Rodney Frelinghuysen

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania, who has consistently stood a fervent representative of the national fire community, for bringing this issue to our attention. I understand the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) are working with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) on a stand-alone bill to address this matter and I support his efforts. Amendment No. 2 offered by Mr. Hefley

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I concede the point of order.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. In closing, make no mistake about it, Mayor Williams supports what we are doing today. The gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) has referenced the editorial in The Washington Post by Mayor Williams and Councilman Chavous and Peggy Cooper. Let me read from it: ``For those of us involved every day in urban education, there are staggering realities that keep us awake at night. Every child who graduates without basic skills or drops out altogether is on a potential pathway to public assistance, to being alienated from the full benefits of participation in society, or, worse, to a life in the criminal justice system.'' They go on. They say: ``We think that this is an appropriate investment by the Federal Government in the children of the Nation's capital. Without the resources ordinarily provided by a State, the District is more challenged than other cities in its efforts to adequately fund public education and foster innovative reform. ``Our children,'' they go on, ``have endured decades of neglect in public education. But there is hope. We have a reconfigured school board and respected superintendent.'' They say, ``Despite these underpinnings, parents still want more choices. At town meetings, community picnics, hearings and PTA meetings, we hear the same complaints: I cannot find the right setting for my child, or my child is not flourishing in this environment.'' This is a good bill, Mr. Chairman. This is about parental choice, and it is good for the students and children of the District.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Mr. Chairman, make no mistake about it, this amendment would basically take $10 million in additional funds away from the District of Columbia which it badly needs and $10 million away from an educational system, by all accounts, that badly needs additional money so that children have choices as to where they can go to school. We know, Mr. Chairman, that the Mayor supports this voucher proposal, the President of the school board, the chairman of the Committee on Education and Libraries and Recreation of the D.C. council. The Mayor has said on school choice, ``Despite the steady increases in local funding and other efforts to support our public schools, I have learned firsthand from hundreds of parents who feel there are no practical or easy alternatives for their children within the current systems of public education.'' On another occasion, Mayor Williams said relative to school choice, ``I was elected by the people of my beloved city and I took the solemn oath to act in what I think are their best interests, even in the face of conventional political wisdom. Today, I believe I have an obligation to represent all the children of the District.'' Mr. Chairman, in my capacity as chairman, I have met with many parents who have children in the public school system who support this choice program. They are literally desperate to have this new alternative. The clearest evidence of the excitement for school choice is in the city's charter school movement: 37 charter schools, 11 on the drawing boards. I had a group representing the charter schools in my office just yesterday saying that they had waiting lists for their four charter schools that they run running at 300 children. So I think there is a lot of desperateness on the part of parents to find alternatives. I make the point again, Mr. Chairman, that the $10 million in the bill are additional funds for the District above the subcommittee's allocation. The gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Regula) agreed to transfer the funding from the Labor-HHS bill, and I am grateful for his support of this initiative and the extra dollars. Eliminating this funding puts the $10 million for the District in jeopardy of being transferred back to his committee and out of the city hands. For these and other reasons, I ask this amendment be rejected and we give the District leadership what it wants. What the mayor has asked for is these dollars and certainly has asked for additional dollars, and I have made a commitment to work in conference for the other dollars for the District school system, as well as additional dollars for the charter school movement.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), a valued member of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, since I was first elected to Congress, I have supported school choice for this city, and now as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations subcommittee on the District of Columbia, I am excited to be in a position to make this program a reality for the children and the parents of the District of Columbia, working with the gentleman from Virginia (Chairman Tom Davis) and the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner). Mr. Chairman, I ask all Members to support the Davis-Frelinghuysen- Boehner amendment and the underlying bill. Mr. Chairman, since I was first elected to Congress, I have supported school choice for this city. And now as Chairman of the DC Appropriations Committee, I am excited to be in a position to make this program a reality for the children and parents of the District of Columbia. The President requested funding for a Choice Incentive Fund within the U.S. Department of Education, of which a portion of the funds would be used for school choice programs in the District. Thanks to Chairman Regula, I was able to provide $10 million to expand school choice in the District. I am further pleased to report that this proposal has the full support of Mayor Williams, Chairman of the Committee on Education, Libraries and Recreation, Kevin Chavous, and President of the School Board, Peggy Cooper-Cafritz. Throughout the year, I have worked closely with my colleague and friend, Chairman Tom Davis, who chairs the Authorizing Committee that has jurisdiction on this issue, the Government Reform Committee and John Boehner, Chairman of Committee on Education and the Workforce to advance this Presidential initiative. We agreed to move the school choice initiative forward in our respective Committees. Chairman Davis has successfully moved the DC Parental Choice Incentive Act through his Committee. And in my bill, we have provided the actual funding. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would unite these two initiatives together under one bill bringing us a step closer to making expanded school choice a reality for those that so desperately want and need it. While we are all supportive of the District Public School System, and we recognize the great progress of the city's charter schools and transformation schools, we believe that even more students can be helped by the additional option. And we are providing new dollars that add, not subtract, from either the DC public or charter schools funding sources. What is important here is the quality and value of education for every child in this city. And the statistics from the Department of Education on District continue to show disturbing results in student performance on reading, writing, math and other core academics. The need for significant improvements is clear. The bottom line is that these children will be helped by giving parents more choices for educating their children. Many parents are hopeful that we will act. One of the arguments the opposing side will make is that this bill does not provide funding for the three-pronged approach the District wants. While that is true, it is not my intention that that be the case when we come out of conference with the Senate. Due to the fiscal constraints of this bill, we were only able to provide for DC Scholarships, but the Senate bill includes additional funding for both public and charter schools as well. I support the Mayor's approach and will work with Chairman Young towards a conference allocation that is sufficient to address all three sectors of education in the city. I hope members will join with me and support of the leadership of this great city.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to say for the record that the dollars for this new choice program will be given to the parents so that they can make the choice. They will not be given to the school. And secondly, I need to reiterate this is new money. This is money that came from the gentleman from Ohio's (Mr. Regula) mark. It is not being taken away from the public schools or from the charter schools. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), a member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, it is my pleasure to yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham), the vice chairman of the committee and, in fact, a long-time member of the committee.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the fiscal year 2004 District of Columbia Appropriations bill totals $7.9 billion. Included in this total are $466 million for Federal payments to various District programs and projects, which I will describe shortly; $1.8 billion in Federal grants to District agencies; and $5.6 billion in local funds for operating expenses and capital outlays of the District government. This bill, Mr. Chairman, is a product of the hard work of every member of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia. It is the culmination of several weeks of hearings, visits to local schools and other city institutions, and meetings with elected city officials and numerous others who have a keen interest in helping the District. I want to thank each of them for their interest in the District and their input into this bill. I especially want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), my ranking member, for his advice, counsel and support. He has been a pleasure to work with. Mr. Chairman, I believe this bill reflects Congress' commitment to helping our Nation's capital. This is where we all work and many of us live, our home away from home. So we have special reasons to help our capital city. How grateful I am to so many of my colleagues for their ongoing efforts, prior to my chairmanship, to assist the citizens of this great city, especially its school children to have better lives, and many thanks, as well, to a number of my colleagues who now seek support for a number of new projects to further help the citizens in this budget. When I became chairman, I wanted to get to better know this city. I did this by listening and learning, visiting children in their schools and touring the many neighborhoods that make up the city. I want to thank Mayor Anthony Williams, Council Chairman Linda Cropp, and School Board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz for the support and advice they have given me. The Constitution, Mr. Chairman, gives Congress exclusive legislative authority over the affairs of the District, and I take this mandate seriously. The District is in a stronger financial position today than a few years ago. Much of this is due to Mayor Williams and the city council, but we cannot overlook the role Congress has played in the financial recovery as well. The District still has a long way to go to resolve many personnel and management problems, but I believe that progress is being made. I stand ready to help in any way I can. Mr. Chairman, the committee has carefully reviewed the District's budget request and, as reflected in the bill, has given the Mayor and City Council's priorities the highest consideration when putting this bill together. As I mentioned earlier, the bill totals $7.9 billion of which $466 million are Federal payments to various programs and projects. This is $43 million below last year's allocation and equates to an 8.4 percent reduction. Seventy-seven percent of these funds, or $359 million, is to continue funding of the D.C. courts, the Public Defender Service, the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency, CSSOSA. These are District functions that the Federal Government assumed financial responsibility for in the National Capital Revitalization and Self-government Improvement Act of 1997. The remaining 23 percent, or $107 million, are for programs and projects that directly benefit the District. These include: $17 million for the tuition assistance program for the District for college-bound District students; $15 million to reimburse the District for added emergency planning and security costs related to the presence of the Federal Government in the District; $10 million for a D.C. scholarship program; $42.7 million for capital development projects in the District; dollars for the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative; and dollars for public school facility improvements. Lastly, Mr. Chairman, I am well aware that the President's request for a school choice program in the District of Columbia, which would provide D.C. school scholarships, has stirred up considerable controversy. Personally, I have supported such scholarships for the District since they were first proposed in 1995 by Members of Congress. There is excitement that surrounds the very successful charter movement in this city. There are 37 charter schools and 11 more on the drawing boards, more than any other city in the Nation. We have charter schools in this city. That excitement is also apparent in those parents who strongly advocate for this new educational choice option for their children. While we are all supportive of the District public school system and the success of the city's charter school movement, many more children can be helped by this new program. The statistics in the U.S. Department of Education on District student performance on reading, writing, math and other core academic studies are very disturbing. The bottom line is that children in this city will be helped by giving parents more choices for educating their children. Many parents are hopeful that we will act. That is why I am happy that later today we will have an amendment to provide for the authorization of the funding I have included in this bill. There will be much debate on this issue. And one of the arguments the opposing side will make is that this bill does not provide funding for what is called the three-pronged approach to education which the District leadership wants. While that is true, it is not my intention that this be the case when we come out of conference with the Senate. Due to the fiscal constraints of this bill, we were only able to provide for the D.C. scholarships; but the Senate bill includes additional funding for both public and charter schools as well. I support the Mayor's approach and will work with Chairman Young towards a conference allocation that is sufficient to address all three sectors of education in the city. The timing of this bill, Mr. Chairman, is always of concern to the District, and rightly so, because the city's local funds cannot be spent until we pass the conference report for the bill. I am mindful of these concerns and will do everything within my power to get the District its funds in a timely manner. In summary, the fiscal year 2000 District of Columbia appropriations bill is fiscally responsible, a balanced bill that deserves bipartisan support. Lastly, I would like to thank the subcommittee staff, our excellent clerk Carol Murphy, Rob Nabors who works so well with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) and certainly with this chair, and Kelly Wade of my staff for their diligent and professional work on this bill. I would also like to thank Nancy Fox from my immediate staff and William Miles from the gentleman from Pennsylvania's (Mr. Fattah) staff for their hard work as well. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, today, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2989, Chairman Istook's Fiscal Year 2004 Transportation and Treasury Appropriations bill. Chairman Istook has worked within the framework he was provided to put forward a fair and balanced approach to fund the Departments of Transportation and Treasury and other Independent Agencies. The Chairman's bill makes a strong commitment to our nation's highway improvements by providing $33.8 billion, which is $6.1 billion above last year's level. Equally as important to New Jersey is Federal support for transit operations. As such, I commend the Chairman for including $7.23 billion for transit program spending, which is $52 million above last year's level. I am especially thankful that this bill provides full funding for New Jersey's top two transit priorities, the Newark Elizabeth Rail Link and the Hudson Bergen Light Rail projects. Notably, every year in New Jersey, nearly 4 million passengers ride Amtrak trains. Each day, 109 Amtrak trains operate in New Jersey. In addition, Amtrak provides all of the maintenance and locomotive power for the 250 daily commuter trains that are operated by New Jersey Transit for hundreds of thousands of daily rail commuters in my home state, which is so densely populated and depends so much on trains and buses to minimize traffic congestion and air pollution. By sharing the same tracks and tunnels within the Northeast Corridor with Amtrak, New Jersey has a strong interest in seeing a stable and continuing Amtrak operation, with increased funding! That said, the Chairman and the Congress have every right to demand necessary reforms of Amtrak management, strict accountability, and reasonable labor agreements. To be clear, I feel it is absolutely essential that we do more to support Amtrak while making sure that it follows the committee's direction to carry out much needed reforms. I want to again thank the Chairman for increasing Amtrak's funding from its original mark. In the transportation world, the issue of safety and its importance can never be over emphasized. Thus, the more than $77 million included for the National Safety Transportation Board, is well directed dollars. On the Treasury side, this bill takes important steps in our nation's continued war on terrorism. H.R. 2989 includes critical dollars ($57.5 million) for the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Included in this funding are dollars for the establishment of the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, which will help root out the financial infrastructures that support terrorist organizations and their murderous ways. H.R. 2989 also includes more than $228 million for the Financial Management Service, which is responsible for the management of Federal finances. For all these reasons and more, I support the Chairman Istook's Fiscal Year 2004 Transportation and Treasury Appropriations bill, and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to associate myself with the remarks of the dean of the House, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), and rise in strong opposition to the Gutknecht bill, which would basically legalize the dangerous practice of reimportation of undocumented medicines from foreign countries into the United States. The American people, especially senior citizens, need to know that this provision could threaten their health and safety. Earlier this month, the Committee on Energy and Commerce released a bipartisan report on the safety and efficacy of drugs imported into the United States. This report should be a must-read for all Members of this House as it raises serious questions about reimportation, and describes ``a system overwhelmed with an avalanche of imported counterfeit unapproved drugs into the United States.'' Yet tonight, the House is giving serious consideration to a bill that would allow American pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada and other foreign countries and resell them for a lower price here in the United States with absolutely no regulation. There is no doubt that Congress must and will act to help older Americans cover the cost of expensive prescription medicines, but this amendment is not the right prescription.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 406, the Hostettler amendment to H.R. 2799, the Commerce-Justice-State appropriation bill for fiscal 2004, on Tuesday July 22, during a series of several votes, I inadvertently voted ``no'' when I intended to vote ``yes.'' I strongly disagree with the decision handed down by the 9th Circuit on the Pledge of Allegiance and have voted to reflect that disapproval twice previously: on June 27, 2002 (H. Res. 459) and on March 6, 2003 (H. Res. 132).

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to Mr. Udall's Amendment. Last year I voted to endorse the Department of Energy and the President's finding that Yucca Mountain is the best choice for a national nuclear waste depository. Science and safety illustrate that Yucca Mountain is in our Nation's interest. National security further illustrates that Yucca Mountain is in our Nation's interest. As such, Chairman Hobson has rightly made funding the Nuclear Waste Program one of his highest energy priorities. The Chairman's mark provides a total of $765 million for nuclear waste disposal, an increase of $174 million over the budget request and $308 million more than fiscal year 2003. These additional funds are provided to enable the Department to open the Yucca Mountain repository on schedule in 2010, with particular emphasis in developing a rail line in Nevada that avoids the Las Vegas metropolitan area. From a New Jersey perspective this site is long over due. We live in the most densely populated state in the nation, with 49 percent of our power generated by nuclear energy and for many years now, those wastes have been stored on the grounds of our two nuclear reactor sites. The time has come for the waste to be sent to a single national repository as was promised in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and for which New Jersey taxpayers have contributed millions of dollars in their energy bills into the nuclear waste fund, specifically set up to pay for the costs of characterizing and developing the Yucca Mountain Site. Mr. Chairman, for all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and support the underlying bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding and I ask unanimous consent to review and extend my remarks. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this year's Energy and Water Appropriation's bill. Before I run through the many reasons for my strong support of this legislation, I would llke to thank and recognize the distinguished Chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Representative David Hobson, who has provided strong leadership and direction, while putting together a responsible and bipartisan bill. I would like to also thank ranking member Visclosky for his bipartisan spirit in helping to put this bill together, and the Energy and Water Subcommittee staff who all put in so much time and effort meeting with each member. For more than 170 years, the Federal Government has worked in partnership with our States and local communities to provide solutions to critical flooding, dredging, and environmental problems, as well as beach and shore protection. This year is no exception. In fact, the gentleman from Ohio has produced a bill that ensures our Nation's continued commitment to work in partnership with our States and local municipalities to address these vital needs. In my home State of New Jersey, these projects have kept our Port of New York and New Jersey open for business, and prepared us for a future with bigger ships, and most importantly, keeping President Bush's commitment that our port continue to serve our nation and our national security and economic needs. I would again like to thank the Chairman for his strong support for dredging the New York/New Jersey Port. In addition, this bill helps keep the 127 miles of New Jersey Beach open to visitors from all over the country. As a direct result, over 30 billion dollars are infused into New Jersey's economy each summer, and over 800,000 people are employed. In an effort to protect New Jerseyans, their homes, and their businesses from the destruction and devastation of flooding, this bill also provides the framework and the funding to purchase wetlands for natural storage areas, and to work with the local governments in Morris, Somerset, and Essex Counties to develop long-term solutions to these re-occurring floods. This bill also funds the Department of Energy, where funding has been focused on core programs, which can truly make a difference. I am quite pleased that Chairman Hobson has made the Nuclear Waste Program one of his highest energy priorities. The Chairman's mark provides a total of $765 million for nuclear waste disposal, an increase of $174 million over the budget request and $308 million more than fiscal year 2003. These additional funds are provided to enable the Department to open the Yucca Mountain repository on schedule in 2010, which will help communities all around the country where nuclear waste is stored on a ``temporary'' basis. I would again like to thank Chairman Hobson for supporting DOE's Fusion Energy Sciences program with over 268 million dollars, nearly $11 million over the President's budget. These are critical dollars which will allow America to participate in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, ITER, while simultaneously allowing the domestic fusion community to prosper at places like New Jersey's Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, a Department of Energy laboratory. Fusion energy is a future source of clean and limitless energy. More importantly, this energy source will make us less dependent on foreign oil and fossil fuels. Mr. Chairman, for all these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to Mr. Andrews' Amendment. The Delaware River Main Channel Deepening project is designed to keep the Delaware River Ports competitive with other east coast ports, all of which have dredged or are planning to dredge their channels deeper than 40 feet. Major Shipping lines have informed the ports that their next generation ships will require deeper channels. Unless these ports can go to 45 feet they will be at a competitive disadvantage with their sister ports for the expected growth of international trade. In addition to the competitive advantage this project will provide the region, it provides much needed jobs. Over 75,000 jobs are attributable to the port industry in the Delaware Valley. Moreover, the Delaware River Port has been designated as a military strategic port. The Port of Philadelphia has been selected as a Strategic Seaport for the Northeast Corridor of the United States. Philadelphia's selection means the Department of Defense will incorporate the use of the city's port facilities in its planning for the movement of military cargoes in the event of major contingency operations. Selection of the Pennsylvania port was made jointly by the U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S. Army Forces Command, and the Military Traffic Management Command after an assessment of many Northeast Corridor ports. Philadelphia becomes the country's 14th commercial Strategic Seaport. Designation as a Strategic Seaport creates the potential for Department of Defense cargo shipments in support of contingencies. Mr. Chairman, for all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and support the underlying bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, as we debate this appropriations bill today, we should recall the words of our President, George W. Bush, shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. He stated: ``America is a nation full of good fortune, with so much to be grateful for. But we are not spared from suffering. In every generation, the world has produced enemies of human freedom. They have attacked America, because we are freedom's home and defender.'' Mr. Chairman, the bill we have before us today is our answer to those who would attack America. This is a strong legislative product--one that reflects well on the Committee on Appropriations, I want to commend you, Chairman, Lewis, Chairman Young and Ranking Members Obey and Murtha for your leadership. Mr. Chairman, as we consider this important legislation, we must remain mindful that our troops are in the field--brave men and women fighting a new kind of war, as we speak. It is a war fought with new technology in a land that is very old world. It is a war that had Forward Air Controllers riding horseback and calling in strikes from laptop computers. This is a war being fought from our ships stationed 700 miles from targets. This is a war that utilizes B-52s and B-2s and B1Bs for precision targeting, but it is also a war that calls for our troops to go from cave to cave or building to building to seek out the enemy. It is a war whose enemy is difficult to identify. At the same time as our men and women are in action in Iraq and Afghanistan and other scattered locations, the leadership of the Department of Defense continues its wide-ranging transformation of the methods and missions and capabilities of our fighting forces. In this context, America's armed forces have been charged with developing the capabilities to fight jointly with coalition partners to secure victory across the full spectrum of warfare while continuing the transition to a more flexible, more agile, lighter and more lethal force. Of course, our goal is to provide a new level of efficiency and protection to our warfighter so that they may fight--and win--the new kind of wars that will face the United States of America in coming years. Mr. Chairman, we are a peaceful people. But recent months have shown the world that we will fight anywhere to defend our national security. The men and women of our armed forces have made us proud. For them-- and their families--I urge adoption of the bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2559, making appropriations for military construction for fiscal 2004. This legislation is a strong product for tough times and I want to commend the Subcommittee Chairman, the gentleman from Michigan, Mr. Knollenberg, and the Gentleman from Texas, Mr. Edwards. This legislation provides $9.2 billion in funding for military construction and family housing projects across the country. While no one is satisfied with the bottom line on this bill and we all wish that we could not do more, this is a solid product. It satisfies our obligation to ensure that our men and women in uniform live in, train at, and deploy from adequate facilities. This bill shows our commitment to our service members by constructing and upgrading military installations, and military family housing in the United States and overseas. Improving the quality of life for our men and women in uniform throughout the world is critically important. If we are asking these brave men and women to protect our national security, then we must ensure that they have the tools and the facilities to protect themselves. America's armed forces have been charged with developing the capabilities to fight jointly and with coalition partners to secure victory across the full spectrum of warfare while continuing the transition to a more flexible, more agile, lighter and more lethal force. In this context, I am pleased the Committee has included funding for a state-of-the-art explosives loading facility at the Army's ``Home of Lethality''--Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. In Afghanistan and Iraq, the achievements of our young men and women in uniform are due in part to the incredible technological advances employed by our military, much of which has been researched and developed by Picatinny Arsenal--the only Army-owned, Army-operated facilities for the research and development of energetics materials (mines, armor, warheads, artillery, etc.) in the nation. The new facility will mark a substantial upgrade in safety, environmental protection and process controls that will benefit the other branches of the military that rely on Army research and development expertise. Mr. Chairman, once again I commend Mr. Knollenberg and Mr. Young and I urge support for this bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in strong support of the fiscal year 2004 Homeland Security appropriations bill. This bill is a first of its kind but, more important, in the history that is being created with this first-ever homeland bill is the fact that this bill, simply put, makes America and my home State of New Jersey a safer place. We in New Jersey and New York and the New York metropolitan area know better than most how vulnerable an open and free society can be. We put a very human face on the homeland security issue, as 700 New Jersey citizens went into Lower Manhattan that terrible morning on September 11, 2001, and never came home again, and many more people in New York City as well and residents from over 80 countries. This is all very personal. These appropriations if spent and managed wisely may well prevent another catastrophic attack on American soil. While we can never really totally eliminate our vulnerabilities, this bill takes important steps to better protect our people and the infrastructure that carries them into and around New York City and over and under the Hudson River each and every day and protects people in other communities and cities around the Nation as well. Notably, this historic bill recognizes that, while the Department of Homeland Security has the lead in developing our national homeland security strategy, implementation of the strategy requires the active collaboration and contributions of all States and municipal governments, and the private sector as well. It also recognizes that many of the agencies merged into the Department of Homeland Security in March have traditional missions. For these and other reasons, Mr. Chairman, I support the passage of this appropriations bill.

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN

Mr. FRELINGHUYSEN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I come to the floor to recognize the great success of strong local school systems working with dedicated parents and teachers in raising young men and women. I rise today to congratulate and honor 43 outstanding high school artists from the 11th Congressional District of New Jersey. Each of these talented students participated in the Annual Congressional Arts Competition, ``An Artistic Discovery.'' Their works are exceptional! Mr. Speaker, I would like to list each of them, their high school, and their contest entries for the official Record. We had 43 students participate. That is a tremendous response and I would very much like to build on that for next year's competition. This year, Mr. Speaker, the winner of ``An Artistic Discovery'' was Lauren Radebaugh from West Morris Mendham High School for the work entitled ``Of Mom's Kitchen.'' Second place went to Devin O'Connor from Ridge High School for ``Self-Portrait.'' Third place went to Melissa Aquino for the work titled ``Another Man's Treasure.'' The Viewer's Choice Award was given to Robert Dougalas Fritz, III for the work titled ``Rachael.'' Honorable mentions were awarded to Ashley Eckhardt of Morris Knolls High School for ``Virtuoso,'' Chris Felber of West Morris Mendham High School for ``Twelve Bar Blues,'' Stacey Hulbert of Mount Saint Dominic Academy for ``Beach Eruption,'' Alexandra Kuziw of Montville Township High School for ``Celtic James,'' Ulvid Osis of West Essex Regional High School for his untitled work, and Mary Pratt of Ridge High School for ``Within the Hour Glass.'' Excellent art work was also submitted by Boonton High School's Melissa Becker for ``Self-Portrait,'' Sheila Marcello for ``Despair,'' Jocely Szczepanski for ``Portrait of My Mother;'' Livingston High School's Irina Itriyeva for ``Secret,'' Jessie Kent for ``My Life,'' Sara Lewis for ``Handicapped Parking;'' Madison High School's Lorraine Ewan for ``Hope,'' Ashley Kaye for ``Lenape Wood,'' Kate Lavinio for ``The Woods,'' Graham Sharts for ``Chris;'' Montville Township High School's Joyce Chen for ``The Mannequin,'' Melissa Choi for ``Still in the Wind,'' Heather Condurso for ``Poppy's Plow;'' Morris Knolls High School's Jennifer Devine for ``A Tear of Pain,'' Lindsey A. Dicks for ``Peek-A-Boo (Self-Portrait),'' Elizabeth Foerster for her untitled work; Mount Olive High School's Amanda Giansanti for her untitled work, Janel Sabella for ``Janet Fish,'' Windy Walintukan for her untitled work; Mount Saint Dominic Academy's Alexandra Arndt for ``This Passion,'' Arden Beesley for ``Hoy Cantamos (Today We Sing),'' Christine Ryan for ``Mother Earth Goddess;'' Randolph High School's Gina LaManna for ``Self-Portrait,'' Olga Levitskiy for ``Creative Space,'' Carrie Lindgren for ``Aftermath,'' Matt Palimeri for ``The Shovel;'' Ridge High School's Rosanna DiNardo for her untitled work, Bo Gu for ``The Convergence;'' West Essex Regional High School's Pamela Motyka for ``Glue,'' Emily Peterson for her untitled work, Michael Weed for ``Mind Candy;'' and West Morris Mendham High School's Chris Wolff for ``Red Gourd.'' Each year the winner of the competition will have an opportunity to travel to our nation's capital to meet Congressional leaders and to mount his or her art work in a special corridor here at the U.S. Capitol with other winners from across the country. Every time a vote is called, I get a chance to walk through that corridor and am reminded of the vast talents of our young men and women. Indeed, all of these young artists are winners, and we should be proud of their achievements so early in life. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating these talented young people from New Jersey's 11th Congressional District.