Bob Etheridge

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my opposition to H.R. 8. As a part-time farmer and former small business owner, I have long supported responsible legislation to provide estate tax relief for family-owned businesses. Unfortunately, this bill will not accomplish that goal. Throughout my service in the U.S. House, I have been a strong supporter of estate tax relief for family farmers and small business owners. The first bill I introduced as a Member of Congress was a bill to raise the inheritance tax exemption from $600,000 to $1.5 million and for the first time indexed it to inflation. But H.R. 8 is an extremely irresponsible bill that will add billions to our national debt for our children and grandchildren to pay and will harm more taxpayers than it helps. The unfortunate reality of our situation is that we have witnessed the most dramatic fiscal reversal in our Nation's history. Our budget surpluses have been frittered away, and our Nation is now drowning in red ink with ever- growing budget deficits and increasing Federal debt. The primary culprits for our increasing debt are the risky, irresponsible tax schemes the Republican Congress has enacted the last 4 years. Instead of adopting a bill that would increase the burden on our children and grandchildren, we need a common-sense solution that would exempt the vast majority of Americans from an estate tax while maintaining a degree of fiscal integrity. That is why I am supporting the Democratic substitute authored by Representative Earl Pomeroy. This substitute provides an estate tax exemption of $3 million for individuals and $6 million for couples beginning in 2006, and the exemption would increase to $3.5 million and $7 million respectively in 2009. Furthermore, this plan would instantly repeal the estate tax on a vast majority of farms and small businesses, as well as shield heirs from dramatic capital gains tax liabilities that are part of the Republican plan. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has estimated that more farm estates would have an increased tax liability from the Republican plan's carry-over basis rules than would ever benefit from the repeal of the estate tax. I support estate tax relief, but not at the expense of our senior citizens who benefit from Social Security and Medicare. The only way to pay for the Republican bill is by taking more money out of the Social Security an Medicare Trust Funds and replacing it with IOUs. H.R. 8 will compound the fiscal mistakes Congress has made the last 2 years with its policy of tax cuts at any cost, including our children's education and our Nation's future. The people of North Carolina's Second District elected me to help chart a common-sense, fiscally prudent course for the country. I pledged to represent my constituents by paying down the national debt; saving Social Security and Medicare funds for older Americans, and investing our country's resources into education, health care and other initiatives that enable people to improve their lives. H.R. 8 is inconsistent with these goals; therefore, I oppose the bill.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in commemoration of Coats, North Carolina. On March 5, 2005 Coats will celebrate its l00th Birthday. Coats is located in the Eastern part of my home county, Harnett County in the 2nd Congressional District of North Carolina. Coat's humble beginning is especially personal to me as my great, great Uncle James T. Coats bought the first acres of farmland that would grow to become this warm and hospitable Southern community. Coat's history is rich with individuals like my uncle, who envisioned a town where future generations could work, live, and raise their families in the bright light of America's promises. I think of Ed Williams and John Talton who were among the first entrepreneurs to establish stores in Coats. I think of John McKay Byrd, a former sheriff of Harnett County, who contributed greatly to the industrial life of the community. And I think of the first mayor, J.K. Stewart who when elected installed the first electric lights in the town. Coats has never strived to be an urban hub, more comfortable with its small town population of only 1,900. Yet, its residents are proud of their community. As a former Harnett County Commissioner, I have always enjoyed a special connection to the people of Coats, NC. It is a place rooted in appreciation for one's family, faith, and country. The Town of Coats and its residents exemplify the common-sense values of North Carolina that I am so proud to represent in Congress. Mr. Speaker in closing I would like to send my best wishes and gratitude to the people of Coats, North Carolina in wishing them a Very Happy Birthday. I know that in the future this town will continue to be ``a good place to live and make a living.''

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 418. Although I support the goals of this legislation, H.R. 418 unfortunately contains too many misguided provisions. Last year, I voted to pass the 9/11 Commission's bipartisan recommendations to reform identification standards and beef up security on our nation's border. This legislation would repeal that new law before it has a chance to work. Had the provisions of H.R. 418 been in place prior to September 11, 2001, they would not have stopped a single one of the 19 terrorists. H.R. 418 would force virtually every adult in the United States to go to the DMV to get a new driver's license, and with 14,000 local jurisdictions in this country currently issuing identification, it would be impossible to impose a single standard within in the three-year limit in the bill. I will also vote to remove provisions in the bill allowing the DHS Secretary to waive laws currently on the books. Finally, many of my constituents have expressed concerns to me that H.R. 418 would create a national ID system that would lead to intrusive government action like a gun registry and gun control on targeted groups. For these reasons, I will vote ``no'' on H.R. 418.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a joyful heart to announce the birth of my very first grandchild. On January 19, my wife Faye and I welcomed into this world William Etheridge Otto, the new son of our daughter Catherine Etheridge Otto and her husband Tim. William arrived at 9:03 a.m. in Raleigh, North Carolina. He weighs seven pounds and seven ounces and measures 21 inches. Faye and I are proud as can be of our very first grandchild and his parents. Looking into the face of a newborn baby reaffirms your hope for mankind, your faith in God and your commitment to family. I want my grandson to grow up in a peaceful and prosperous nation, where he can achieve his dreams and is limited only by his willingness to work hard. I want William Etheridge Otto and all children to have good schools, safe neighborhoods and the best medical care. And I hope our national leadership can return to the values of balanced budgets and opportunity for all so that my grandson's generation can reach for the American Dream. Those are North Carolina values. I look forward to teaching William those values throughout his precious life. A new child in the family is a gift from God. The Etheridge family today is very blessed to welcome our newest addition. I look forward to introducing him to my friends and neighbors.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the service of my colleague, Congressman Cal Dooley. Cal has been a good friend to me personally throughout my time here in the people's house. And on the professional level, I have always been impressed by Cal's intelligence, foresight and just plain hard work. Cal's service in this body has probably been most influential through the moderate group of Members in the New Democrats Caucus. As co-chair of that pivotal group, Cal worked effectively to build bridges between the two parties to get real results. He championed balanced budgets, job-creating exports and policies to encourage the technology sector. In the process, Cal helped the Democratic party to reach out beyond our core base of supporters to bring people together to get the job done. I also have enjoyed working with Cal Dooley on our joint service on the Committee on Agriculture. Cal has had the honor of representing one of the largest agricultural regions in the nation, a region that grows on the order of 200 different types of commodities. Representing so many varied agricultural interests with conflicting needs would present a challenge to any member, but Cal made it look easy. In addition to fighting for commodities that often receive little to no support from the federal government, Cal has been a tireless crusader for greater funding for agricultural research. As I represent the great agricultural university at NC State, I have deeply enjoyed working with Cal to bring greater resources for AG research. Cal understands that if we don't invest in the future of agriculture, we will quickly lose our competitive advantage in food production to other nations. So, Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my friend and colleague Cal Dooley on the occasion of his retirement from Congress, and I look forward to many more great things from him in the years to come.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the final version of this bill to renew the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As the only former State schools chief serving in Congress. I know firsthand the tremendous challenges facing our schools, teachers, parents and students when it comes to educating disabled children. This legislation includes a number of positive provisions that will help students with disabilities and the educators who serve them. Specifically, I am pleased that this final version of the bill will enhance the focus on professional development, early intervention, and paperwork reduction. I commend my colleagues for working in a bipartisan manner, an all- too-infrequent-occurrence in this Congress, to achieve a consensus bill. No legislation is perfect, and this bill is no exception. Specifically, this falls short on making good on the promise of the Federal Government to fund 40 percent of the costs of educating disabled children. I will continue to make this effort a high priority in the next Congress. Last year, I voted against the House version of H.R. 1350 because of its failure to improve current law regarding the education of disabled children. I again commend the conferees on this legislation for producing a final product worthy of support.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting ``no.'' Congress and this administration simply must end the reckless and irresponsible budget path we are currently on. Early next year, my wife Faye and I expect to become grandparents for the first time. While this is an exciting time for our family, I shudder to think that our Nation's legacy to that child is going to be the largest national debt ever bequeathed to a generation in this country's history. That is wrong. It is immoral. It violates to the core our most basic values of responsibility to one another. The current administration and the Republican leadership has run up a massive national debt of $7.4 trillion and growing with no end in sight. Each newborn child now inherits $85,000 in debt. This so-called ``baby tax'' is wrong and is building inflation into our economy that poses catastrophic danger to our Nation's economic prosperity. America must return to the values of balanced budgets and put our fiscal house in order. As someone who hails from a conservative state, I fail to see what at all is conservative about refusing to pay one's bills. Mr. Speaker, Congress must reject this legislation and return to policies of budget sanity and economic growth so that every individual willing to work hard can make the most of his or her God-given abilities and live the American dream.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Let me ask this question as if I am sitting at my kitchen table and I get my credit card. In effect, I am paying only the interest on that credit card month after month. That is what we are doing. We are not paying any on the principal. I keep building that principal larger and larger, so it goes on my credit card from $1,000 to $5,000, to $10,000. It stands to reason my interest is going up.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. I thank my friend from South Carolina for yielding. Let me thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his leadership on this issue because, as the gentleman from Virginia has just shared with us, this is an issue that deserves more than just an hour Special Order in the evenings. This is an issue that deserves the attention of every Member of this Congress, and it deserves the attention of the administration. We had a wedding this weekend in our family. Our last child got married. Come January, we are expecting to be grandparents. I am looking forward to that with a great deal of anticipation. But after what we have heard tonight, I am sorry to say that when that child is born he will inherit the largest debt and his generation of any group of young people in the history of this country. That is wrong, and this Congress and this administration has an obligation to do something about it. That is wrong. I heard today on the radio, I do not have it in writing, that the inflation increase that we are just facing, and they announced it today, is the largest we have seen in 14 years. That means we have to go back to 1990 to see the inflation increases now being built in the economy. If this is correct, what this is going to mean is the cost of that debt is going up, because interest rates will go up with inflation and it will start to squeeze everything. Sure, it has something to do with the price of oil, but the price of oil is going to keep going up if we keep devaluing the dollar. And the dollar gets devalued because we have a huge debt, and the cycle gets worse and worse. That is basic economics. You do not need to know a lot. You just need to understand that we have got to get our house in order to pay our bills and turn that red back to green. It can be done, but it cannot be done under current policies. Let me ask my friend from South Carolina a question, because he knows an awful lot about this when we are talking about budgets. When we are spending the dollars for the debt, and we have seen the numbers this evening, of how that is continuing to expand with no solution in sight, share with me what this does for our squeeze on the need to invest in education and in research and development, to grow our economy to get out of this problem.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Here is my question. If I keep building this big enough, pretty soon the bankers are going say to me, ``Mr. Etheridge, if you can't pay some of the principal, we're going to have to sit down and work out a plan for you.'' Normally, people do not do that with a country, but I think earlier the gentleman from New York touched on this when he was talking about the challenge we face with our international friends owning our debt. How do we deal with them diplomatically when we owe them so much money?

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John Bryan and Rebekah Sparrow Chiavetta on the birth of their first child, Charlotte Sparrow Chiavetta. Charlotte was born on Thursday, October 7, 2004, and weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces. Faye joins me in wishing John and Rebekah great happiness during this very special time in their lives. As a father, I know the joy, pride, and excitement that parents experience upon the entrance of their child into the world. Representing hope, goodness, and innocence, a newborn allows those around her to see the world through her eyes... as a new, fresh place with unending possibilities for the future. Through a child, one is able to recognize and appreciate the full potential of the human race. I know the Chiavettas look forward to the changes and challenges that their new daughter will bring to their lives while taking pleasure in the many rewards they are sure to receive as they watch her grow. I welcome young Charlotte into the world and wish John and Rebekah all the best as they raise her.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise a great North Carolinian and teacher in the Chatham County public schools, Mr. Julian Smith. Mr. Smith received a B.S. degree in Agriculture Education from the University of North Carolina in 1965. In July of 1965 he began teaching in the Chatham County Schools where he remains to this day. He augmented his education with a Masters degree in Agriculture Education from North Carolina State University in 1971. This is truly a man who gathers knowledge in order to impart more to his students. Mr. Smith has taught and continues to teach horticulture and floriculture to Chatham county students. He is well-liked, admired and respected by the students, parents and faculty of Chatham Central High School and throughout the county's schools because he has tremendous knowledge about his field of teaching. He began winning first place awards for Horticulture and Floriculture in 1975 and is still winning. I will submit his list of awards so that Congress can see his many, many awards! In addition, Mr. Smith has been recognized county-wide by Chatham County public schools as their Teacher of the Year for the school years, 1980-1981, 1981-1982 and 1986-1987. He has been named Chatham County Central High School Teacher of the Year for the school years 1980-1981, 1981-1982, 1986-1987 and 1993-1994. In 1995 he was one of only 6 teachers to be recognized as a National Regional Teacher of the Year. His principal at Bear Creek Central High School had this high praise for him, ``Mr. Smith is one of the educators that will come along once in a lifetime. He is a mentor, and an innovator. He is humble, yet driven to succeed. His students will fondly remember the impact that he made for several years after they leave Chatham Central High School. They will realize that they weren't simply taught the subjects of horticulture and floriculture; they were trained for the real world application of both.'' Mr. Speaker, North Carolina is truly blessed to have the abilities and talents of a teacher like Julian Smith teaching and shaping its young minds. I am pleased that Chatham County recognizes the talents of this wonderful teacher, and I am pleased to be able to recognize him in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for being kind enough, our distinguished ranking member, for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of North Carolina farm families and really a lot of farm families who grow tobacco across the southeast, I rise this evening to offer my support for this conference report on H.R. 4520. The $9.6 billion buyout this bill provides to tobacco growers and quota holders will stave off the economic disaster that my tobacco farm families currently face in my district. Since 1997, North Carolina farm families and really other tobacco families throughout the southeast have seen their income cut roughly in half. This December they faced the prospect of another 30 percent cut in quota, and that will mean a resulting income loss. But this evening, a new day dawns for the American tobacco farmer. Eliminating the current quota system will make American tobacco leaf, the finest in the world, more competitive on the world market. In addition, the buyout will give many debt-ridden tobacco growers a chance to either retire with some dignity, invest in production of a different crop or restructure their current tobacco production. Almost $4 billion will flow into rural North Carolina during the next 10 years. Three-quarters of that billion will flow into my congressional district. This will have a tremendous transformative impact upon my mostly rural people. While North Carolina's tobacco growers and quota holders are grateful to get this level of assistance, we wish the conference committee would have accepted either of the two amendments offered that would have increased the funding for the buyout. I want to thank the Ways and Means chairman for honoring his pledge to keep the tobacco buyout in the bill. Four months ago, I told him, ``Come back with your shield, or on it.'' He did bring his shield back. It is pretty beaten and battered, has a few holes, and has lost some of its original shine since it was given to him, but he brought it back, and North Carolina farmers are better off this evening. I will support the adoption of the conference report.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning to congratulate my friend, Senator John Edwards, for his outstanding performance in last night's debate. Once again, he has done us proud. John Edwards grew up the son of a mill worker in rural North Carolina. He understands the challenges that ordinary people face in these tough economic times. Simply put, he gets it when it comes to the problems, challenges, aspirations and dreams of hard-working families. That is why he will make an outstanding Vice President. During last night's debate, John Edwards clearly stated why the Bush- Cheney administration's stubborn refusal to admit mistakes is so wrong for America. The Bush-Cheney record of failed policies, broken promises, and tired excuses is a strong change in our national leadership. John Edwards articulated that case very strongly last night. Mr. Speaker, John Edwards and John Kerry have a better plan to strengthen middle-class families, to create good jobs, provide targeted tax relief for middle-class families and invest in jobs for tomorrow for the broader future of America. We need new leadership in America. John Edwards demonstrated last night that he and John Kerry are ready to take our country in a new and better direction.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride to introduce and present to this august body the Reverend Thomas Spence as today's Guest Chaplain in the U.S. House of Representatives. Reverend Spence is the pastor of Leaflet Presbyterian Church, my home church in Broadway, North Carolina; and I am honored he has been with us today in the people's House. Reverend Spence possesses rare eloquence; and as a long-time congregant and friend, I can tell Members he is a unique individual whose interest and activism stretches far more broadly than his congregation. He has truly lived a life according to Jesus' example to tend to the least among us. Like me, Reverend Spence grew up on a farm in rural North Carolina, he in Harnett County; and I grew up in the adjacent county of Johnston. The life lessons one learns growing up on a working farm shape your world view and instill what we refer to as good North Carolina values of hard work, faith in God, love of family and friends, and devotion to duty to those around us and to our world as a whole. Reverend Spence has lived North Carolina values every day of his life and has served the people of his congregation with great distinction and accomplishment. I am pleased, proud, and honored to introduce North Carolina's own Reverend Thomas Spence to the House.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I have just had a number of farmers leave my office this morning, and they are not real sure they are going to be farming this year. So I rise today because tobacco farmers, growers and allotment holders desperately need a tobacco buyout, and they expect Congress to pass one before leaving in October. Without a buyout, approximately half of North Carolina's tobacco growers could go out of business this year. A buyout means a difference between bankruptcy and solvency, between being forced out of business and retiring with dignity, and between surrendering everything to creditors or having a legacy to leave to the next generation. A buyout would pump almost $4 billion into rural North Carolina at a time when they are really hurting. This infusion of capital would launch our agriculture sector into a new era of growth and development and provide greater stability to those who wish to continue to farm. Because the buyout is so critical to North Carolina's farm families and to the continued strength of North Carolina's agriculture sector, it is time for Congress to make the tough decisions necessary to ensure the buyout's success. Now, in the past several months, it has become increasingly clear that the ultimate success of a tobacco buyout is directly tied to the inclusion of FDA regulation. Madam Speaker, tobacco growers do not want us to have a prolonged fight over FDA. That is what they have told me over and over again. They want a buyout today, and they are fully prepared to pay the price of FDA regulation to ensure and expedite the buyout package. I have long opposed FDA regulation of tobacco, but let me state clearly, if inclusion of FDA regulation gets us to the goal of enacting buyout legislation before we leave town this year, so be it. Madam Speaker, I know you are being asked by many people to separate FDA regulations from the buyout. They promise that a buyout can become law without FDA. Madam Speaker, I warn you here and now, if you choose that path and the buyout is defeated, either in the House or the Senate, for any reason, you and they will be responsible for that failure. The Senate buyout/FDA amendment garnered an incredible 78 votes, more than enough to override a filibuster or overcome a veto. The Senate Republican leader and Senate Republican Whip have said FDA is needed for a buyout to become law, so have Republican Senators Dole, DeWine and McCain. Today, we have seen one of the Senate conferees, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension, Senator Gregg, will insist that FDA remain a part of the buyout package. Madam Speaker, tobacco growers and allotment holders are at the end of their rope. Failure is not an option. Congress must pass the buyout without further delay, and it is time to make the tough choices necessary to get it done. Madam Speaker, let us do right by our tobacco-farming families. Let us stop making promises and start delivering results. Let us get the buyout to our farmers and quota holders before the election this year. They deserve nothing less.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Let me thank him and my colleague, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), for bringing this resolution to the floor because it is so important. I rise to add my voice in praise of the staff and leaders of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, for the job they have been doing during this remarkably challenging time during this hurricane season. We talk about hurricanes; but the truth is when a hurricane comes ashore, we have an awful lot of tornados that spawn from that. As any Member from a southern Atlantic coastal State can tell you, this has been a very busy season; and, unfortunately, it does not appear to be over with yet. And if the predictions are right, we are in for some pretty bumpy times in the years ahead. The folks at NOAA and the National Weather Service have done a fine job in letting our citizens know when the storms are coming, where they would most likely strike, and they have been pretty accurate about how much wind and storm surge they can expect. As a consequence, NOAA has saved millions of lives through its timely reporting and storm tracking, and it has an awful lot to do with saving of property. I can tell you at my office, and I expect it is true of most offices that are in the line of fire, the staffs check the NOAA Web site, NOAA tracking at 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. each day because they are the ones that have the information. While NOAA has performed well, one of the things that could be improved is predicting the potential flooding consequences of the rain associated with these storms. That is why in the 107th Congress I introduced and Congress passed into law legislation to improve the forecasting of inland flooding and to develop an inland flood-warning index similar to the Saffir-Simpson Scale that we use for wind with hurricanes. Unfortunately, we have not seen much progress with the development of the inland flood-warning index. Congress has not provided the funds necessary to develop a warning index that can better alert Americans of flood hazards associated with tropical cyclones, and NOAA has taken only a few steps to implement this legislation. If we had had an inland flood-warning index in place, many of the more than 70 lives lost from Bonnie, Charley, Frances, and Ivan could possibly have been saved. We heard of what has happened in recent years from what we did at the turn of the century. We still can do better. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd killed 48 people in the State of North Carolina with heavy floods, almost all of them lived hundreds of miles from the coast and died from fresh-water flooding. That can be corrected. In Richmond, Virginia, last month the remnants of Tropical Storm Gaston was predicted to drop 4 inches of rain. Instead, it produced more than a foot of rain and resulted in flooding that cost millions of dollars in damage to the city's historic downtown, and much of that damage could have been mitigated had the public been better prepared and had known what was going to happen. Madam Speaker, as the appropriations process winds down, I urge you to fully implement and fund the Tropical Cyclone Inland Forecasting Improvement and Warning System Development Act, similar to what we did with the Saffir-Simpson scale for hurricanes in providing warning on the coast. This will make a difference in the inland areas. This Congress has shown and has spoken with an overwhelming majority, and I also call on NOAA to move forward aggressively to implement this legislation. We should never again suffer a hurricane season without adequate prediction tools where life-saving technology exists just beyond our current grasp. It is available. All we have to do is spend just a few dollars and it would be there. NOAA already saves countless lives. Working together we can help them save even more. I urge my colleagues to adopt this resolution.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise my friend and colleague, North Carolina Senator John Edwards. I want to call attention to a specific accomplishment on behalf of ordinary Americans that has earned him the reputation as a people's lawyer. Valerie Lakey, a 5-year-old girl, was maimed when a swimming pool drain malfunctioned. Her family had nowhere else to turn, and John Edwards proved the company that made the drain knew it was dangerous to children, yet did nothing. Jennifer Campbell was born in 1979 with severe brain damage because, as a jury later determined, her mother's doctor botched the delivery. The hospital covered up the malpractice and Jennifer's parents were forced to turn to John Edwards for a measure of justice. My Republican colleagues talk about what they call ``lawsuit abuse'' as part of their negative ads on John Edwards and John Kerry. But let the record be clear: John Edwards has spent his entire life fighting for ordinary folks who could not fight for themselves. John Edwards and John Kerry have a plan to make North Carolina a stronger home and respected in the world. I am proud of my friend John Edwards and know he will make a great Vice President.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Roy and Rhonda Harrington on the birth of their son, Mr. Roy Cameron Harrington. Roy was born on Thursday, July 1, 2004 and he weighed 7 pounds and 5 ounces. Faye joins me in wishing Roy and Rhonda great happiness during this very special time in their lives. As a father of three, I know the immeasurable pride and rewarding challenge that children bring into your life. The birth of a child changes your perspective on life and opens the world to you in a fresh, new way. Their innocence keeps you young-at-heart. A little miracle, a new baby holds all the potential of what human beings can achieve. With great happiness, I welcome young Roy into the world and wish Roy and Rhonda all the best as they raise him.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for yielding me the time, and let me thank the committee for reporting out favorably and unanimously this important piece of legislation that, as has been noted, was introduced and has been agreed to by our delegation unanimously. And I urge my colleagues to support this legislation as we name the main post office in Dunn, North Carolina, in honor of General William Carey Lee, as has been noted today, who has been, and it has been said is, the father of the United States Airborne, and that is absolutely correct. William Carey Lee, as has been noted, was born in Dunn, North Carolina, on March 12, 1895. So he is a native of a previous century. He attended Wake Forest and NC State Universities, but left the latter, NC State, to enroll as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. After serving 18 months in Europe during the First World War and earning the rank of captain, he returned stateside where he graduated from NC State University and was so enthralled and felt so much for the military services that he went on to United States Officers Candidate School 2 years later, and his enthusiasm led him to make a career out of the military. His enthusiasm for parachutists and glider troops that he had seen in Germany during World War I led him to develop the Parachute Test Platoon, and he had been doing a lot of work on it. Finally, in 1942, the President, President Roosevelt, assigned as the Provisional Paratroop Group, only a year old, that was then to be led by Lieutenant Colonel Lee, and it was reconstituted as the Airborne Command. Within the year, three parachute regiments were added to the Army's Airborne forces, and the Airborne Command headquarters were relocated to what was then called Camp Fort Bragg, as we know today Fort Bragg, with Brigadier General Lee in command, who had moved up very quickly in the ranks of the military. In August of 1942, the 82nd and the 101st Airborne Divisions were formed. Major General Lee was put in command of the new 101st Airborne, and they, of course, at that point were stationed at Fort Bragg. After a year of rigorous training, General Lee and his men departed for England. In 1944, General Lee suffered a heart attack that forced him to step down as the commanding officer of the 101st Airborne Division, just as that division was making its final preparations for the invasion in Normandy, of which the General had been a major planner with General Eisenhower and others. As a tribute to their former commander, each of the men, as my colleagues heard this evening, of the 101st Airborne Division yelled ``Bill Lee'' as they jumped from the plane into the dark into combat. The men of the 101st who had been under General Lee's command have since been immortalized in a best-selling book by the historian Stephen Ambrose and in the miniseries Band of Brothers. They were an elite rifle company that parachuted into France on D-Day, that fought in the Battle of the Bulge. They captured Hitler's Eagle's Nest, and they were also a unit that suffered 150 percent casualties and whose lives have become legendary. One could say how could a company, how could a division suffer 150 percent casualties? Easy. As one was lost, others joined the group. Mr. Speaker, as the Nation pauses this year to honor the World War II veterans and to mark the 60th anniversary of D-Day, it is appropriate that we honor General Lee, a Dunn, North Carolina, native and the father of the United States Airborne. This General from a small town was a big-time leader. He represented the can-do attitudes and the patriotism embodied by the people of Dunn and Harnett County in North Carolina and America. Today, in Dunn, there is a museum of his homeplace. The effort to turn that home into a museum was led by a member of his staff, Hoover Adams, who was a captain who served under General Lee. That museum is now open to the public and had a lot of memorabilia from World War II and other Airborne divisions around the world. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and today to honor a true American hero, General William Carey Lee.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill because it sets a dangerous precedent and upsets the delicate balance of power that is the heart of our Constitutional democracy. For more than 200 years, America has flourished under the Constitution of 1789 because the Framers successfully erected a system of checks and balances that assigned to the courts the task of interpreting the laws. This bill would upset that balance by intruding on that process and stripping from the courts the powers set forth by our Founding Fathers. The implications of this precedent are very serious and go well beyond the boundaries of the current debate. If Congress passes H.R. 3313, what is to stop this Congress or a future Congress from stripping the courts of the duty to hear cases involving gun ownership, the death penalty, property rights, or any other controversial issue? Nothing. And this dangerous precedent would only encourage Congress to undertake such meddling. The notion that this Congress, which cannot even pass a budget or the appropriation bills needed to keep the government running, has better judgment on Constitutional matters than Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Marshall, is ludicrous.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce my support for H.R. 4842, legislation implementing a free trade agreement with the nation of Morocco. For more than two centuries, Morocco has been a steadfast friend to the United States. Few Americans would guess that Morocco was the first nation to extend recognition to the new American nation on December 20, 1777. Morocco is also one of only six Muslim nations to be designated as a ``major non-NATO ally.'' So it is only fitting that we establish a free trade agreement with such a long-time friend and supporter. Under this FTA, more than 95 percent of bilateral trade between our countries will be duty-free from the first day of implementation. North Carolina exports to Morocco are generally small, valued at just more than 8 million dollars. Morocco is my state's 80th biggest export market with tobacco products, chemical manufacturing, and transportation equipment being our top three exports. However, North Carolina stands to gain much from increased access to this new market, especially in the field of agriculture. Tariffs on key North Carolina products like soybeans and processed poultry products will be cut significantly. One significant provision in this agreement is that Morocco has agreed to accept U.S. inspection standards for poultry. Phony sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on U.S. exports have long been a hallmark of international trade. Having Morocco accept our inspection regime will go along way to improving access to that market. According to an analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation, this agreement is expected to result in a 10 to 1 gain for the U.S. agricultural sector. Within the next 10-11 years, the U.S. should expect to increase agricultural exports to Morocco by $225 million. What's more, the FTA includes a provision giving U.S. agriculture an ``automatic upgrade.'' Should Morocco negotiate another trade agreement providing another nation with more favorable market access for agriculture, our FTA automatically obtains the same level of access as the other nation. This will ensure America's competitiveness against other nations seeking to enter the Moroccan market. I believe the geopolitical reasons for establishing this free trade agreement with another Muslim nation in a volatile region overcomes the few deficiencies inherent in the agreement, particularly with regard to textiles. Because of the small amount of trade between our two countries, any potential adverse impact should be minimized. However, this administration cannot continue to count on this Member's support for other trade agreements if it is not willing to stand up for even stronger labor and environmental standards and better protections for America's fragile textile industry. I ask my colleagues to support this agreement.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the middle-class values and positive vision for our country that John Kerry and John Edwards are offering America. Yesterday, Senator Edwards brought the ticket's Front Porch Tour to the Triangle region of North Carolina. My North Carolina neighbors are excited about the uplifting message that the Senator presents for a better tomorrow. The Kerry-Edwards ticket offers real hope to make America stronger at home and respected throughout the world. Unfortunately, Republicans in Washington are so afraid of running on their record, they have launched a ferocious negative attack on John Edwards. Just yesterday, Roll Call ran an article quoting a Republican leader saying, ``It is now critical to brand John Edwards.'' After 4 years of running this country into the ground, the Republican regime has nothing to offer but attack politics. Democrats offer a better alternative. Senator John Kerry plans to fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act that the Republican leadership has shortchanged by $27 billion. Senator Kerry also supports school construction legislation to build new schools and get children out of trailers. As the first member of his family to go to college, John Edwards will work to make sure that families have opportunities for higher education.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce my support for H.R. 4759, legislation implementing a free trade agreement with the nation of Australia. Australia represents the world's 15th largest economy and Asia's fourth largest, and therefore offers great opportunities for U.S. exports. Australia has consistently been a partner with the United States in pushing for more open and freer trade throughout the world. So it is only fitting to have a free trade agreement with nation that shares our beliefs in freedom and free markets. Under this FTA, more than 99 percent of U.S. manufactured goods will be duty-free from the first day of implementation. North Carolina exports to Australia in 2003, my state's 17th biggest export market, were valued at almost $262 million. From computer equipment to textiles to paper products to agriculture, North Carolina stands to gain much from increased access to this new market. I am particularly pleased about the benefits this agreement provides with respect to agriculture. All Australian agricultural tariffs will go to zero immediately, reducing costs for agricultural exporters by $400 million. Due to the hard work of the folks at USDA and USTR, Australia has agreed to limit some of its unscientific restrictions against U.S. pork exports. Consequently, the U.S. could ship $50 million worth of pork annually to Australia. Despite this progress, Australia must do a better job of eliminating its unscientific sanitary and phytosanitary restrictions on agricultural imports. I urge the Administration to keep the pressure on Australia to meet with USDA and USTR to resolve many of the outstanding sanitary issues affecting pork and poultry. This is an acceptable agreement for a nation as economically advanced and sophisticated as Australia. Its labor and environmental standards match if not exceed those in the United States. However, I want to make it perfectly clear to the Administration that the Australia Free Trade Agreement is not a sufficient model for future trade agreements. I support fair trade. However, on future FTAs, the Administration will need to do a better job with regard to market access, sanitary and phytosanitary issues, labor and environmental standards, and intellectual property protection. I look forward to continuing to work with the Administration and my colleagues in Congress on all of these important issues. I ask my colleagues to support this agreement.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition on behalf of the farmers who for years have made a contribution, and now they are asking for an opportunity for a way out to save their way of life. And I am embarrassed that people that have no farmers and do not understand the program are the ones who are in support of the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Flake amendment. As I understand the gentleman's intention, he wants to prohibit USDA from implementing a tobacco program buyout if it is funded from taxpayer dollars out of the general fund. When tobacco members first began working on tobacco buyout legislation, our intention was for the tobacco companies to finance it. In fact, I along with Congressmen Fletcher, McIntyre and Goode, introduced a buyout bill last year, H.R. 3160, which would have funded a more generous $15 billion buyout paid for through user fees on the tobacco companies. The vast majority of tobacco state members endorsed that proposition by cosponsoring the bill. Buyout legislation pending in the other body would also have the companies pay for it. It has the support of every single tobacco state Senator, Republican and Democrat alike. But financing the buyout from current tobacco excise taxes was the only way the Republican leadership would support a buyout. Despite promises to the contrary, the Republican leadership never let H.R. 3160 see the light of day. They did not believe tobacco companies should pay for a buyout, so they kept our bill bottled up. Let me be clear, the buyout provisions the House included in the corporate tax bill Congress passed last month are not perfect, but as I said then, beggars can't be choosers. Since 1997, tobacco quota has been cut by more than 50 percent. Consequently, farm families have seen their incomes cut by more than half. My tobacco farmers need a buyout in order to have an honest chance to survive. They don't care if it is paid through current excise taxes, new excise taxes, user fees, assessments, whatever. They don't even care if it has FDA. All they care that it gets done this year. The time for action is now. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Flake amendment, and let's move forward on an issue of great importance to North Carolina and other tobacco producing states. Vote ``no'' on the Flake amendment.