Eliot Engel

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I agree that we ought to give Ben the hardest job and he will handle it very easily. I have no further requests for time, and I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I would like to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Graves), for introducing such a timely resolution. Mr. Speaker, a nation discovers its true friends in times of crisis. Since the tragedy of September 11, America has found that it has many friends around the globe. Mr. Speaker, we have seen that the United States has a tremendous friend and ally in the war on terrorism in Great Britain. No head of state has been more supportive of the United States in this battle than British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Since September 11, British troops fought alongside U.S. forces to liberate Afghanistan and to root out terrorists. Britain acted as the lead nation for the international security assistance force in Afghanistan until the mission was turned over to Turkey. Humanitarian aid has flowed from Britain to Afghanistan, and the British government has enacted new counterterrorism legislation. In short, Mr. Speaker, the United Kingdom has stood shoulder-to- shoulder with the United States in the war on terrorism. In the horrendous terrorist attacks of September 11, Britain lost 67 of its citizens. The U.S. has expressed its sympathies to the families of these British victims. Mr. Speaker, British Prime Minister Tony Blair has shown extraordinary leadership in the war on terrorism. This resolution recognizes his leadership and expresses the appreciation of the Congress and the American people. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor one of my closest friends and colleagues who has announced his retirement, a great friend of us all, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), and I do mean gentleman. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has provided 30 years of service in the House, representing Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, and Westchester Counties. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has a distinguished record in the U.S. Air Force: from 1942 to 1945 as a Staff Sergeant in the 19th Bomb Group of the 20th Army Air Force flying 35 missions over Japan and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters. Here in the House, he served as ranking minority member on the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service from 1989 to 1993, earning the reputation as a key spokesman for a safe, equitable workplace for civil service and postal service employees. Of course, probably the most distinguished thing that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has done in the House has been the 6 years he served as chair of the Committee on International Relations. What a sterling chair he was. He and his wife Georgia and myself and my wife have been friends. We have taken trips, and we have done so many things together. I really treasure our friendship. In reapportionment, districts change. My district takes over some of the area that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) has represented so ably for 30 years in Rockland County. I just want to make my colleagues aware of what happened about a month ago in Rockland County. There was a tribute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) which was on local cable. I went there to offer my words of tribute, and the place was packed. You could not even get in the room, there were so many people in so many walks of life, from both political parties, all kinds of community people going and singing their praises about the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman). Everybody was saying the same thing: There was no better person who was more dedicated, who was just an all-around wonderful individual, who loves his job. People say in Rockland County, if there are two people in the room, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) would be there, because he realizes that it is his responsibility and his honor to be there. When I think of the kind of representative that we all try to be, I can think of no better role model than my good friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman). I want to say that New York's loss is certainly going to be the United States' gain, because we know that the gentleman is going to continue with public service and have a position of even higher importance. As the dean of our delegation, as somebody who has worked so hard on the Republican side, the dean of the Republican side, there has been no truer friend to all of us in New York than the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman). So I want to say to the gentleman that it has been a pleasure and an honor to be his friend, to be his colleague. We will always be friends. Again, in Rockland County, it is very big shoes to fill. While no one can really fill the gentleman's shoes, I am going to try just a little bit. So I thank the gentleman, and I know that he is going to move on to bigger and better things, but we are going to remain close and remain friends, because that is the kind of person that the gentleman is. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), the ranking member of the Committee on Ways and Means and the dean of the New York delegation. (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Hinchey).

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman). (Mr. ACKERMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. I just want to say, because it has been said so many times before, if you have gone on trips with Ben Gilman there has been no one who worked harder than Ben on these trips. I just want to say, after Ground Zero, all of us as New Yorkers after September 11, a few days later we all went to Ground Zero when President Bush went there. I think it was 3 days after the tragedy, and Ben was just going around to the firemen and the policemen and all the people there, consoling them, speaking with them, people from his district who will now be in my district. That is just the kind of person he is. Finally, I want to say, Ben has fought long and hard, and there is no better friend of the State of Israel than Ben Gilman. I think Ben has heard all his colleagues saying all the things about him that we all feel from the bottom of our hearts. We love you. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur).

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor two wonderful people who have dedicated their lives to making the Bronx and New York City a better place. In fact, Arnie and Sharon Hyman have more than 70 years of combined community service. Over the years I have worked with both Arnie and Sharon in many community and political efforts. They are now retiring, but I am sure will continue to be an important part of our community. Born on the 4th of July of 1947, Sharon Lynn Blank Hyman is a true American public servant. She attended Hunter College during her undergraduate years and obtained her Masters in Library Science at Columbia University. She began her career as a children's librarian in 1969 at the Westchester Square Branch Library, the place where she met her husband. While working at the New York City Board of Education, Sharon devoted much of her love and care to her three children. She worked for more than a dozen years as a substitute teacher and then as a school librarian at Middle School 206B. These many years of dedication and passion for her work have made Sharon Hyman a loved and admired citizen of the Bronx. Arnold Shalom Hyman, a Bronx native himself, also made significant contributions that won him the affection of the Bronx community. He received his Associates Degree in Business Retailing from the Bronx Community College, his Bachelor's Degree from Long Island University, and his Master's Degree in Library Science from Queen's College. After 38 years of experience at the New York Public Library, Arnie became the regional branch librarian at the Kingsbridge Library Center. He has also led the longest running community book discussion group in the Bronx. His service also extends to his participation in the Pelham Reform Democratic Club and the community board meetings of Riverdale. Additionally, Arnie served as President of the Community Center of Israel and as an active member of the New York Library Association. This couple exemplifies the integrity of the American family. They have three children Amy, Elena and Stefan. I would like to join them and all their relatives and friends in congratulating them and wishing them well in their retirement.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. The only thing I wanted to add, Mr. Speaker, was that the gentleman pointed out that so many people from New York City and the suburbs of New York lost their lives. Both Senators from New Jersey were there today at Ground Zero, and the Governor was; both Senators from New York, and the New York Governor was. In my district in Rockland County and Westchester County, the suburbs of New York City, so many people lost their lives: firemen, policemen, and average citizens who went to work. So this is truly a regional feeling, and absolutely a national feeling; but of course, in the New York City metropolitan area, a regional feeling, as well. I thank the gentleman for mentioning that.

Mr. ENGEL. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), my friend, for yielding to me, and I am very grateful that we are able to speak on the floor about September 11 today because I have just gotten back from New York and spent my morning at Ground Zero at the World Trade Center site where we had extremely moving events. I was just out in front of the Capitol where I sang ``God Bless America'' with so many of our colleagues, and for me being in two places the same day, Ground Zero, the World Trade Center, and at the Capitol where we now know that the doomed flight from Pennsylvania was heading towards the Capitol. It has been a very emotional roller coaster for me to be in both cities one day. Flying the shuttle, it was practically empty. A lot of people were obviously not flying today. But I am just so proud the way this Congress and the American people are handling the anniversary of the tragedy that happened 1 year ago today. I saw, as I have seen in my city since September 11, just an outpouring of goodwill, of people just hugging each other and banding together and taking pride in being New Yorkers and taking pride in being Americans and just wanting to help each other, care about each other, be concerned with each other. We saw that again when I drove down this morning. The first thing we saw when we got near Ground Zero were people with American flags and having victory signs and thumbs-up signs and just hugging each other. When we actually got to the event, there was a platform and we started with different famous speeches that were made, and then at the exact times that the planes hit the World Trade Center, both towers, there were moments of silence, and then at the exact times that the buildings crumbled a year ago, there were bells tolling and moments of silence, and all the names of all the victims of the September 11 tragedy at the World Trade Center were read from A to Z, and it was very, very moving. I was given a list of names to read to be part of the procedure, to read the names, and I realized that someone had come in who was a family member of someone who had died at the World Trade Center and he had no names to read, and I gave him my list to read because it was just enough for me to be there to just get the feeling. And I will tell my colleagues, it was a very windy day in New York City today, and it was almost as if one could just feel the spirit lifting everybody that was there. I do not think I have ever had anything that has been as emotional or as emotionally uplifting. It was sad, very, very sad, but at the same time it made us feel like we were all part of something and that we were all together as Americans and as New Yorkers. There were thousands upon thousands of people. There were family members making their way down to the exact spot of Ground Zero. Last night at about 1 o'clock in the morning, there were processions, actually marches, of people from all five boroughs. New York City, of course, has five boroughs. The Bronx, where I am from; Brooklyn; Manhattan; Queens; and Staten Island. And people started from the farthest reaches of the city, from the farthest points of the five boroughs from Ground Zero and all converged at Ground Zero. And so as the names were being read out, family members were marching down and we could see the family members. Yo Yo Ma was playing as he does so well, and it was just a very moving experience. I said the week of September 11 last year after touring the site with the President 3 days after that I was never more proud to be an American and never more proud to be a New Yorker, and I feel that way again today. And I do hope that every September 11 we can all come together. I hope we can do it 365 days of the year, but I think that September 11 is a day that we really always need to reflect and always need to understand how proud we are to be Americans, how proud we are to be New Yorkers. The terrorists think that they can destroy our way of life, but they cannot. Quite the opposite. Because what I see is a resolve amongst Americans, amongst people in this country like I have never seen before. It is almost as if a sleeping giant has awakened, and we are going to ensure that the evil of terrorism is eradicated all over the world wherever it rears its ugly head, and this country will always be in the forefront of fighting evil. And we understand what it means to be an American, and we understand why it is so important that we all band together and help each other because that really gives us the meaning of what life is all about. And those people, those poor people, and I will conclude, who perished on September 11 did not perish in vain because they will always be in our minds, they will always be in our hearts, and the heroism that we saw from the first responders to everybody else, the untold acts of heroism that we will never know about, those people are an inspiration to all of us.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on Energy and Commerce has worked in a truly bipartisan fashion to bring this legislation to the full House today. The three of us on the committee that represent New York City, myself and the gentlemen from New York (Mr. Towns and Mr. Fossella) have all worked very closely with the leadership of the Committee to put this before our colleagues. Mr. Speaker, helping New York has been something that has been done in a bipartisan fashion since the tragic events of last September 11. This, of course, is part and parcel of that. New York City was hit not because it was some random place that was picked, but because New York is a symbol of what this country is, a symbol. That is why when New York was hit, everyone responded, because everyone understands that New York is a symbol of our great country. As we know, and was mentioned by my colleagues, New York is facing a conformity lapse on October 1 of this year. H.R. 3880 will grant a temporary limited waiver for New York's Clean Air Act conformity requirements. Mr. Speaker, the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council is the main agency that conducts the regional emissions analysis for New York, and as my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella), just mentioned, the NYMTC offices were on the 82nd floor of New York World Trade Center One, and were destroyed in the attacks of September 11. Three staff members are still missing and presumed dead, and all the vital data and institutional knowledge of the staff were lost on that fateful day. As such, it is impossible for New York to meet its conformity requirements. I want to stress that without this waiver, New York will lapse out of conformity in less than a month, and many vital transportation projects will be halted, which threatens to cripple the region at a time when it is still struggling to recover. The Clean Air Act sets out strict air quality standards to ensure that metropolitan areas remain at safe air quality levels. The Clean Air Act is vital to the health and welfare of residents across the country. That is why I have worked very hard to balance the need for the legislation with the best interests of my fellow New Yorkers and the environmental community, as well. I have similarly been working to promote better and less polluting transportation throughout the New York metropolitan area, and have coordinated closely with Governor Pataki on this matter. On July 22, 2002, I wrote to the Governor to urge his support for expanded ferry service from Rockland County to Manhattan and Westchester County to Manhattan, and I am pleased to announce that the Governor has responded favorably to my request and has assured me that he will make clean air transportation projects such as these a priority. I want to also mention that in discussions with the chairman of our committee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman Tauzin), we were supposed to have report language about the ferry service from Rockland and Westchester Counties in the bill, and through an oversight it was omitted. But I want to assure my colleagues that the chairman of the Committee and others on the committee in a bipartisan fashion have assured me that they will work with us to make this ferry service a reality. There are provisions in the legislation that require New York to report to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, EPA, and DOT on the air quality during the waiver period. These reports will allow us to monitor New York's progress to get back into conformity by the year 2005. I am pleased that this legislation has the support of the Environmental Defense Fund and the environmental defense community, and I will continue to work with them and Governor Pataki to ensure that air quality standards will be of the utmost priority during the waiver period. Mr. Speaker, it is truly fitting that the House of Representatives is considering this legislation today. It will be a year tomorrow since the terrorist attacks, and this great body has shown its solidarity with New York. In fact, it is 52 weeks today, to this very day, that the tragedy happened. It is important that the Congress continue its commitment to see us through as we continue our recovery in New York. I was pleased to be with my colleagues just last Friday when we had this special session in New York. I want to thank, in conclusion, the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), for all of their hard work on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed legislation.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise first to thank all my colleagues for voting to bring the Congress here to New York. Its been more than 200 years since Congress last met in New York City. It is a fitting tribute that Congress has returned here at this most sorrowful time. The past year has been a tragic and very difficult time for me and my fellow New Yorkers. We watched in horror as terrorists hijacked two commercial airliners and slammed them into the World Trade Center. We watched in horror as the Twin Towers came down and dust and debris blanketed lower Manhattan. We watched in horror as the names of the more than 3,000 people murdered that day were announced. But, in the days and weeks that followed, we New Yorkers experienced something else. We felt the hopes and prayers of millions of Americans flow over us. We felt the pride of being an American swell and invigorate us all. We felt the determination of the greatest nation the earth has every known renew itself and commit to rebuilding. The terrorists intended many things with their attack. They sought to grievously wound our nation. And we were--we paid with the blood of our fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brother and sisters. They sought to disrupt our economy. And they did--billions of dollars have been lost and will be spent on recovery. The terrorists also sought to incite fear into the hearts and souls of every American. But, they FAILED. Instead, they inspired a nation of freedom loving people to stand up to those who would seek to deny them their liberties, their justice, and the American way of life. They inspired us to fight back, so that our children's children will grow up in a world where they can safely speak their views, engage in the political system, and worship in their own way. As we meet here, in this historic location, I am reminded of one of our country's greatest Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. His words, spoken more than a century ago, are most fitting today: ``we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.''

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to honor Gladys Brown McFarlane, known to many as Sister Brown, as she turns 100. She is a remarkable woman for her devotion to her peers, community and country. I have known her personally since we both moved into the same building in Co-Op City in November 1971. She truly is a selfless woman who touches the lives of all whom she encounters. As a resident of Co-Op City for over 30 years, she continues to be active within the Co-Op City Baptist Church. Not only does she continue to attend services regularly, but she has also served as a Deaconess, Usher and a willing volunteer through her membership for over 25 years. She has also assisted others as an Inhalation Technician at Bellevue Hospital in New York City for over 20 years. If this wasn't enough, Ms. Brown served in the Medical Section of the United States Army starting in 1943 and was honorably discharged in September 1945. Clearly, the compassion that Gladys has for others has no boundaries. In her spare time, Gladys is a member of The American Legion, Co-Op City Post 1871 and also enjoys traveling. In her many years, she has traveled extensively. I am sure that those whom she has met in her travels and her comrades from the American Legion agree with me that the warmth and compassion she has is hard to come by. Her determination and strong work ethic are clearly inherent in Gladys' character as at the age of 14 she migrated from the Montego Bay in the British West Indies to the United States to live with an uncle residing in Harlem, New York. Today, she is the youngest and only living of four siblings. Despite this, her family still extends far as she has a host of nieces and nephews, legionnaires and comrades, friends, neighbors, acquaintances and everyday admirers. I am lucky to know Gladys and honored to come before you today on behalf of her 100th birthday. I firmly believe that I am a better person for knowing Gladys and believe that everyone who comes in contact with her feels the same way as well.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding to me, and I want to also pay tribute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) and to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the majority leader, and of course, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), who is the dean of the New York delegation who has led us so well for so many years. This was not only a strike on September 11 at New York City. It was not, of course, only a strike in downstate New York or in the suburbs of New York City. It was a strike at our great Nation, at our country. The terrorists thought that they could make us cower and that we never again could perhaps regain the greatness that we always have known. New York City has been the symbol of this country for so many years, but they were wrong. They were wrong because in the aftermath of September 11 all our colleagues rallied around New York and asked how they could help. All of us that represent downstate New York and the cities and the suburbs, we were all, as all New Yorkers were, touched by the tragedy. All of us had friends and constituents and people who lost their lives on September 11. All of us attended funerals of people who lost their lives on September 11, and the pain is still there. As my colleagues have said, the wound is still there. The wound does not allow us to just throw up our hands and walk away. The wound makes us even more determined to rebuild and to show the world what New York really means; and so shortly thereafter, the United States Congress, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the President, and everyone rallied around New York; and massive dollars were put into New York to help us rebuild, and that process is continuing and will have to continue and we will be coming back to Congress for more because we need to keep the rebuilding process going. The spirit of New York, if anyone had any doubt about how New Yorkers would react, they need not have any doubt anymore, because what we saw in the next days, and I was in New York city as well on September 11, and the day right after, as my colleague from the Bronx also said. The only way a person could get back to Washington was driving, and I remember having a staffer driving me because my car was here, parked at the airport; and as we went over the George Washington Bridge and looked to see where the towers used to be, instead of the towers we saw smoke rising because, if my colleagues remember, there was smoke coming out for a long, long time, for weeks and weeks and months after the tragedy. When I looked at that, I just broke down because it was just too much to fathom. In the time since, every time I go back and forth every week, I always look at the skyline and something, of course, is missing and it really is an open wound. But we will rebuild, and of course, the towers, terrible tragedy, but not as tragic as the human life that was lost on September 11, not only in New York City but in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon as well. So the Congress coming to New York on September 6 is a very, very fitting tribute and one that we are very, very grateful for because it shows that a year later, the country, the Congress has not forgotten and what more fitting tribute than to bring the people's House to the people of New York City. I hope that this will be the start of many, many events coming to New York City to show solidarity with the people of New York. I hope both the Democratic and Republican national conventions come to New York City. I hope the Olympics come to New York City, and I hope that people from all over the country continue to flock to New York City and tourism and other things because the city has so much to offer. Mr. Speaker, I said in the aftermath of September 11 on the floor of this House that I was never prouder to be an American and never prouder to be a New Yorker; and just the way the events of September 11, I said at the time, have awakened a sleeping giant, the United States, and we will win the war on terrorism, make no mistake about it. It will take many years. It will take a lot of money, but we will win that war. We saw something with New Yorkers, not only the heroism on September 11 and afterwards where everybody just pitched in, firefighters, policemen, iron workers, average citizens coming in; but the fact that the camaraderie that we saw, the true caring of human beings, the banding together to show what New Yorkers are made of, that made me very, very proud. I will be there on September 6 with my colleagues, and I hope that a majority of colleagues from both sides of the aisle, from all parts of the country come to New York on September 6; and I hope people do not only just come and leave. I hope people stay because the symbol of New York is a symbol of this country. The terrorists, again, did not hit New York because it was New York. They hit the World Trade Center because of the symbolism of what that center meant in the United States. So I am pleased to join with my colleagues to thank my colleagues and to say I will be seeing them all on September 6 in New York, New York, the greatest city in the world.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I now ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

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

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment. The CHAIRMAN pro tempore. The Clerk will designate the amendment.

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Chairman, at the conclusion of offering this amendment, I will request to withdraw it by unanimous consent. Mr. Chairman, 1 month ago today, President Bush, I guess 1 month ago yesterday now, President Bush made a very important speech on the Middle East. He said that the United States would support the establishment of a Palestinian state, but only if Palestinian leaders meet specific benchmarks, including reformed, noncorrupted political processes, a new leadership not compromised by terror, and a unified restructured security force. I strongly supported the President's speech and his plan. The Palestinians need new leaders. Yasar Arafat is too compromised by terrorism, not only to fight Hamas and Islamic jihad, but to stand up to elements of the PLO itself. Under Arafat's watch, his own PLO Fatah faction, which includes the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, has established a long track record of terror attacks against innocent Israeli civilians. The Palestinians deserve leaders who will stand up for their interests, not turn down peace plans like the one presented at Camp David 22 months ago. I agree with the President that the Palestinian Authority's security apparatus must be reformed so that it can effectively fight terrorism, and I am glad that CIA Director Tenet will take personal hold of this project. The amendment I offer, and will shortly withdraw, is in line with U.S. policy and designed to support Tenet's effort to create a functional, unified Palestinian security network by providing guidelines for his efforts. First, the amendment would prohibit lethal assistance to the Palestinian security officials, employees or members. I have seen report after report of PA security personnel participating in or inciting acts of violence. There are some very unsavory characters throughout the Palestinian Authority, and we should not arm its security apparatus. Although I will withdraw my amendment, we must be very careful that we do not try to create a security force of people who have been behind the violence of the last 22 months or even those who have known and looked the other way. Secondly, my amendment states that other types of U.S. assistance must be designed to promote reform in the PA security services. This is precisely what President Bush called for in his June 24 speech, and in my amendment American assistance should reduce the number of PA security services to a unified command structure and, by all means, not more than two separate units. As my colleagues are likely aware, the PA has more than 10 security services which Arafat plays off against each other for his own purposes. In fact, some have competed as to which can more effectively fight and kill innocent Israelis. American training and other help must further be designed to reform the security service so that its members or employees respect the rule of law on human rights, are no longer commanded by Yasar Arafat, and are not compromised by terrorism. These guidelines for U.S. assistance are in line with the policy laid out by President Bush and should be the basis for CIA Director Tenet's program. Finally, my amendment would direct the Central Intelligence Agency to report about the assistance we give the Palestinian Authority security services in the 1990s, and every 3 months thereafter, the progress we are making in reforming the Palestinian Authority security services. Even after I withdraw this amendment, consultation with Congress about our program to reform the Palestinian security services should be expanded. Once again, I support the President's policy of reforming the Palestinian Authority and security services. The Palestinians need better leadership and a security force which will actually and faithfully strive to halt terror. While I strongly support this effort, it should not proceed without boundaries. I believe that my amendment would have passed today. However, in a few days, CIA Director Tenet will send an assessment team to the region to begin analysis of what reform might require. As this process is just beginning, I have decided that now is not the time to legislate limitations. Yet, if the process gets off track, I will be back here on the floor trying to set the program straight. In the meantime, it is my hope with this amendment, which I now ask unanimous consent to withdraw, offers a set of practical guidelines which the administration will take to heart as it works to reform the PA service.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased we are here today to pass this legislation that will immediately begin to alleviate the nursing shortage across the nation. I introduced legislation last year to address the nursing shortage because of the tremendous impact the lack of nurses has had in New York and across the country. I am pleased that many of the provisions in my legislation are included in the bill before us today. Mr. Speaker, the nursing shortage is quite possibly the most important issue in health care. Nurses are on the front lines of the delivery of health care. They provide direct day to day care to patients and are invaluable to our health care system. As the number of nursing vacancies continues to rise, the number of nurses entering the field continues to decline. Statistics have shown that the average age of the nursing workforce is about 44 and that many are leaving the field for more lucrative professions. Enrollment in nursing schools is down as well, which leads many to believe that this is a problem that will only get worse. Compounding the problem, the baby boomer generation will soon hit retirement age and will require more acute care. For these reasons, the legislation before us today is critically important. Included in the Nurse Reinvestment Act are provisions to create scholarships for nurses wishing to enter the field and loan repayment programs to encourage nurses to continue practicing. In an effort to address the number of nurses leaving the nursing profession, the legislation includes grants for nurses to continue their education while practicing nursing. Mr. Speaker, nurses deserve these programs and I congratulate everyone involved in this process for their hard work and commitment to this issue. This is truly legislation that will help us all. Everyone at one time or another is in need of care and the first person you see when you get that care is a nurse. So we can all be proud to pass this legislation today. As a Member of the Subcommittee on Health, I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Freedom Promotion Act. This important legislation is designed to enhance public diplomacy in countries with predominantly Muslim populations. During the 1990's, the United States fought in four military conflicts in support of countries with majority Muslim areas. We liberated Kuwait, saved 250,000 people in Somalia, ended the Bosnia genocide, and halted Milosevic's ethnic cleansing in Kosova. With that record, it is almost inconceivable to me that we need to enhance our nation's image in the Middle East and other areas with large Muslim populations. Nevertheless, for a variety of reasons we do. This bill is an important first step toward telling the world the story of America and the values for which we stand. I particularly support this legislation because it includes my amendment authorizing funding for the promotion of democracy, good governance, the rule of law, independent media, religious tolerance, the rights of women, and strengthening civil society in Middle Eastern states. For too long, America has tolerated Arab dictatorships because of our need for secure oil supplies. September 11th demonstrated that our country needs true friends in the region--democracies which respect the rights of their people--not petty autocracies which trample civil and political rights to perpetuate their rule. The funding to promote democracy in the Middle East will be coordinated by the National Endowment for Democracy, which does such excellent work around the world to promote America's democratic values. My amendment passed prior to the recent release of the Arab Human Development Report 2002 written by Arab scholars and experts with the support of the United Nations Development Program. Yet, this report, which found a ``freedom deficit'' in the Arab world, only adds to the importance of democracy promotion in the Middle East. As stated in a July 7 New York Times Editorial, ``For too long, America embraced corrupt and autocratic Arab leaders, asking only that they accommodate Western oil needs and not make excessive trouble for Israel. As a result, too many young Arabs now identify the United States more readily with repressive dictators it supports in the Middle East than with the tolerant democracy it practices at home.'' My amendment is designed to turn back that tide. Once again, I strongly support H.R. 3969, the Freedom Promotion Act and urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from New York for yielding to me and, Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5138, the True American Heroes Act. This is a combination of two bills, one originally sponsored by myself and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) and the other one by the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney). I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) for his many courtesies as subcommittee chairman in helping to combine the bills and to get these bills through. Contained within the legislation is the bill I coauthored with the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts) which we called the Spirit of America Commemorative Coin. This honors the memory of all the victims of the terrible tragedy of September 11. For all Americans, September 11 is seared into our memories. As the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) mentioned, we will always remember where we were on that day and where we were when we heard about the tragedies. We were scared together, we cried together and we were inspired together. We watched with horror as men with hatred in their hearts turned airplanes into weapons of mass destruction. I was in New York City that day and I remember standing in disbelief. We watched with immense sorrow the destruction of a great American icon, and we watched with pride the men and women of the New York Fire Department, Police Department, Port Authority, EMTs, Iron Workers and other volunteers rush to the World Trade Center to try and save lives. Many of them, as, of course, was mentioned by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella), lost their lives in doing so. The Nation went through the same roller coaster of emotions as the Pentagon was attacked, and we did it again as we learned of the heroism and the bravery of the passengers of Flight 93 who most assuredly saved countless more lives here in Washington, D.C. I can only hope that for most Americans life has settled into a new routine. However, for those of us in New York, there is still a gaping hole in our city and in our hearts. I remember going to the World Trade Center site with President Bush the Friday after September 11, and I remember standing there and thinking I cannot believe this is New York City, I cannot believe this is the area that I passed through hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of times before. It just seemed like some kind of a burned-out, bombed- out, ravaged zone which, of course, it was. But I could not believe that this was New York City. However, we New Yorkers are tough; and we have started to heal. But we are committed to remembering those who suffered so much, and the Spirit of America Coin Act is part of that remembrance. Each family who lost a loved one will be presented with a gold version of this coin and the American people will be able to purchase a gold, silver, or clad version to help in their remembrance. Our original bill had called for the front side of the coin to bear an image of the Pentagon and the U.S. flag and the back side of the coin a picture of the World Trade Center. Though the new bill does not include these direct requirements, the bill still requires ``The design of the coins minted under this title shall be emblematic of the tragic events that occurred at the Pentagon, in New York City, and in Pennsylvania on September 11th, 2001.'' And I would hope that the Mint will be very cognizant of what more than 290 Members of this body endorsed. We had more than 290 cosponsors of this bill, the majority of the House; and many of these sponsors personally met with me on the floor of this House to discuss this bill. So I would hope the Mint would take into account the fact that we would like to have the Pentagon and the American flag on one side of this coin and the World Trade Center on the other side of the coin. I plan on working closely with the U.S. Mint as they develop the design for this important coin. They must take into account the wishes of this Congress, and it must stand out as a great tribute to the spirit of America. I am so pleased to say that bringing this bill to the floor has truly been a nonpartisan effort. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. King). I owe great thanks to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema), who helped with the original bill. I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) as well; the chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. King); and the ranking member of the subcommittee and authors of the medal portion of this bill. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) for their assistance in this effort. And, finally, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank all of the staff who spent so many hours working on this legislation, in particular my legislative director, Pete Leon. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is a fitting tribute to the men and women who lost their lives on September 11. None of us who represent districts in downstate New York were spared constituents, unfortunately, who lost their lives. Many of us attended many funerals for these constituents. I want to particularly site Christian Regenhard, who was a young firefighter in my district, who rushed into the World Trade Center to try to save lives. His mother, Sally Regenhard, has been a friend of mine for many, many years; and Christian, unfortunately, lost his life at the World Trade Center. I want to also mention the Richman and Zucker families from Riverdale in my district. None of us escaped the personal feelings of constituents and friends and loved ones and family who lost their lives in the World Trade Center and, of course, as well as the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. I urge all my colleagues to support the passage of this bill, and I commend all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for making this truly a team effort.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to inform you and our colleagues about the progress that has been made toward ending a shameful practice of child slavery. Just one year ago on June 28th, the House of Representatives voted 291-115 to set aside funding within the Food and Drug Administration to develop a labeling program for products made with cocoa. The label was intended to distinguish between cocoa products made with child slave labor and those that were not. As you may recall, last summer we all became aware of this problem through media reports, such as those in the Knight-Ridder Newspapers, that told the stories of children being kidnaped from their home countries, such as Mali, and then sold into slavery in the Ivory Coast. The stories were horrifying. Children as young as 9 years of age are being forced to work without pay, live in squalor, and fear for their physical safety. Last year, the House of Representatives resoundingly said ``This is not acceptable.'' Chocolate is one of our most beloved treats, but it doesn't taste as sweet with the bitterness of child slavery in its mix. Since that day last year much has happened. I am pleased with and proud of the enormous progress that has been made toward ending this terrible situation. First, let me congratulate the chocolate industry for so quickly deciding to tackle this problem head on. The industry joined a number of non-governmental organizations in signing an agreement, now known as the ``Harkin-Engel Protocol,'' which set up a framework for dealing with the problem of child slavery in the cocoa fields. The protocol is a serious commitment by the stakeholders to create an historic effort to end child slavery in this industry. This effort is not just the result of the United States Congress though. Our colleagues in the parliament of Great Britain have also been working on this issue. On May 20, 2002 the House of Commons held what we would call a special order on the specific issue of child slavery in the cocoa fields of West Africa. During the debate, the Honorable Tony Colman of Putney quoted his constituent who is an expert on the problems of child trafficking and slavery, Professor Kevin Bales, as saying ``The Protocol . . . is a very good thing. It is the first time that an industry has taken social, moral and economic responsibility for their entire product chain. The Anti-Slavery movement has been seeking such an agreement for 160 years.'' Throughout the past year, the world's cocoa producers and users have met and signed onto agreements that commit everyone to ending this practice. For example, on November 30, 2001 a wide array of organizations from around the globe signed a joint statement regarding their efforts toward eliminating child slave labor in the cocoa fields. The list of organizations is very impressive: the Association of the Chocolate, Biscuit, and Confectionary Industries of the European Union; the Chocolate Manufacturers of Association of the USA; the Confectionary Manufacturers Association of Canada; the Cocoa Association of London and the Federation for Cocoa Commerce; the Cocoa Merchants Association of America; the European Cocoa Association; the International Office of Cocoa, Chocolate, and Confectionary; the World Cocoa Foundation; the Child Labor Coalition; Free The Slaves; the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations; the National Consumers League; and the Government of the Ivory Coast. The joint statement recognized the ``urgent need to identify and eliminate child labour in violation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 182 with respect to the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products.'' Furthermore, in January of this year the Government of the Ivory Coast ratified two important international labor agreements governing child labor--Conventions 138 and 182 of the International Labor Organization. By becoming signatories to these conventions, the Government of the Ivory Coast took a huge step forward toward implementing responsible labor standards for children within its own borders. In part, because of this step, the Bush Administration in May 2002 granted the Ivory Coast eligibility status under the African Growth and Opportunity Act. Finally, last week the efforts of dozens of organizations and hundreds of people culminated in the creation of an international foundation that will ``oversee and sustain efforts to eliminate abusive child labor practices in the growing of cocoa.'' In future years, the foundation, with assistance from the governments of the world, will put in place ``credible standards of public certification that cocoa beans have been grown without any of the worst forms of child labor.'' These are not easy problems to remedy. Many of these children do not speak French, the main language of the Ivory Coast. Many parents willingly let them go, believing their children will be learning a trade as part of an apprenticeship. Many children are orphaned. How we deal with these children on an individual basis will be difficult. Repatriating the children, reunifying the families, finding alternatives for orphaned and abandoned children all must happen. It will take hard work. It will not happen overnight. But we must try and we must succeed. In declaring our own independence and throwing off the shackles of tyranny, our forefathers wrote ``We hold these truths to be self- evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'' Never once in the history of our great nation have we ever believed that these rights were reserved to the people of the United States. In fact at the core of our beliefs is that all people everywhere have the unalienable right to liberty. The problem of child slavery in West Africa is as much the responsibility of the governments there as it is our own. Today, I am pleased and proud to report that we here in Congress are a part of the movement to put an end to one of the most egregious ills in the world today--child slavery.

Mr. ENGEL

Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me time. The fact of the matter is that the bill that we are debating today is inadequate because there is inadequate funding for the bill; and the reason there is inadequate funding for the bill is, as the previous speaker pointed out, all the money has been used up with tax relief for the very wealthy in this country, $1.6 trillion worth of tax relief for the very wealthy people in the country. So, of course, when it comes to a prescription drug benefit we do not have enough money to provide a real meaningful plan. We would like to debate the Democratic bill along with the Republican bill here, but we were denied the opportunity. So we do not have the ability to show why our plan is better. The fact of the matter is, our plan is better. It will cover more seniors. It will give an entitlement under the Medicare program which is really what seniors want. The bill we are debating today does not provide any real guaranteed benefit and simply, in my opinion, lays the groundwork to eventually privatize Medicare. The bill does not contain the entitlement to a defined benefits package as provided in the rest of the Medicare program. It only promises that seniors can shop for some kind of coverage undefined either through private insurance plans or Medicare HMOs. The bill does not contain, again, any defined premium or assurances that prescription drugs will be affordable; and it will cover less, and listen to this, it will cover less than one-fifth of the estimated drug costs of Medicare beneficiaries over the next 10 years. There is a large gap in the coverage. Seniors who needs more than $2,000 worth of the drugs in the calendar year must pay for 100 percent of their drugs until they reach $3,700. So what we are seeing here is a woefully inadequate bill, and it is an indication where sometimes when you have something it is worse than having nothing.