendous oil reserves, but their refinery capacity is really quite limited. So they produce the crude oil in Iraq, they send it out of the country, have it refined, bring it back into Iraq, and then they sell it at 13 cents a gallon. Of course, they are losing money selling gasoline. Again, coming out of this Saddam legacy of really a closed economy, it has created tremendous problems for the people of Iraq. Electricity. Another thing we learned about. Electricity is not paid for by people. So, of course, if you do not pay for a particular commodity, you will tend to utilize more of it. So, of course, they have all kinds of problems with electricity. Lights do not go on, and there were many, many problems there. We also learned, too, about the damage that Saddam Hussein had wreaked upon his people. Much of it was psychological damage. I think that is one thing our troops and the British learned, that it is difficult for many of the Iraqis to make decisions because their experience had always been that they had to get approval from Baghdad, from the central government. So decisionmaking was not something they were used to, and that is part of this transition from where we are today in this situation in Iraq. We went through a liberation phase, an occupation phase, and we are now in the third phase. And this is a planned phase of our time in Iraq, is this partnership stage. We are in there now, but as we move and transition to a self-reliant stage, part of that transition really requires helping the Iraqis develop the ability to make decisions once again. We saw the same thing in the old Eastern Bloc, after the Soviet Union collapsed and the Communist nations became free. Many Western people would go in and say the people had a hard time making decisions. They were never able to do that. And that is kind of what we see in Iraq. And part of our job is to help them, help them make this transition and help them to understand their options and to make decisions. One other thing worth noting, too, that I find very interesting is that as we met with that Iraqi American Chamber of Commerce, I really enjoyed those conversations. When we were there, too, this whole notion of federalism was a very big issue to the Iraqis, and they were obviously quite concerned about the issue. They were sweating the issue. What do we do about federalism? And as Americans, you almost have to chuckle a little bit and say, you know, we had a little trouble with federalism ourselves. We set up these Articles of Confederation after the American Revolution. Things did not work out well with the Articles, and we developed the Constitution, which is a great Constitution, a great document, but not a perfect one. We made mistakes. And ultimately the issue of federalism was settled in our country by a Civil War in the 1860s. And to this day we are constantly having debates in this great Chamber about what is the role of the Federal versus the State Government. And my advice to some of the Iraqis there was do not feel as if you are going to get this question of federalism right on the draft. You are going to have to do the best you can. And I think that is what they did in the document that they adopted. And coming from the State of Pennsylvania, I feel like I have some ability to talk to Iraqis on that issue, given that Philadelphia is the birthplace of American democracy, and of course Pennsylvania is the State where oil was first discovered, in western Pennsylvania. Not Texas, I say to my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Cuellar). But nevertheless, I was most impressed again by the trip and that experience, and it is something I will remember for the rest of my life. And having said all that, I yield back to the gentleman from Iowa.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Madam Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 250, the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act. Promotion of manufacturing technologies has traditionally been a key to wealth creation in this country. Manufacturing a better product, from automobiles to chemicals to computers to airplanes, has provided the means for this country to become the wealthiest in the history of the world. As we enter the 21st century, our challenge to remain competitive becomes even more difficult. H.R. 250 provides many tools that will help us meet this challenge. For one thing, it reauthorizes funding for MEP. This is a highly successful program which has just been discussed. It brings together businesses and consultants and provides technical expertise for manufacturing and marketing in those particular businesses. In doing this, it helps small manufacturers improve performance, productivity and helps them remain competitive. In my congressional district, the MEP has provided assistance to the Manufacturers Resource Center located at Lehigh University, which is a State-funded program. I should also mention we have the highly successful and critically acclaimed Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority, which I served on for many years, along with the NRC board at the State level. I can tell Members firsthand that those programs have provided tremendous support to people in my community. I can give Members specific examples that are not far from home. I can take Members to Apollo Metals in the city of Bethlehem. There are about 125 people at Apollo Metals. They have become more productive as a result of the assistance they have received through this Manufacturers Resource Center. In fact, I will just read a testimonial. ``We will be implementing the changes recommended by the Manufacturers Resource Center and looking forward to our improved ability to add to our already excellent customer service by shortening lead times, improving the customers' ability to get information in a timely fashion, and in maintaining our cost competitiveness.'' And that is from their president. I can also point to Solartech, another company in my district. Those solar panels we see on the road that tell us to slow down, tell us what the traffic conditions are, a small company of about 100 people in my district exports, again assisted by these particular operations. I urge adoption of this bill.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, prior to coming to the U.S. Congress, I served 14 years in my State general assembly. I spent a lot of time on this issue, dealing with issues like caps on noneconomic damages, collateral sources, periodic payments, joint and several liability modifications and venue shopping. I just heard some statements from the other side, well-intentioned, but, I must respectfully say, misguided, that simply mandating a premium reduction will not solve this problem. What will happen is what happened in my State. In 1975, a State-administered medical liability program was created because no one wanted to write insurance in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1975. We were in a crisis. That did not solve the problem. That State-administered program is broke. My general assembly has appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to pay doctors' medical liability premiums and hospitals' premiums. That is what will happen if you mandate that premium reduction. It sounds good, but it does not fix it. The Governor of my State, Ed Rendell, a Democrat, I talked to his insurance commissioner a couple of years ago. I said, if this is an insurance problem, let's look at the numbers. For every dollar paid at that time in medical liability premiums, there was $1.27 in losses incurred; $1 in, $1.27 out. That is an insurance problem. No one wants to write insurance. So if you mandate a premium reduction or hold it harmless, the State is going to have to set up a program, and they are going to have to find the money, and they are going to turn to the taxpayers. That is what is happening. We are in crisis. This legislation we are dealing with helps deal with this issue because providing for caps on noneconomic damages, Mr. Speaker, will help restore some level of predictability and stability to the insurance marketplace. You need to have people wanting to write insurance in these States. Competition will help you actually drive down costs. I know that some might find that unbelievable, but it will work. It has to work. I rise to speak in favor of H.R. 5, the Health Act of 2005. This bill addresses one of the central issues in health care today: the way in which unpredictable, out-of-control legal judgments are driving up health care costs. This bill sets caps on punitive and non- economic damages that result from malpractice litigation. This is important because, as the Congressional Budget Office has noted, under this act, medical liability premiums would be an average of 25 to 30 percent below what they would be under current law. High medical liability premiums are creating serious doctor recruitment and retention problems in my State, especially in so-called ``high risk'' disciplines such as neurosurgery, orthopedics, emergency medicine, I and obstetrics. In my district, the crisis created in part by outrageous malpractice judgments is best exemplified by the experience of St. Luke's Hospital. St. Luke's has been recognized nationally 17 times for clinical excellence. Despite this accomplishment, St. Luke's became the target of a frivolous, outrageous lawsuit in the fall of 2000. As a direct result, St. Luke's professional medical liability costs increased more than $4 million in just 2 years. As a result of medical liability issues, Pennsylvania hospitals face challenges retaining neurosurgeons, without whom trauma centers cannot operate. In fact, a few years ago, another regional hospital serving my district--Easton Hospital--lost all of its neurosurgeons to other States. And Lehigh Valley Hospital, an extraordinary three-hospital network and the largest employer in my district, experienced a fivefold increase in their liability costs over the past few years. Nothing about this bill prevents a litigant from seeking his or her day in court. In California, which was the model for the current health act, plaintiffs with legitimate claims still enjoy large recoveries. The Government Accountability Office, GAO, has determined that California has controlled medical liability insurance premiums much better than has my home State, Pennsylvania. In fact, in Pennsylvania the medical liability crisis is so acute that the legislature has appropriated hundreds of millions of dollars to assist physicians and hospitals with rapidly rising medical liability premiums. That's like placing a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. Structural reform is needed; taxpayers bailouts--Band Aids, if you will--don't solve the underlying problem. For all these reasons, I believe that congressional intervention is essential in the form of support for the Health Act of 2005.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned a little earlier today, we talked about the insurance industry and its role in this issue. But let us be very clear. We need the structural reforms contained in the HEALTH Act, H.R. 5, in order to continue to provide access to quality care for our constituents and patients of the United States. We also need to incent insurance companies to write policies in our States, which they will not do indefinitely in this current environment. And I remember a few years ago when people said, when the crisis was acute in Pennsylvania, they said the problem is the insurance companies invested money foolishly in the stock market. Well, a lot of people lost money in the stock market a few years ago. At that time the insurance companies in my State had about 8 to 10 percent of their money in equities. Most of it was in investment-grade bonds, which did rather well. But that really was not the cause of the problem. But let me tell you about the city of Philadelphia. In my State, many people want to get their cases heard in a Philadelphia courtroom. Why? Because the juries pay more. According to Jury Verdict Research, at that time the average jury verdict award in Philadelphia was over a million dollars, and the average everywhere else in the State was under a half million. No wonder people wanted to go to Philadelphia. In fact, President Bush even cited Philadelphia in a speech he made in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where trauma centers were closing down. What the President said there is that in the city of Philadelphia, there were more jury awards, more dollars sent out by Philadelphia juries than in the entire State of California, a State of 35 million people, and Philadelphia a city of 1.5 million people. How is that? The system is broken. I am in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania, 60 miles north of Philadelphia. One hospital, St. Luke's, was hit with a $100 million jury verdict in a Philadelphia courtroom. In a Philadelphia courtroom. It was an outrageous decision. It was settled for something less than that, I will tell you that right now. But it was an outrageous situation, could have bankrupted a major institution that has been nationally recognized on many occasions for clinical excellence. That is one of my problems. We have also heard, too, that this is not a Federal problem. Does the word Medicare mean anything to anyone around here? Medicare will save billions of dollars over 10 years if we enact the reforms contained in this legislation. Furthermore, in many States again like mine in Pennsylvania, to amend the constitution to permit caps on noneconomic damages literally is a 4- to 5-year process. But we cannot wait 4 to 5 years to solve this problem. That is why we need the HEALTH Act now. We can do it much more quickly. It is absolutely critical. A Band-Aid will not stop the bleeding. Structural reforms are required. As I mentioned a little earlier today, in my State, taxpayers, particularly cigarette smokers, that is who is paying the bill for doctors' premiums and hospitals' medical liability premiums, that is who is paying the bill because no one wants to write insurance, and the State-administered fund is broke. They will have to find hundreds of millions of dollars more come January 1 to fix this problem. The point is, structural reform is needed. Taxpayer bail-outs and Band-Aids will not fix the problem. I commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) for his leadership on this issue. A former colleague, Jim Greenwood, I thank for his leadership in the last session; and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) as well. I want to thank them for their leadership. I urge passage of H.R. 5.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2113 introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) names this Post Office in Joliet, Illinois, as the John F. Whiteside Joliet Post Office Building. All 18 Illinois colleagues of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) have cosponsored this bill, and I am pleased to participate in this bill's consideration today. John Whiteside was a long time opinion writer for the Joliet Herald News. Upon graduation from Northern Illinois University in 1971, he was hired by the Herald News which was the only newspaper he ever worked for. For the first decade of his career, he worked as a beat and general assignment reporter. But in 1981, he began writing a daily column in the paper each weekday that became beloved by Joliet residents. Mr. Whiteside wrote the vast majority of his columns on local matters. The most frequent and passionate topics on which he opined were matters of importance to community veterans and law enforcement officials. An Air Force veteran himself, Whiteside correctly viewed all of our Nation's military service veterans as American heroes. He, likewise, had tremendous respect for police officers, once championing an attempt to raise funds for a police memorial in Joliet, among other efforts. For his eloquent advocacy over many years, it appears safe to say his subjects admired him, too. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, after battling cancer for 18 months, John Whiteside passed away on January 22, 2005. He was 61 years old. Days after he died, the front page of the Sunday Herald News carried one final John Whiteside column. It was a posthumous article full of life's lessons that he had written in anticipation of his death. It was a touching end to a meaningful career that was cut short by a struggle with cancer. His struggle was all the more touching because Whiteside had shared tales of his battle with melanoma with his readers from October 2003 through his passing in January 2005. On a personal note, my own father- in-law passed away from that same disease in January of this year, so I have some understanding of what Mr. Whiteside and his family went through. My sympathies go out to his family. Mr. Speaker, John Whiteside was indeed a memorable resident of Joliet. Readers of the Herald News have spent a few moments with John every Monday through Friday for nearly a quarter of a century. For these reasons, it is fitting that the House would pass this bill to name a post office in his honor in his hometown of Joliet. I urge all my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 2113. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I urge support from all Members for this measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from the State of New York (Mr. Fossella), the author of H.R. 2183. (Mr. FOSSELLA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) introduced H.R. 2630, which redesignates the postal facility located at 1927 Sangamon Avenue in Springfield, Illinois, as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.'' All members of the Illinois State congressional delegation have cosponsored this legislation, and I support its passage. James Michael Dietrich was an earnest lifelong postal employee. He began his career as a letter carrier in 1970. In 1983 he was promoted to supervisor of Delivery and Collections, and finally he earned the position of Customer Service Supervisor in 1989. Regardless of his rank or duties with the postal service, Dietrich gained the respect of his peers through his friendly demeanor, leadership, and hard work. Mike Dietrich died in September, 2003. He was a tremendous asset to the postal service and a terrific individual who is worthy of this fitting honor by the House. So I encourage my colleagues to join with the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood) and me in renaming the Northeast Annex in Springfield, Illinois as the ``J.M. Dietrich Northeast Annex.'' Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood). (Mr. LaHOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.