Martin Frost

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Sanchez).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows), who has helped lead the way on this issue of health benefits for our retirees.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Allen).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the conference report. Mr. Speaker, this conference report provides the authorization for the Department of Defense in fiscal year 2001 and, in doing so, it provides for the defense of the United States and for the defense of freedom and democracy around the world. This conference report ensures that our military forces continue to be second to none, and it ensures that now and in the future our forces will be able to meet the demands of every mission they are assigned. Mr. Speaker, this conference report addresses the real needs and the real priorities of our Nation's armed services and is, therefore, a conference agreement that every Member of this body should support. But at the same time, every Member should be aware that meeting these needs and priorities comes at a price. I happen to be one who believes the price of defending our Nation and ensuring peace around the world is one worth paying. This conference report authorizes $310 billion in spending for the Department of Defense and its programs, addressing shortfalls in readiness, funding in modernization programs, and improving the quality of life for our military personnel and their families. Mr. Speaker, no one can argue the fact that our military stands second to none in the world. No campaign rhetoric can truthfully say that our Armed Forces are not up to the job. But there is no denying the fact that improvement of readiness capabilities and continuing modernization are constant requirements to ensure that we do not fall into a condition that would find us shorthanded in an emergency. All that requires money, money that must come from a Federal budget with hundreds of competing interests. We must remember that education for our children is also a national priority, that protecting Social Security and Medicare and providing a Medicare prescription drug benefit for senior citizens is a national priority, and that reducing the national debt should continue to be a national priority. Americans understand this, and they know full well the folly of cutting taxes while increasing spending. I would remind my colleagues in this House that we have gone down that road before. I am committed to ensuring that our Armed Forces are the best trained, best equipped, and the most ready in all the world. But we cannot lose sight of the fact that those forces are protecting a Nation that has other pressing needs. Let us not shortchange our military, our children, or our senior citizens. Mr. Speaker, this conference report contains many important provisions, but chief among them is one that keeps a promise made to the men and women who have chosen the military as a career and have served faithfully and well for 20 years or more. When I am back home in my district in Texas, I often have the opportunity to meet with some of the many military retirees who live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and, more often than not, they raise the issue of the lifetime health care they were promised when they chose to make the military a career. Cuts in the military budget and base closings have decreased the number of facilities where military retirees can go to receive health care. Even if those facilities are available, they must often wait far too long to see a doctor. At the beginning of this Congress, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), two Democratic Members, offered comprehensive plans to address these inequities in the military health care system for those men and women who have dedicated their careers to defending our country. Mr. Speaker, while what is in this conference agreement falls short of the original proposals made by the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Taylor), I am gratified that this conference report restores to military retirees benefits they were promised and in doing so begins to make good on the commitment made to all of them as they embarked on their careers. This conference report provides permanent lifetime TRICARE eligibility for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their families beginning in fiscal year 2002 and restores the prescription drug benefit by allowing those retirees who cannot access a military treatment facility to participate in the Department of Defense mail order and network retail pharmacy program. While this benefit is not extended to retirees before they reach Medicare eligibility, the provisions in this conference report represent an important start and one that I say is long overdue. I encourage the Committee on Armed Services to continue to work on this issue and to especially strive toward ensuring these benefits can be used by retirees who live in rural areas, to ensure that reimbursement rates are adequate, and to provide a benefit for military retirees before they reach the age 65. We made a promise to those men and women who were willing to put their lives on the line for their country. Now, we have an obligation to live up to it. I am extremely gratified that this provision will become law, and I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for their willingness to see this through. Mr. Speaker, retention of a trained and ready fighting force is one of the greatest difficulties facing the military today. Long deployments and better offers in the civilian world have taken a toll on the number of military men and women who are willing to stay in and continue to serve. While retention is improving, this conference report makes significant improvements in the military standard of living which should further assist in reducing the number of service personnel who leave. The conference report provides a 3.7 percent increase in basic pay, establishes a targeted subsistence payment for those personnel who struggle hardest to make ends meet and provide for their families, provides housing allowances which will assist junior military personnel to find suitable housing for themselves and their families, and provides active duty special pay and bonuses. These are all important components in the ongoing efforts of the Congress and the administration to recruit and retain the men and women we need for our military forces. This conference report also increases readiness accounts and importantly includes $222.8 million for spare parts for aircraft squadrons in an effort to stop the cannibalization of aircraft that has occurred in the past. The conference report provides an increase in funding for live-fire training ammunition for the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps and significantly increases the funding for improvements for training facilities for the National Guard and reserves. The conference report also funds the weapons programs that are so critical to our military, and I am especially gratified that the conference has included $305.5 million for F-16 modifications and improvements for the Air National Guard. Looking forward to the future, the conference has provided $2.5 billion for procurement of 10 F-22 fighters, the next-generation Air Force fighter which will ensure our air superiority over any force we might encounter. Also included is $1.4 billion in research and development funding for the F-22 program. The conference includes $1.2 billion for the acquisition of 16 MV-22 Osprey and $358.4 million for four CV-Osprey. In addition, the conference includes $154.2 million to accelerate the radar development for the CV-22 Special Operations Variant. These are all valuable investments in the fighting capabilities of our Armed Forces, and I am pleased that they are included in this agreement. Mr. Speaker, I should note this conference does contain a significant new compensation plan for those Energy Department employees who are exposed to dangerous levels of radiation, beryllium, and other toxic substances while they work on the Nation's nuclear weapons program. The agreement calls on the Congress to enact a compensation program by next July 31. I would hope that these workers can count on the Congress to act quickly in the 107th Congress to enact a legislative compensation program to assist them. Mr. Speaker, this is a very good conference agreement. It was signed by all conferees, making it a truly bipartisan agreement. I encourage all Members to support this rule and to support the conference agreement which provides so much to every American. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was a sad day for Democrats across the country, not only did our former colleague, Bruce Vento, die; but one of the finest Democrats in the State of Texas, Oscar Mauzy, passed away yesterday. Oscar served in the State Senate for 2 decades representing a district in Dallas. He served on the Texas Supreme Court, and he stood for everything that was good and decent in politics. He stood for civil rights at a time when it was not popular in Texas. He stood for the rights of the consumer, and he blazed a trail that made it possible for progressive Democrats to be elected in Dallas County. First Jim Mattox, then I joined Jim in Congress, John Bryant after that, and Eddie Bernice Johnson following that. Oscar Mauzy will be truly missed by the people of the State of Texas.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. If I could ask the gentleman an additional question, when will our business be completed for the week next week? Do we anticipate a weekend session?

Mr. FROST. Should we not complete our work by next Saturday, by the day on which the CR expires, do we anticipate very short-term CRs after that? Can we tell how long the next one would be, if in fact the next one were necessary?

Mr. FROST. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I take this time to inquire about next week's schedule.

Mr. FROST. Do we anticipate being here on Saturday?

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin, the ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations.

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I have several questions, if I may. First, I listened carefully to what my colleague on the Committee on Rules said. I am not sure I understood exactly one point. Do we expect any appropriation bills on the floor on Tuesday, or are they only going to come up later in the week?

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. For the past 22 years, I have had the honor of serving the people of Texas, America's prototypical energy producing State, so I know that we can achieve bipartisan consensus around energy policy if we want to. Unfortunately, for 6 years this Republican Congress has been AWOL on energy policy, and, when they have not been asleep at the wheel, they have led the fight against energy independence for America, slashing energy efficiency programs, trying to eliminate the Department of Energy and selling off the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Earlier this year, gas prices surged around the Nation, and then, as now, the Republican Congress chose irresponsible partisan attacks against the administration, not reasonable responses with bipartisan support. Most outrageously though, this Republican Congress has consistently ignored or killed Democratic energy policies, and then turned around and tried to score political points when oil prices went up. For more than 6 months, for instance, the United States has been in a weaker position to negotiate with OPEC, because the Republican Congress continues to withhold one of the President's chief tools for dealing with an energy crisis, the clear authority to fully use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This winter, families in the Northeast face a repeat of last winter, record high home heating prices, because this Republican Congress refuses to create a Northeast Heating Oil Reserve. Just last week, in a fit of partisan pique, Republican leaders again played politics with these two key pieces of America's energy security arsenal, deleting them from the energy and water appropriations bill. In the midst of an energy crisis, this Republican Congress still refuses to take the simplest of steps to increase America's energy independence. Fortunately, President Clinton and Vice President Gore have showed their leadership to ignore Republican partisanship and to act decisively and appropriately to address our immediate energy problems. After the President announced that he would address shortages by swapping oil out of the Reserve this year in exchange for more oil next year, oil prices dropped nearly $6 a barrel, their lowest level in almost a month. In contrast, oil prices immediately jumped when Republican Representative Joe Barton of Texas announced that he would try to stop the oil swap. While we are on the subject of the Reserve swap, let me take a minute to clear up some misconceptions being perpetuated by some of our Republican friends. First of all, Republicans like to attack the President's move as political. Well, was it political for northeastern Republicans to call for deployment of the Reserve? Hardly. They, like Al Gore and the rest of us, are trying to do what we can to protect families from having to choose between heating their homes and buying groceries this winter. Indeed, families in the Northeast are facing the prospect of another winter of low oil inventories and high home heating oil prices, as much as 30 percent higher than last year. Across the country, gas prices are still too high. It would have been irresponsible, a terrible abdication of leadership, to ignore this coming energy crisis in the way Republican leaders are trying to do. Second, Republicans claim the President risked national security by using the Reserve to help families suffering from the energy crisis. This is as hypocritical as it is ridiculous. After all, did it threaten national security when this Republican Congress sold off 28 million barrels of oil from the Reserve to pay for its budget priorities in 1996? Did it threaten national security when this Republican Congress stopped the administration from increasing the Reserve's inventory last year, when oil prices were at just $10 a barrel, which would have strengthened the Reserve and helped domestic producers? And did it threaten national security when Republican leaders, like the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) tried last year to abolish the Strategic Petroleum Reserve altogether? Probably so. But by swapping oil out of the Reserve now for more oil next year, the President's action will not just help consumers this winter, it will also strengthen the Reserve and increase national security. In fact, the Department of Energy announced yesterday that its swap agreement with 11 oil companies had been completed, and that it would yield the Reserve a net increase of 1.5 million barrels of oil. Once you put politics aside, it is clear that the administration's action was good for families in the Northeast beset by high home heating oil prices, and it was good for us in Texas, where long distances and high gas prices can take a real toll on people's pocketbooks. Fortunately, where American consumers see an energy crisis, Republican leaders see a political opportunity; an opportunity to score political points against a President they despise and an opportunity to cover up their 6-year record of negligence on energy independence. That is profoundly disappointing, because there is no doubt about the seriousness of home heating oil shortages this winter and continued high gas prices. This Republican Congress has the ability and the responsibility to do more than just play partisan blame games while American consumers are suffering. Congressional Democrats, President Clinton and Vice President Gore, have consistently tried to develop a comprehensive energy independence policy that has broad support across partisan, regional and industry lines. We have worked to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil by encouraging environmentally friendly domestic production. Under the Clinton Administration, natural gas production on Federal lands on shore has increased nearly 60 percent since 1992, and under the Clinton Administration, oil production offshore in the Gulf of Mexico has increased 62 percent since 1992. But, again, Republican leaders have preferred politics to progress, so Republican energy policy pretty much starts and ends at drilling in the pristine Alaska National Wildlife Reserve, despite the fact that it would not result in a drop of oil on the market for years and despite the fact that the most recent U.S. Geological Survey estimates make clear that the amount of recoverable oil, which amounts to less than 6 months of U.S. domestic oil consumption, is not nearly enough to justify despoiling forever this pristine wildlife reserve. In contrast, Democratic tax incentives for marginal wells and to further increase domestic production, which have broad support, have been ignored in this Republican Congress. Republican leaders have been even more hostile to our efforts to increase energy efficiency and develop alternative energies. Over the past 6 years, the Republican Congress has underfunded solar, renewable and conservation programs by $1.3 billion below the President's request, and, if Republicans had not cut the weatherization assistance program by 50 percent in 1995, then 250,000 more households could have been helped, which would have decreased demand for oil. When Republicans first took control of the Congress, they voted to kill the Low Income Home Heating Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP, which helped the neediest Americans in the midst of an energy crisis, and the following year Republicans proposed changing LIHEAP so that disadvantaged families could be forced to choose between buying food and heating their homes. For the past 6 years, the threat to America's energy security has come from this Republican Congress and its refusal to treat energy policy as anything other than a partisan political opportunity. It is long past time that Republican leaders finally stop playing political games with oil prices and began working with us to give America the common sense, comprehensive energy independence policy it needs. I thank the gentleman very much for taking out this special order, so that we could discuss these very important issues with the American public.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, today, I wish to honor Tom Tosh of Como, Texas. Tom was recently recognized as Texas' Outstanding Older Worker by Green Thumb, America's oldest non-profit provider of senior employment and training. At age sixty-seven, when most people have retired, or are at least considering retirement, Tom went back to work at Custom Shutters Inc. It has now been sixteen years, and Tom Tosh, at age eighty-two, continues to work 40-hour weeks in his position as a speciality craftsman. Tom truly exemplifies the positive work ethic, experience, loyalty and dependability so important to our society today. According to his personnel manager, Tom is an inspiration because of his untiring dedication to his craft and his company. He is creative, patient, wise, kind, and honest. His knowledge and work ethnic motivates workers less than half his age, who, at this rate, will probably end up retiring before he does! Tom is a navy veteran; he served our country in World War II. In addition to working full-time, Tom volunteers for the American Cancer Society, is a member of his local Veterans of Foreign Wars, swims, sails, and makes jewelry, All this, and he still finds time to dedicate to his wife of 61 years and two children. He is a shinning example of America at any age, and truly exemplifies that ability is ageless. I am proud of work that Green Thumb and other organizations do to strengthen our families, communities, and the Nation. The opportunities, and wisdom that older workers such as Tom Tosh can provide for us are immeasurable. I salute him today.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Madam Speaker, we ought to be very clear about the game that the Republicans are playing right now. On the one hand, they are critical of the President for announcing that he is going to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In fact, they are even talking about filing a lawsuit or perhaps passing legislation to prevent the President from releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Yet, in this bill, they deleted the authority for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. So on the one hand, they are saying, gee, the President does not have the authority. On the other hand, they are deleting the authority and not giving it to him. One cannot have it both ways. Now they try and say, oh, well, it should be in another bill. We know that is a ludicrous argument late in the session. This is a bill that is moving forward. This is the opportunity to provide the authority to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve so that we can deal with home heating oil prices so that we can deal with the price of gasoline. The facts are very clear. They do not want the President to have that authority so then they can say, well, he does not have it. So we are going to challenge his action. This is perhaps one of the most cynical actions that a legislative majority could possibly take.

Mr. FROST. Yes, I am happy to yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. FROST. Madam Speaker, I am aware of the history. It just is ironic that today one of the committees of this House under the leadership of a Republican chairman is criticizing the President for exercising this authority while the other Republicans are on the floor trying to prevent the President from having the authority. Now, I cannot think of anything that is more cynical, any more than a legislative body could take to say, gee, he cannot do that, but we are sure not going to give him the authority to do it; so maybe then we can challenge his right to do it. Madam Speaker, this is perhaps one of the worst pieces of energy policy that this majority has done in the last 6 years. I conclude my remarks. I think it is extraordinary what is happening today.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell). (Mr. PASCRELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As the gentlewoman has explained, this rule will take a Senate amendment from the Speaker's desk and agree to it. Under this procedure, there will be no opportunity to change the bill under consideration with a motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, 6 years after the Republican majority took control of this House, the Republican leadership has yet to find a way to effectively manage the business of the House. It is 3 days before the end of the fiscal year and 9 days before the Congress is scheduled to end, yet only 2 of the 13 appropriation bills have been sent to the President to be signed; we have yet to consider on this floor the funding bills we need to help people find housing or have safe transportation to get to work or plow their ground to produce food or learn the basic skills to be able to get and hold a job in the modern day workplace. Last night, the members of the Committee on Rules were held hostage for hours past the last vote so that we might be available to bail out the Republican leadership so that the House might have some business to conduct today. Why should the Committee on Rules be held here until 9:30? For one very simple reason, Mr. Speaker. And that is because the majority party still has not figured out how to run this institution in an efficient manner and could not find anything to do on the floor today. However, sometime around 9 p.m. the Republican leadership came up with a solution. So what did they do? The Republican leadership has taken one of the bills that was supposed to be considered yesterday under procedures for noncontroversial bills, suspension of the rules, and moved it to today to be considered under a rule. I do not mean to take anything away from the value of this bill. The Children's Health Act is vitally important to help find new ways to prevent or cure diseases which affect our children. But it should have been passed last night under suspension of the rules, as it was intended to be done. The health organizations, including the March of Dimes, the Spina Bifida Foundation, the Autism Society of America, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, the Epilepsy Foundation, the Cereberal Palsy Association, and many, many others have worked hard to see the bill to completion and were counting on us to do our work. It is past time to get on with this business. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the Children's Health Act of 2000. This bill now spans 400 pages and has two basic purposes. The first addresses a host of specific childhood health problems and prenatal risk factors, including many provisions which passed in the House earlier this year. The bill authorizes research and public health and health education services that respond to fragile X syndrome, epilepsy, asthma, childhood lead poisoning, pediatric cancers, childhood obesity prevention, traumatic brain injury, juvenile diabetes, hearing loss, oral health, autism, arthritis, muscular dystrophy, autoimmune conditions, child care safety and pediatric organ transplants. It also provides block grants to the States for laboratory infrastructure and patient care services for those affected with or at risk for genetic conditions. The bill contains the first ever authorization of the very successful Healthy Start demonstration project, now in their ninth year of reducing infant mortality and improving pregnancy outcomes in underserved populations. The second feature of this bill covers a wide range of youth drug and mental health service programs that will strengthen America's communities, including extending and reauthorizing programs administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These programs provide critical safety net services for individuals and families with substance abuse problems and mental illness, and also exclusively target youth. It also supports public and professional education programs related to substance abuse and mental illness. The breadth of services provided here range from an underage drinking provision and a suicide prevention initiative, to services for youth offenders, the homeless, and adults with fetal alcohol syndrome. This large and complex bill, however, is marked with a number of procedural irregularities. As worthy as the goals may be, no bill of this scope and magnitude should proceed to the floor without going through the committee process, yet this occurred in the majority's apparent rush to move this bill to the floor. For example, the bill contains a provision that invokes charitable choice. This is a difficult issue for many Members, yet the Committee on the Judiciary was never given the opportunity for public debate on this issue. I know this is of particular concern to my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), who is here to voice his concerns this morning. The second example is marked with some irony. The fine provision promoting safe motherhood includes a public education initiative addressing the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use in pregnancy. Most women do not begin smoking during pregnancy, they begin as adolescents. Yet neither the House nor the Committee on Commerce had the opportunity to even debate the issue of FDA regulation of youth tobacco use during this Congress. I will vote for this bill, however, I want America's children to know that while H.R. 4365 is a measurable step toward improving the quality of their collective health, we can and should do better. It is obvious that this Congress will fail to address many major health care issues that confront us. I am only grateful we have the opportunity to vote for this bill and do something constructive to improve the health care of our Nation's children. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I indicated in my opening remarks, this is a good bill. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) has some legitimate concerns about a particular matter that he was not able to address. The overall bill is an important piece of legislation. We have concerns on this side that we seem to be treading water here in not being able to bring anything up on the floor on a regular basis. We do not know from day to day what is going to be considered. This bill could have been done on suspension yesterday. That does not diminish the bill. This is an important piece of legislation. I support the bill and support the rule. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, after we pass this continuing resolution today, only seven legislative days will remain before the Republican leadership's target adjournment date for this Congress. When it comes to addressing the most pressing concerns of families across the country, the record of this Republican Congress is just as abysmal as it was when we convened nearly 2 years ago. Republicans spent all of last year trying to spend nearly $1 trillion of the people's surplus on a massive package of tax breaks for the wealthiest few; and they wasted this year on a series of tax breaks that, surprise, surprise, would have cost nearly $1 trillion and overwhelmingly benefited the wealthiest few. Meanwhile, Mr. Speaker, the people's agenda has been shelved. Too many of America's children have returned to school this fall in crumbling classrooms, but Republican leaders are still blocking school modernization. Teachers in overcrowded classrooms still face the nearly impossible task of maintaining discipline and giving their students the individual attention they deserve. But the Republican Congress still refuses to help hire 100,000 new teachers to reduce class size. Mr. Speaker, almost a year has gone by since the House passed the bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights, but Republican leaders in the House, as well as the Senate, have kept it from becoming law. Nearly 18 million Americans have been denied or delayed medical care since then. Mr. Speaker, millions of American seniors, including middle-class seniors, are still being forced to choose between buying groceries and buying needed prescriptions, and it is getting worse. A new Kaiser Family Foundation study found that skyrocketing prescription prices are driving premiums up and increasing the likelihood that people will lose their health coverage altogether. But just this weekend, Republican leaders in the House and Senate declared dead for the year our plan to provide Medicare prescription coverage for all seniors. Mr. Speaker, Democrats have not given up on helping middle-class families. This Congress can still address priorities, like smaller class size, the Patients' Bill of Rights and prescription drugs. We can still do it, Mr. Speaker, but only if Republican leaders will put aside their partisanship, tell their special interest friends that the people come first and work with us.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support legislation that restores some sanity and common sense to our Nation's immigration policy. Many of us in Congress never intended for the 1996 immigration reforms to lead to the senseless deportation of those who have paid for their minor crimes and are now productive members of society. I have personally met with many families in my district that are now dealing with the trauma of the unwarranted deportation of a family member. These families will stay in America, but are often reliant on the care and financial support of the person facing deportation. These families may be forced to go on welfare or their children may be put into foster homes. Clearly, our communities are not made safer by breaking up these families. With this legislation, Congress is beginning to address those provisions in the 1996 law that went too far. H.R. 5062 is the first step in the right direction of fixing the 1996 immigration legislation. Under current law, many legal residents can be deported for minor offenses that were not deportable offenses when they pled guilty to them. The bill will bring sensible relief to those who have paid for past infractions and will give people a chance to remain in the country. In addition, people who have already been deported under the retroactive provision of this law will be allowed to apply for readmission to the United States. This will allow families who were previously torn apart to reunite and regain the opportunity of the American Dream. The bill does not fix all of the harsh provisions of the 1996 immigration legislation but it will bring some relief to those who have dealt with the tragedy of a deported family member.

Mr. FROST

Mr. FROST. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Nationally Historic Black Colleges and Universities Week to pay tribute to Paul Quinn College of Dallas, Texas. Founded in 1872, it is the oldest Liberal Arts College for African-Americans in Texas and west of the Mississippi. Born of humble roots, Paul Quinn College was founded by a small group of African Methodist Episcopal preachers. A faculty of five taught newly freed slaves blacksmithing, carpentry, and tanning saddle work. The founders faced early challenges: a poor congregation, limited resources, and a country struggling with post-Civil War race relations. To construct the college's first building, the church launched a ``Ten Cents a Brick'' campaign throughout their congregation. Although poor, together the congregation's pennies built the first solid monument to their dreams. Paul Quinn College soon expanded its curriculum to include mathematics, music, Latin, theology, and English. As the increasing service and value of the institution became apparent, the student population grew, the academic program evolved, and more buildings appeared on campus. Today Paul Quinn College is a thriving institution, rich in history. Its 150-acres campus is a far cry from the schoolroom built with pennies, and today its 741 students take advantage of a liberal arts education, a diverse student population from around the globe, more than 40 clubs and organizations, and a strong athletic program, all steeped in an atmosphere of Christian ideals. Although it has come a long way from humble beginnings, Paul Quinn College is now, as it was 128 years ago, still serving the intellectual, spiritual, emotional and social development of its students, preparing them for leadership and service. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the opportunities this fine institution has provided for so many people and the contributions it has made to the Dallas community. I know my colleagues will join me in saluting Paul Quinn College and all historically black colleges and universities this week.