Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of a very special woman, Edith Schermer Freidenrich who passed away on January 4, 2001. Edith, the daughter of Joseph and Jenny Schermer, was born in Seattle, WA, on March 14, 1910. She studied nursing at the University of Washington before moving to San Francisco, where she married her husband of 44 years David Freidenrich on December 17, 1933. Mr. Speaker, Edith's family was her pride and joy. She was the mother of three sons David Jr., John, and Dennis, the grandmother of seven and great grandmother to three. Edith was an active school volunteer, an avid reader, a bridge player, and seasoned traveler. She was passionately engaged in the Democratic party and it's principles. She passed on this love of politics and compassion to her children who continue their mother's legacy of community and political activism. Mr. Speaker, I ask all my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring the memory of Edith Schermer Freidenrich and to give thanks for all she did throughout her life to make her community and our country better for human kind.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Susan Fuller, a highly respected citizen of Santa Clara County, California, who is retiring from her position as the Santa Clara County Librarian on Thursday, September 19, 2002. Susan Fuller has worked as a librarian for over twenty years in Santa Clara County. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a Masters degree in Library and Information Science, Susan began her career as a children's librarian before moving on to management positions in the Santa Clara County and San Jose Library systems. She became the Santa Clara County Librarian in 1985. Susan Fuller's work and leadership for public libraries have not gone unnoticed. In 1995, in recognition of her significant contributions to the Santa Clara County Library, Susan Fuller was acknowledged by the Santa Clara County Valley Chapter of the American Society for Public Administrators as the `Outstanding Public Administrator of the Year.' In 1998, she was recognized once again as the `Librarian of the Year' by the Library Journal honoring her remarkable work and sharp leadership skills. Susan Fuller's dedication to her job and her community helped the Santa Clara County Library earn the title of the number one public library in America in 2000. During her seventeen years as the county librarian, Susan helped increase circulation from 2,500,000 to 8,500,000, an achievement that exemplifies not only her extraordinary leadership, but her tireless dedication to the library system. Susan Fuller has also been a leader in addressing issues facing libraries in this technology-driven era. She has responded to the issue of appropriate Internet use by giving countless hours of her time to speak to members of her community about children's safety on the Internet, as well as freedom of speech and access to information at libraries. Her published work on the subject includes an essay in Managing the Internet Controversy called ``Ethics and the Internet.'' Mr. Speaker, Susan Fuller is an exceptional, respected and admired community leader and friend. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this distinguished woman for all she has done for the public library system. We are a better county, a better country, and a better people because of her.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the extraordinary women and men of the distinguished 14th Congressional District for their heroic responses to the tragic events of a year ago. On the first anniversary of the attacks on our nation, we reaffirm our commitment to the ideals that have made the United States of America the greatest nation on earth. We have grieved for our lost loved ones, and now we continue the work of a freedom-loving nation. We take pride in and are in awe of what the American people have done in response to the attack on our nation. They have been brave, and generous and the entire world has witnessed the strength and the decency of our people. Americans respond with open, brave and generous hands and hearts to those who are in need. Mr. Speaker, the 14th Congressional District lost two extraordinary people, Naomi Solomon and Andrew Garcia, who enriched the lives of everyone they knew and loved. I ask my colleagues to join me in once again offering our deepest sympathy and that of our entire national to the Solomon and Garcia families. This nation had many heroes on September 11, 2001. We all know of the supreme sacrifice made by so many firefighters, police officers and others in their response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We know of the heroism of those on the hijacked planes who prevented even more calamitous attacks on our nation's Capitol. We've learned about of the heroism of people all over our country who pitched in to give service to others. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of honor and pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in paying tribute to all who have emerged from the tragedies of that fateful day to embody what it means to be true American Heroes by giving so much of their time, talents and resources to heal the wounds of September 11, 2001. There are too many individuals, organizations and companies to name each separately, but I'd like to honor in our Nation's Record a few examples of some of the many people of the 14th Congressional District who rose to the occasion in extraordinarily generous ways: The Town of Woodside Firefighters--held a ``Fill the Boot'' fundraiser on Sept 30th for the New York Fire 9-11 Relief Fund. YWCA and the Mountain View City Human Relations Commission--held a ``Building Community, Understanding and Respect'' forum and dialogue in response to Sept. 11th. The Menlo Park Community Chorus and the Foothill Orchestra--organized a program of patriotic and inspirational music on Dec 15th which benefited the ``victims and heroes'' of Sept. 11th. Banks, Financial Institutions and Credit Unions including San Mateo Credit Union and Stanford Credit Union--maintained and kept open their financial networks for their customers despite the resulting chaos of the attacks; and organized fundraising campaigns among their employees and customers to benefit the families affected by Sept. 11th. Gallery Europa in Palo Alto owners Louise Erricson and David Himmelberger organized a special exhibit in which the sale proceeds were donated to families of victims of Sept. 11th. Hyland Hogan and Lane Lees of the Half Moon Bay Fire District-- following September 11th, they boarded a plane and were adopted by NYFD Ladder Company 3 where they helped the company after it lost 12 of its members and assisted the families of lost firefighters. In May, the district presented the New York Company with a memorial hand-made case holding an ax recovered by one of the firefighters and pictures of the 12 who perished. All the teachers and school administrators (like Jill Ballard and Sherry Fulton who teach American Literature and Studies at Half Moon Bay High School)--who changed their curricula and schedules to help students understand and cope with the events of September 11th. Law enforcement agencies and organizations like the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff's Association--set up funds to help the families of police officers killed in the Sept 11th attacks. California Task Force 3 Urban Search and Rescue--deployed local firefighters and other task force members to New York to assist at ground zero. Harold Schapelhouman, Menlo Park Fire District Randall Shurson, Menlo Park Fire District Paul Cole, Half Moon Bay Fire District Gerald Kohlmann, San Jose Fire Department Phil White, South San Francisco Fire Department Troy Holt, Menlo Park Fire District Brian Beadnell, Menlo Park Fire District Ben Marra, Menlo Park Fire District Carl Kustin, San Mateo Fire Department Rexford Ianson, Menlo Park Fire District John Preston, NASA Ames DART Bill Trolan, Physician Jared Strote, Physician George Berry, Civilian--Communications Specialist David Larton, Civilian--Communications Specialist Martin Mijangos, Civilian--Technical Information Specialist Mike Bavister, Civilian--Technical Information Specialist Gordon Coe, Menlo Park Fire District Hollice Stonc, Civilian--Logistics Specialist Mark Meyers, Civilian--Logistics Officer Paul Brown, NASA Ames DART Joe Zsutty, Structural Engineer Raymond Lui, Structural Engineer Harry Jackson, San Jose Fire Department Kelly Kasser, NASA Ames DART Crane Rigger, San Mateo County CDF Robert Simmons, Civilian James Stevens, Menlo Park Fire District--Medic Kenneth Oliver, Menlo Park Fire District--Medic Eric Haslam, South San Francisco Fire Department--Medic Kevin Banks, Santa Clara Fire Department--Medic John Wurdinger, Menlo Park Fire District--Technical Search Specialist Roger Miller, NASA Ames DART--Technical Search Specialist K-9 Shirley Hammond, California OES, K-9 Jeff Place, California OES, K-9 Patricia Grant, California OES, K-9 Carol Herse, California OES, K-9 Tom Marinkovich, Menlo Park Fire District Philip Snyder, NASA Ames DART Don Chesney, Burlingame Fire Department Michael Shaffer, Menlo Park Fire District Rodney Brovelli, Menlo Park Fire District Keith Slade, Menlo Park Fire District Charles Sturtevant, Menlo Park Fire District Jeff Schreiber, Menlo Park Fire District Bill McFarland, Menlo Park Fire District Mark Tagney, NASA Ames DART Jeffrey Maxwell, Milpitas Fire Department Chris De La Osa, Mountain View Fire Department Daniel Horton, Redwood City Fire Department Gerald Pera, Redwood City Fire Department Steve Ehlers, Burlingame Fire Department Bruce Barron, Burlingame Fire Department Patrick Brown, Santa Clara Fire Department Rod Villa, San Jose Fire Department David Lerma, San Jose Fire Department Greg Campbell, San Mateo Fire Department Dave Rovetti, San Mateo Fire Department Jesus Magallanes, South San Francisco Fire Department Chris Campagna, South San Francisco Fire Department Thomas Calvert, Menlo Park Fire District Alex Leman, Civilian--Incident Support Team Frank Fraone, Menlo Park Fire District--Incident Support Team BK Cooper, Civilian--Incident Support Team David Hammond, Civilian--Incident Support Team John Osteraas, Civilian--Incident Support Team The Children of the Payvand Cultural School of Cupertino, an Iranian Community Based School--filmed a special video after 9/11 to spread the message of tolerance and peace. The video is named Hand in Hand and it was sent to President Bush. Local Media--reporters like Mark Simon and Tom Abate with the San Francisco Chronicle, Loretta Green, Leigh Weimers and Jim Puzzanghera with the San Jose Mercury News, Don Kazak, Palo Alto Weekly, Dave Price with the Palo Alto Daily reporters from The Almanac, Half Moon Bay Review/Pescadero Pebble, San Mateo County Times, Redwood City Independent, Los Altos Town Crier, Mountain View Voice, Silicon Valley Business Journal, Gentry, San Jose Magazine, Sunnyvale Sun, Cupertino Courier all provided critical information, told our collective stories, shared our thoughts and helped to underscore a message of hope and tolerance. Silicon Valley Companies and Businesses--Silicon Valley companies came together with their employees immediately after 9/11 to raise millions of dollars for charitable organizations. Many of the contributions made by companies were matched by employees, which brought aid to the affected families including those of firefighters and police officers. The senior executives at Sun Microsystems raised $1 million and the company matched dollar per dollar all employee contributions. That effort raised an additional $500,000. Sun Microsystems, like many Silicon Valley companies also participated in Ebay's Auction for America, donating over $1.3 million worth of products. Hewlett-Packard employees gave $1 million to support relief efforts. HP itself contributed $2 million, and matched its employees' gifts with another $1 million. In addition, HP like many other Silicon Valley companies, donated equipment to assist in the September 11 relief efforts. Companies like National Semiconductor not only made monetary contributions but also organized employee blood drives. Paypal, through their members helped raise $2.35 million for the National Disaster Relief Fund of the American Red Cross. Cadence, under the leadership of CEO Ray Bingham, raised over $1.6 million in contributions to the American Red Cross and to the New York Firefighters' 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund. Cadence and its employees also held a special flag raising ceremony commemorating the tragic events of 9-11. Apple too went above and beyond to assist the victims. In addition to financial contributions to the Red Cross, Apple donated iBooks to the children of the rescue workers who lost their lives in the line of duty. These are but a few examples of the many contributions made by the employers and employees of the 14th Congressional District. CHUMS--Children United Morally and Spiritually--designed an interfaith holiday card which they sold and donated the proceeds to victims of 9/11. VA Palo Alto National Center for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) staff including Director Fred Gusman, Gregory Leskin, Robyn Walser, Sherry Riney, and Ken Drescher who traveled to the Pentagon to provide the Department of Defense guidance and assistance for the psychological response efforts following 9/11. The men and women of the California Highway Patrol--whose continuing vigilance helps ensure the safety of our bridges, airports, and other infrastructure. The members of the Reserves and California National Guard who have been mobilized and their families--many of these dedicated individuals have taken deep pay cuts and will endure long separations from their families to prosecute the war on terror. Palo Alto Medical Foundation and Stanford University (particularly Eric Weiss MD and Lou Saksen)--formed a Bioterrorism Preparedness Group to respond immediately and appropriately to any suspected cases of bioterrorism. USPS--dealt with the aftermath of the Anthrax attacks and continued to provide excellent service by delivering mail and keeping their offices open to the public. American Red Cross Palo Alto Area Chapter Deployed September 11th Volunteers: The Chapter was second in the State of California for percentage of response based on chapter population and serves 250,000 people in Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, at Stanford University and Moffett Federal Airfield. The following Red Cross-trained volunteers and staff were deployed for assignments which lasted up to three weeks at a time following the September 11 attacks: Ginny Anderson, WTC New Jersey, Disaster Mental Health Vinnie Biberdorf, WTC New Jersey, Local Chapter Liaison Ruth Anderson, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Judy Boore, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Rita Castro-Hawkins, WTC New York, Voluntary Agency Liaison Don DeJongh, WTC New York, Family Services Miriam DeJongh, WTC New York, Family Services Ted Easley, WTC New York, Staffing for Disaster Services Paige Filomeo, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Adriana Flores, WTC New York, Disaster Volunteers Lynne McCreight, WTC New York, Records and Reports Edwin Ou, WTC New York, Logistics Laura Quilici, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Peggy Rogers, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Richard Wing, WTC New York, Disaster Mental Health Ann Ziman, WTC FMA Center, Family Services Geoff Ziman, WTC FMA Center, Family Services Karen Duncan, WTC NHQ Support, Public Affairs American Red Cross Palo Alto Chapter (locally): Palo Alto Area Red Cross Chapter led by Executive Director Patricia J. Bubenik, staff members and volunteers assisted four local families with issues related to the September 11 disaster, including counseling the family of a victim of the Pennsylvania air crash. Mental health disaster volunteers went to schools, PTAs, and church groups requesting help in the aftermath. Volunteers delivered materials to schools to assist with the conversations with children, teachers and parents. The chapter staff also processed a total of $1,168,737 in donations designated for the National Red Cross (between September 11, 2001 and June 30, 2002). At the same time, the Chapter continued to respond to an increased interest in first aid and CPR classes and trained an increased number of disaster service volunteers who came in response to the September 11 tragedies. They also registered and placed an unprecedented number of volunteers who wanted to be of service within the community.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I was absent March 12 through 14 for medical reasons. Had I been here, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall votes 53-54, 56-61, 63-64 and ``no'' on rollcall votes 55 and 62.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 40th Anniversary of the Committee for Green Foothills, based in Palo Alto, California and dedicated to preserving open space on the San Francisco Peninsula. In 1962, a group of more than 25 concerned citizens gathered in Ruth Spangenberg's living room for a meeting organized by Lois Crozier-Hogle and they created a brand new grassroots organization committed to the protection of the Peninsula foothills from development. At that first meeting, Gary Gerard suggested the name Committee for Green Foothills and Wallace Stegner was elected the first president of the group. Since that first meeting, the group has remained at the forefront of the establishment and maintenance of policies that protect the environment and open space throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties of California. They've done this by encouraging long-range planning and sensible growth by local governments, businesses and developers. The manifestation of these enlightened policies can be seen in the Stanford University 1971 Land Use/Policy Plan, the 1994 Santa Clara County General Plan, and San Jose's first Urban Growth Boundary in 1995. The Committee has also led the way in ensuring the protection of a number of critical habitats and key open space lands including Edgewood Park, the Palo Alto Baylands, Mirada Surf, Bair Island, Montara State Beach, and Pigeon Point among many others. Today, the goals of its founders carry on through the Committee's growing membership which not only advocates for the preservation of land and open space, but also educates residents of the San Francisco Peninsula about the land and the critical need for sustainable development. With the support of its membership and its partnerships with many public and private environmental organizations, the Committee has made a profound difference in San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties and we are a better place because of their extraordinary accomplishments. Because of the forty years of dedicated advocacy and education, the Committee for Green Foothills has brought about the protection and preservation of some of our nation's most prized lands. These lands not only enhance our quality of life . . . they have attracted people from around the country and the world to see, to hike, and to walk . . . all in awe of what the jewels in the crown of California's 14th Congressional District are. Mr. Speaker, I ask the entire House of Representatives to join me in saluting the Committee for Green Foothills on their 40th Anniversary and thanking them for their incomparable contributions to our community and our country.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this Conference Report. Our markets have traditionally been the deepest, broadest and most transparent in the world. This transparency has given Americans confidence in those markets. Today, tragically that confidence has been shaken to the core. Innocent investors and employees have been decimated because of the collapse of once Fortune 500 companies. This legislation will take a major step toward restoring confidence in corporate America, confidence in our markets, and confidence in our government's ability to protect investors from fraudulent activity. This bill gives the SEC the tools it needs to prevent future Enrons, Worldcoms, and other corporate scandals. The bill we're voting on today: requires the SEC to appoint a full- time board to oversee and discipline if necessary auditors of publicly traded companies; prevents audit firms from providing consulting services to companies they audit, putting a stop to what was a major conflicts of interest; require CEOs and CFOs of public companies to certify the accuracy of financial reports and be held liable for knowingly deceiving the public; and greatly increases the prison sentences for fraudulent activity. We've witnessed daily one corporate scandal after another so we know corporate self-governance has failed. This bill responds to that failure with tough measure that ensure U.S. corporations, their executives, and the companies that audit them are fully accountable for the financial information they provide to investors. I salute the work of Senator Paul Sarbanes, who's tireless effort led to this strong and solid bill. No matter what the criticisms have been to roll back or roll over, he stayed the course and now we will finally have the largest reforms to the SEC since the Great Depression. Decent Americans deserve these protections. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, this morning the House of Representatives welcomes Father Samer Youssef, who has come here from California, from my congressional district in Northern California in the heart of the Silicon Valley. On April 7, a tragedy befell our community and the Parish of the Church of the Redeemer in Los Altos Hills, the Antiochian Church. An arsonist set fire to that magnificent church, and it burned to the ground. But Father Youssef and the entire Parish, together with our entire community, firefighters, the sheriff's department, churches, the temple, the Catholic Church came together to heal and his leadership is healing. His leadership has spoken to the magnificence of the great principles of America, that we believe in justice but more importantly or just as importantly we believe in one another. And so we have come past this tragedy in our community. Together people from throughout our congressional district have placed contributions at the table to not only rebuild the church through their good faith and their contributions but to send a signal to people across our country and across the world that no arsonist, that no one who tries to terrorize our community will win. We are stronger, we are better, we are faith filled because of Who and what we believe in. So I thank Father Youssef for coming to Washington. I thank him for his faith and leadership, and I thank my colleagues for his warm welcome, to not only the father but to his magnificent family who is seated in the gallery. And we can hear his son's approval, his 18- month-old son's approval.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to rise in support of this very important amendment today. I would like to state some facts for the Record. Why are we in support of this? First of all, we have the fifth largest economy in the world, California does. We are a nation State and, you bet, we are going to go to bat for our economy. A good deal of our economy rests on our coast side. We have fishermen, we have tourism, we have many small businesses, and we want to protect them. We do not want these parts of our coast side despoiled. Now, I purposely said ``parts.'' We are not talking about the entire coastline of California. California today produces its fair share of our Nation's need for oil supply from its coast. We want a fair shake from the President, from this administration, that we be able to buy these leases that have been outstanding. We think that the President should speak to his father, who agreed with us on this. This is a long-term, bipartisan issue in California. Today the Republican nominee in California says no offshore oil drilling; continued moratorium on these specific leases. So as the Bush administration of today says ``yes'' to his brother in Florida, we say, Mr. President, Members of Congress, follow the previous President's support and the President before that, George Bush 41. Give us a fair shake. Let us buy back these leases to protect California's coastline and her economy.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor and in support of this important bill. Despite predictions for an increase in jobs requiring technical skills over the next decade, the number of students graduating with degrees in the sciences has decreased during the last decade. This pattern has had serious ramifications for our nation's economic growth. The H1-B visa increase we passed two years ago was a reflection of the failure of our educational system to produce students with strong proficiency in math, science and engineering . . . this bill addresses this failure. The Tech Talent Bill is innovative legislation that will help reverse current trends by rewarding colleges and universities for taking steps to increase the numbers of science and engineering majors. A relatively small investment made through the grants authorized in this bill will seed U.S. companies with the employees they need to remain competitive in a global marketplace. By providing these financial incentives, we will not only be strengthening our own workforce but also lessening our dependence on foreign experts who may be here on H1-B visas. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and look forward to its swift passage.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my opposition to the bill that will be considered this evening on behalf of my constituents, especially the senior women that I represent. They deserve a great deal more and much better and all the women of the country do.

Ms. ESHOO. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening in opposition to this rule. There is something very, very, very wrong in this House; and my Republican colleagues know it. You know it because you always speak of choice. You always speak about competition. You are always talking about new ideas. But you will not allow them to come to the floor of the House of Representatives. I represent 650,000 people. The gentleman that just came to the podium said, ``Where is your plan?'' It is right here. But you are afraid to debate it. Why do you not stand up, be men and women, and debate it? Do not be afraid of ideas. So we will protest. You know that the Democrats since the 1960s and before that have had a love affair with Medicare. You will never drive a wedge between us and Medicare. That is what we wanted to offer. We wanted to bring our plan to the floor of the House. Perhaps you have the votes to beat that, but the disgrace is that you waved the flag and then you waived the democratic rules. Shame on you. Shame on you for doing that. Go home and explain that to good Republicans, to good independents and to the Democrats in your district. They would never, ever accept that. That is why there is frustration and anger on this side. We can debate these things, but you are afraid to. You do not want to hear an idea, you do not want to hear about choice, and you do not want to hear about competition.

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished ranking member for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to speak about an issue that calls to a need of the American people. This is really a solemn moment in this Chamber, and I regret enormously that my friends on the other side of the aisle did not have enough confidence in themselves to debate here tonight two plans, not just their plan. So since it is just their plan, that is what I am going to direct my comments to. I know you all love your mothers and fathers. So do we. We all love our families. We are talking about the American family. We are talking about senior citizens. Now when the American people go shopping for coverage for something, what do they want? They want something that is comprehensive, they want something that is affordable, they want something that is guaranteed, and they want something that is understandable. They have come to trust the gold standard that Medicare represents. Now my friends on the other side keep using the word ``Medicare.'' Do we know why? It is the best marketing word in the country. But look at the fine print. What they do is they put the language down for Medicare, but they take the taxpayers' money and shift to private insurance companies, with no guarantee that there is any insurance company that is going to bring them these benefits. So American people: Beware. Beware of false advertising. This is no more a Medicare prescription drug plan than I am a redhead.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. I rise today in opposition to this self-executing rule and specifically because of the trade adjustment provisions in it. The TAA provisions in this bill are vastly different than the compromise reached by the Senate and the Bush administration. I know the TAA provisions very well, along with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen), because we wrote and carried the legislation in the House of Representatives. The compromise that was reached was historic in that it recognizes the duality to trade and the need to deal with the downsides of it in a very real 21st-century way. The Senate-White House compromise provides health care for all displaced workers at 70 percent while the Thomas bill legislates on this rule a means-tested situation based on income and the largest benefit would be 60 percent if an individual makes less than $20,000. The Senate-White House compromise provides an additional $150 million for worker training. This GOP provision only provides for an additional $30 million. When I was growing up, the nuns used to mark the report card in a very important way. That was for conduct. I give my colleagues on the other side of the aisle an F for conduct on how you have conducted yourself on this rule. You are squandering a political opportunity for the people of this country. I urge my colleagues to vote against it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Walter Johnson, a respected citizen of San Mateo County, California, who is being honored by the San Mateo Central Labor Council at its 23rd Annual COPE Benefit Dinner on July 18, 2002. Walter Johnson has been a visionary leader within the labor movement for more than 40 years. His efforts began more than a half century ago when he joined the Department Store Employees Union Local 1100 after securing a job at Sears Roebuck as an appliance salesperson. By 1957, Walter had become the business agent of the union and was elected president the following year. In 1964, Walter Johnson was elected to the union's top position of secretary-treasurer and was subsequently reelected to the position 11 times. It should come as no surprise that Walter was elected as the top labor leader in San Francisco in 1984 and has remained so since then. As secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Labor Council since 1985, he currently represents 75,000 workers and 125 different unions. Since his early years as a member of the Department Store Employees Union, Walter Johnson has dedicated his time and talents to improving the lives of his fellow workers. In 1958, Walter Johnson played an integral role in helping the first African-American woman to secure a position behind the counter at Woolworth's. Today, Walter Johnson continues to ensure that workers have the quality of life they deserve with secure jobs, equitable wages and quality benefits. Walter regularly works with community groups, elected officials and religious leaders to advocate for workers' rights both locally and globally, including in such countries as China and South Korea. Walter Johnson also serves as a member of the Economic Forum Board of Directors where he works to enhance the quality of life for all residents of the Bay Area. Walter Johnson's commitment to his fellow human beings goes far beyond his work within the labor movement. A heroic and courageous cancer survivor, Walter Johnson has added his personal testimony to the fight against breast cancer, helping to lead rallies on behalf of the Breast Cancer Fund. Walter also serves on the boards of various local organizations including the United Way of the Bay area, the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee and Our Redeemers Lutheran Church. Mr. Speaker, Walter Johnson is an outstanding individual and a respected labor and community leader. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this distinguished man for all he has done and continues to do. We are a better county, a better people because of him.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Trade Adjustment Assistant Compromise based on legislation that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) and I introduced in the House and which passed the Senate last month. This compromise represents the first major overhaul of this 40-year-old program. For the first time in our history, a health care benefit is provided for unemployed workers as a result of trade. It increases eligibility, it doubles funding for worker training, it harmonizes the NAFTA TAA, it expands income support from 52 weeks to 78 weeks, and it allows for shifts in production to any country, not just Canada or Mexico. I want to tell a quick story that underscores this point. Last month 3,300 electronic workers who were laid off from JDS Uniphase in my region were denied TAA benefits because their factory moved to China. At the same time workers in Connecticut were eligible for TAA because their plant moved to Canada, and that is because workers only receive TAA benefits if their plant moves to Canada or Mexico. Another problem with the program is that it covers workers who make cars but not those who make the parts that go into them. We need a 21st century policy on the duality of trade. We should have fair trade, and fair treatment should be the partners. I urge all House Members to support this in the conference.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank our ranking member for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, today we are going to conference on a bill that gives $34 billion in tax breaks to energy companies. Who is going to pay these costs? I heard my wonderful friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), my colleague on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, make his statement, and with all due respect, we see this not only differently but very differently. Who is going to pay these costs? It will be the Social Security beneficiaries and future generations because that is where the cash is. In California, and according to official estimates, electricity suppliers stuck California with at least $8.9 billion in illegal electricity charges between May of 2000 and June of last year. These estimates came before we started to learn about some of the unethical and possibly criminal trading activities of energy suppliers. Almost every day there are news reports about another company that has gamed the market in one way or another, and not only in California but in a host of States. For months my colleagues and I have been asking for a House inquiry into these matters. While others are investigating these serious flaws, and the Senate already is, the House has been conspicuously absent. The House must have a meaningful inquiry before we consider a conference report on sweeping energy legislation. We should not repeat what happened last year, holding one or two hearings and then declaring the problem solved. We should all support this motion to ensure that we do not saddle seniors and future generations with the costs of these energy company tax breaks. These tax breaks at $34 billion should be subjected to the same budget treatment as everything else. If you want it, pay for it and declare how you are going to do it. That is what is demanded of other parts of the Federal budget. That is what we should be doing with this. So I urge my colleagues to support this motion. It makes sense and it is fair.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule and to speak on the choices that are before us. I think that they are really two very distinct choices and they are different. They both deal with the death tax, the estate tax, but they are different in terms of what they accomplish. My constituents have said to me over and over and over again that they support an elimination of the death tax when it comes to them. This is a debate about how to accomplish it. They want it to be immediate and they want it to be permanent. They want it to be fair. They understand that there are the Bill Gateses of the country that have benefited enormously from our system and our economy and our democracy. So there is a fairness to those huge, huge, huge sums of money that are passed down from one generation to another and that our country should be paid something. The Pomeroy legislation addresses permanency, fairness, fiscal responsibility and immediacy. For a married couple, $6 million. So if you have an estate of $6 million or less, you do not pay a dime in taxes. That resolves 99.7 percent of the problems and the irritations and the complaints that people have registered with us. It does not have any capital gains tax in it. My Republican friends, under their bill, your house increases, if you paid $50,000 and when you die your home is worth $1 million, you are going to pay a capital gains tax on that. So under the Pomeroy bill, families, family farms, businesses are all going to win and we are not going to have to pay over $1 trillion in the next decade out of our Federal budget. This makes eminent sense. It is fair. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Pomeroy bill. It is the best one to come down the pike.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important legislation. Microenterprise is an effective and proven means of U.S. foreign aid that has successfully offered nearly 20 million of the world's poorest people the hope of economic independence and self-reliance. Loans, often averaging less than $150, allow people to start and expand very small businesses without depending on money-lenders who demand exorbitant interest rates. Access to the tools and credit needed to succeed allows poor people to reap the benefits of their skills and hard work. Extra money earned is used to obtain better food, housing and education. High repayment rates for microenterprise lending programs allow capital to be recycled into new loans; interest income allows programs to eventually cover their costs. This bipartisan legislation provides a substantial but responsible incremental increase in funding for microenterprise programs from its current level of $155 million to $175 million in fiscal year 2003 and $200 million in fiscal year 2004. The bill also educates Peace Corps volunteers about the benefits of microenterprise programs and urges them to utilize this as a resource in their sites. This important legislation will impact the lives of many families while empowering the world's most impoverished. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bipartisan bill.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a distinguished American, a proud Californian and a Silicon Valley icon, W.J. (Jerry) Sanders, III, who is retiring as Chief Executive Officer of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) after 33 years of leadership. Jerry Sanders has had an extraordinary career building an extraordinary company. He started from a modest beginning as a salesman for Motorola, then moved on to hold positions in the Engineering Department of Douglas Aircraft in sales, and in the Semiconductor Division of the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation where he worked as a Sales Manager, Area Sales Manager, Department Head, Director of Marketing, and eventually, as Group Director of Marketing Worldwide from 1967 to 1969. In 1969, Jerry Sanders left Fairchild Semiconductor to launch AMD out of the living room of one of its co-founders. Today, the Sunnyvale- based company, located in my Congressional District, is a global supplier of integrated circuits for the personal and networked computer and communications markets. Employing 14,000 people worldwide with over $4 billion in annual revenues, AMD today is the world's second largest manufacturer of microprocessors. Under the able stewardship of Jerry Sanders, AMD has honored its commitment to making our communities better places to live and work. Through its school partnerships, corporate giving, and employee volunteer programs, the company continues to serve as a model of corporate and civic responsibility. Jerry Sanders has been honored with many awards, including being named the Best Chief Executive Officer in the semiconductor industry for the years 1983, 1984 and 1985 by the Wall Street Transcript. In 1991, under his leadership and guidance, AMD was named Comeback Company of the Year by Electronic Business. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Jerry Sanders for his exceptional leadership, his great determination, his sheer guts and his lasting contributions to our community, to Silicon Valley and to our nation's economy. We're a better country because of him and all he's done.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased that we have reached an agreement on H.R. 3448, the Bioterrorism Preparedness Act. I commend my colleagues who served on the conference committee for reporting out a strong, effective and balanced bill. It's critically important that we protect our nation from biological and chemical attacks and this bill takes a number of necessary steps to bolster our defenses in these areas. As we know, response to any attack against our country begins at the local level. This bill provides significant resources to state and local governments to ensure that they are ready and able to respond to any situation. Communities must be able to adequately train and equip their first responders. These block grants will allow communities to purchase supplies, train staff, and upgrade infrastructure--all necessary components of creating safe towns and cities. This bill also provides needed funding for vaccine and pharmaceutical stockpiling and future anti-terrorism medical research efforts. We must continue our efforts to prepare for any eventuality and medical research is a critical component of this plan. I'm also pleased that the bill takes a number of steps to protect our nation's food supply. Dinner-time should not be a source of worry to the American people. However, we must continue to evaluate the effectiveness of these provisions. I believe that there is more to be done in this area in order to fully establish safe and effective monitoring of our food supply. Finally, I'm particularly pleased that the conference committee was able to include language that directs the Centers for Disease Control to consider the use of antiviral products in the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile. Biological agents such as smallpox and anthrax are significant concerns for our government to address. We must ensure that our stockpile contains vaccines and treatments that are effective for all citizens. Antiviral products are yet another mechanism for treating smallpox and I'm pleased that the CDC will be evaluating the appropriateness of their use. Again, I thank my colleagues for their hard work on this bill and I commend them for their efforts.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extraordinary American and a distinguished Californian, Sten Eric William Carlson, who is celebrating his ninetieth birthday. Born on June 27, 1912, in Fort William, Ontario, Canada, Sten Carlson is the son of Johanna and Pers, who migrated from Sweden to Canada in the late 1800s, settling on a farm in Saskatchewan. Sten left Canada for the United States in 1951 where he met Elizabeth, his wife of forty-five years. They are the proud parents of Eric, 44, and Frank, who died tragically at an early age. An employee of United Airlines for more than twenty-five years, Sten Carlson retired in 1977. He also worked for MacDonald Aircraft, building the Mosquito aircraft, a premier low flying plane used in some of our nation's most critical missions. Sten Carlson has always given generously of his time and his multitude of talents to the community, focusing much of his volunteer work on victim support groups. He is a lifetime member of Lodge 1781, IAM, and continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of the Retirees. A volunteer at Peninsula Medical Center for more than fifteen years, Sten has devoted many years of service to KQED. Sten Carlson is a devoted husband and father with a strong moral sense of right and wrong. His lifetime of activities has centered on his family and his community. His is a life based on the most celebrated of American values . . . honesty, dependability, courage, loyalty, and love of family, friends and country. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Sten Carlson a happy 90th birthday. We are a better community, a better country and a better people because of him and all he has done.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, many of us wait not just minutes but hours to come to the floor to speak, and this evening, after listening to this debate about only a slice of what is in this supplemental, I cannot help but observe that this distinguished body, this great House of Representatives, has somehow created a mess. And I think the mess, and I do not like using the word, it is not out of disrespect to any individual, but haste can make a mess. I listened to my colleagues who serve on the committee who said we had something drawn up and then something happened at the Committee on Rules. There is a frustration on my side of the aisle that we cannot offer anything to amend this. That is wrong. For people that served in the minority for 40 years, my Republican colleagues know that is wrong. My colleagues know, and we all know, what a credit card is. If someone took any one of our credit cards and put $750 billion on that credit card without our knowing about it, we would be the first ones to dial up and say, something has gone wrong. I have taken votes when I was new here and my leadership said it is important for the country to raise the debt limit. But, no, no one is brave enough on the other side to take that straight vote up or down. We are accountable to our people. And so now the Nation's debt goes higher. I should not, and none of my colleagues on the minority side should be lectured to say that what we say is political. We ran for this office because we love this country. We all do. But we are not doing right by her by hiding in a poorly drafted, jammed-through-a- committee supplemental. This is not right. It is not becoming of this House and this body. All joking aside, my colleagues know when they go home how their constituents respect them. How can anyone answer for raising this, incurring more debt, and not explaining it to the American people without even taking a vote. I have heard over and over and over again the lectures. I do not need to be lectured, and no one here does about how much we love our country and want to defend her. That is not the issue. That is not the issue. So it is with deep regret that I stand up this evening with a great deal of frustration and an enormous amount of sadness. We can debate our issues and hold our ground and still respect one another. But to do this, this is wrong. This is wrong. America, tonight, $750 billion was placed on America's credit card and we could not stand up and debate and offer a better idea. If you have more votes, you can outvote us. But ideas are at the heart of this democracy. I believe my constituents would object to this, Republicans, independents, and Democrats, because it is not becoming of those we represent, it is not becoming of the process that we should follow in a democratic institution, and I want you to know that I object. I object. I object. I object.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my wonderful colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the bill, the Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act. I think it takes a very important step of trying to provide a kid-safe zone on the Internet. We know that in raising our children that we always wanted to keep them out of tough, rough neighborhoods, and I think that this important step will do that on the Internet for our Nation's children. When we considered this bill at the subcommittee, I expressed my support for the intent of the bill, but I also raised some questions as to whether this approach was totally realistic. Through the efforts and the cooperation of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), and the bill's sponsors, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), changes were made that in my view make the dot kids space a safe and more effective domain. And that is the way it should be as we work these bills from subcommittee to full committee to the floor. To make the site more secure, the bill now contains language that prohibits interactive services in the domain. This protects users, the young children under the age of 13, from inappropriate emails, online discussions in chatrooms, and from intentionally or unintentionally being able to hyperlink their way to inappropriate contents. For the agency and the companies charged with establishing the standards and securing the site, this is a monumental task. They must find a way to operate a domain that is educational and entertaining for young children and at the same time keep it secure from inappropriate outside influences. I am very pleased that the substitute now gives NTIA the authority to suspend operation of the new domain if it is not serving its intended purposes. The revised bill also gives Neustar the ability to relinquish its right to operate the domain if it suffers from extreme financial hardship. Because the costs of maintaining this domain are still imprecise, I think the allowance of an exit strategy is an important addition to the bill. As this very well intended bill stands, it is still my strong belief that one of the best Internet filters for children is an involved parent. Nothing takes the place of that, not even government action and legislation. So I want to thank the sponsors of the bill, the work of the committee, certainly the full committee chairman, the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), certainly the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), one of the most eloquent and knowledgeable Members of Congress in this area, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus). I think we are taking an important and a correct step today.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor the House of Representatives today in the name of democracy, in the name of hope, and in the name of peace. As long-standing supporters of Israel, we recognize and respect Israel's unquestioned right to self-defense. The United States has a long history of promoting and supporting democracies. It has long considered Israel its closest ally in the Middle East, because Israel is a democracy. It is because of our passion for democracy that we cast votes against the procedural steps needed to bring House Resolution 392 to the floor. These procedural steps prevented any amendments or any substitute resolutions to be considered by the Congress. We were not permitted to consider or debate either Senator Lieberman's or Congressman DeFazio's language. We were not given the opportunity to meet with our constituents and hear their thoughts and concerns on this divisive and complicated matter. Nor were there any hearings on this resolution. This is wrong and does not speak to debate that is central to our democratic process. While we support House Resolution 392 in its final form, we have concerns that this resolution presents a one-sided view of a many-sided reality. We cannot ignore the suffering of the Palestinian people and the loss of innocent civilians. We cannot ignore the economic hardship the Palestinians have endured as they continue their attempts to create their own Democratic nation. And we cannot ignore the physical damage done to Palestinian infrastructure in Jenin, in Ramallah and other towns in the West Bank. Even with the Resolution's shortcomings, we believe it is critical to speak out against acts of terrorism that have claimed the lives of thousands of innocent Israeli civilians. The United States is scarred by its own September 11th experience and we have a new and somber national consciousness of terrorism on our soil. We continue to hold out hope that the Israelis and the Palestinians will be able to achieve the peace of the brave that has proven so elusive. We are confident that the United States will be a true partner for peace and help bring a 21st Century Marshall Plan of resources and hope to those who today carry a rage of desperation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as I have every year at this time, in a proud but solemn tradition to remember and pay tribute to the victims of one of history's worst crimes against humanity, the Armenian genocide of 1915 to 1923. In 1915, 1.5 million women, children, and men were killed, and 500,000 Armenians were forcibly deported by the Ottoman Empire during an eight year reign of brutal repression. Armenians were deprived of their homes, their dignity, and ultimately their lives. Yet, America, the greatest democracy in the world, has not made an official statement regarding the Armenian genocide and it is my hope that the Congress will have the courage to finally recognize the genocide. It's fundamental that we learn from our past and never let this kind of tragedy happen again. Opponents have argued that recognizing the genocide would severely jeopardize U.S.-Turkey relations. Recognizing the genocide is not an indictment of the current Turkish government nor is it a condemnation of any former leader of Turkey. The U.S. and Turkey can and will be able to continue its partnership should the Congress recognize the genocide. Mr. Speaker, as one of two Members of Congress of Armenian descent, I'm very proud of my heritage. Like many Armenians, I learned from my grandparents of the hardship and suffering endured by so many at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. That is how I cam to this understanding and this knowledge and why I bring this story to the House of Representatives. I am very proud of the contributions which the Armenian people have made to our great nation. They've distinguished themselves in the arts, in law, in academics, in every walk of life and they continue today to make significant contributions in communities across our country today. It's essential to not only publicly acknowledge what happened, but also understand that we are teaching present and future generations about the Armenian Genocide. We need to recognize the genocide to enlighten our young people and to remind ourselves that wherever anything like this occurs around the globe that we, as Members of the United States Congress, and as citizens of this great Nation, raise our voices.