Bob Etheridge

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have this opportunity to honor the life and memory of a truly great American, Terry Sanford. I want to thank the gentlemen from California and from Ohio for his support in legislation which is so important to the Sanford family and really to all the people whose lives that he touched. I want to thank the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the House majority leader, and the minority leader in their efforts in getting this legislation scheduled for consideration. Terry Sanford learned growing up that hard work reaps rewards, that boldness is a requirement of leadership, and that possibilities exist that are only bound by the size of one's imagination. He also learned that there is character in service, and serve he did, as you have already heard, as an FBI agent, keeping our streets safe from crime; as a paratrooper in World War II where he was decorated for his acts of valor; as a member of the North Carolina Senate, representing the values we hold dear in public service, and perhaps more importantly as governor of the State of North Carolina, for which he received the appropriate title of the education governor. It is fitting that Harvard University named him as one of this country's 10 most effective governors during this whole century. His leadership continued after he left the governor's mansion, as we have already heard this evening, serving as president of Duke University and later as a United States Senator. Through his life, he fought to improve education, promote racial healing, eradicate poverty, promote economic development and help his fellow man. Terry Sanford was more than a great and admired politician. He was one of the most accomplished Americans of our time. His North Carolina values and visionary leadership brought us through some of the most difficult challenges that our State faced. This gesture is the least we should do for a man who allowed us to view the world from his broad shoulders. (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.) (Mr. ETHERIDGE addressed the House. His remarks will appear hereafter in the Extensions of Remarks.) (Mr. TRAFICANT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, during the consideration of rollcall votes 343 and 344, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on each vote.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the necessary level of $98 million in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). As an advocate of quality educational opportunities for all our children, it is my belief that adequate funding of the Arts is important to providing a well rounded education. If you have seen a play, visited a museum, read a book of poetry or short stories, chances are you have participated in an event made possible through the NEA. Learning is a lifelong journey, and learning the arts begins early. It is nourished through quality programs in schools, homes and the communities, and continues to the very end of our days. The NEA costs each American about 36 cents per year, less than one- hundredth of 1% of the federal budget. Its mission is designed to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in the US, and to broaden public access to the arts. The NEA makes the Arts accessible to more Americans, promotes Arts education, and forges partnerships with local, state, regional, and federal arts organizations. Millions of children, regardless of their economic background, now receive formal arts education in local public school systems, helping to improve their overall academic performance. In North Carolina, the NEA has supported many wonderful projects of great cultural and educational value to the citizens of my great State including the American Dance Festival and the North Carolina Symphony Society. Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 21st Century, we need to be sure that we provide every necessary tool to encourage creativity in our children. Exposure to the Arts provides access to the rich history of the past and the key to the future. We must continue to support this effort and ensure funding for this important agency.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this Congress to pass legislation to strengthen our neighborhood public schools. As a former superintendent of schools in my State, I know firsthand what it takes to improve education for all of our children. We must raise academic standards for our students and ensure accountability to our parents, the taxpayers and our communities. We must build new schools to reduce overcrowding and to provide a safe and orderly disciplined environment, free from drugs, violence and gangs. We must reduce class size and equip our children with the basic skills they need to make the best of their God-given ability. But instead of helping our public schools, where over 90 percent of all of our children attend, this Republican-led Congress, has chosen risky voucher schemes that would divert public resources to subsidize private schools. Using taxpayer money to provide private schools tuition is wrong. Our neighborhood public schools need all the resources we can provide them. I commend the President for his veto yesterday of the private school voucher scheme. I have a better bill for our public schools. My bill would provide money out of that voucher bill to provide building new schools. I urge this Congress to take action.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut for yielding me this time, and I certainly support her amendment.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this bill to reform the Internal Revenue Service. I want to thank my friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) for yielding this time, and also the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer). Mr. Speaker, it is a great day for America and a great day for North Carolina taxpayers and working families. We are eliminating the cruel and unusual punishment that has been inflicted upon too many law- abiding citizens and businesses. Americans will finally have the comprehensive reform of the IRS that they deserve. Working families and small businesses in North Carolina and across this country face enough challenges in their lives without the added burden, as we have heard, of some of the IRS agents; not all, but some. If a criminal has a right to the presumption of innocence in our courts, the American taxpayer should at least have that same right when they are dealing with the IRS and their government. I am glad this Congress has given the highest priority to reforming the IRS. That is why in April I coauthored a bipartisan letter with Democratic freshmen members of this class of Congress in urging Congress to pass IRS reform this year. Today this Congress takes a strong bipartisan step forward for working families by enacting the first comprehensive reform of the IRS since 1952. I am pleased to support this bill to reform the IRS, which will make our government fairer and more efficient for the hard working, God-fearing citizens of North Carolina and America. Mr. Speaker, I do hope we will vote for the motion to recommit, to take out the portions of this bill that should not be in it, so it truly will be fair to Americans.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I strongly oppose this amendment. It is amazing to me to listen to people up here who do not farm tell us how farmers make money. It is amazing to me to listen to people who do not have dirt under their fingernails to tell us how we ought to change programs. It is absurd. It is obvious to me they do not really know what it is all about. They have been listening to someone with a textbook. They really ought to go talk to the farmers who are out there right today, in 95- degree weather praying for rain, who have had too much rain, and the peanuts get soggy. Three years ago this Congress decided it would have a 7-year program. If there is any integrity left in this body, we ought to live up to our commitment and keep this program in place and defeat this amendment.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to reject the conference report on the latest voucher bill. Make no mistake about it. This is a bad bill. We have heard talk about all kinds of things. It really is about a voucher bill and it is not about the good things that happen in our public schools. There are a lot of good schools. I am so tired of coming and hearing people bad- mouth our teachers and bad-mouth our schools. That is why I ran to come here, and I really thought I would see the rhetoric change. I am sorry to say that from some in this body, it has not changed. As a former elected chief of North Carolina's public schools, I know that using taxpayers' money to finance private school tuition is the wrong way to improve public schools in this country. It will absolutely not do it. This bill takes the taxpayers' money, almost $2 billion, to subsidize private schools at the expense of our neighborhood public schools who badly need the money, and that is wrong. I call on this Congress to pass legislation to address the school construction crisis in this country. I will not go over the details. My colleagues have already heard them. I have introduced H.R. 3652. There are other bills that will provide revenue from this voucher bill to be used for school construction bonds in some of the fastest growing and most critically needed communities in this country. If we want to help public schools, do something about it and quit talking about it and put the money out there to help children and not to help a select few but help all of them because all of them are part of this great country we call America.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to reject the Coverdell voucher bill. As a former State superintendent in North Carolina's public schools, I know that using taxpayer money to finance private school tuition will not improve education in this country. Taking the taxpayers' money, more than $2 billion, to subsidize private schools at the expense of our neighborhood public schools is wrong. Instead of this private school voucher bill, I call on this Congress to pass legislation to address the school construction crisis in this country. Our classrooms are bursting at the seams, and we know that the school age population is projected to soar in the next decade. This Congress should do its part to help our States and localities build schools for our children. I have introduced legislation, H.R. 3652, that will take the revenue from the Coverdell voucher bill and use that school construction money as bonds to help growing communities across this country to meet their needs. I urge my colleagues to reject this bill and build schools.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, due to a necessary visit to the doctor's office Thursday morning, I was absent from the chamber during rollcall votes 226, 227, and 228. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall 226, ``yes'' on rollcall 227 and ``no'' on rollcall 228.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on this House to pass common sense legislation to help our States and communities build modern, safe school facilities for our children. Across the country, students rejoice as another school year comes to an end. On Friday I had the opportunity to attend the high school graduation for my son David. It was one of my proudest moments as a father. But as a former superintendent of my State schools, I also know firsthand that too many of our children are forced to attend classes in trailers or closets and bathrooms and unsafe, overcrowded classrooms, and I call on this Congress to pass legislation before the start of the next school year to build new schools, relieve the overcrowding and reduce class sizes. I have introduced legislation, H.R. 3652, that will create $7.2 billion in school construction bonds for States and localities that are suffering under the strain of overcrowded schools. Forty-eight Members of this House have already signed on from 15 different States, and I call on other colleagues to join me to address this urgent need. Many different organizations have joined, and I challenge others to join us. Mr. Speaker, an investment in our schools is an investment in our children and an investment in our Nation's future.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding time to me. Let me also congratulate the chairman and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) and other members of the committee for bringing this conference report to us. I commend the Republican leadership for bringing this report to the floor. I hope we now realize it is time to stop balancing the budget on the backs of farmers. Farmers have taken it on the chin, and it is time that we show our support for the people who risk so much to produce the safest, most abundant food supply in the world. This conference report passed the Senate by 92 to 8. We should pass it in a similar margin in the House. Nothing could have highlighted more the support for this bill than our failure to pass it prior to the Memorial Day recess. I certainly heard about it. I am sure others did. Americans want to support their farmers. Americans want farm communities to be made whole after a disaster. Americans want research reform that will make our food cheaper and safer. Americans want research reform that makes production agriculture environmentally friendly, and Americans want this bill passed. The most important part of this legislation or at least one of the more important ones, in my opinion, is the provision on crop insurance. With the traditional safety net for farmers disappearing, crop insurance is the one barrier to ruin for farm families from natural disaster. Maybe the only one left. In North Carolina farmers have been faced with two hurricane seasons in a row. Without a healthy insurance system in place, many farmers in these communities would have been ruined. This is a good bill for farmers in their communities, which means it is a good bill for all Americans. I urge Members to cast their votes in favor of these hard-working Americans and the programs that they depend on. Vote ``yes'' on the conference report.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I plead for sanity in this tobacco debate. The punitive proposals before Congress are an affront to fairness. These proposed tax increases will devastate farmers who have done absolutely nothing wrong. Excise tax increases are regressive and fall hardest on the people who can least afford to pay. These tax increases could be as much as $900. They would wipe out the child tax credit that was passed last year and take two-thirds of the tax relief we have put in place for HOPE scholarships, and it is one of the largest tax increases ever. I was not elected to raise taxes on the 50 million people in America. If we can protect farmers, and we certainly ought to stop children from smoking and provide the opportunity for that, and have a balanced agreement that reduces the litigation, protects farmers, and curbs teen smoking, I can support a responsible increase in prices. However, responsibility and balance has been abandoned. Tobacco litigation is no longer about responsibly reducing teen smoking, it is about punishment, and we must return to sanity and a fair debate on this bill and stop this shameful political posturing.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend, the dean of our delegation. As my colleague from the 12th District said, we are going to miss you greatly, but we will talk about you later. I am honored this evening to have a few moments to speak about my good friend and a friend of many, Terry Sanford. The first time I remember hearing Terry Sanford speak was at my commencement exercise as I graduated from college. I had heard of Terry Sanford, the man of vision, but he had a special way of letting you feel special, and challenging individuals to really get involved in their State and their Nation. But tonight I would say that Terry Sanford was not simply a great and admired politician. He was one of the most accomplished Americans of the 20th century. I remember listening to his eulogies at the funeral several weeks ago, and I could not help but think that those eulogies coming about an individual who served four years as Governor, not four terms, four years, serving one term in the United States Senate, serving as a college president, could have been for five or six people for the things that he had accomplished, because Terry Sanford served his State and his Nation with enthusiasm, with bravery, and with distinction in so many ways. He fought for his country as a paratrooper in World War II and was decorated any number of times, and he was proud all of his life of the time he served his Nation in Normandy and all across Europe. He served as an agent with distinction in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. During those times he could have been exempted from serving in the military, but he did not. He wanted to serve. As you have heard this evening, he served as a statesman in the North Carolina General Assembly, and there he laid the foundations of many of the things he would do later as Governor and as Senator to improve our State. As Governor of North Carolina for only four short years, he laid out a record of improving public education that is unparalleled anywhere in this country. He expanded educational opportunities, as you have just heard, for all North Carolinians, no matter what a person's race, creed or economic opportunities might happen to have been. Maybe that came because Terry Sanford's mother was a teacher, and she encouraged him and she really instilled in him the great need for public education, for which he gave her much credit throughout his life. Terry Sanford was a guiding force in building one of the finest community college systems, in my opinion, in this country, and you have heard about that this evening. I think Terry Sanford deserves a great deal of credit for creating the first State-sponsored residential training school for the performing arts in the United States, at a time when no one would have thought it would have been created in the South. The North Carolina School of the Arts, which can now say they have in their list of graduates individuals who have received the Oscar in acting, who have received many Emmys, and they came through the School of the Arts created during his administration. Governor Sanford had a distinct and heavy responsibility, and was one of the people who helped create the Research Triangle Park that is one of the leading parks in this country, that employs thousands of people in North Carolina every day. He created the Governor's School, as my colleagues have heard, that I had the real privilege as superintendent to oversee during my term there, and it provided opportunity for over 400 bright and creative young people every year at two sites to get an educational opportunity, and it has been modeled across the country. He created the Education Commission of the States that now helps educators, governors and chief State school officers work together to improve education in this country, a legacy that is so important. Governor Sanford, as my colleagues have heard, was one of the southern governors of his day, I would have to say, that was rated as one of the top 10 governors in America by Harvard. But as the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt) said, one of his great legacies was that he was one of the, maybe the only, there may have been others, but the only southern governor who was the first to stand up and look in the ugly face of racism and say, no more, and it will not happen on my watch in my State. And he deserves a great deal of credit for that. Mr. Chairman, as President of Duke University for 15 years, he transformed a regionally known, small southern university into a world leader in medicine, law, religious studies, education, and the arts. Today, Durham, North Carolina is known as the City of Medicine, and they are known for that in my opinion because Terry Sanford provided that engine in Duke University in that great medical school. As a United States Senator from 1986 to 1992, Terry Sanford fought tirelessly and selflessly to improve the lives of his fellow citizens through fighting to improve again public education, promoting racial healing, and fighting to eradicate poverty as he had at the local level. After he left the Senate, he did not go home and start collecting his coupons or rest on his laurels, he started two law firms. My goodness, that would be a lifetime for anyone. He did it in the short years after leaving the Senate. He lectured on public policy issues at Duke University in the public policy institute building that currently bears his name. And most recently, he led a $100 million fund-raising campaign to create a world class performing arts center, an institute in North Carolina. Terry Sanford exemplified the best qualities mankind has to offer, and we owe a debt of gratitude for his undying service to his native State and to his fellow Americans. Terry Sanford provided a guiding light for a whole generation of educators, public servants, and other State and national leaders. He was and will remain a beacon for all good things about humanity and about being an American. God bless Terry Sanford, his family, his State, his Nation, and all of those who, like me and my colleagues on this floor tonight, who have stood on his broad shoulders. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from the eighth district, the dean of our delegation, for organizing this hour. I thank him for this opportunity to say a good word about our good friend, Terry Sanford.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this vitally important legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join with me in voting to pass it. As we in North Carolina know all too well, violent crime can strike anywhere. All too frequently, that violence is aimed at our men and women in uniform as they patrol our communities. Last year alone, five officers in and around the Second Congressional District of North Carolina were gunned down in the line of duty. I believe Congress has a duty to help protect our officers. Last November, I joined a bipartisan group of my colleagues in introducing H.R. 2829, the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Act. This legislation will provide $25 million in matching grants through the Department of Justice to help local law enforcement agencies purchase vests for their officers. This bill has been endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police, the National Sheriffs Association, the International Union of Police Associations, the National Association of Police Organizations and other law enforcement groups. H.R. 2829 enjoys the support of more than 300 cosponsoring Members of this House, and the Senate recently passed a companion bill. On March 23, I participated in a live-fire demonstration of the life- saving usefulness of bulletproof vests to bring attention to the need for this equipment. This event demonstrated in dramatic terms the effectiveness bulletproof vests can have in protecting our officers. The national statistics are compelling. Since the introduction of modern bulletproof material, the lives of more than 2,000 police officers have been saved because they were wearing bulletproof vests or some other form of body armor, according to the Department of Justice. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms reports that between 1985 and 1994, no police officer who was wearing a bulletproof vest was killed by a gunshot wound penetrating the officer's vest. The FBI tells us the risk of fatality from a firearm while not wearing body armor is fourteen times higher than for officers wearing body armor. Since 1980, 924 officers were killed while not wearing a vest. Of those 924 officers, 389 (42 percent) were shot in the torso area and could have been saved by a bulletproof vest. Approximately 150,000 of the nation's 600,000 state and local law enforcement officers (25 percent) do not currently have access to a vest. On March 25, I testified in front of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime in support of this important legislation. In my Congressional District, I have been surveying local jurisdictions to assess law enforcement needs. Although there is universal recognition of the importance of bulletproof vests, small towns and rural counties in North Carolina are having a difficult time providing them to their officers. Of the 1,619 officers in law enforcement agencies in my District, 299 officers--almost one in five-- either have no vest or only have an expired vest which cannot guarantee protection. The need is particularly acute in smaller communities. In law enforcement agencies with forces of less than ten officers, more than one in three officers do not have a vest or only have an expired vest. Despite the difficulty of equipping officers with bulletproof vests, their utility has been vividly on display in recent days. In March, Kenly Police Officer Todd Smith was shot at point-blank range by a suspect he had pulled over for missing tags. According to the physician who attended to Smith, without his vest, he would have died on the spot. One police chief wrote in response to my survey, ``I can't think of a better use of our tax dollars, and our officers deserve no less.'' Mr. Speaker, I believe Congress has an obligation to help protect the men and women who put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our streets and communities safe and free of crime and violence. H.R. 2829 will make a big difference in my District and across America. I urge the House to pass this bill.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for allowing me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this motion to instruct. As a former State superintendent of my schools in North Carolina, I call on this House to reject the Coverdell voucher bill and instead invest the very precious resources that we have to help our States and communities build schools. At this very moment across America, 52 million children are attending classes. For too many of these children, their class is taking place in a trailer, in a closet, in an overstuffed or rundown classroom, and as we have already heard, yes, even in bathrooms. Mr. Speaker, no student in America should be forced to attend classes in a substandard facility. No teacher should have to struggle to teach in these kind of facilities, nor in an unsafe and undisciplined environment. And no parent should be forced to condemn their children to these kind of facilities. And they should not have schools that are trailers. We have heard talk about special interests. Special interest is about young people that are here in the galleries today. They cannot get on this floor and speak for themselves; we must do it, and it is time that we did something about it. Instead of doing something for a few, we ought to do it for many and all of our children. For the past few weeks, I have toured schools all across my district. I met with parents, I met with children, I met with teachers and community leaders, and not a one of them have asked me where the money was coming from. They were just grateful to know there might be resources to make sure that they had quality schools for their children. And I drafted legislation, with many of my colleagues joining, to make sure that growth States get an opportunity to have the quality facility that every child in America ought to have. And I am here to tell my colleagues that quality facilities will translate into quality education and make a difference for every child in America. We have an opportunity to do it, and the bill that I drafted will provide $436 million for the State of Florida, $840 million for the State of Texas, and $2.3 billion for the State of California. I urge my colleagues to vote for this motion to instruct.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Roemer- Riggs amendment to correct a serious flaw in this bill. This provision is wrong. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment to remove it from the bill. Last week I met in my office with the president of the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. She explained to me her concerns about the harmful effect that this provision of the bill would have on the institutions of higher education in our State. Without passage of the Roemer-Riggs amendment, this bill would usurp the administrative flexibility of colleges and universities that they absolutely need to run their universities in the most effective manner, a mandate that has been given to them by this Congress through a commission that they set up. The Federal Government should not be in the business of micromanaging our universities of higher education. But we should not as a process of trying to do it pit our academic institutions against the athletics and their struggle for resources. This provision would handicap colleges and subject them to a burdensome, restrictive and contentious process and send the wrong message to our Nation's schools. This provision is unnecessary, and the Roemer-Riggs amendment is supported by the NCAA and other major higher education organizations. My Congressional District contains several small colleges and universities. These institutions would be particularly hard hit by this bill. We must preserve the flexibility of these schools to continue to provide the excellent educational opportunities they are providing today. Mr. Chairman, as the first member of my family to graduate from college, I know firsthand that higher education holds the key to the American Dream. This provision of H.R. 6 would have very serious, negative consequences for our nation's colleges and universities. As the former Superintendent of my state's schools, I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for the Roemer-Riggs amendment.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution that expresses the sense of the House that all schools should be drug-free and that the sale, distribution and use of illegal drugs at school is unacceptable. I urge my colleagues to join me in passing this important resolution. As the former Superintendent of North Carolina's public schools, I know firsthand that we cannot expect our children to learn in drug- infested surroundings. We cannot expect our teachers to provide quality instruction in an arena infiltrated by the scourge of drugs. And we cannot expect our families, parents, businesses and communities to support our public education system unless we are doing everything possible to make our schools drug-free. A recent survey conducted for the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University found that seventy-six percent of high school students and forty-six percent of middle school students say drugs are kept, used or sold on school grounds. These appalling statistics are simply unacceptable. House Resolution 267 also states that all federal, state and local drug fighting agencies should work together with schools and parents to ensure that a renewed effort be made to fight drug use; and that all governmental leaders and parents should share in raising the awareness of this issue. Finally, the resolution states that Congress and the president should set a goal to end the distribution, sale and use of illegal drugs in the Nation's schools by 2000, and to work with local communities and parents to achieve this goal. I urge all my colleagues--Democrats and Republicans alike--to join me in passing this important resolution.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life of Captain Fulton Pershing Lanier of Buies Creek, North Carolina, for his service to the people of the United States of America. Captain Fulton served honorably in the United States Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1944. United States service men and women place themselves in harms way to protect the freedoms we hold dear in America. Many of these brave individuals return home to build and lead their communities. Tragically, Fulton Lanier did not have such an opportunity. On January 31, 1944, then 1st Lieutenant Lanier, along with 1st Lieutenant Frank M. Ramos, Corporal Joseph Petrella, Private First Class Eugene E. Beebe, and Private First Class Bartholomew R. Giacalone, boarded his C-87 Liberator and piloted what would be his final mission. These five men perished in service to humanity, supplying food, medical and other supplies to Allied forces of China. Fulton Lanier's legacy may have been greater than even he could have imagined. His service and sacrifice for our country has been permanently instilled in the hearts and minds of his family and all who knew him. Fulton Pershing Lanier is an American hero. Fifty-four years later, the Lanier family received notice that wreckage from this fateful flight was recovered. Upon notification, the Lanier family has embarked on a mission of studying and sharing the story and example of this young man from Buies Creek. Fulton Lanier paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to the United States of America, serving his family, community, state, and nation. His burial with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery on January 23, 1998, was only a small way his nation can acknowledge the debt owed to Fulton Lanier and his family that can never be repaid. I am honored to report to the House on the heroism of Captain Fulton Pershing Lanier. May God bless him in his place of resting.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important legislation that will benefit the survivors of public safety officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Sadly, my state of North Carolina has experienced a rash of violence against our brave men and women in law enforcement. In recent months, five officers have been killed in and around my Second Congressional District. These tragic crimes have occurred in our smallest towns and in our biggest cities. It is an outrage that those whose service keeps our streets and communities safe and protects our citizens must pay the ultimate price in the line of duty. To honor their sacrifices and assist their families, last year I established the North Carolina Law Enforcement Survivors Scholarship Fund to assist the families of my state's officers who fall in service to the people. I strongly opposed the Congressional pay raise this House passed last year, and I donated the raise I would have received to create this fund. The scholarship will help cover costs such as books and room and board for higher education for the children and spouses of these local heroes who make the ultimate sacrifice. This scholarship is the least we can do to honor their memories. H.R. 3565 represents an appropriate action by Congress to assist the families of public safety officers who have been killed in the line of duty. This bill authorizes the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to spend no less than $150,000 each year to provide counseling and peer support programs for victims' families. The measure also permits BJA to use funds in its mandatory appropriation to administer the appeals of claims for benefits by the family members of slain officers. I urge the House to pass H.R. 3565. Mr. Speaker, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line each and every day to provide us with safe streets and communities. Our values demand that we tend to the families of those heroes who sacrifice so much for the greater good.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of my legislation to assist fast-growing states to build new schools, reduce class sizes and overcrowding and foster an orderly and disciplined learning environment. I urge my colleagues to join me in signing on to this important legislation. As the former Superintendent of North Carolina's schools, I know firsthand how important quality facilities are to our children's education. The General Accounting Office has identified more than $112 billion in school construction needs across the country. The Secretary of Education has reported that the ``Baby Boom Echo'' will create an explosion of growth in the school-age populations in many states over the next ten years. Congress must assist these states to meet their school construction needs of the coming decade. My bill will create $7.2 billion in school construction bonds over the next ten years. The school bonds will be allocated to the states based on the growth we know they will experience in the coming decade. The Etheridge bill will complement the Administration's $19.4 billion school construction initiative by targeting resources to growing states. My bill is fully paid for using the offset others would use to fund the misguided Coverdell private school voucher scheme. The simple fact of the matter is that our growing states need help to build quality schools in which to educate our children. This Congress must do its part to assist the states that have the greatest needs. My bill targets resources to the states that will experience the greatest growth over the next decade. The Etheridge bill will provide more than $100 million each to the top 17 fastest growing states; slower growing states will qualify for lower amounts. My state of North Carolina will qualify for about $360 million in school construction bonds under this legislation. No child in America should be forced to attend class in a trailer, a closet or any other substandard facility. The Etheridge bill will help address this problem, and I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this bill.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of meaningful campaign finance reform. I strongly support a thorough investigation of the practices of both political parties, and I want Congress to pass serious reform of the campaign finance system. We must eliminate the corrupting influence of special interest money from our political system and restore the faith of the American people in our public institutions. Neither party can claim total innocence of Washington misdeeds, and I believe the people of North Carolina sent me to Congress to work in a bipartisan manner to serve the public interest. That is what I try to do every day as a United States Representative. At the start of the 105th Congress, the freshman class agreed that we would work on a bipartisan basis to reform the way that campaigns for public office are funded in this country. Each of us was pleased that the President agreed, and the Speaker of the House agreed, that we needed to pass campaign finance reform legislation during this Congress. While we were not able to bring any legislation to the floor last year, each of us was heartened to hear the Speaker say that there ``would be a very fair bipartisan process of voting when we bring the [campaign finance reform] bills to the floor.'' I oppose the way that campaign finance reform legislation has been brought to the floor of this House tonight. The leadership of this body has made a mockery of the democratic process. By bringing these reform bills to the floor under suspension of the rules of the House, these bills are doomed to failure because a simple majority of votes is not sufficient to pass a bill; instead a super-majority of votes (or \2/3\ of Members voting) is needed in order to pass campaign finance reform legislation. A good bill can pass with a simple majority; a bad bill will not pass with a super-majority. The Majority Leadership has made the determination to kill campaign finance reform legislation by making sure that it will not garner enough votes to pass. The people of this country are discouraged by this type of behavior from this Congress and will not be fooled by this attempt to pass ill- conceived legislation. Rushing these bills through the people's House without the benefit of full and open debate makes a mockery of the democratic process; rushing these bills through without the benefit of open debate only encourages the cynicism of our society. H.R. 3581, the misnamed ``Campaign Reform and Election Integrity Act,'' allows wealthy individuals to contribute even more money, by doubling the current Federal dollar limits on contributions to candidates and tripling the limits on contributions to political parties and total contributions, plus indexing them to inflation. As a result, a wealthy person would be able to contribute $100,000 more every election cycle. Most of the citizens of this country believe that there is too much money now being spent on political campaigns, and instead of curbing campaign spending, this bill increases the amount. And, in another cynical attempt to prevent Hispanic citizens from voting, this bill includes a provision to establish a Federal ``voter eligibility confirmation system'' which allows state and local officials to drop voters from the rolls, solely on the basis of race or an ``ethnic-sounding name.'' At a time in our Nation's history when fewer and fewer people take the time to go to the polls and cast a ballot, we should not further discourage people from voting by intimidating them from even trying to go to the polls. Many Members of both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate have introduced good campaign reform measures. However, in order to restore the trust and confidence of the American people, a way must be found to bridge differences and pass bipartisan campaign finance reform by the next election. I have cosponsored the Independent Commission on Campaign Finance Reform Act of 1998. This legislation will establish a bipartisan commission of 12 members and will recommend reforms to the laws that govern Federal elections. I believe that an independent commission provides Congress the best opportunity to overcome the political and legislative impediments that have stymied previous campaign finance reform efforts. Madam Speaker, the American people deserve a reform of the campaign election system. I hope that we will have the courage to do something meaningful toward that end during the 105th Congress.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on my colleagues to join me to pass legislation to build new schools for all of education and for all of our children. Yesterday I taught a class to a group of sixth graders in Terrell Lane Middle School in Louisburg in my district. It was part of my Give a Teacher a Break program. As superintendent for 8 years of my State schools, I know I probably have spent more time in public schools than any other Member of this Congress. I know what it takes to improve education for our children. Mr. Speaker, we must make the investment necessary to strengthen our public schools. We must provide resources to assist our communities in the drowning enrollment growth they are facing. And we must have the foresight to target these funds to the areas that we know will experience tremendous growth of the baby boom echo in the near future. I am drafting school construction legislation that will accomplish these goals. My bill will provide $7.2 billion in school construction for States and communities that are growing. My bill will be paid for by the same offset others would use to finance their risky private school voucher scheme.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez) for organizing this special order this evening and for giving us an opportunity to focus attention on the urgent needs that our States and our communities have as we work to provide schools, quality schools and quality facilities for our children so that they can meet the challenges of the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, I could not help but think as the previous speakers were talking and both of the gentlewomen were talking about school construction, what a different world it would be if children could vote. We would not be arguing about school facilities this evening; we would have them. We would not be talking about the need for infrastructure and having the kinds of technology that our schools need, and we would not be talking about all of these things that children need to be prepared for the 21st century. We would have it. Mr. Speaker, prior to my service in this body, I served for 8 years as the elected superintendent of schools in the State of North Carolina. I have probably spent more time in school classrooms than any other member of this Congress. In fact, just this morning, I taught all the 6th graders; well, I am not sure I taught, I spoke with the 6th graders at Terrell Lane Middle School in Louisburg, North Carolina, and we talked about the government and how they respond to government. We had a delightful time. But I can tell my colleagues from my experience that there are some wonderful things going on in the public schools in my State of North Carolina and in the schools across the country. I can also tell my colleagues that we need to invest to upgrade our infrastructure, to relieve the overcrowding, to reduce class sizes, and to restore a sense of order and discipline for a solid learning environment in the schools of this country. Every day in America countless elementary and secondary school students are forced to attend classes in trailers, closets, portable classrooms, and substandard facilities. In Wake County, which happens to be the county of our capital city, that county has 13,000 children who go to school every day in a trailer. In fact, in communities throughout the United States, we have an urgent need to build new schools, reduce overcrowding and class sizes, and improve good discipline and provide for quality instruction. The General Accounting Office has officially estimated that nationwide, there exist in America some $112 billion in unmet needs for modern school facilities. That does not even address the need for technology. In North Carolina alone, the School Capital Construction Study Commission reports that the most comprehensive study that has ever been done in our State identified school construction needs of more than $6.2 billion worth of needs. As a former school superintendent of schools, I know that we cannot expect our children to learn in substandard physical facilities. We cannot ask our teachers to maintain the kind of order in an environment that is conducive to learning if we relegate them to second-class infrastructure. We cannot adequately prepare the next generation to tackle the challenges of the 21st century if we fail to meet the needs of modern school facilities. We would not dare, at a Chamber of Commerce meeting, to invite a new business to town and put them in the kind of buildings we put some of our children in to learn. The problem is bad, and it is getting worse. Growing communities suffer under tremendous strain of overcrowded schools. Just last week the number crunchers at the Census Bureau confirmed what many of us have known for a long time: that our communities are cracking at the seams. Since 1990 in my home State of North Carolina, my home county has grown by 18.9 percent. Johnston County, an adjoining county, has grown by 25.3 percent. Our capital county of Wake has grown by a whopping 29.4 percent. State legislatures from California to Virginia are struggling to provide the funds to build the schools that we need. I believe it is now time for Congress to do their part. The administration has requested that Congress approve in next year's balanced budget a plan to provide $19.4 billion in assistance to States for construction, rehabilitation, or repair of public school buildings. Under the administration's plan, our State, my own State, would receive roughly $300 million for school construction. I support the administration's plan, but I am also working on my own initiative to target additional school construction resources to those fast-growing States like North Carolina. We happen to be the second fastest growing State in the United States. North Carolina happens to be second only to California in growth. The Secretary of Education has projected that over the next 10 years our State will experience the second largest growth rate in the country in the number of students enrolled in high school. This phenomenon is known as the Baby Boom Echo. It will present some immense challenges all across the country for school systems that are already under the stress of rapid growth. I am drafting legislation to provide $7.2 billion in school construction bonds over the next 10 years specifically to those growing States that we know will need the resources, and many cannot meet those needs. My bill will be fully paid for by closing an obscure tax loophole that some seek to use to finance a risky voucher scheme. The Etheridge bill is a commonsense approach to a very real and urgent problem. Members can be sure that I plan to work to the end of this 105th Congress, and I challenge my colleagues to join me. And once again, I thank my colleagues who are here this evening for organizing the special order to call attention to the tremendous need in school facilities all across the country. The children of America deserve quality facilities if we want quality education. I say to the members, our teachers are doing an outstanding job in conditions that no business would put many of their employees in.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to pass legislation to assist States and local communities meeting their need to build new schools, reduce overcrowding and improve good discipline and quality instruction. Yesterday, the number crunchers at the Census Bureau confirmed what many of us already know, communities across America are growing with leaps and bounds. For example, in Wake County, one of my counties in my district, it grew by 29.4 percent from 1990 to 1997. That is an additional 125,000-plus people. Likewise, another county, Johnston County, has grown by more than 25 percent during that same period. This tremendous growth places a heavy burden on our communities to build schools to teach our children. The result is that we have children attending schools in trailers and in dilapidated buildings. The Secretary of Education has projected an explosion of growth in the school age population in the years to come in every State in this country. The baby boom echo is now upon us. It is up to Congress to move and act. Children do not care who funds buildings. They want them funded.