Mike Ferguson

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 488 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have vote ``yea.''

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in favor of a bill that would help us usher in 21st-century medicine into the doctors' offices of our country. By encouraging the dissemination of health information technology, we move full speed ahead toward establishing an infrastructure necessary to create an environment where errors are reduced and care is improved. This bill promotes cooperation between doctors and hospitals and provides physicians with the IT support services they need to establish this infrastructure. In particular, I am pleased this bill includes an amendment that I sponsored in the Energy and Commerce Committee with Congressman Towns that would provide grants for the use of health information technology to coordinate care for the uninsured. These grants are targeted to integrated health systems that have demonstrated success in the past for treating the uninsured and underinsured populations in underserved communities. This is just one example of how this bill helps to provide the necessary framework for health IT for all Americans. Mr. Chairman, I invite all of our colleagues to support this commonsense legislation. It will help establish a framework of care for all Americans as we head into the 21st century.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. For generations Hamas and Hezbollah, which are committed to the total destruction of Israel, have indiscriminately targeted Israeli civilian populations and military forces. In recent days, these terrorists organizations have kidnapped Israeli soldiers and singled out Israeli citizens for arbitrary relentless rocket fire. Hamas and Hezbollah, as dangerous and destructive as their actions are in the current conflict, are mere puppets. Hamas and Hezbollah are supported by Iran and Syria. With their financial and military support--including providing the missiles that today are raining down on Israeli towns--the Iranian and Syrian governments are co- conspirators in the ongoing terrorist attacks against Israel. The world community of nations must hold Iran and Syria accountable for their actions. Their active support of terrorist nations not only threatens Israel but also all nations in the Middle East and those throughout the world who are waging the ongoing global war on terror. In the face of these terrorist attacks, we must resolve that Israel has the absolute right to defend itself--just as the United States did following September 11, 2001. The time has now come for Congress to reaffirm our commitment to Israel and the Israeli people, their absolute right to existence and their absolute right to defend themselves. Israel is one of the United States' strongest allies. In the last 50 years, our two nations have forged strong economic, military and educational connections. Our bonds have never been more important than today in our shared fight against terrorism. Today, let us stand in firm resolve against terrorism and with Israel. I encourage my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Madam Speaker, I would like to welcome Monsignor Robert Sheeran to the House floor and thank him for taking time to be our guest chaplain today. Monsignor Sheeran is joining us in part because Seton Hall University is celebrating its sesquicentennial this year. The celebration started last year on October 1, and for the past year Seton Hall University in South Orange, NJ, where Seton Hall is located, has been celebrating its 150th anniversary. New Jersey's largest Catholic university was founded in 1856 by Bishop James Roosevelt Bayley and named after the first American-born saint, Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton. Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. Monsignor Sheeran has a long history with Seton Hall University, receiving his bachelor's degree in classical languages, and, finding his way back to his alma mater in 1980, he served as rector of Saint Andrew's College Seminary. He was then appointed assistant provost of the university in 1987 and promoted to associate provost in 1991. After another short leave, he returned to Seton Hall to hold the position of executive vice chancellor in 1993, and 2 years later he was appointed to be president of Seton Hall University, and is still serving as president today. I am honored to welcome Monsignor Robert Sheeran to the United States House of Representatives. On behalf of the whole House, I congratulate him on Seton Hall's milestone.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues and fellow citizens across the country, my family, too, has been touched by the scourge of disease. I have seen firsthand the devastating effect that disease can have on a loved one and on a family. That is why I am a strong supporter of stem cell research, research on adult stem cells and stem cells derived from umbilical cord and placenta blood. Adult stem cell research has already proven successful and worthy of our investment of taxpayer money. It has proven so useful in fact that therapies derived from adult stem cells are treating patients today throughout the country. Before the House today we have a bill that supports new and even broader horizons in stem cell technology, H.R. 5526, the Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act. To be sure, positions on embryonic stem cell research are deeply held by every Member. This legislation focuses on what scientists at many of our country's most esteemed research universities have developed, embryonic stem cells that do not require the destruction of the embryo. Scientists seeking the same compassionate cures to many of our most debilitating diseases have recognized that science and ethics need not be divorced to produce positive results for patients. Adult stem cell therapies and pluripotent stem cell therapy present exciting and hopeful new possibilities and treatments and even cures to families with loved ones facing the scourge of disease. This is good news worth repeating. We can do worthwhile and groundbreaking stem cell research to benefit patients without destroying human life. Mr. Speaker, science and technology must always serve humanity, not the other way around. H.R. 5526 is faithful to that principle. We can both conform to the highest bioethical standards and provide the potential for hopeful medical advances. I urge its passage.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. Mr. Speaker, Iraq is a part of the global war on terrorism, and a strong democratic Iraq means a safer America. Rather than debate the past, I choose to look at where we are today and where we will be tomorrow. In the days and weeks and months ahead, the global war on terrorism will come to a turning point. Today the question is, do we continue to fight and defeat the terrorists who will stop at nothing to destroy Iraq's democracy? Ultimately, the success of democracy in Iraq will be decided by the Iraqis themselves, for it is they who must take their country back. Like many of our colleagues, I have traveled to Iraq. I have visited with its leaders, including the new Prime Minister. I have also visited with our troops, including from my home State of New Jersey. I have met with members of the Signal Battalion from Westfield and our Finance Battalion in Flemington before their deployments. Their courage in the face of danger and willingness to serve inspire us all. Difficult days still lie ahead. We acknowledge the sacrifices of our Armed Forces and their families here at home. For those Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice, 2,500 as of today, their sacrifice is immeasurable, and America extends our hands and our hearts to their families. Looking forward, not backwards, I believe we must stand with the Iraqis who are fighting for their country, because a strong democratic Iraq means a safer America. There can be no alternative to winning the global war on terrorism. There can be no alternative to a democratic Iraq, lest it return to tyranny and a breeding ground for international terrorists who would then seek to fight us far closer to our own shores. Let us choose a democratic Iraq and a safer America. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time and his leadership on this issue. I also want to thank and recognize the chairman of the subcommittee for his years of distinguished work in this House. I am a supporter of the bill on the floor today, but I am also deeply disappointed that it provides money for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Our own government continues to chronicle Saudi Arabia's continuing human rights abuses, their lack of religious freedom, and lack of rights for women. In 2005, the Department of State Report on Human Rights Practices called Saudi Arabia's human rights record ``poor overall with continuing serious problems.'' Reported human rights violations include beatings, denial of fair trials, political prisoners, restrictions on civil liberties and discrimination against women, religions, and other minorities. In December 2005, Saudi Arabia officially became a member of the World Trade Organization, despite the significant objections of a number of us here in this body. A key condition of their membership was that they would not longer participate in the Arab boycott of Israel, which is one of our key allies in the Middle East. But there are still credible reports that this condition even today has not been met. The fact that their continued reassurances to our own diplomats prove to be all talk and no action is an affront to the United States and every other country in the WTO. Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the biggest financial supporters of the Hamas-led Palestinian government, despite appeals by the United States to cut funding to this terrorist organization. How can the House of Representatives continue to send American taxpayer dollars to a country which supports a government led by a terrorist organization? Last year, this House overwhelmingly passed this amendment in this same appropriations bill. Things have not changed for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We cannot continue to reward a country that has a poor human rights record, terrorist connections, and has continued to break promises made to the United States and the international community. We need to continue to hold them accountable for their actions. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Markey amendment. This amendment is essentially a solution in search of a problem. When we considered this bill in both the subcommittee and in the full committee, we asked experts to identify one example of a problem that this amendment would solve. They couldn't point to one example where a Bell-operated company or a cable company had blocked access to their networks or infringed on so-called Internet freedom. Further, when we asked these experts to define net neutrality, these same experts couldn't even agree on a definition for this term or even provide a description that was less than confusing. I am concerned that this amendment will give the FCC the authority to impose old network common carriage requirements on new networks. Since the advent of the Internet, Congress's hands off policy has allowed the World Wide Web to prosper by having the market pick winners and losers, rather than the government. The Markey amendment takes us in the opposite direction. It forsakes the free market in favor of government price controls. This amendment would chill investment in broadband network and deployment of new broadband services, and, at the end of the day, very simply, it would reduce choice for our constituents. The Internet has prospered very well without this type of heavy-handed interference. This amendment is not about network neutrality, it is about network neutering, and this amendment should be defeated.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, specifically pertaining to H.R. 1790, the Child Medication Safety Act, I firmly believe that parents should have the final say about the administering of medication to their child. I agree with the legislation's main intent to prohibit school personnel from requiring a child, as a condition of attending school or receiving services, to obtain a prescription for a controlled substance or a psychotropic drug.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, if I were present earlier today, I would have voted in favor of H.R. 1790, the Child Medication Safety Act of 2005, H. Res. 547, Expressing the Sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit Deplorably Infringed on Parental Rights in Fields v. Palmdale School District and for the Adoption of the Rule for H.R. 1065, the United States Boxing Commission Act.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 261, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services should be commended for implementing the Medicare demonstration project to assess the quality of care of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, and should extend the project, at least through next year. In 2005, CMS implemented a Quality of Life demonstration project to assess quality care for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy services in an office-based practice. The demonstration project was designed to gather data on the effects of chemotherapy on Medicare patients. Practitioners participating in the project must provide data and document services related to pain control management, minimization of nausea and vomiting, and the reduction of fatigue. This program is now underway and I strongly support its continuation. I would note, however, as the program is currently designed, it only applies to patients receiving IV infusion and push chemotherapy, not to patients receiving oral chemotherapy. As was originally intended when Congress created this demonstration program, it is critical that all patients, regardless of the method of chemotherapy treatment, are included in the assessment of these key quality of life factors impacting their treatment for cancer. As it stands today, the data collected under the QOL is incomplete--patients receiving oral therapies are not assessed in the same way, and their side effects cannot be compared to the side effects of infused chemotherapy. As I stated, I strongly support the continuation of this demonstration program but I believe CMS should act to ensure that data is collected from patients receiving oral drugs as well as injectable drugs. Oral chemotherapy treatment can improve the quality of life for cancer patients by allowing patients to have chemotherapy at home or work without daily visits to the doctor's office or to a cancer infusion center. These treatments can also be cost effective as they require fewer physician visits and fewer invasive procedures. While these treatments are relatively new, more are being developed each year and they can provide unprecedented freedom for Americans battling cancer. If we are going to collect data and learn how to improve the quality of life for those fighting cancer it is my belief that we should focus on collecting data on all treatment options--including the very promising use of oral drugs.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Simon Wiesenthal, who died today at the age of 96. Simon Wiesenthal, a concentration camp survivor, worked tirelessly to bring Nazi war criminals to justice. By compiling testimonial evidence at his Jewish Documentation Center in Vienna, Austria, Wiesenthal provided trial material and evidence to the lawyers who prosecuted the Nazis for their crimes. Through his lifetime, Wiesenthal helped to bring as many as 1,100 Nazis, including Adolf Eichmann, to justice. For Wiesenthal--who lived by a standard of justice, not vengeance-- trying the Nazis for their war crimes brought moral restitution to the Jewish people who suffered so severely under the Nazi regime. Wiesenthal dedicated his life to preserving the memory of all those who lost their lives in the Holocaust, even when many in the world wanted to forget. The Holocaust was an act of brutal genocide and unprecedented evil. But those such as Simon Wiesenthal remind us that the cause of justice is never lost.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Knollenberg).

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

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, it seems that the sponsors of this amendment are intent on impugning the integrity of Tufts University, and that is unfortunate. And they are also intent on censoring the White House and the Council of Economic Advisers of what they can say. Does the gentleman believe that we should apply this message to a President from his party as well? Should the President be unable to reference independent studies on global warming or international labor issues or the minimum wage, or is this really just partisan censorship? The gentleman uses rhetoric and figures that I may not agree with, but I certainly do not disagree with his right to say it. This is a bad amendment. I urge its defeat.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I do not understand the purpose of this amendment. It is designed to restrict information used by the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Just because a Member does not like the findings of an independent study does not mean we should be trying to prevent the White House from using that information. What kind of precedent would this set? Where can Congress stop in restricting the President's Council of Economic Advisers and the executive branch from discussing the findings of independent studies? What other type of economic data will Members try to restrict then? The $800 million figure that the gentleman from Ohio cites is from a 2003 Tufts University study. Is Tufts University no longer able to provide information to this government with studies? Which university will be next? Harvard University? Are they good enough? Princeton? It seems to me Tufts University is a good source of independent information. This information was put together independently. It was not created out of thin air. It was not created by the White House. The fact is this amount of money that pharmaceutical companies spend on R&D is considerable. They spend enormous resources on research and development. In 2003, pharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $33.2 billion on research and development. In the same year, the budget for the entire NIH, the entire budget for the National Institutes of Health, their operating budget was $27 billion, less than what the industry had spent on R&D alone. Over the past 10 years, pharmaceutical research companies, scientists and researchers have earned an average of 32 new drug approvals a year. In 2003, a total of 35 new drugs, including 21 new molecular entities and 14 new biologics, were approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These were important products. These are products used to prevent or treat conditions like Alzheimer's, cancer, HIV infection, asthma, pneumonia, psoriasis, and other infectious diseases. The President's advisers should not be censored while talking about this world-leading American industry and the amount of money that they spend on research and development. I urge opposition to this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. I want to thank the chairman for his very good work on this bill. It is an excellent bill. I know they put an enormous amount of work into it, and I rise in support of this amendment because I think we can make it even better; and that is why I am joining the gentleman from New York in offering this amendment, the Weiner/Ferguson amendment; and I rise in strong support of the amendment. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to be one of the largest financers of terrorism in the world. And the fact that this bill provides American dollars to this country for U.S.-subsidized military training is nothing short of astounding. Our own government's reports chronicle Saudi Arabia's continuing human rights abuses, ongoing financing of terrorist groups, and exporting of terrorist ideologies. It is amazing that we are looking to Saudi Arabia, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, and giving them money out of our legislation. Now is not the time to reduce pressure on Saudi Arabia. Instead of rewarding the Saudi Government for financing terrorism and harboring terrorists, we should be holding them accountable for well-documented human rights abuses and terrorist connections. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Weiner/Ferguson amendment.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) for his leadership in delivering a comprehensive and bipartisan appropriations bill to the floor today. He has taken the responsibility as chairman of the subcommittee very seriously. He has been to New Jersey, to our home State. He has seen the channel deepening project, and he takes a real interest in the projects found in his bill, and I thank him very much for his leadership. On a more personal note, I also want to thank the chairman for supporting the Green Brook Flood Control Project, which is in my district in New Jersey. My constituents in New Jersey thank him for his commitment to this project. I would also be remiss if I did not mention the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen). For more than 5 years, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen), as a member of the Committee on Appropriations, has been a champion for the Green Brook Flood Control Project. He deserves significant credit for its success and the thanks of thousands of residents whose safety and livelihood in our area of New Jersey are very much at stake with the success of this project. The gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson) and every member of the Committee on Appropriations has a considerable task and responsibility of prioritizing local projects. There are no easy decisions, particularly in a difficult and a tight budget year like this year. The Green Brook Flood Control Project is saving homes and businesses and lives. It is equally vital that our Senators from New Jersey take up the fight for this important project and finish the work that we have begun here in the House. Again I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Hobson), and I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen) for their compassion and their vision and their leadership and commitment to this issue.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, today we will hear some of our colleagues talk about the empty promise of embryonic stem cell research. They will argue for research that not only requires the destruction of human life, but to date, has also not yielded a single therapy. What we in Congress should be advocating for is the continuing advancement of adult stem cell research, a true scientific success story, which has benefited thousands of Americans already. Perhaps nowhere is this success more evident than in the advancement of cord-blood stem cells. A rich source of stem cells, umbilical cords are already treating patients. Cord-blood stem cells have already been used to treat thousands of patients and more than 67 different diseases, including leukemia, sickle cell anemia and lymphoma. The New York Blood Center's National cord-blood program alone has provided transplants to over 1,500 gravely ill children and adults. And there is great promise for the future. Studies have shown that these cells have the capacity to change into other cell types, giving them potential to treat debilitating conditions such as Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury and diabetes. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act focuses government efforts on research with real promise, providing Federal funding to increase the number of cord-blood units available to match and treat patients. The bill also takes on the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine, providing a national network that would link all the cord- blood banks participating in an inventory program into a search system, allowing transplant physicians to search for cord-blood and bone marrow matches through a single-access point. It would also promote additional stem cell research for units not suitable for transplant. The Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act advances true stem cell research, research with real promise, grounded in proven science; and it is ethically sound. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important and timely legislation.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank both gentlemen for yielding me this time. The debate over embryonic stem cell research is important because there are no more important issues that we deal with in this Chamber than when we debate life and death. Mr. Speaker, as I stand here in this Chamber today, I am a human being. I am a man, an adult man. Sometime before I was a man, I was a teenager. Before that I was a child. And sometime before I was a child, I was a toddler. And before I was a toddler, I was an infant. And sometime before I was an infant, I was a fetus. And sometime before I was a fetus, I was an embryo. I did not look like I do today, but it was me. That embryo was me. At some point in our history, every single person here was also an embryo. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), you were an embryo once. The other gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), the chairman of the committee; yes, sir, you too were an embryo once. The gentleman from Delaware, the sponsor of this bill, you were an embryo once. The gentlewoman from Colorado, you too were an embryo once. The gentleman from Michigan, you were an embryo once. Now, we did not look like we do today, but it did not mean it was not you. A human embryo is a member of the human family. It has its own unique DNA. It is its own human entity. It is unique. It is irreplaceable, and it is a member of the species Homo sapiens. It is not just a bit of tissue. It is not just, as some have suggested, a couple of cells in a petri dish. It is human and it is alive. It might not look like you or me, but there was a time when you and I looked exactly like that embryo. Today, we are debating embryonic stem cell research, a type of stem cell research in which a tiny member of the human family must die. That is not just my opinion; that is a scientific fact. The gentlewoman from Colorado would suggest that under this legislation Federal funds would not be used to destroy human life. That is simply false. Those who conduct human embryonic stem cell research must destroy human life to do so. You cannot conduct embryonic stem cell research without destroying human life, and that is wrong. And it is certainly wrong to fund this unethical embryonic stem cell research using taxpayer money. And that is precisely what this legislation would do. It would use taxpayer money to fund research which destroys human life. I urge a ``no'' vote.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5119 in Glen Gardner, New Jersey. Members of VFW Post 5119, which includes Hunterdon and Warren counties, are traveling to Washington this week to view the memorials along the National Mall, throughout the capital and in Virginia that represent so much of our nation's history. These memorials are at once simple and compelling, powerful enough that in an instant an old man is transported back decades to when he was young and walked on the field of battle. The memorials are our own living reminder that generations of Americans fought, struggled and died to defend our Nation and its enduring principles of freedom and liberty. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial along the National Mall is the most visited of all landmarks in Washington. The Marine Corps Memorial, also known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, honors Marines who have given their lives in defense of our country since 1775. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, between this Capitol and the White House, the Navy Memorial at the plaza honors the men and women who served in the Navy. The Korean War Memorial opened only 10 years ago, and the National World War II Memorial opened only last year. Across the Potomac River in Virginia, Arlington National Cemetery houses the most of sacred of our Nation's memorials--the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. There are a lot of memorials for the members of VFW Post 5119 to see, and for the rest of us, there's a lot for which we are grateful. The members of VFW Post 5119 honor each of us with their presence in our Nation's capital.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Chairman, I certainly thank the gentlewoman from Florida for offering this legislation. I commend her, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. We work so hard in the policies that we pass in this body. We work so hard in so many ways in this country today to try to help families to stay together. We try to encourage communication between parents and their kids. And that is exactly what this legislation is designed to do. It is designed to encourage parents and their children to have more conversations, to be communicating about some of life's most difficult and challenging circumstances and decisions that have to be made in families today. We have young kids in our family, and time after time after time, kids come home from school with permission slips. They cannot do anything in school today without a permission slip. A school trip, being on a bus, participating in some activity. We cannot do anything in schools today, with young people today, without getting a permission slip from their parents. A child cannot get an aspirin in school without getting permission from their parents. Yet with this legislation, we are simply suggesting and requiring that if someone is going to try to take a young child, a minor, a young woman, a girl, across State lines to evade a law that is designed to have parents and their children talking and communicating about some of the toughest things that families have to deal with, we are talking about an abortion procedure. We are talking about an invasive surgical procedure. It requires anesthesia. And we are saying that parents should not necessarily be involved in that decision? My gosh, it betrays common sense. It betrays norms for decency and common sense. We are talking about an invasive surgical procedure that requires anesthesia, when we require a parent to be notified and to give consent for their child to have an aspirin or to ride on a bus or to go on a school trip; yet saying parents should not be involved necessarily when their child is going to have an invasive surgical procedure requiring anesthesia simply betrays common sense. I certainly encourage and urge passage of this legislation.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of National Tartan Day, which is celebrated every year on April 6. National Tartan Day was created with the passage of Senate Resolution 155 on March 20, 1998. April 6th was chosen as the date because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320. On March 9, 2005, the House of Representatives approved House Resolution 41, which expressed the sense of the House of Representatives that April 6 be established as National Tartan Day to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions made by Scottish-Americans. National Tartan Day is a time to remember the major role that Scottish Americans have played in this country throughout the course of history. Almost half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent, as were Governors in nine of the original 13 states. Scottish Americans have made invaluable contributions to America in the fields of science, medicine, government, literature, media, and architecture. Today in America more than 200 organizations honor Scottish heritage in the United States. On this day, let us remember the contributions Scottish-Americans have made to our country and the loyalty and commitment they have shown to the United States throughout the history of our nation.

Mr. FERGUSON

Mr. FERGUSON. Mr. Speaker, it was with heavy hearts and steady resolve that we came to the House chamber on Palm Sunday to pass S. 686, a carefully crafted bill with a singular purpose: To ensure that Terri Schiavo enjoys the same due process under the Constitution as any other citizen, and to guarantee that her right to life is fully protected. This is an extraordinary situation, one that requires an extraordinary response. This is a life or death situation for this young woman. Terri's parents should have the chance to have her case heard by a Federal judge, and now they will. If we make an error, we should err on the side of life.