Jo Ann Emerson

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I had the distinct honor and privilege of chairing the 53rd National Prayer Breakfast, held at the Washington Hilton, here in our Nation's Capital on Thursday, February 3, 2005. As you know, this annual gathering is hosted by Members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives weekly prayer breakfast groups. Once again, we were honored that President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush participated and we were greatly encouraged by the remarks given by The Honorable Tony Hall, Ambassador, U.S. Mission to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies. This year, we hosted a gathering of over 3,500 individuals from all walks of life in all 50 states and from many countries around the world. Please find attached a copy of the program and the transcript of the 2005 proceedings that I respectfully request be printed in the Congressional Record so that all may benefit from this time together. 53rd National Prayer Breakfast--Thursday, February 3, 2005-- International Ballroom, Hilton Washington, Washington, DC We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men. . . .-- Declaration of Independence. Almighty God; We make our earnest prayer that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy Holy protection; and Thou wilt incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a spirit of subordination and obedience to government; and entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another and for their fellow citizens of the United States at large. And finally that Thou wilt most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our blessed religion, and without a humble imitation of whose example in these things we can never hope to be a happy nation. Grant our supplication, we beseech Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.--George Washington's Prayer for the United States of America, June 8, 1783. 53rd national prayer breakfast Chair: The Honorable Jo Ann Emerson; opening song, Wintley Phipps; pre-breakfast prayer, the Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II, U.S. House of Representatives, Missouri. breakfast Welcome, the Honorable Jo Ann Emerson, U.S. House of Representatives, Missouri; opening prayer, the Honorable Tom Osborne, U.S. House of Representatives, Nebraska; remarks-- Senate and House breakfast groups, the Honorable Mark Pryor, U.S. Senate, Arkansas, the Honorable Norm Coleman, U.S. Senate, Minnesota; a reading, the Honorable Dianne Feinstein, U.S. Senate, California; song, Wintley Phipps; readings from the Holy Scriptures, Sergeant Douglas Norman, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment ``The Old Guard,'' U.S. Army; prayer for national leaders, the Honorable Elaine Chao, U.S. Secretary of Labor; message, the Honorable Tony Hall, Ambassador, United States Mission to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Agencies. The President of the United States. Closing song, Wintley Phipps; closing prayer, the Honorable Lincoln Davis, U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee. proverbs 3:3-6 Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.--King Solomon. ezekiel 16:49-50 Thus said the Lord, behold the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore I did away with them as you have seen.--The prophet Ezekiel. matthew 7:12, 22:37-40 Therefore, Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets. ``You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'' This is the great and foremost commandment. And the second is like it. ``You should love your neighbor as yourself.'' On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the prophets.--Jesus of Nazareth. It is impossible to account for the creation of the universe, without the agency of a Supreme Being.--George Washington. I hold the precepts of Jesus as delivered by Himself, to be the most pure, benevolent, and sublime which have ever been preached to man.--Thomas Jefferson. We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth, and powers as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God! Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self- sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God who made us.--Abraham Lincoln. Almost every man who has by his life-work added to the sum of human achievement of which the race is proud, almost every such man had based his work largely upon the teachings of the Bible.--Theodore Roosevelt. No greater than could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of faith--a revival that would sweep through the homes of the nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to His will for themselves and for their world. I doubt if there is any problem--social, political, or economic--that would not melt away before the fires of such a spiritual revival.--Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I have a profound deep and abiding belief in the right to life. I have introduced a constitutional amendment to ban abortions every session of Congress since 1997 and have a perfect pro-life voting record. Two years ago I visited the Bader Peach Orchard in Campbell. I met the Baders' son, Cody, after my tour. Cody is a handsome and articulate young man who happens to live in a wheelchair because of a car accident. Cody asked that I rethink my opposition to embryonic stem cell research because he thought that one day if it did not help him, it might just help another young person like him. I later wrote a note to Cody's family telling them that even after hearing his story, I could not do as he asked. And I have regretted writing that letter ever since. My friends Joel and Dana Wood have a son James, who was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy when Dana was 9 months pregnant. James may never see his 21st birthday, and this is just heartbreaking. My late husband, Bill Emerson, and his mother, Marie, who passed away last night, both suffered from diseases for which stem cell research holds much hope: cancer and dementia. Embryonic stem cells are the only avenue for research we know of now that can possibly help alleviate those two diseases. Neither adult stem cells nor cord blood are plausible for the study or treatment of brain tissue. I have met with ethicists, scientists, two priests, and my own minister to talk about this agonizing decision. But when presented with an embryo, an embryo that cannot live outside a uterus, an embryo that is going to sadly be thrown out as medical waste, and the lives of little James Wood and young Cody, I ask do they not have as much of a right to life as that embryo that is going to be tossed away? I had dinner last Thursday night with my daughter and her friend, Will Coffman. Will's story is much like Cody's. We talked and talked about this issue. And Will said to me, We may never know how the story will end, but please do not let the story end right now. Mr. Speaker, my pro-life credentials are unquestioned. Who can say that prolonging a life is not pro-life? Technology and faith continue to present agonizing decisions and conflicts. Each life is precious, and so I must follow my heart on this and cast a vote in favor of H.R. 810.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I regret that my vote was not recorded even though I was present for rollcall No. 52 on H.R. 841, the Continuity in Representation Act. Had I been able to vote, I would have voted ``aye'' and would like the Record to reflect this fact.

Ms. EMERSON

Ms. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, in East Prairie, Missouri, there is no more well-known or better-loved gentleman than Teddy ``Pillar of Truth'' Bennett. Across our Nation, many fine Americans have met Mr. Bennett and he has had a great effect on their lives. I am certainly one of them. Mr. Bennett was born in the spring of 1930. He grew up on the banks of the wild and mighty Mississippi River. The usual entree in his Depression-era lunch was a gravy sandwich. Mr. Bennett served our Nation in the Korean war in the U.S. Army. When he returned, he came back to East Prairie. Eventually, Mr. Bennett formed his own business and began to gain fame for his fabulous fish fries. His cooking skills are renowned throughout the Nation--as are his character and his pure heart. The ``Pillar of Truth'' is a man who knows the age-old axiom that you nourish people with fish as well as with ideas. Teddy Bennett is more than an entrepreneur or a ``people person'' or a great storyteller. His whole life teaches us what it is about to grow up in Southern Missouri and make something of yourself. Teddy began his life's journey during the Great Depression. He learned the lessons of hard work and overcoming challenges as he grew up. He didn't set out to inspire us. It just happened that way. You hear a lot of stories about the Pillar of Truth--but I know lots of things that are true about him: Though he has made many friends, he has never lost one. He makes his living, and his life, out of bringing people together. And he knows that you feed people with more than food. Teddy is a sage--an intelligent, dedicated man who is just as proud of his community as we are of him. In recent years, Teddy Bennett has fought a war of his own with cancer, but he has not been alone. Every one of his many friends has stood shoulder to shoulder with him. They deserve the thanks of our Nation. Most of all, however, I would like to thank Mr. Bennett for being a trusted friend to the Emerson family and an inspiration in our world. You are our Pillar of Truth.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, the Mingo Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center was established in 1965 and is located on the southeastern corner of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Over 224 corps members participate in the program at Mingo at any one time. They can see daily what many people travel miles to observe on a National Wildlife Refuge. They are working to make a special effort to provide vocational work sites for training, as well as placement in permanent jobs, not just at Mingo, but on other facilities within the region. In a residential setting, students are given the opportunity to complete their secondary education, round out their social skills, and acquire a vocational skill. Vocational training is offered in the following trades at Mingo: automotive repair, building maintenance, bricklaying, carpentry, heavy equipment operation, painting, welding, clerical, culinary arts, and health services. With an audience of over 200 young people in residence for over a year on a National Wildlife Refuge, the Center is taking advantage of the opportunity to expose them to environmental awareness concepts in the education, vocational training, and residential living programs. The Center is a unique mix of human resources and natural resource management. The Mingo Job Corps Center, located in Puxico, Missouri, has become a critical part of the economy in Southeast Missouri. I first want to brag on the work the Center has done and give a little background on the work they do to better the community and the lives of those they serve. The Center has been crucial in providing the young people in Southeast Missouri many opportunities that they would not otherwise have available to them. The lack of viable economic opportunities in the area is staggering, and, as a result, many people in the area have to rely on government assistance to make ends meet. The Mingo Job Corps Center is the one place these people can go to develop the critical skills needed to enter the workforce. While some of the students at the Center are what we commonly refer to as being ``at-risk,'' the Job Corps program has allowed these young men and women to make a life for themselves and succeed. Additionally, the surrounding community has benefitted from the work of the Center because, upon graduation, the students are able to give back to the community with the skills they have learned. Last year, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that they did not have the budget to adequately operate the Center. As a result, the Department of Labor recommended that the operations of the Center be contracted out. I completely opposed the proposal to contract out the operations at the Mingo Job Corps Center. In response to the announcement to contract out operations Senator Bond and I introduced legislation to transfer the Mingo Center to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. By adding the Mingo Job Corps Center to the list of U.S. Forest Service-run facilities, we will protect the livelihood of the students and employees served by the Center and ensure that the facility will continue to be operated by an experienced and dedicated staff. Most importantly, the skilled workers who graduate from the Center will continue to add to the dedicated workforce and contribute to the health of the rural economy. I am very proud to bring this legislation to the House of Representatives for a vote today, because it represents an important initiative in rural Missouri. Our job training programs are vital to our economic success now and in the future. Keeping the Mingo Center open and operating is a small, but important way to acknowledge our commitment to a dedicated workforce.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Allen-Emerson comparative effectiveness research amendment. As my colleague said, as the costs of health care continue to rise, we really do need to make sure that our Nation's health care providers have every possible tool at hand so that they can understand the best, most efficient level of quality care to give their patients. We obviously in Congress have recognized that need because we authorized $75 million in funding for the Agency For Health Care Research and Quality to conduct comparative effectiveness and health care outcomes research. This information would be made available to providers and consumers alike and allow physicians and their patients to make more informed and personalized decisions on each individual patient's plan of care. More importantly, comparative effectiveness research will provide evidence-based research to help improve the efficiency of our health care system. Currently, very little objective evidence-based information is available to help physicians choose the most appropriate prescription medications for each patient. Without such information available, many patients may be prescribed a more expensive brand-name medication when a less costly generic medication may have the same clinical effectiveness. Funding further comparative effectiveness research efforts will provide American health care consumers with impartial research-based evidence of the value of different prescription medications and, moreover, will help drive down the costs of health care in the United States. Mr. Chairman, I also want to mention, in this time when we are all very concerned with the number of uninsureds around the country, with the increasing inflation in the health care delivery system, with small businesses and large businesses experiencing incredibly difficult increases in their costs, this is a measure that has been endorsed by many large and small employer groups, namely, the AARP, the AFL-CIO, Caterpillar Tractor Company, Eastman Kodak, Kaiser Permanente, Verizon Communications, General Motors, United Health Care, the Coalition For Health Services Research. I could go on and on. But the bottom line is anything that we can do effectively to lower the costs of delivering health care in this country is something that the Congress should do. I urge adoption of this amendment.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, S. Con. Res. 114, sponsored by my good friend and colleague from Massachusetts, Jim McGovern, calls to attention one of America's most important humanitarian missions-- alleviating the suffering of the world's starving children. Hunger claims more lives worldwide than HIV and AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined; a tragedy. Critical to feeding starving children is the McGovern-Dole International Food and Education and Child Nutrition Program, which provides hungry children around the world at least one nutritious meal each day in a school setting. This program has proven effective at reducing child hunger, increasing academic attendance and performance, and strengthening community commitment to education. The McGovern-Dole program currently feeds two million children a year. That's two million children who will attend school. Two million children who will not have to suffer through an afternoon of stomach pain from too little nutrition. Two million children who will grow up knowing that America cares, that America is willing to help those most in need. Today, more than ever, it is vital that individuals living in impoverish areas across the world look to the United States as an ally, and more than that, a partner. For these reasons, I am encouraged to see that the Agriculture Appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year, that the House overwhelmingly passed yesterday, included a $25 million increase for the McGovern-Dole program. Chairman Henry Bonilla of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, of which I am a member, demonstrated his compassion for the world's malnourished children by supporting the President's proposed increase for this program. This increase will make a significant difference. This resolution is right on target: A humanitarian crisis exists in the world and the McGovern-Dole program is part of the solution. I urge my colleagues to support this meaningful resolution.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, too. I can think of no better person for whom this program should be named. I have known Doug Bereuter for many, many years, really starting back when he first began his service in the Congress, and I know of him really as a very great and special person, a man who has always put principle above popularity, and that is a very rare characteristic among very few people. I had the good fortune of traveling with Doug recently on a NATO/ British-American parliamentary group meeting, and I was struck then, as I have been struck so many times, in listening to him speak, about the incredible knowledge and wisdom that he has through the years that he has spent on the Committee on International Relations and the fact that in every single instance he, too, put principle first, and his wisdom is something that we will sorely miss in this Congress. I want to congratulate him on his new endeavors but also tell him that he has set a very high standard for a Member of Congress, and I hope that we can all aspire to reach the same level that he has.

Mrs. EMERSON. I yield to the gentleman from Virginia.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by my good friend, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur). First of all, let me state for my colleagues that the report language in the Committee on Agriculture report simply encourages the Secretary of Agriculture to offer a GSM program to Iraq, an action that the USDA already has the statutory authority to take. Nothing in the bill or the report requires the Secretary to take any kind of action contrary to the current law. Meanwhile, the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) would apparently place unnecessary restrictions on the USDA's use of the GSM program in Iraq. Now, I know that the gentlewoman has argued that her amendment simply restates current law. Well, if this is the case, then the amendment is completely unnecessary. If this is not true, then the Kaptur amendment puts potential U.S. agricultural sales to Iraq in jeopardy. Jeopardizing U.S. agricultural sales to Iraq is no small matter, because it is no small matter to U.S. farmers and exporters. Almost $3.2 billion worth of U.S. agricultural commodities were sold to Iraq under the GSM export credit guarantee programs from 1987 through 1990. This included $579 million worth of rice, $535 million of wheat and wheat flour, $301 million of corn, $257 million of soybean meal, $169 million of sugar, $109 million of cotton, $61 million of dry beans, peas, lentils, and a long list of other commodities, including dairy products, eggs, leather, and lumber. One recent analysis indicated that U.S. rice farmers alone forfeited almost $2 billion in sales to Iraq as a result of the embargo against sales to Iraq. U.S. farmers need the GSM program to be available if they are to have any kind of a realistic opportunity to recapture this key export market. The future prosperity of U.S. agriculture should not be jeopardized by debts piled up by the Saddam Hussein regime. So, in conclusion, I want to say that I would like my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I would like them to oppose this amendment primarily because it is redundant and it is unnecessary. Adopting this amendment that would prohibit the use of funds for the violation of one narrow provision of law implies that it is acceptable to use the funds in the bill to violate the broad array of other laws carried out by the Department of Agriculture. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), chairman of the Committee on Agriculture.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Brooke and Mike Maroth--the recipients of the 2004 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Mr. and Mrs. Maroth have provided food aid to thousands of the nation's less fortunate. By greatly expanding the Rock and Wrap it Up! program, they are feeding the hungry in Detroit and around the nation. Mr. and Mrs. Maroth's innovation came at Mike's workplace--he has been a pitcher for the Detroit Tigers since 2002. After games at Comerica Park, leftover food would simply be thrown away. Brooke and Mike connected their effort to distribute that food with Rock and Wrap It Up--a program which donated leftover food from concert events--and started a whole new facet of the mission. Sports Wrap was the new venture, using the leftover food recovered from the stadium and clubhouse at Comerica. They have fed over 5,000 people in the Detroit area since 2003. Programs are underway at other stadiums throughout the country. Because of the philanthropic vision of Mr. and Mrs. Maroth, their good work has been repeated in other major-league cities. That is the mark of great volunteers--that others repeat their example. This is truly the case with Mr. and Mrs. Maroth. This is the vision my husband Bill Emerson had for domestic food aid programs when he worked to pass the Good Samaritan Food Act protecting these donations from liability. Mr. and Mrs. Maroth have more than earned the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Bill's hopes for hunger relief in America were very high when he worked to make Rock and Wrap It Up! possible in 1990. Rock and Wrap It Up! is a volunteer hunger relief charity, which has fed over 20 million since its inception. With over 4,000 volunteers in 500 cities across America, its dedicated supporters recover food in schools, colleges, music concerts, sporting events, and political and corporate functions. Rock and Wrap It Up! was adopted by resolution in 2003 by the United States Conference of Mayors to teach its successful strategies to cities to fill America's food pipeline to feed the indigent. Brooke and Mike are a major reason the program continues to gain notoriety and grow. They are proof that our commitment to feed America's hungry can always use new initiative and better ideas. As long as there are men, women and children who need the helping hand of other Americans, others like Brooke and Mike Maroth have proven they will be there with a helping hand to offer. Thank you for your kind service to our nation, Mr. and Mrs. Maroth. Congratulations on earning the 2004 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Award. Best of luck to both of you as you continue your noble work.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, the Flake amendment is very simple, and I will repeat what my colleagues have heretofore said. It prevents the Department of Commerce from carrying out new misguided regulations, further restricting gift parcels and personal baggage going to Cuba. Now, the stated purpose of these regulations, as my colleagues have said, is to prevent gift parcels sent to Cuba from supporting the Castro regime. In reality, we all know that these regulations will have little effect on the Cuban regime and, instead, will seriously hinder the ability of Cuban-Americans to send critical humanitarian aid to their family members in Cuba. I want to examine, if I could, Mr. Chairman, again some of the supposedly regime-supporting items that these Commerce Department regulations would prohibit Cuban-Americans from sending to family members in Cuba as a gift parcel. Seeds, so that a family might plant vegetables or flowers; clothing; personal hygiene items; fishing equipment; soap. Now, do those sound like items that if withheld from the Cuban people are going to bring down Castro's regime? I do not think so. There will be an impact, and there is no question that Cuban families will suffer. Mr. Chairman, imagine living with the knowledge that a member of your family residing in Cuba cannot afford adequate clothing, and we all know that the Castro regime makes it almost impossible to afford clothing, new items; but imagine that you could not send him or her this very basic item. Oh, you could send them a receive-only short-wave radio, but you cannot send them clothing or Kleenex, toilet paper? Come on. This is absolutely ridiculous. I know personally that if I had distressed family members in Cuba or any other country, that this country might prohibit me from sending items to them, that I would use every tool available in order to assist them. Securing travel to Cuba, I might try to pack as many essential items for my family that I could fit into my luggage; but then again, my efforts would be in vain because I would run into these restrictive Commerce Department regulations. These regulations would keep me from bringing more than 44 pounds of luggage per passenger, including my own personal clothing for the trip. By the way, as my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), said, thanks to the new regulations issued by the Treasury Department, I could only visit family in Cuba once every 3 years. It is kind of hard to pack 3 years of assistance to your family in 44 pounds of luggage. In this situation, how am I supposed to send my family clothing and other essentials? These regulations, Mr. Chairman, do not reflect this Nation's family values. I think, Mr. Chairman, that family values mean letting family members help each other. The Cuban people have experienced enough oppression. Let us not fund policies that cut them off from their families, intensifying their hardship. Vote for commonsense policies that reflect our values. Vote ``yes'' for the Flake amendment.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great American and a great Missourian, Colonel Edward Owsley, who passed away Monday at the age of 91. Colonel Owsley represented the best attributes of our Nation, through his service and sacrifice to our Nation in World War II, and of our state, by returning to Missouri to improve our community in every way he could. In his 26 years of active military service, Colonel Owsley attained the rank of colonel. He served with honor in the Far East Campaigns during World War II. Colonel Owsley retired in 1966, after his final duty as chief of staff at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri. But Colonel Ed (as we called him) did not stop serving our Nation when he retired from his post. As state president of the Association of the United States Army, Colonel Owsley combined his love of country with his love of the Army. As a member of the board that guided the military academy selection process with the Eighth District Congressional office, first for Bill and then for me, I knew Colonel Ed as an honest and fair man. As active as he was on military matters, Colonel Ed was even more involved in our communities. For 20 years, he acted as executive vice president of the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce. He served his community as a member of the Rolla City Council. Many of the building and development initiatives in and around Rolla over the last 40 years reflect his involvement. Colonel Owsley was a man you identified with the city of Rolla. His work on behalf of the community was not for personal gain--it was the result of his patriotism and civic pride. It is too bad he was one-of- a-kind, because we need more good Americans like him. But he has provided a tremendous example of selflessness and volunteerism to guide the leaders of tomorrow. That spirit is his best legacy. Colonel Ed was a true friend of Missouri. A vocal man, to be sure, but a man who always followed up his words with deeds. His death is a great loss to the American people. We will miss him dearly.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this bill, and I really want to thank the chairman for doing an exceptionally good job in putting this bill together, for lots of reasons, but primarily because the basic formula grants have been raised by $550 million, $36.7 million of which goes to the State of Missouri. Because I represent a very rural district, 28 counties, I have no large cities, the largest city in my district is 33,000 people, it is the premier agricultural district in Missouri. It is one in which, if I was a terrorist, I would want to take advantage of the psychological fear that I could use to impact the entire population of rural America. We have heard time and again that hundreds of U.S. Department of Agriculture documents have been found in abandoned al Qaeda caves. It is also reported that a significant part of the al Qaeda training manual is devoted to agricultural terrorism. This is a frightening fact when Members recall the purported terrorist interest in crop dusters, and there are probably 150 crop dusters running every single day in my district during this particular season. Our food supply comes from rural areas and that is one big reason to make sure that our rural areas continue receiving some level of homeland security funding. Nobody is immune from terrorism. While I think it is so very important and critical to protect our high-density urban areas, just remember that the food supply is something that is important for every single person in this country. We rely on that food supply to be safe and secure. It is very easy, it is very much easier to disrupt a food supply than it would be to cause an incident oftentimes in a high-density area. I think of the Mississippi River. That is my eastern border. We have millions of tons of chemicals and fertilizer moving up and down the river on barges. Not only does that present a clear danger and threat if tampered with, but it is just important. I think that the chairman has put together a very balanced bill, one that recognizes the needs of rural America as well as our urban cities. I ask all of my colleagues to support this bill. I thank the chairman for really treating all of the country fairly.

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to my good friend, the gentleman from New York's (Mr. Sweeney) amendment. This is not easy to do, because the tragedy that New Yorkers and so many from the surrounding area felt on 9/11 was our Nation's tragedy and touched every person in every community in America. But our Nation's urban areas are not the only areas at risk in the United States today. We cannot disregard the many what-ifs facing first responders and others working to secure our rural areas. What if a catastrophe occurs on a barge carrying fertilizers or other dangerous chemicals through the Upper Mississippi River or its many tributaries? What if a truck carrying a payload of toxic materials is hijacked on the thousands of miles of our Nation's rural highways? What if terrorists seek to operate training grounds with the purpose of planning terrorist attacks in our rural areas? Clearly, there is an obvious need to equip our Nation's cities with adequate resources to prevent and respond to emergency situations, but it is also not responsible to suggest that urban areas are the sole targets of those individuals who wish to do us harm. Mr. Chairman, homeland security efforts in our urban areas are funded more than adequately in the underlying legislation, and I, for one, cannot in good conscience tell my neighbors in Cape Girardeau, Missouri or my constituents in Rolla or West Plains, or even those who live near prairies and pastures, that protection of their lives is any less important than those who live in New York City, Los Angeles, or Chicago. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Sweeney amendment.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, as we mourn the passing of President Ronald Reagan, I remember one experience in 1985 that to me defines President Reagan best. It was my daughter Katharine's first visit to the White House with the Emerson family. As we approached the Oval Office, outside of which we were to wait for the President, the door swung open. Katharine had been obediently holding my hand, but at that moment she broke away from me and she ran towards President Reagan. The Secret Servicemen standing between us and the President moved to stop her. ``No, no,'' President Reagan calmly said to them. Katharine flew past the Secret Servicemen and jumped into the President's arms, and he lifted her up high. The genuine joy on both of their faces struck me then. Today the memory reminds me that as strong a man as he was, President Reagan could easily match the enthusiastic happiness of a 2-year-old. Even before she met him, Ronald Reagan was my daughter's hero. It was not the President's rhetoric that won her. It was not his stalwart countenance under the distress of terror in the Middle East, his unwavering courage in the face of communism, or his passionate leadership in the shadow of a nuclear threat. Not even the lure of the jelly bean jar on his desk made Reagan a great man to Katharine. Plainly put, the quality that won her was the same one that won us all: his sincerity. He was quintessentially American. He was a Midwesterner. He was a success story. He was a visionary. And finally, Ronald Reagan was not just a leader whom we believed in; he was a leader who believed in us. But when I remember Ronald Reagan, I think of him calling off the Secret Service agents and happily sweeping Katharine up into his arms. He swept us all up that same way, and the tide of sincerity on which he carried us is the same one welling up in the eyes of our Nation right now. A photo of Katharine in President Reagan's arms, taken seconds after she defied us to pursue a hug from her hero, today hangs in the front room of my Washington office. Every time I walk through that door, I see the photo and think of him as millions of us do: as a member of our family.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, first I would like very much to thank my colleagues from the Committee on Government Reform for so swiftly passing this very important bill out of the committee. I know that the family of Private First Class Wilson is very proud at this moment, and will be even prouder when we pass this bill later today. I do have the honor, Mr. Speaker, to speak on behalf of this bill to honor a true American hero from the district I represented in southern Missouri. H.R. 4037 would dedicate the Cape Girardeau Processing and Distribution Facility for mail to hometown and American hero Private First Class Richard G. Wilson. I know that my other colleagues who have spoken have mentioned some of the important things that Private First Class Wilson did, but I would like to mention them once again. Private First Class Wilson joined thousands of courageous soldiers who fought in the Korean War when he enlisted in the United States Army and became part of Company 1, Medical Company, 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment. As a U.S. Army medic in active combat during the Korean War at the age of 19, Private First Class Wilson accompanied his unit during a reconnaissance mission through Opari in Korea. When the troops were ambushed in a narrow valley, Pfc. Wilson administered aid to his wounded comrades. Even though his company commander ordered the unit to move out, Pfc. Wilson returned to the field of battle to rescue a soldier who was left for dead, but was attempting to crawl to safety. Private First Class Wilson was unarmed, but that did not deter him from his mission. Two days later, Private First Class Wilson was found dead beside the man he gave his life trying to save. This is an example of the superb bravery that reflects Richard Wilson's character and so rightly earned him the Nation's highest military award, the Medal of Honor. In 1951, the Medal of Honor was awarded to Richard G. Wilson's widow, Yvonna Wilson, at the Pentagon. Today she and hundreds of Cape Girardeau residents remember and honor Pfc. Wilson's bravery and commitment to our country. It is very appropriate his memory become a prominent part of our community. Naming the postal facility after Pfc. Wilson will serve as a lasting testament of our gratitude to him for his brave example, just as we are proud of all men and women from southern Missouri and around the country who have served our country so honorably. Richard Wilson exemplifies the valor of so many men and women who have served our Nation in uniform. This simple reminder of his brave actions will stand as a testament in Cape Girardeau that we respect his sacrifice, but it also will signal that we wish him to serve as an example for generations of Americans to come. With this designation we claim him for our own and honor his memory. Our definition of the word ``hero'' has changed many times over the years. Private First Class Wilson, however, is a hero for any era.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the accomplishments of Mildred Wallhausen, a great Missourian, a great American, and a great friend of mine. Millie is more than a hero to the many men and women whose lives she has touched--she is a mentor. I and many others owe Millie a tremendous debt of gratitude for her selfless service. Millie will turn 90 on April 3, 2004. For the great majority of her 90 years, she has participated in the public life of my congressional district. For 68 of her 90 years, Millie has been a member of the newspaper staff of the Charleston Enterprise-Courier. She and her family have published the paper since her husband's death in 1969. Over the years, Millie has served as reporter, photographer, editorialist, bookkeeper, file clerk, advertising salesperson, and editor in addition to her long service as publisher. She is a member of the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame. Millie cannot be defined in terms of the titles she has held at the newspaper, however. She has been a pillar of her community. Serving on nearly every committee in the community and encouraging participation in public affairs are just the start. After the death of her husband, Millie adopted three young women, wards of the juvenile court, and provided a stable home environment for them. Millie knew firsthand the value of an adult role model to these girls, she herself was orphaned at the age of 4. Among her other civic activities, Millie has served as president of the PTA and two women's federated clubs, as a member of the State Mental Health Task Force, and as a Sunday School teacher at various churches in the communities in which she has lived. Even at the age of 90, Millie is still an active member of the Boards of the Mississippi County Community Sheltered Workshop and the East Prairie Housing Authority. Not only has Mildred Wallhausen changed our communities, she has forever changed the lives of the people who call them home. She has always looked upon her responsibilities at her newspaper as a form of public service. As a personal hero of mine, she has shown uncommon strength in her desire to both do good through her own actions and communicate good through her work. She is an invaluable servant of our Nation, and she is an example for women everywhere. Congratulations Millie, on your 90th birthday, and thank you for your guidance and kindness to me, your community, State, and Nation.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the students of St. Francois County in the Eighth Congressional District of Missouri for their outstanding efforts in gathering items to donate to U.S. troops serving overseas. As a school project in cooperation with the Leadington VFW Post No. 5741, students in the West County and Central school districts have collected personal hygiene products, writing supplies, games, food, and magazines for the men and women of National Guard Unit 1140 Company A, serving right now in Iraq. Many students have also added personal cards to their contributions. The patriotism of these young students is very moving. I am extremely proud of their selfless efforts. They are providing an example to our communities and our Nation that we must unite behind our men and women in uniform to give our support to their mission and to show our appreciation for their hard work. It is especially heartening to find that spirit in our youngest fellow Americans. At an early age, these students have learned the value of standing with their fellow Americans for a noble and just cause. They are taking the first steps in good citizenship and community service. Their goodwill is circling the globe and brightening the day of our brave soldiers of the 1140th who have taken on a great task in Iraq. The 1140th is a combat engineering battalion, but its mission is symbolic for our Nation as well. These men and women from southern Missouri are not going to Iraq with the sword in hand. They are going with the plowshare and the builder's square. Others before them have liberated the Iraqi people from Saddam Hussein, from terror, and from oppression. Their work in Iraq serves a new mission: to liberate the same people from poverty, from fear, and from hopelessness. Back home, the children in the West County and Central school districts are learning the value of their sacrifices. They are an important link in the supply chain for the 1140th in Iraq. The efforts of these students is connecting our loved ones with their homes in Missouri, and that is a very important mission all of us should undertake. I would also like to express my appreciation for the sponsors and coordinators from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the community for their help in this project.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, Susan B. Anthony campaigned endlessly for women's rights to equality and freedom. Her protecting legacy has taught many American women how to fight injustice, and this lesson includes the unborn. For Anthony, the rights of women and the rights of unborn children are the same. Susan B. Anthony is best known for her leading role in the women's suffrage movement, but few realize that she was also a strong pro-life activist. February marks the 184th year following her birth, and there could hardly be a more fitting commemoration than the passage of the Unborn Victims of Violence Act. This Act would hold individuals accountable for harming a life when, in the act of committing a federal crime, an unborn child is killed or injured. Murder must not go unrecognized and unpunished. The law should recognize two victims and two distinct tragedies. After a brutal beating, a New York mother delivered two stillborn twins. The law saw one assault victim, but was blind to the two lives lost. This horrible crime and numerous others are going unpunished; Congress must act to stop this injustice. The key to understanding abortion lies in the recognition of a human life wherever it exists. We must follow Susan B. Anthony's example and recognize the lives of unborn children. I encourage all Members of Congress to support our unborn children and pass the Unborn Victims of Violence Act.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I was attending to a family emergency and missed the following recorded votes. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on Rollcall No. 19; ``yes'' on Rollcall No. 20; and ``yes'' on Rollcall No. 21.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as co-leader of the Honorary Congressional Girl Scout Troop to honor Kathy Cloninger, the new Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA. Kathy is fully deserving of the mark of distinction that Girl Scouts of the USA has placed on her as new CEO. She is a proven and respected leader. Ms. Cloninger has a wonderful, long, and highly regarded history in Girl Scouting. For decades she has been a steadfast advocate for girls. Kathy comes to Girl Scouts of the USA from Cumberland Valley Girl Scout Council in Tennessee where she served as CEO. During her tenure there, she had incredible success increasing membership, especially in under- served communities, and her innovative leadership helped to create some of the most contemporary programming in Girl Scouting. Kathy has been bestowed with many prestigious awards recognizing her for her character and her profound vision. Most notably, Kathy is a woman with a strong sense of purpose and a commitment to advancing her vision for Girl Scouts. Her goal is to increase the organization's strength as a national, aggressive advocate for girls in this country, and I am certain she will accomplish this goal with grace and ability. Girl Scouts of the USA is the world's preeminent organization for girls, and for 92 years it has been dedicated to empowering girls to grow strong. Over 50 million women, including myself, have been Girl Scouts. Today, the organization continues to address contemporary issues affecting girls and boasts a membership of nearly three million girls and one million volunteers. I am proud to be part of such a remarkable organization and look forward to watching Girl Scouts of the USA grow and thrive under Kathy's leadership. Mr. Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating Kathy Cloninger in her new position and praise her for the exemplary work she has done and will continue to do as the new Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of the USA.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize September as Missouri Rice Month and to urge all Americans to enjoy rice as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Rice is the staple grain for more than 4 billion men, women, and children worldwide. Eight out of ten people depend on rice for 40 percent of their energy needs. As a $2 billion cash crop, rice is the fifth most valuable food crop in America. Rice is vital to the economic stability of agricultural producers across the nation. Moreover, America exports rice to more than 100 foreign countries, providing nearly 15 percent of the rice in the global market. With 1.2 billion of the world's population living in poverty and 800 million undernourished, there is no more serious issue than hunger relief Here in America, we have the rice supply to alleviate much of this suffering - and no continent in the world has been affected more by hunger than Africa. In July, three rice farmers from Stoddard County, Missouri, accompanied me to Rome to learn more about how to get our Missouri products to African communities that desperately need food aid. Internationally, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agricultural Organizations of the United Nations are working to implement commonsense programs to educate Africans on American agricultural products, to increase American exports and food aid to Africa, and to initiate school feeding programs. By enabling America's thriving rice producers to meet the food needs of the starving and malnourished around the world, we can overcome hunger. But first we must raise awareness of America's quality agricultural exports. As more nations accept our food products for their own hunger relief, the demand for our rice will continue to grow. The satisfaction of improving and saving lives is the only reward America needs. Missouri Rice Month will help us meet our humanitarian goals, and Missouri Rice Farmers will keep growing the grain that feeds the world.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I inadvertently voted ``yea'' on rollcall vote 463, ordering the previous question for H. Res. 351, Providing for Consideration of H.R. 2989, Departments of Transportation and Treasury Appropriations Act of 2004. I ask that, even though the record cannot reflect this statement, you consider me opposed to the automatic pay increases that may result from passage of this provision, by a vote of 240-173, this morning. In the 106th and 107th Congresses, I was one of a handful of Representatives to cosponsor legislation to eliminate these automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress. My voting record over the past seven years reflects my strong opposition to automatic cost-of-living adjustments for Members of Congress. A ``nay'' vote would have best reflected my opposition to automatic pay adjustments. I apologize for the way in which this inadvertent vote may have misled you to believe I am in favor of such an automatic pay increase.

Mrs. EMERSON

Mrs. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, today we may be voting on a measure to open American markets to the reimportation of prescription drugs. I say we may be voting because, as a Member of this House, I have never seen an issue so important to me, to our colleagues, and to the American people treated so unfairly. Access to affordable prescription drugs is too important an issue to only be debated on the House Floor for 1 hour. Under the rule formulated for the debate on reimportation, the Speaker may pull this bill at any time. If that happens, Americans may remain under the thumb of the pharmaceutical industry for the foreseeable future. In America, breast cancer kills over 40,000 people, especially women, each year. Mr. Speaker, a bottle of Tamoxifen used to fight breast cancer costs $360 in the United States. It costs $60 in Germany. How long will American women who cannot afford Tamoxifen continue to subsidize those in Europe who can? And if the drug companies have their way in this debate, Mr. Speaker, the sorry status quo will persist. Lives will be shortened, lives will be lost. This is bad process, bad form, and a bad rule. Our seniors deserve better.