Anna Eshoo

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Rabbi Richard Block, an outstanding leader of the 14th Congressional District and senior rabbi at the Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California for the last twelve years. Rabbi Block steps down as head of this remarkable congregation this weekend to accept the post of President and Chief Executive of the World Union for Progressive Judaism in Jerusalem, the world's largest organization of religiously affiliated Jews. Rabbi Block was ordained and awarded a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1982. During his academic career, Rabbi Block earned numerous awards for academic distinction, writing and sermonic excellence. Upon ordination, he was chosen Rabbi of Greenwich Reform Synagogue in Riverside, Connecticut and in 1987 came to Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills, California. As senior rabbi he helped create a variety of programs aimed at advancing Jewish education and congregational life. His achievements include: Experiment in Congregation, a unique national partnership aimed at reinvigorating Jewish education and congregational life; the creation of a nationally recognized program to integrate emigres from the former Soviet Union in Jewish life; the Koret Synagogue Initiative, a collaboration between synagogues, the Koret Foundation and the Jewish Community Federation. Rabbi Block was honored by the Jewish Family and Children's Services of San Francisco with their prestigious 1999 ``FAMMY Award'', in appreciation and recognition of his extraordinary caring and dedicated community service. Prior to his rabbinical studies, this remarkable man graduated from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the Yale Law School. He served as Editor of the Law Review and as a law clerk to a U.S. District Court Judge. Rabbi Block served in the U.S. Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, including a term as Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in San Diego. Rabbi Block and his wife Susan have been married over thirty years and have two exceptional and loving sons, Joshua and Zachary. Our community will miss Rabbi Block immensely. At the same time, we are extremely proud of the important work he will take on as President of the World Union. Mr. Speaker, throughout his remarkable career, Rabbi Richard Block has preached a message of compassion, justice and service to others. Every day of his life he has served as a shining example of these values. It is for these reasons that I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring this noble man of faith and this passionate community leader for his inspired leadership of Congregation Beth Am. We honor him for his eloquent voice for good and his having made our community and our country infinitely better.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'm proud to rise today in support of improving the safety of foods which are imported into our country by introducing the Imported Food Safety Improvement Act of 1999. It's vital that we pass this bill into law this year, and I'm proud to lead the effort in the House of Representatives. We must act now to improve our food safety system so we don't face the health problems we've seen over the past several years caused by unsafe imported food. In 1987, the FDA recalled soft cheese from France after a pathogen was found that could cause miscarriages and sometimes death. In 19989, canned mushrooms from China caused four outbreaks of a form of food poisoning that can be fatal. In 1996, Guatemalan raspberries infected 7,000 people with an intestinal parasite that caused sickness. In 1997, 180 school children were infected with Hepatitis ``A'' in 1997, after eating strawberries imported from Mexico. According to the FDA, all these incidents could have been prevented had the Imported Food Safety Improvement Act been law. Public health experts estimate that foodborne pathogens kill 9,000 people every year and cause illness in up to 33 million. And the problem is getting worse. HHS officials project that the reported incidences of foodborne disease will increase 10-5 percent during the next decade at a cost of up to $35 billion a year in health-care costs and losses in productivity. In 1998, a GAO study confirmed that, under the current food safety system, the Federal Government can't ensure that imported foods are safe for consumption. While the volume of imported food has doubled over the last five years, the number of FDA inspections has decreased during the same time period. The result is that the FDA is able to inspect less than 2 percent of all imported food. We're losing the battle against foodborne illness. The Imported Food Safety Improvement Act gives the FDA the authority to ban food from countries or importers that have a history of importing contaminated food. The Act establishes an equivalency authority which requires that food offered for import to the U.S. be produced, prepared, packed, or held under systems that provide the same level of protection as the United States. This bill lays out the criteria for when the FDA can deny a food import and makes clear that denial cannot violate any current trade laws. By establishing this health-based standard, we can both ensure the safety of imported foods and make certain that producers and importers from foreign nations receive fair treatment for their product. Passage of the Imported Food Safety Improvement Act will give FDA the ability to prevent illness, inform health officials and the public, and enforce food-safety laws so that the American people can be confident that what they put on their kitchen tables won't make them sick.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Robert D. Anderson, Jr., an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be honored by the San Mateo Central Labor Council on Saturday, June 12, 1999. Robert D. Anderson, Jr. has been a leader in both the labor movement and his community for the last twenty-five years. After nineteen years of exceptional leadership and service, Bob has announced that he is stepping down as President of the San Mateo County Labor Council. Throughout his career bob has dedicated himself to improving the living and working conditions for families in San Mateo County and the airline industry nationwide. He is a former United Airlines mechanic and a member of the International Association of Machinists, Local Lodge 1781. He is currently the ground safety coordinator at San Francisco International Airport. During his tenure as President he helped establish, build and chair the San Francisco Airport Labor Coalition and its predecessor, the Airport Health and Safety Coalition. He has also served on the advisory boards of the California Occupational Safety Coalition and Health Administration, and the Labor Occupational Health program at the University of California, Berkeley. Over the last twelve years bob has worked with labor and community leaders to bring affordable, high-quality, around-the-clock childcare to families who work non-traditional hours. He has also served on the Board of Directors of PALCARE, San Mateo County's community-based childcare center since its opening in 1993. Mr. Speaker, Robert D. Anderson, Jr. is an outstanding individual, a respected labor and community leader, and a valued friend. I salute him for his remarkable contributions and commitment to our community and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him upon his retirement as President of the San Meteo Central Labor Council.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this month and to introduce a congressional resolution which condemns prejudice against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and supports the political and civic participation by Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry. All too often, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans are subject to prejudice and acts of violence that often go unnoticed by the public eye. These Americans have suffered unfounded and demagogic accusations of disloyalty throughout the history of the United States. A 1992 report of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights found that Asian and Pacific islander Americans are still frequent victims of racially motivated bigotry and violence. As recently as this past weekend, the Los Angeles times published a story reciting recent and increasing incidence of ethnic prejudice at our nation's nuclear weapon laboratories because of the ongoing investigations at Los Alamos. Mr. Speaker, we should recognize the rich cultural heritage of the Asian and Pacific Islander American community and all these communities have contributed to America and American values. We must distinguish between the activities of spies and foreign agents and those in the Asian American communities that contribute tremendous energy and knowledge to our nation's economy and defense. In my Congressional District, which includes Silicon Valley, Americans of Asian ancestry are intimately involved in making the technology sector vibrant and our economy expand. But mine is not the only example we can find. Asian and Pacific Americans are woven into our national and local communities and add cultural diversity, knowledge attainment, and loyalty to America and the values we hold dear. I'm proud to reintroduce a congressional resolution tonight which condemns all prejudice against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans and supports the political and civic participation by these Americans. We must not forget the strength our country has gained from the inspiration, the hard work and the loyalty of Americans of Asian and Pacific Islander ancestry and what their contributions have meant for a stronger, more prosperous America. [From the Los Angeles Times, May 21, 1999] Spy Scare Taints Labs' Climate, Asian Americans Say (By Nick Anderson) Washington.--On the surface the incidents cited by employees in the nation's nuclear weapon laboratories were not explosive: a snide remark here, an ambiguous warning there. It was hardly material for a clear-cut case of workplace discrimination. But to Asian Americans who work in the labs, the incidents were real and their implications disturbing. Amid congressional espionage inquiries and press reports that a Chinese American lab employee may have helped China purloin vital nuclear weapon secrets, a small, indignant group of scientists and engineers decided that something should be done to defuse the threat of ``ethnic profiling.'' ``There were enough things happening that we were very concerned about suspicions and [whether Asian Americans] were being treated differently,'' said Raymond Ng, a mechanical engineer for Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque. ``There was a lot of fear and concern about what was going on. Management was not aware of these things. We needed to make it known.'' So Ng joined with Joel Wong, an industrial hygienist at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory near San Francisco, to give Energy Secretary Bill Richardson a short list of recent incidents of ethnic insensitivity reported by coworkers who wished to remain unnamed. Richardson, who oversees the labs, said that he considers the reports to be generally true, even if some particulars remain unverified. In one account, snickering and hushed laughter broke out in a roomful of computer users as a person with a Chinese surname was introduced to lead a session on computer security. In another, a lab manager told an Asian American employee that ``personal characteristics'' would determine a person's career opportunities in the wake of recent disclosures of security breaches, implying that ethnicity was one such characteristic. Then there was the teasing. Someone wondered aloud whether an Asian American employee got ``rich'' by selling classified information, according to Ng and Wong. Someone else said he was wary of sharing information with a colleague of Asian descent who might be a ``spy.'' Two Chinese American lab employees who insisted on anonymity recounted similar incidents in separate interviews with a Times reporter. One said he had been asked at work whether he had ``dual loyalties.'' Concerns Raised in Labs and Elsewhere Whether an ethnic backlash actually is occurring to any significant degree is hard to determine. But concerns about possible ethnic stereotyping are rising and not just among national lab employees. The subject comes up in government circles, in the scientific community, in the ethnic Asian media, in high-tech business groups and among Asian American civic leaders who fear a replay of the uproar directed at Asian American political donors after revelations of attempts by foreign interests to influence the 1996 elections. Prominent Asian Americans have met with Richardson four times and once with White House Chief of Staff John Podesta to seek assurances that scientists and engineers in U.S. labs would not be subject to discrimination. ``Asian Pacific Americans are concerned that their loyalty and their patriotism are being challenged,'' Richardson acknowledged in a speech April 30. ``And that's because of racism.'' The Energy secretary vowed to protect the rights of all laboratory workers and to visit the labs in person to drive the point home. In Congress, Reps. Tom Campbell (R-San Jose) and David Wu (D-Ore.), who is the first Chinese American member of the House, are drafting a resolution expressing support for Chinese Americans. Wu said there is ``widespread concern in the Chinese American community and particularly the Chinese American scientific community. These are folks who work very, very hard. They are Americans. By all accounts that I know of, they work hard and play by the rules.'' Campbell said that some scientists and engineers in Silicon Valley now worry about traveling to professional conferences in mainland China for fear that they will be suspected of leaking technological secrets to the Communist regime. Still, many lawmakers assert that the United States must raise its guard against Chinese espionage and set new limits on scientific exchange with China and other countries seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Their campaign is likely to gain considerable momentum with the release of a House investigative panel's report citing evidence of widespread leakage of sensitive military technology to China. The committee's bipartisan findings are expected to be made public next week by its chairman, Rep. Christopher Cox (R- Newport Beach). Asian American scientists, engineers and civil leaders hasten to condemn espionage. But they content that some Republican leaders in Congress, aided by unbalanced media reports, have cast a cloud over Chinese Americans--and Chinese nationals--doing legitimate scientific work in the weapons labs and elsewhere. Senator Refers to ``Very Crafty People'' Asked about the extent of Chinese espionage on the NBC program ``Meet the Press,'' Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said in March: ``We've got to remember the Chinese are everywhere as far as our weapons systems, not only in our labs that make our nuclear weapons and development, but also in the technology to deliver them. We've seen some of that. They're real. There here. And probably in some ways, very crafty people.'' A spokeswoman for the senator, Andrea Andrews, said that Shelby was referring to Chinese spies, not to Chinese Americans in general. But other read more into his statement. Charles Sie, vice chairman of the Committee of 100, an influential Chinese American group whose founders include the architect I.M. Pei and the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, called Shelby's words a ``ridiculous'' example of ethnic stereotyping. Also ``ridiculous,'' said Jeff Garberson, spokesman for Lawrence Livermore, was the request he recently received from a national newsmagazine for a generic photo of an Asian American employee at work ``to illustrate a story on espionage.'' The request was refused. Leading science periodicals are closely monitoring the espionage issue, especially the possible fallout for foreign- born scientists who may be U.S. citizens, permanent U.S. residents or distinguished visitors. A headline in the June issue of Scientific American read: ``Explosive Reactions: A Backlash From a Nuclear Espionage Case Might Hurt Science and Do Little to Bolster National Security.'' Many of the top scientists in America in this century have been foreign-born, including some from mainland China or Taiwan. Many more, including several Nobel Prize winners, are of Asian heritage. Asian American engineers also have been deeply involved in the U.S. defense industry. According to the National Science Foundation, more than 300,000 people of Asian descent were working in the United States as scientists and engineers in 1995, the latest year for which figures are available. That's about 10% of all scientists and engineers and far more than any other ethnic minority. Many Chinese American scientists said that they are most concerned about lasting damage the espionage allegations could have on the career prospects of promising graduate students in engineering or the physical sciences, a significant number of whom are foreign-born or Asian American. ``What one is afraid of are possible future actions with regard to employment promotion, retention of top Chinese American scientists,'' said Cheuk-Yin Wong, who is chairman of the Overseas Chinese Physics Assn., which has about 400 members nationwide. He is no relation to Joel Wong. Lab administrators said that they want to prevent such consequences. C. Paul Robinson, head of Sandia National Laboratories, recently told Chinese American employees that they should not be judged responsible for a particular espionage case so long as white Americans, like himself, were not held equally responsible for the disastrous Aldrich Ames spycase. ``Can we all please think extra hard about that?'' Robinson implored in an electronic newsletter. ``Our work is important; we need all the good brainpower that we can bring to bear in our work and we certainly must not mistreat loyal Americans.''

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley), the ranking member of the Committee on Rules, for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the rule on our debate of H.R. 775, the Year 2000 Readiness and Responsibility Act. I do this, I think, probably to the surprise of many Members on both sides of the aisle because I have the privilege of representing what I think is one of the most distinguished congressional districts in the country, the home of high technology in Silicon Valley. This is an issue that certainly worries them and can have an overall impact and effect on them. The Y2K liability problem certainly is a serious one. We here in the Congress have the responsibility to shape something that is both reasonable and effective, that will really touch on all of the bases that the companies and many of their customers are concerned about. I oppose 775 for the following reasons: I believe it is overreaching and so I think that we need to pull in in several areas to make it a more effective bill that will not be vetoed by the White House; nor a response that is simply going to fail on the floor to secure the right amount of support on both sides of the aisle. So in order to reach, I think, the ultimate bipartisan compromise on this issue, we need to look to proportionate liability, the punitive damages areas and the attorneys fees that are in the bill. As I said, I think the bill goes too far. It would set up a rigid system of proportionate liability. The plaintiff would have to institute a separate lawsuit against every possible wrongdoer. Now to those that look to me for some kind of leadership on these issues, I know something about proportionate liability. I shaped a bill that ultimately was supported with bipartisan broad support. I shaped something in private securities litigation reform where companies were joint and severally liable only in certain situations. Even then, it created a more proportionate way of determining the share of liability. The cap on punitive damages in H.R. 775 is also troubling. Thirdly, the reasonable efforts defense contained in the bill that is going to be debated is opposed strongly by the Department of Justice because it sets up a new standard for businesses to avoid lawsuits. I applaud anyone that wants to come forward to help speak to the problem that our country faces with Y2K and the liabilities that might ensue as a result of it. I do not believe, in my best judgment, my fair judgment, that H.R. 775 answers that. I believe the other body is moving toward consensus, especially in the areas that I just outlined. I will work with Members from both sides of the aisle. I do not think that we should advance something that we clearly know the White House is going to veto. Nor do I think simply bringing something to the floor, where we know it is going to fail here on the floor, is the answer. We really need something that is reasonable and effective and I stand ready to do that. For the reasons that I outlined, and others that I did not, I will not only oppose the rule but I oppose 775.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight one of the most important issues for our nation: educating our young people. Everyone agrees that a good education is critical for the future success of our children, and yet are not providing the financial resources that make this possible. This is especially true for the education of children with disabilities. School districts are struggling with how to provide the best education possible for all children within often very tightly constrained budgets. I applaud their efforts. In many cases, however, school districts can not reduce class sizes, build needed schools, or hire new teachers while still providing the services so important to students with disabilities. In my home state of California, over 600,000 students receive special education and related services in public schools at a reported cost of $3.4 billion. Without federal assistance, local school districts are forced to use their general funds to the detriment of other programs. This is not to say that the IDEA hasn't been successful. It has. By providing children with disabilities with the same educational opportunities as their abled peers, we now have a system supporting happier and more productive adults. According to the Department of Education, disabled young people are three times more likely today to attend college than prior to 1975 and twice as many of today's twenty- year olds with disabilities are working. But we must do more to make sure there are more success stories than setbacks. I applaud my friends on the other side of the aisle for bringing to the floor House Concurrent Resolution 84, which urges the Congress and the President to fully fund the federal Government's obligation under IDEA. This must be more than just words in a Resolution though. I call upon this Congress, this year, to fulfill its pledge for full funding of IDEA. It is time that the federal government make good on its obligation to the school districts and our children across the country.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I am once again rising to honor the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian Genocide to remember the 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children who were killed, and the additional 500,000 Armenians who were forcibly deported by the Ottoman Empire during an eight-year reign of brutal repression. As history reveals, a group of Armenian leaders were forcibly taken into Turkey on April 15, 1915, and subsequently murdered. Over the next eight years, Armenians were deprived of their homes, their humanity, and ultimately their lives. In addition, post-World War I did not see those who were responsible come to justice. Although the Allied Powers, England, France, and Russia, jointly issued a statement that for the first time charged another nation with committing ``a crime against humanity,'' war criminals were never brought to justice. In years to come, firsthand sources indicate that Hitler proclaimed, ``Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians;'' thus allowing him to believe that his ``Final Solution'' could not only begin but also would be forgotten. It brings me great sadness to remark on these terrible events not only because of the tragedy itself but also because we are seeing history repeat itself in Kosovo. Genocides occur when humanity ignores the cries of those being exterminated and forgets to hold those responsible accountable. We cannot and should not let that happen again. As we in Congress grapple with the problems of today, I ask that we learn from the terrible events of yesteryear and move to educate today's generation about the lessons we have learned. The fact that the United States still hasn't even formally recognized the Armenian Genocide remains a stain on our heritage and the values we hold dear to us. It is for this reason that I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of the ``U.S. Record on the Armenian Genocide Resolution'' that will be introduced this week. This resolution directs the President to provide a complete collection of all United States records related to the Armenian Genocide to document and affirm the United States record of protest and recognition of this crime against humanity. Co-sponsoring this resolution is a small step but an important one. In closing, I would like to thank Representatives Pallone and Porter for their ongoing support of Armenian issues and for organizing this special order remembering the people and events surrounding the Armenian Genocide. I am proud of my Armenian heritage and the contributions of so many Armenians to our great nation. It is my sincere hope that we not forget this tragedy and that we learn from it so that we never repeat its course.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Roslyn G. Morris, an extraordinary woman and my constituent of Atherton, CA, who will be presented the Leading Citizens Award by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula on Wednesday, April 21, 1999. Roslyn Morris has a distinguished volunteer resume. Described by friends as ``quietly loving and giving'', Roslyn Morris is often found behind the scenes working diligently on causes important to her. Initially on the Board of the Florence Crittendon Home, she was a founding member of the Peninsula Children's Charter Auxiliary. Her deep commitment to Peninsula Volunteers (PV) led her to serve as President of the Board of Directors in 1980. In 1995, the newly renovated PV Senior Center Little House was named in her honor. Roslyn Morris is actively involved with the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco. She recently assisted with the opening of the new Iris & Gerald Cantor Center for the Visual Arts at Stanford University. Roslyn and her husband of almost 50 years, Mervin, also being honored by the Boys & Girls Club, have 4 loving children and 12 beautiful grandchildren. Very importantly, Mr. Speaker, Roslyn Morris' example of excellence has inspired others to provide opportunities for achievement, especially for the young and particularly, for those who come from disadvantaged circumstances. Mr. Speaker, Roslyn Morris is a woman of outstanding character and I salute her for her remarkable contributions to our country and our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her as she is being named a Leading Citizen by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. No one deserves this more.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mervin G. Morris, an extraordinary man and my constituent of Atherton, California, who will be presented the Leading Citizens Award by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula on Wednesday, April 21, 1999. As a third generation Californian, Mervin Morris was raised in the farming town of Delano, California. He joined the family business after serving four years in the United States Army during World War II. In 1949, he founded Mervyns Department Store in San Lorenzo, California. From that original store in San Lorenzo, he built a department store chain that currently employs over 70,000 people worldwide. Mervin Morris has provided over a decade of service to the Boys & Girls Club. His vision resulted in the development of a new clubhouse to serve the youth in East Palo Alto which is slated to open next spring. The clubhouse in Redwood City is named in his honor, and he has been instrumental in garnering volunteer and donor support for a fully renovated facility in the Belle Haven neighborhood in Menlo Park. Mervin Morris' volunteer activities do not stop at the Boys & Girls Club. He currently serves as a Trustee of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eisenhower Medical Center. His involvement in countless other community organizations include the California Academy of Sciences, the Jewish Community Federation, Jewish Home for the Aged, the Palm Springs Desert Museum, the Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf, Scott Street Senior Housing, and the Stanford Athletic Department. Mr. Morris also continues his service to our military as a civilian advisor to the Commanding General of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services. Mervin Morris and his wife of almost fifty years, Roslyn, who is also being honored by the Boys & Girls Club, have four loving children and twelve beautiful grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, Mervin Morris is a man of outstanding character and I salute him for his remarkable contributions to our country and our community. We consider him a great blessing amongst us and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring him as he receives the honor of being named a Leading Citizen by the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. No one deserves this more.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bridget Meyer, an extraordinary high school student who is being honored as a Young Woman of Excellence by the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame. Bridget Meyer has been described by her teacher as someone who always gives one hundred percent and puts the feelings and concerns of others first. Bridget is a special young woman who, through difficulties with her family and finances, has worked every day after school to pay her rent. This alone is remarkable. However, when one considers that she's been doing this while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and serving as Senior Class Vice President, the achievements of her young life are all the more amazing. Bridget is a young woman who leads by example. Whether she is volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Safe Rides or AIDS Awareness, Bridget is constantly giving of herself to make our community better. Mr. Speaker, Bridget Meyer is an outstanding young woman who serves as a role model to her classmates, her family and her community. To those who say we live in a time when we lack heroes, they haven't met Bridget Meyers. I salute Bridget for her remarkable contributions and commitment to her community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being named a Young Woman of Excellence by the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Bessie Baughn, an exceptional citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Bessie Baughn's motto is: ``If there's a need, I fill it.'' This explains the amazing list of boards and organizations which Bessie currently is an integral part of. She has been named the Volunteer of the Year twice, the Woman of Distinction, and the Woman of the Year. Several of Bessie Baughn's achievements include founding the San Bruno Volunteer Services and Operation Video which provides videos to the residents of nursing homes. Bessie not only puts in time and energy, but also her own resources to help start and sustain these important programs and services. Bessie Baughn not only practices volunteerism, she preaches it as well. She writes a weekly column in the Independent where she encourages community work and volunteerism. Mr. Speaker, Bessie Baughn is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Marion Joseph, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Marion Joseph has devoted more than 38 years as a volunteer and a professional to improve the lives of California's youth. Marion has focused specifically on disadvantaged and special education students. In the early 1960's she designed and implemented a program that served more than 700 children a week and involved over 300 tutors in centers throughout the poorest sections of Sacramento. During the 1970's she served on the Senior Executive Staff of the State Department of Education where she was a key architect of the California Master Plan for Education. Marion was critical to the School Improvement Plan, a plan which helped parents become more active in their child's education. Marion is currently serving her second term on the State Board of Education and is affectionately called the ``Paul Revere of Reading.'' Marion Joseph came out of retirement to find a solution to the problem of failing reading scores in California and the result of her extraordinary work was The Reading Lions Project. Mr. Speaker, Marion Joseph is an outstanding woman. I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kathy Adamson, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. A native of Redwood City, Kathy Adamson has been a foster parent to more than four hundred children ranging in age from newborn to sixteen. Children in her temporary care have included drug exposed infants, shaken babies, toddlers, children with Attention Deficit Disorders, and adolescent girls. Kathy's home became a hospice for terminally ill infants, many of whom died in her loving arms. Since 1995 she has worked with San Mateo County Mental Health as an independent contractor, providing a variety of programs designed to help support parents and children in need. In recognition of her professionalism, her exceptional work and her compassion, Kathy was elected President of the San Mateo County Foster Care Association. Mr. Speaker, Kathy Adamson is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Woman's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Deberah Bringelson, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who is being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame. Deberah Bringelson has served San Mateo County for more than 14 years, both as a professional and a volunteer. She has brought her energies and expertise to the issues of civil justice reform, child protection, toxic cleanup, as well as water and land use policies. Deberah has made significant contributions in the field of criminal and juvenile justice reform, reforming the system and creating efficiencies of operation. Her commitment to the issues of drug abuse and violence arise from her own personal experiences. Deberah helped create the County Adult and Juvenile Drug Courts, and designed a comprehensive life skills treatment program which serves female offenders and focuses on mothers. Deberah serves as a mentor for young women, coaching several girls' athletic teams. She's been honored for overcoming the personal trauma and violence of her childhood and for bringing her talents, compassion and energy to our community. Mr. Speaker, Deberah Bringelson is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Judith Whitmer Kozloski, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. In 1998, Judith Whitmer Kozloski became the first woman in San Mateo's County's history to serve as Presiding Judge of the San Mateo County Superior and Municipal Courts. Before her appointment to the Municipal Court in 1984, Judith served as an Assistant District Attorney in San Francisco, where she headed the Sexual Assault/Child Abuse Unit. Throughout her career Judge Kozloski has worked tirelessly to educate people about the dangers and consequences of child abuse and domestic violence and she has been a key member of San Mateo County's Task Force on Domestic Violence. Mr. Speaker, Judith Whitmer Kozloski is an outstanding woman and a highly respected jurist. I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Carol Forest, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame of Friday, March 26, 1999. Carol Forest has spent more than thirty years in education and has dedicated herself to alternative education. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Jefferson Union High School District's GED Center in 1986, and under her leadership, this program has grown from graduating fifty students per year to more than two hundred per year. Carol has focused on getting at-risk youth back on track. She's done this through providing counseling, intervention and prevention programs, vocational training and employment services. In 1990 she helped to form the Daly City Youth Health Center. This facility has secured over $2 million in grant funding and has provided critical services to over seven thousand teens. Since its inception the staff has grown from five to thirty one and includes three paid teen health advocates. Carol Forest did not stop there. She also established the Tools for Survival Program which gives added support to high school dropouts who are seeking their Graduate Equivalent Degree. Carol has been instrumental in establishing the San Francisco Buddhist Center, where she mentors other women in their search for spiritual development. Mr. Speaker, Carol Forest is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her compassion, for her vision and for her commitment to making sure every child has a chance. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Emily Marks Skolnick, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Emily Marks Skolnick has pursued her quest for human rights, equality and economic justice since she was a child. A 1937 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wellesley College where she majored in Labor Economics, Emily has given generously of her time and resources as a volunteer for over 60 years. She fought for school desegregation in the 1940s, helping to instigate the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case. In 1946 she helped found the Co-Op Nursery School and organized a pilot preschool program which was a model for the Headstart program. She participated in the desegregation of the San Mateo Union High School District in the 1950s, and in 1958 she led a field study which resulted in passage of the San Mateo City Fair Employment Practices Ordinance. Emily helped launch the Lawrence Child Care Center and the local chapter of the ACLU. Mr. Speaker, Emily Marks Skolnick is an extraordinary woman. I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring and congratulating her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jessica Marie Jenkins, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Frame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Jessica Marie Jenkins is a brilliant high school student who has earned National Merit Semifinalist status. Jessica entered high school with an aggressive plan to take the most challenging courses offered. She has set high goals for herself despite the fact that she is legally blind. While maintaining a heavy academic load, Jessica volunteers in a local business and at the Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, where she teaches Braile and helps organize youth group activities. She's a leader in her church where she serves as a Eucharistic Minister. An accomplished pianist, Jessica is a thoughtful person, always willing to help anyone, whether they need a tutor or a friend. Jessica's future plans are to combine her interests in community building, and the rights of the disabled and international relations to benefit others. Mr. Speaker, Jessica Marie Jenkins is an outstanding young woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being named a Young Woman of Excellence by the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Frame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Phelicia Jones, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Phelicia Jones is the Project Coordinator for the San Mateo County Nia Mentoring Program, a program which provides both personal and professional guidance for African American youth. Phelicia has overcome both family tragedy and a drug addiction to become a positive role model for others to emulate. Through the Twilight Basketball for Youth program, Phelicia works with at-risk youth to help them avoid many of the same pitfalls she encountered. She has also been instrumental in establishing a crime prevention program benefiting young girls through the Sisters in Style program. While a student at the College of San Mateo, she earned a 3.75 grade point average and went on to earn a Bachelors Degree from the College of Notre Dame, while simultaneously being actively involved in student government and community affairs. She is currently pursuing a Masters Degree at San Francisco State University and working toward a Drug and Alcohol Certificate. Mr. Speaker, Phelicia Jones is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mary Harris Evans, an extraordinary citizen of San Mateo County, California, who will be inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame on Friday, March 26, 1999. Mary Harris Evans has a rich and varied background as a professional and a volunteer. While attending California College of Podiatric Medicine, Mary founded an outreach program at Laguna Honda Hospital and treated senior citizens in their homes at no charge. Mary is now a Financial Advisor and Retirement Specialist with Dean Witter, where she assists clients with the management of their portfolios. Throughout her career, Mary has always made a great commitment to volunteerism, most notably fifteen years service to the California 4-H. Mary also serves as President of the American Baptist Women of the West and helped found the African-American Community Health Advisory Committee. Mary is also a trained mediator and was recently instrumental in helping Mrs. Tom Lantos put together a Homeless Theater Project. Mr. Speaker, Mary Harris Evans is an outstanding woman and I salute her for her remarkable contributions and commitment to our community. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring her on being inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about two diseases we all hope to avoid but which often touches too many of our lives--breast and cervical cancer. Mr. Speaker, breast and cervical cancer are killers. Breast cancer kills over 46,000 women each year and is the leading cause of death among women between 40 and 45. Cervical cancer will kill, 4,400 of our wives, daughters, mothers and sisters this year. In 1990, Congress took the first step to fight breast and cervical cancer by passing the Breast and Cervical Cancer Mortality Prevention Act. This law authorized a breast and cervical cancer-screening program for low-income, uninsured or underinsured women through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This law was an important first step, but it was only a first step. While the current program covers screening services, it does not cover treatment for women who are found to be positive through the program. The bill I am introducing today with my colleagues, Representatives Lazio, Capps, and Ros-Lehtinen, takes the next critical step by providing lifesaving treatment for these dreaded diseases. Our bill, the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act of 1999, would establish an optional state Medicaid benefit for the coverage of certain women who were screened and diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer under the CDC National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Thankfully, Mr. Speaker, we possess the technology to detect and treat breast and cervical cancer. But we must pair this with the will to help women fight these diseases. The current method of providing treatment is through an ad hoc patchwork of providers, volunteers, and local programs that often results in unpredictable, delayed, or incomplete. Our bill would provide a consistent, reliable method of treatment for uninsured and underinsured women fighting breast or cervical cancer. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to say that over 90 of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle have already signed on to be original co- sponsors of the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act. These members who have shown their support for this bill recognize that breast and cervical cancer are not only women's diseases. For the son who has lost a mother, the husband who has lost a wife, or the mother who has lost a daughter, this disease is a family disease. In the last decade we have made great strides in diagnosing and treating breast and cervical cancer. But the causes of these cancers remain unknown and for many women how they will pay for their treatment remains unknown as well. Mr. Speaker, our hope is that Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act will help change that.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 835, the bill to make permanent the research and development tax credit. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the bill, because making the research and development tax credit permanent will help to maintain the stunning economic expansion that America now enjoys. The R&D tax credit is in place right now. In fact, the Congress has extended this on a stop-go basis since 1981. The bill making the credit permanent would assist companies in research-intensive industries, because they need to know that they can count on the credit being there in order to plan their future. Imagine if a home mortgage interest deduction was renewed on a stop- start basis by the Congress of the United States. The housing industry would be in chaos, and American citizens would not know whether they could count on it or not. So I think it is time to make the R&D tax credit permanent, just as the home mortgage interest deduction is, and give American companies the tools that they need. We need to continue to expand this economy and keep it stunning. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to submit for the Record that I would have voted ``yes'' if I'd been present for the vote on the Wireless Privacy Enhancement Act of 1999. This important legislation strengthens and clarifies prohibitions on electronic eavesdropping. Mr. Speaker, specifically, this legislation makes it illegal to intentionally intercept calls or to intentionally divulge the content of private calls. Additionally, it increases the penalties for violators and requires the FCC to investigate violations. This legislation is essentially the same wireless scanner legislation that the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved last session. As an original co-sponsor of the Wireless Privacy Enhancement Act of 1999, I'm pleased my colleagues saw fit to pass the legislation by a 403 to 3 vote margin. As I stated before, had I been present for this vote, I would have joined my colleagues in their near unanimous support for this legislation.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Chairman, I thank our very distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson). I am very proud to rise today in support of H.R. 669, a bill which is designed to expand the Peace Corps so it can meet the demands and challenges as it heads into the 21st century. Mr. Chairman, the extraordinary vision of President Kennedy really lives on today through the Peace Corps. In the Congress of the United States, we have our own honor roll of former Peace Corps members: in the House, the gentleman from California (Mr. Sam Farr), the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Chris Shays), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jim Walsh); certainly in the Senate, Chris Dodd, the late Paul Tsongas. Mr. Chairman, when we send Peace Corps volunteers overseas, we do not just export our volunteers. We really are exporting American values. Our Peace Corps volunteers demonstrate firsthand what it means to build community and to build democracy. We export our great intellectual genius with each one of our volunteers. The Peace Corps has always enjoyed a bipartisan support in the Congress. The proposed increases in this bill really represent, I think, a very small investment for a large return. By sending our best and our brightest ambassadors, the Peace Corps itself is one of the most effective and long-lasting foreign policy tools that the United States of America has. At a time when so many of our young people, Mr. Chairman, are turning away from public service, are not interested in it, the Peace Corps is actually inundated with applications and is having to turn people away from that service. We know that we need to match their idealism and their attraction to the Peace Corps. The number of Americans requesting applications and information about the Peace Corps has increased by more than 40 percent over the last 4 years. Yet, the Peace Corps is only able to increase its volunteers by 2 percent during this same period. I am exceedingly proud to be a political descendant of John Fitzgerald Kennedy, and I am an unabashed idealist. President Kennedy's aspirations live on today, and the torch, as he said, has been passed to a new generation. That new generation includes my son, Paul Eshoo, who is a volunteer in the Peace Corps today in Nepal, in the Himalayas. I cannot wait to send him an e-mail to say that this legislation has passed, and that with it, the Congress of the United States really not only thanks and acknowledges what the volunteers in the Peace Corps are doing all around the world, but that we match our idealism and our pragmatism in the investment of America's tax dollars in the hopes and aspirations of people around the world. So I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is very well put together. If in fact the amendment that would flatten out this budget is offered, I urge my colleagues to vote against it. It is an amendment to diminish aspirations. It would be an amendment to diminish the hopes and aspirations of generations and generations that have seen fit to go around the world and be America's best ambassadors.

Ms. ESHOO

Ms. ESHOO. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection of the Committee on Commerce, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin). I was in my office and I had this station on and I was listening, Mr. Livingston, to the marvelous things that were being said about you and I wanted to come to the floor and pay tribute to you for the kind of man that you have been, for the kind of Member you have been, and the leadership that you have provided here in the House of Representatives. Just anecdotally, my earliest memory of Bob Livingston is at the Hershey retreat, at the bipartisan retreat 2 years ago. I had gone to mass that Sunday morning, and I looked in front of me to say ``peace be with you'', and who was standing there but Bob Livingston and his wife. Now, I think that in order to be great, and in order to do really extraordinary things, that you have to be a good person. And I believe that Bob Livingston is a very, very good man. The next time I remember seeing him, and I thought, gee, we keep bumping into one another at religious-like undertakings, was here in the Capitol at a magnificent, beautiful memorial service for Congressman Emerson. And there he was again in his tall and quiet way. I wish that Bob Livingston were remaining in the House of Representatives, where he would continue the very important work that he undertook both as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and the kind of leadership that he has given. This is the first time that I have crossed the aisle and spoken from the Republican side. I do that, Mr. Chairman, to pay tribute to you, because I think that people across this country, whether they know your name or not, will be the beneficiaries of the kinds of good things that you have done here. You will be remembered long after you leave here for your goodness, and I wanted to come to the floor to pay tribute to you tonight and to say to you that I have every confidence that you have many, many chapters of exciting times of your life to come. Thank you for what you have been here. Thank you for the gentleman that you are. I want you to know that I am one of many, many, many here that had looked forward to working with you as Speaker of this House. But you will move on, you will be extraordinarily successful, because you have all the ingredients of leadership to do that regardless of where you are. And may I say, ``May God bless you''. You deserve it.