Bob Filner

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of funding in the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations bill for the Compact for Success, an educational reform and college guarantee program at the Sweetwater Union High School District, located in my Congressional District in California. The Sweetwater Education Foundation, a non-profit organization, facilitates this program. The Sweetwater Union High School District serves the densely populated corridor between downtown San Diego and the international border with Mexico, including nearly 40,000 students in grades seven through twelve. These students live in some of the most diverse and economically disadvantaged communities in the state. The schools serve large numbers of ``latchkey'' children, many of whom enter school behind in basic academic skills. Nearly half of the students in the district qualify for free or reduced price meals, a figure that is as high as 90 percent at some sites. In addition to their economic disadvantage, a significant percentage of Sweetwater youth come from homes where adult educational attainment is low. Many parents are new immigrants with limited schooling in their home countries. With little history of academic success, these adults often lack the first-hand ``know-how'' so critical in helping their children reach high achievement goals and think about attending college. With 84 percent of its students coming from ethnicities traditionally under-represented in higher education, Sweetwater is one of California's most diverse districts. More than half of Sweetwater's students speak a language other than English at home. The Compact for Success, now entering its fifth year, is raising the bar academically and giving the Sweetwater students the tools to reach their goal of attending a four-year university. Compact participants are students of Sweetwater Union High School District, who complete six years in the Compact program in exchange for guaranteed admission to San Diego State University. Even though the first class of Compact students is in the 11th grade, the impact of higher expectations is already evident. This year, the number of graduating seniors admitted to San Diego State University shows a 76 percent increase since 1999, the year the Compact began. The Compact was named the most powerful student initiative in the nation this year by the American Association of School Administrators and earned a Magna Award from the American School Board Journal. I am proud of the accomplishments of the students participating in the Compact, and I urge support of their funding request.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the time, and Mr. Speaker, I also rise in support of this bill, H.R. 4231, to provide for nurse recruitment and retention for our Department of Veterans' Affairs. We have heard that the VA is currently the largest employer of nurses in the United States, and with the growth in the number of veterans using the VA for their health care, the increase in the number of aging veterans and the projected national shortage of registered nurses, we must keep the VA competitive in the recruitment and retention of nurses. So we have this bill, what we have heard described, establishing a pilot program that would study the use of outside recruitment, advertising and online technology to make the VA more competitive. We also know that the bill provides flexible work schedules to be more family-friendly and to allow nurses to take care of their family needs and personal needs and give them more control over their own schedules. I thank very much the chairman of the committee for his strong statement on the provision that was in the original bill but is not now, but how we will go about making up for that; in the early drafts of the bill, an important provision clarified the status of nurses who meet the VA's qualification standards but do not have a baccalaureate degree. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing reports that the pass rates for licensing of nurses trained with associate and baccalaureate degrees are virtually identical. So to discriminate against nurses with 2-year degrees makes no sense and, of course, is counterproductive to our needs today. As first drafted, H.R. 4231 committed to hiring nurses with associate degrees. It is not in the bill now, but as the chairman pointed out, a letter by the acting Under Secretary of Health at the VA, Mr. Perlin, and is now in the record to the Committee on Veterans Affairs' chairman and ranking member, outlined the plans of the VA to enhance the recruitment and hiring of associate-degree nurses. Committee on Veterans' Affairs members will be monitoring their progress. Of course, the next step we need to take is to fix the promotion requirements for nurses in the VA so nurses with those associate degrees are eligible for promotions based on their competency, not their degree. This is a vital change that must be made in order to retain VA nurses, and I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey's (Chairman Smith's) strong statement of the need for competency-based promotion and not on the kind of degree. All of us here today have made clear that health care for our Nation's veterans must be a high priority. This bill is a step forward in those efforts to provide the VA with the tools to recruit qualified nurses to care for our veterans, whether they are from World War II or to the present conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. I urge support of H.R. 4231. General Leave

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize two residents of my Congressional District, Antonio and Martha Gomez, who I have selected as my nominees for the sixth annual Angels in Adoption Award. The Awards are an opportunity to honor dedicated constituents for their efforts in helping children, as well as an opportunity to raise awareness about adoption. Members of Congress are asked by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute to select an individual, couple or organization from their district who has made a difference in the lives of children, either through adoption, foster care or child welfare advocacy. I selected Antonio and Martha as my Angels in Adoption because for the past eight years, they have provided a safe and loving home to a dozen foster children, ranging in age from 2 weeks to eighteen years. Their entry into the world of foster parenting was inspired by their daughter who had a friend who was a foster child. Because of her interest, Antonio and Martha decided to become foster parents, and they have never looked back. Two years ago, they adopted one of their foster children who is now a happy five-year old who loves and is loved by his family, including the biological children of his parents--his 16 year old brother and 23 year old sister. Besides being a foster parent and adoptive parent, Antonio has served as President of the Imperial Valley Foster Parents Association, and he is currently serving as Facilitator, arranging weekly training meetings for the foster parents in Imperial County, California. Martha is now President of the Association which works in cooperation with Imperial Valley College and the State Department of Social Services. A celebratory banquet is being held tomorrow evening, Thursday, September 23rd, to honor all the nominated Angels in Adoption. Attending the celebration will be actress Jane Seymour, PGA golfer Kirk Triplett, and General Manager and Senior Vice President of the Orlando Magic, Pat Williams. My Angels, Antonio and Martha, will be joining me in attending the banquet, with travel arrangements the courtesy of Southwest Airlines and Pardee Construction Company. I am sincerely proud of Antonio and Martha, because they have given of themselves for the benefit of the lives of so many children. Through their example, they are an inspiration to other foster and adoptive parents in the community in which they live. It is an honor to recognize their significant contributions and to designate them as my Angels in Adoption.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, today I rise to recognize Paradise Valley Hospital, a marvelous healthcare facility in my Congressional District that has served the community for 100 years. In 1904, Ellen G. White, the co-founder and spiritual leader of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, helped purchase the 54 acres of land in National City where the Paradise Valley Hospital currently sits. Paradise Valley Hospital is proud to be the first hospital in San Diego's South Bay, and is the second oldest hospital in the entire San Diego County. The hospital is a 301 bed, non-profit acute care community hospital with emergency services that includes the Bayview Behavioral Health Campus, a 64-bed psychiatric facility. The hospital serves the Southeastern and South Bay regions of my Congressional District where the most economically challenged and culturally diverse communities in San Diego County live. Paradise Valley Hospital is owned and operated by Adventist Health, headquartered in Roseville, California. The caring professionals of Adventist Health are committed to continuing the Seventh Day Adventist heritage of quality services by working to enhance its patients' total well-being and to improve the health of our diverse community. It is a full service healthcare facility staffed by 173 physicians, 1,324 employees, and 148 volunteers who oversee 12,622 admissions, 1,750 deliveries, 36,256 emergency room visits, over 99,132 outpatient visits, and 26,169 home care visits per year. Among its significant accomplishments, Paradise Valley Hospital has performed its 1,000th cardiac catheterization lab procedure; has began to offer therapeutic classes in Tai Chi, Yoga, Pilates and Kickboxing; has raised nearly $100,000 in its S.T.A.R. Benefit Golf Tournament, and has established the Paradise Valley Hospital Foundation. Most importantly, in 2003, Paradise Valley Hospital donated $13,260,000 in free and low-cost service to the people of South Bay. Paradise Valley Hospital places a priority on its relationship with the community through a commitment to quality service, cultural competence, a concern for general welfare, and a willingness to provide spiritual leadership and guidance. On this wonderful centennial, I am very happy to honor and recognize Paradise Valley Hospital as one of the foremost healthcare institutions in San Diego County.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to recognize the Holtville Athletic Club and the entire Holtville community for cooking 1,000 pounds of ribs and sending them to our troops in Iraq, in the ``Ribs to Iraq Project.'' I also want to give special thanks to the Naval Air Facility in El Centro for assisting in the coordination and transportation of the smoked BBQ pork ribs. The Holtville Athletic Club is a small, non-profit organization that is known in Imperial Valley for its Rib Cook-off Extravaganza that is enjoyed by visitors from all over the world each winter. The ``Ribs to Iraq Project'' started from a desire to thank our troops in Iraq for their commitment to our country. The project took about a year to implement. Twenty barbecues were built with the assistance of the Navy base. The ribs were completely pre-cooked, sauced and frozen by club members. Holtville citizens wrote letters to the soldiers that were included in the care package. The project ended up bringing an entire and grateful community together to participate in this project. The BBQ-Ribs were packaged and frozen for transportation via the USS Denver, USS Howard, and the USS Mobile Bay to the Middle East arriving in July of this year. The Athletic Club attached its own special message to each case of ribs: ``These specific ribs were prepared on barbecues built by the club with volunteer assistance of Navy specialists, who we welcome and embrace as a very special part of our community and heart. Please enjoy the enclosed ribs wherever they may find you.'' I've seen my constituents show their appreciation to our troops in many ways. And this is just one example of a great community project that brings the residents together to accomplish an extraordinary goal. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Holtville Athletic Club for bringing the community of Holtville together in the ``Ribs to Iraq Project.'' I am sure the troops in Iraq were thankful for a little taste of homemade loving barbecue.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, today I recognize Regi Phelps, as he is honored by the San Diego Labor Community with the 2004 Johns Fellowship Award at the Twenty-Second Annual John S. Lyons Memorial Banquet on September 11, 2004. Regi was born and raised in San Diego, California, graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics. He served in the United States Navy from 1970-1973 and completed overseas tours of duty in Vietnam and the Philippines. His job with Bechtel began in 1976. He worked as a subcontracts administrator on the Hope Creek Nuclear Project in southern New Jersey. In 1978, he moved to Richmond, Virginia to work in labor relations for the Virginia Electric Power Company at the North Anna Nuclear Facility. In 1979, he rejoined Bechtel in labor relations in the early days of construction at the San Onofre Nuclear Project. Regi has served at Bechtel as Labor Relations Representative, Area Labor Representative, Senior Labor Relations Representative, Labor Relations Supervisor, and Regional Manager. In 2004, he was named Vice- President and Manager/Labor Relations, with overall labor relations responsibility for Bechtel Worldwide. He has been involved in developing the San Onofre Nuclear Project Labor Agreement--including the recently-renegotiated agreement in effect through 2010--between Southern California Edison (the owner), the San Diego Building Trades, and Bechtel. This labor agreement and project provides employment for thousands of Building Trades Craftspeople. Regi also serves as a Director to the North American Contractors Association, and as Management Trustee to the Laborers' National Safety and Health Fund. He previously served as Vice-Chairman of the Boilermakers' Health and Welfare fund and as Trustee to numerous local union apprenticeship trusts throughout the western United States. Regi's grandfather was a proud member of Laborers' Local 89. His father, Ray, retired from Bechtel in 1985, is a current member of IBEW Local 569, and was recently awarded his 45-year membership pin. Regi and his wife, Christine, have been married for 28 years and are currently living in San Francisco Bay area. They have two children: Kevin, who is a junior at the University of Southern California, and Lauren, who is a sophomore at Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. The banquet at which Regi will be presented his award is named in recognition of the late John Lyons of the Teamsters who was very active in the San Diego community. He was a founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America. The friends of Mr. Lyons continue to support his cause, and proceeds from the yearly banquets are used to support bone marrow testing and local research grants. Since its inception, the John Lyons Memorial Banquet has raised over one million dollars. Regi deserves our highest praise for his dedication to the labor movement and specifically to labor relations. My congratulations go to Regi Phelps as he receives this prestigious Johns 2004 Fellowship Award from his peers.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, today I recognize Richard McClees as the 2004 Labor Leader of the Year. This award will be given by the San Diego Labor Community at the Twenty-Second Annual John S. Lyons Memorial Banquet on September 11, 2004. Rich, as he is known, is currently Chief International Representative of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association. He comes from a strong union background. His father, Charles McClees, now retired, was a 54-year member of Sheet Metal Workers' Local 206, and two of Rich's brothers, Mike and Chuck, are current members. His older brother, Dwight, recently retired as a San Diego City teacher/school principal with 34 years of membership in the teachers' union. His sister, Margaret, is employed by the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council. Rich began working on his father's tuna boat at the age of 12. Until he was 18, he spent each summer on the Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to Washington state, fishing for albacore tuna. Upon his graduation from high school in 1968, Rich joined Sheet Metal Workers' Local 206 and began working at California Neon Products. In 1970, he entered the apprenticeship program at Standard Sheet Metal Works. His work during this period included the sheet metal restoration of the historic 1880s Villa Montezuma at 15th and K Streets in San Diego. Rich completed his apprenticeship in 1974, receiving the Apprentice of the Year Award from Mesa College, winning the Regional 10 Apprentice Contest for Sheet Metal Apprentices, and competing in the National Apprenticeship Contest in Minneapolis. In 1976, he began his eighteen years at the San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, working for University Mechanical Engineering Contractors. As early as 1979, Rich began teaching apprenticeship classes for Local 206. He also coached his daughter's and son's soccer teams and was an active participant in many other of their extracurricular activities. He was elected Business Representative of the Sheet Metal Workers' Local 206 in 1994. In 1996, he became the Apprenticeship Coordinator for Local 206, in addition to his duties as Business Representative. He was also a member of the San Diego and California Apprenticeship Coordinators Association. In 2000, Rich was elected Business Manager/Financial Secretary Treasurer of Local 206, while continuing his duties as Local 206 Apprenticeship Coordinator. He also served on the Executive Board of the Western States Council of Sheet Metal Workers, as a Trustee of the Sheet Metal Workers of Southern California, Arizona and Nevada Pension and Health Funds, as Vice-President of the National City Parks Apartments, as President of the San Diego Building and Construction Trades Council, and as an Executive Board Member of the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. He is currently attending the George Meany National Labor College and will soon receive his Bachelor of Arts Degree. On April 1, 2004, Rich was appointed by Michael J. Sullivan, General President of the Sheet Metal Workers' International Association, as Chief International Representative/Director of Jurisdiction for the Washington, D.C. office, and he resides in Arlington, Virginia. His daughter and son and their families live in San Diego. The banquet at which Rich will be presented with his award is named in recognition of the late John Lyons of the Teamsters who was very active in the San Diego community. He was a founder of the San Diego Chapter of the Leukemia Society of America. The friends of Mr. Lyons continue to support his cause, and proceeds from the yearly banquets are used to support bone marrow testing and local research grants. Since its inception, the John Lyons Memorial Banquet has raised over one million dollars. Through his dedication and willingness to serve, Rich has done much to advance the cause of the labor movement, and my congratulations go to Rich McClees for his significant contributions. He is highly deserving of the 2004 Labor Leader of the Year Award.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, although the pharmaceutical industry and the supporters of the Republican prescription drug plan may disagree, Americans have a right to affordable medicine! That is why so many continue to ask Congress to take action, such as allowing the importation of safe prescription drugs from abroad. The residents of Calexico, El Centro, San Ysidro, Chula Vista and other border communities join in that call, but in the meantime many are already going to Mexico to buy up to a 90-day supply of prescription drugs for personal use. They purchase medicines in Mexico because the pharmaceutical companies continue to gouge them at home. Yet the Senate's Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act, which takes the important step of permitting importation from Canada and Europe, would reduce the 90-day cap on personal use medicine from Mexico to a 14-day supply. It is inconsistent to increase access to Canadian and European prescription drugs while decreasing access to safe medicine from Mexico. It is unfair to low-income seniors who rely on these life- enhancing--and often life-saving--medications. The supporters of the bill may have reservations about the safety of medicine from Mexico. This is a valid issue to raise. Yet the FDA has not provided convincing evidence that the importation of inexpensive drugs from Mexico has resulted in health problems. If the authors of the bill were convinced that medicines from Mexico were in fact dangerous, why would they allow even a 14-day supply? The fact is seniors in my district have found these medicines to be a safe, affordable and accessible alternative to their local pharmacies. That is why I call on my colleagues in the Senate to oppose this legislation as it is currently written and ensure that communities on the U.S-Mexico border have access to affordable drugs. The availability of inexpensive medicine is such an important issue at the border because many senior citizens and other residents of these communities have low-incomes and no insurance. The U.S.-Mexico Border Commission reports that if the border region were the Nation's 51st state, it would rank: Last in the percentage of insured residents, last in per capita income, last in access to care, first in unemployed; and first in the number of school children living in poverty. We must move forward in boosting the health of our border communities and increasing the availability of safe and inexpensive medicines, rather than moving backward and placing new restricts on access to prescription drugs from Mexico.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the ``Social Security Fairness for Merchant Mariners Act of 2004'' (H.R. 4904). There were three major roles in World War II: the fighting forces overseas, the production army at home, and the link between them--the United States Merchant Marine. The maritime power of the Merchant Marine may have been the difference between victory and defeat. The World War II Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any of the branches of service while they delivered troops, tanks, food, airplanes, fuel and other needed supplies to every theater of the war. Enemy forces sank over 800 ships between 1941 and 1944 alone. Given the role of the Merchant Mariners in World War II, it is unbelievable that they were not given their proper recognition as ``veterans''. I would hope that this was an oversight, not a deliberate attempt to exclude them from benefits. One of the results of this lack of the ``veteran'' designation is that the law does not recognize Merchant Mariners as veterans for Social Security purposes. If they had the veteran designation, their Social Security would have been calculated as if they had earned $160 more a month than they did earn during their time in service in the Merchant Marines. Of course, what this means is a smaller Social Security check, now that they are retired. My bill H.R. 4904, will fix this unfair situation! It will provide benefits with the status of ``veteran'' under the Social Security Act to the Merchant Mariners who served during World War II. Combined with my bill, the ``Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II'' (H.R. 3729), which would compensate them for their exclusion from GI Bill benefits, Congress can fix the injustice that has been endured by the Merchant Mariners. We can never make up for years lost, but we can provide additional benefits to Merchant Mariners, many of whom are living on small, fixed incomes, in their final years. I urge my colleagues to support and co-sponsor H.R. 4904

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the ranking member of the full committee.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ruppersberger).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez).

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) for his remarks, and certainly the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), and the ranking member from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). I would say to the gentleman from Alaska, maybe we should ask unanimous consent to substitute the highway bill for this conference report! Mr. Speaker, I rise today with Chairman Young to strongly support the conference report for H.R. 2443, the Coast Guard Authorization and Maritime Transportation Act of 2004. This legislation is the culmination of our work in this Congress in examining the Coast Guard missions, with particular emphasis on the funding for the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 and their new homeland security missions. The bill authorizes over $8.2 billion for Coast Guard operations for fiscal year 2005. We believe this will be sufficient funding for the Coast Guard to carry out their many missions, including homeland security, search and rescue, marine safety, drug and migrant interdiction and law enforcement, which includes $5.4 billion for Coast Guard operating expenses, $1.5 billion for acquisition and construction projects, $24.2 million for research and development, and $19.65 million for alteration of bridges. In particular, I am pleased that the conferees recommended that the Coast Guard should lease additional helicopters to establish a helicopter interdiction tactical squadron, HITRON, armored on the West Coast. Since their establishment in Jacksonville, Florida, the East Coast HITRON squadron has stopped over $4 billion in illegal drugs from entering the United States. Deployment of a HITRON squadron on the West Coast will help stem the flow of illegal narcotics through the eastern Pacific Ocean. There is sufficient authorized funding in this bill for the Coast Guard to lease the helicopters required for this deployment. If one were to look at this using a cost-benefit analysis, the $39 million we spend to lease and deploy an armored HITRON squadron on the West Coast will stop drugs valued at more than 20 times that amount. It is my strong view that the Coast Guard must increase existing airborne use of force assets for port security and drug interdiction. The lease option for these aircraft is already in place. The lease provides antiterrorist and antidrug coverage for the next 3 to 5 years while providing flexibility for the Coast Guard to engage in a competition to select a permanent multimission Cutter helicopter to meet the post-9/11 challenge. When these multimission helicopters are deployed, the HITRON helicopters can be returned to the manufacturer at the option of the Coast Guard. We make a number of other substantive changes in the law, including providing critical skill training bonuses for enlisted members, providing legal authority to build new housing for Coast Guard and military personnel, extending the International Safety Management Code to all vessels operating in U.S. waters, and requiring electronic charts on ships to help prevent accidents such as the 1989 accident of the Exxon Valdez when they lost their way in Prince William Sound in Alaska. We also extend the oil spill response plans to cargo ships entering U.S. ports, not just tankers. I thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young); the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo); and the ranking member of the full committee, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for their bipartisan effort to put the bill together. Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the passage of the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. Do I have to wear stirrups or whatever? Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FILNER. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. FILNER. I thank the gentleman. I am glad I yielded to him.

Mr. FILNER. It is not riding them?

Mr. FILNER. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Mr. FILNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I, too, rise in support of H. Res. 647, designating August 14 as National Marina Day. Like many Members of this House, I have a marina in my district. I am joined with all those who, over the United States, have 12,000 of them. These marinas, of course, provide a home to millions of boats and provide millions of Americans with access to the ocean, bays, rivers, and lakes in the United States; and as we heard, they also provide jobs for over 140,000 of us. When we are in our districts next month, we will likely see our constituents relaxing on the water because they have access to that water through the marina. These marinas will be celebrating National Marina Day with boating safety demonstrations, environmental demonstrations, fishing rodeos, and marina open houses. What is a fishing rodeo? I wrote it, but I just do not know what I mean. In a time of heightened security, marina owners across the Nation are working with the Coast Guard to help improve security on our waterways by keeping an eye out for aggressive tactics and unusual activities on the water. They are on the water everyday and know when something appears unusual, and they will call the Coast Guard. So, Mr. Speaker, it is entirely fitting and appropriate for the U.S. House of Representatives to recognize the contributions that marinas make to maritime safety, our national economy, our national enjoyment. I urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 647, designating August 14 as National Marina Day.