J. Forbes

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Department of Veterans' Affairs' Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services program. I was pleased to hear the news from the Department of Veterans' Affairs concerning their Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services, the CARES program. As a representative of all veterans living in the 4th District of Virginia, access to affordable health care to those who have given so much for our nation is an important goal of mine. Health care for our nation's veterans should be easily accessible and this realignment plan will help ease the hardship on those folks by lessening commuter time and truncating the waiting period now a common part of health care access. I strongly support the option for an outpatient clinic offering primary care services to be located in Emporia. The savings incurred by the utilization of these clinics will be passed on to those using the Department of Veterans' Affairs' many services. In Virginia, 142,000 veterans are enrolled in the Department of Veterans' Affairs health care system. A great amount of the veterans from my district must travel a long distance to see their primary care provider. I believe those who cave so much for their country should not have to drive for miles to see a doctor for basic medical needs. Keeping our commitment to our veterans requires us to give them the option of visiting with a doctor within a reasonable distance. Through my work in the House and with Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Anthony Principi, I will work to offer all veterans a better quality of life. I look forward to the next few months as the CARES Commission weighs the option of establishing a clinic facility in Emporia, Virginia and a final decision is made by Secretary Principi.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, it is hard to believe that two short years ago this day, our Nation was plagued by horrendous and vicious terrorist attacks against innocent Americans in New York, Pennsylvania, and our very own Commonwealth. September 11, 2001 was not the beginning of terrorism against the United States. Defense officials tell us that terrorism has posed a risk to our national security for decades, but too often was not considered a large enough threat to heed those warnings. September 11 awoke us to the threat of terrorism. It was forever bookmarked in our history as the day when life as Americans knew it, changed forever. The attacks on September 11, 2001 made us feel horrified, scared and angry. But as a result of the senseless attacks, Americans found a renewed sense of patriotism. American flags began to fly not just from flagpoles, but they appeared in windows, on doors and vehicles. Just hours after the attacks, men, women and children all across the country held vigils and waved flags showing support for those who lost their lives. The terrorists took many lives and caused our Nation to grieve, but through that grief Americans rose up and refused to let those terrorists take away their spirit and love of America. I visited the Pentagon a few days after September 11, and I still remember so vividly the smell of terror surrounding the entire building and complex. I was angry that such a brutal act of violence was committed against innocent people. Since the tragedies, the Department of Homeland Security was established to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce U.S. vulnerability to terrorism, and most importantly, to share intelligence information among government agencies and departments. Comprehensive anti-terrorism legislation provides new tools for law enforcement and for improved information sharing among Federal agencies to address terrorist threats. A ``clearinghouse'' was created to serve as the central location where all foreign- and domestically-generated terrorist threat and intelligence information is collected and reviewed. It is imperative that we harness that knowledge and use it to protect all Americans and help stop terrorist networks. New laws are now in place to help prevent acts of bioterrorism. Enhanced controls on deadly biological agents have been implemented, as well as protections to ensure the safety of the food we eat and the water we drink. Just last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson announced that Virginia will receive over $31 million in Federal funding to help bolster public health preparedness, and make improvements to hospitals to handle mass-casualty incidents. Great strides have been made in securing our country and helping to fix some of the longstanding problems that we have had with the Immigration and Naturalization Service. While there is still much left to do, we are moving closer to a system that keeps terrorists out of our country, yet provides a fair and efficient service to those who justly migrate into the United States. We are continuing to strengthen security in our airports, and have also taken steps to keep Americans safe while flying. Commercial airline pilots are now trained and equipped with firearms in the event of a terrorist attack on-board the plane. In addition, the number of Federal air marshals has been increased by 5,000 to respond to potential terrorist threats or attacks on commercial flights. I also introduced legislation that makes it easier to prosecute terrorists who try to use chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction within the United States. I am hopeful that the Judiciary Committee will take action on this important legislation soon. We grieved with each other two years ago for the loss of our loved ones, friends, neighbors, coworkers and so many others who perished. Nothing will ever repair the losses we suffered as a nation. But today, their memories live on in our hearts and minds. As Americans, we have always had a strong willingness to stand hand-in-hand when times are tough. We must continue to show our patriotism for our great Nation, and show the world that America will not stand for terrorism. May God bless you and your family on this solemn day.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call attention to the article ``Remembering the Awesome Lessons of the Holocaust'' written by Rabbi Israel Zoberman. The article appeared in the Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star on Saturday, June 12, 1993. Rabbi Zoberman is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach. Born in Chu, Kazakhstan, in 1945, and raised in Haifa, Israel, he is the son of Polish Holocaust survivors. Remembering the Awesome Lessons of the Holocaust Visiting the recently dedicated official United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is not an ordinary experience, nor should it be one. Along with fellow Americans, gentiles and Jews from all walks of life, I was conscious of entering upon sacred space. The resultant education experience, through ingenious multimedia presentation and architectural genius, exposes us to the unfolding stages of the Third Reich's evil, allowing us a closer reach to an unfathomable reality. We are led on a journey whose consequences of disaster for the Jewish people and for humanity in general become increasingly evident at each turn. Hitler's early threats were far from idle. What was dismissed as the political rhetoric of a novice was methodically translated into a program of genocide. Failure to stop the Nazi regime early on yielded the largest harvest of death in history. Recognizing that the tragedy's magnitude is such that without personalizing it we risk losing it, we watch a tower of photos depicting the life of an entire community that is no more, from family gatherings and children at play to loved ones and pastoral calm. In two days of mass executions, 3,000 Jews, young and old, of Elshishok, Lithuania, where Jews had lived for 900 years, were slain. This was one among more than 4,950 destroyed communities. Focusing on the shoes of gassed victims, my eye caught one belonging to a child. Who can remain neutral toward a little one's fate? The video (hidden from view of those who could not bear it) of the medical experimentations on live subjects--gypsies and twins were favorites--was ample proof of science's culpability and academicians' corruptibility. Yet, the inspiring example of the French village of Chambon, which saved 5,000 Jews, including many children, from round-up and deportation, shines through the darkness. Watching on-screen survivors reminisce illustrated the power of witness and the sacred duty to preserve their essential legacy, as age diminishes their numbers, for the sake of those to follow. At the tour's beginning one receives a passport of a person who encountered the war. Mine was of a man who expired en route to the Belzec death camp where many members of my own extended family perished. One identity card bears the name of a surviving relative, Gitla Zoberman (now Gertrude Kupfer), who lives in Richmond, Virginia. The museum's honored location in Washington, DC, near our national shrines, reflects the awesome lessons of the Holocaust. It is a grim though necessary reminder that democracy entails eternal vigilance and those revisionists who attempt to rewrite history, claiming that the painful past is a malicious Jewish invention, will have to face life's hard facts. The fitting memorial, at a substantial cost of $170 million, is an investment in all that we hold dear. It ought to ever arouse humanity's collective conscience, as I agonizingly contemplate the overdue need to put an end to the horrors in the former Yugoslavia. I emerged from the trying four-hour visit with a sense of catharsis, cleansed to meet the world with a sharper awareness, to turn my tears into a well of hope for the future of all.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the late Mr. Albert G. Horton, Jr. of Chesapeake, VA for his seemingly endless dedication to the veterans of Virginia. On September 8, 2003, we will break ground in Suffolk, VA to establish a new National Veterans Cemetery, due largely to the perseverance of Al Horton. In 1996, as a Virginia State Delegate, I created the Virginia Veterans Liaison Committee in an effort to bring veterans together and to give a unified voice to their issues. Al Horton was a member of that committee and that is how I first came to know Al. In 1997, Al contacted me and asked me to introduce legislation to have a National Veterans Cemetery constructed in the Hampton Roads area. Thus, I began a long fulfilling relationship with this very special man. During 1998, as a result of a bill I introduced as a member of the Virginia General Assembly, a study was conducted to establish if there was a need for a new National Cemetery within the region. The study concluded there were 173,700 veterans living in the Hampton Roads area who would benefit from such a cemetery. The distance to the closest alternative cemetery site in Amelia is two and a half hours away, and the study concluded that this distance had been a deterrent to veterans' families who wanted to be able to visit the gravesites of their loved ones. Based upon that study, I worked with Al in his new role as Chairman of the Hampton Roads Veterans' Cemetery Committee to find a site to serve as a final resting place for our nation's veterans. An area in Suffolk, VA was selected and $650,000 in state-appropriated monies was used to secure purchase of the land. Additional money was appropriated for the design and engineering of the cemetery, but all those funds were to be reimbursed by the federal government through the Department of Veterans' Affairs in the form of a short-term Treasury loan. The effect of these actions would therefore result in a Veterans' Cemetery for Virginia Veterans that would cost approximately $8 million with Virginia only paying approximately $650,000. Al Horton worked tirelessly, with the help of veterans around the state, organizing, leading and overcoming many hurdles to make his vision of a veterans' cemetery in Hampton Roads a reality. He even wrote a book, ``Grass Roots Politics, If You Don't Like It--Change It!!'' which details his experience as an ordinary citizen accomplishing the goal of getting something as great as the Veterans Cemetery at Hampton Roads accomplished. I only wish Al was still with us to see the result of all his hard work. He passed away on October 17, 2002, in Chesapeake, VA. When Al died, he was at his computer rallying his fellow veterans in an effort to ensure the cemetery would be built. We were talking with Al on an almost daily basis. That was part of Al's essence--never giving up and always going the extra mile to make a difference in other people's lives. His dedication to the veterans and the State of Virginia will never be forgotten. Al Horton was a dedicated husband and father. In his will, he stipulated that he and his beloved wife, Evelyn, who preceded him in death, should be buried in the unfinished cemetery. It gives me great peace to know that in the near future Al's wishes will be honored. While Al Horton cannot be with us on September 8, 2003, when we dedicate the cemetery he worked so hard to create, I know that he will be smiling as he looks down. Al Horton understood that the recognition and proper burial of our veterans is an integral part of our national heritage and an important way for a grateful nation to say ``Thank you''. Our veterans have continuously defended and renewed America's promise through their efforts. It is only fitting that we honor them in their final resting place. Mr. Speaker, today I ask that we take this opportunity to recognize Al Horton for his passion, his commitment, and his love for his country. Al was a veteran, an advocate, an author, and a friend to all who knew him. I hold Al Horton in high esteem and have nothing but respect and affection for this wonderful man. I know my life is changed for having met him, because he was willing to make a difference for those who fought to preserve our freedom and asked for nothing more than a place to rest in eternal peace.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Colonel David L. Hansen, Commander and Norfolk District Engineer, for his loyal service to the United States Corps of Engineers and to the development and progress of numerous projects in Virginia's Fourth District. Colonel Hansen's dedication and loyalty to the advancement of our district and the Commonwealth of Virginia as a whole is to be commended. He has played an instrumental role in overseeing the growth and preservation of numerous projects along the river basins in Virginia since he assumed command in July 2001. Since first enrolling in the U.S. Army nearly 30 years ago, Colonel Hansen's devotion to duty has reflected the highest standards of the military profession. Following four years of Army enlisted service, he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers through the Officer Candidate School program, Fort Benning, Georgia, in 1978. He has served on numerous assignments both in the United States and overseas. His military education is extensive and includes the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, the Army's Command and General Staff College, Engineer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the Combined Arms and Services Staff School. Colonel Hansen also holds a Bachelor of Science degree, and two master degrees. Colonel Hansen's decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with one silver and two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal with star, and Good Conduct Medal. Colonel Hansen has shown tremendous commitment and devotion to his country. Today we recognize him for his unwavering patriotism and dedication to both his profession and the American people. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Colonel David L. Hansen.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chesterfield County, Virginia for their continuing support of our men and women in uniform. Chesterfield County rests between the James and Appomattox Rivers and is a total of 446 square miles. Its location offers a unique blend of suburbia and the options of driving to our nation's capital, Virginia's beautiful beaches or the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. The citizens of Chesterfield County not only share a beautiful community filled with spirit and values. They also share a sense of honor, duty and commitment through their support of Virginia's reservists. It came to my attention in February 2003 that Chesterfield made a commitment to those working for the County--a promise to compensate those called up for duty as part of the Reserves. When a reservist is mobilized, and leaves his or her civilian job, their military salary is almost always much lower than their civilian salary. Prior to the war in Iraq, there was an effort by military organizations to get the word out to their members that might be asked to serve in the war--that word was ``save up now to help your family in the future.'' But, often, the small amount of time between hearing of a possible call-up of your unit, and preparing to leave is not enough to organize family finances. Families of those called to serve at a moment's notice often find themselves in a dire financial situation. The citizens of Chesterfield wanted to take care of the 53 reservists and their families. Together, in a community-wide effort, the county decided to make up the difference in salary for the reservists who been asked to serve in support of Iraqi Freedom. I can't think of a better way to honor our men and women in uniform, who sacrifice so much in the name of freedom. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Chesterfield County as they share in the duty of those serving our country. Most of us only speak of helping the troops fighting for freedom each day, the people of Chesterfield County translated those words into actions. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and as a citizen of this great nation, it is an honor and a privilege to represent the people of Chesterfield County, true patriots of our country.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Communications Commission voted on February 20 to loosen some of the rules that inhibit the deployment of broadband services. This is good news for consumers everywhere, as more broadband means better Internet access, more choice, and better service. The February 20 vote starts the FCC down the road to true parity of broadband regulation. The problem is that it is almost four months later and the order that was voted on has not been released. We had heard that the FCC was waiting to vote on the media ownership issue before completing the February 20 rulemaking. The ownership vote took place last week June 2. What is the FCC waiting for? This delay is simply unconscionable. As a comparison point, according to the Na- tional Council of State Legislature's website http://www.ncsl.org/programs/legman/about/sess2003.htm, half of the State legislatures in this country have completed their entire legislative year in less time than the FCC has taken to write an order that it has already voted on. In addition to my own State of Virginia, where I served in the State legislature, the State legislatures of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wyoming all complete their substantive legislative business in about 4 months or less. And yet, in that same amount of time, the FCC can't seem to agree on the words that give life to the order they voted on in February. I missed the part in civics class where it is harder to write the words of a regulatory order that has been agreed to than it is to conduct the entire annual business of a State. The FCC needs to end this embarrassing delay, and make sure its rules do not inhibit the deployment of broadband services to consumers throughout the country.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 1472.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of a comprehensive prescription drug benefit for all seniors. The Prescription Drug and Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 will guarantee prescription drug coverage to all our seniors and future generations. I firmly belief that no senior should be forced to choose between putting food on the table or buying the medicines they need. The Prescription Drug and Medicare Modernization Act would build on the strengths and successes of the current Medicare system while guaranteeing that all seniors will have access to a prescription drug benefit. Just the other day the Secretary of Health and Human Services released a study which says that seniors will get an up-front drug discount of 25 percent. That is a significant savings for many of the seniors in my district. The reforms in this legislation will put patients before paperwork and ensure that doctors will continue to serve seniors through Medicare. The House has acted in the past and will work with the Senate to provide affordable, voluntary coverage for every senior immediately. Let us pass this important legislation. Our seniors have waited too long for this much-needed relief.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Chief Warrant Officer David Williams, U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot who was a Prisoner of War during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Iraqi forces detained him for 21 days as a POW after his helicopter was grounded near Karbala, Iraq. Williams valiantly fought and survived imprisonment after being captured. Chief Warrant Officer Williams moved to Hampton Roads in 1981 with his family and grew up in Chesapeake, Virginia. From early childhood, David was always enthralled with planes and the magic of air flight. After graduating from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Williams enrolled in community college and joined the Army as a full time reservist. After spending two years as a crew chief on a med-evac Huey helicopter, Williams searched for a bigger challenge. He was assigned to the Army's 106th Special Operations Aviation Regiment and also went through Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape school while traveling the world doing preparatory combat missions. Next week, we will welcome back David Williams to his hometown of Chesapeake, Virginia with a host of events and celebrations for his heroic return. We are pleased to salute him for protecting our flag and our freedom. The Independence Day holiday is a perfect time to show our deep appreciation to this brave citizen and soldier who spent his childhood in the Fourth District of Virginia. Williams showed tremendous bravery and commitment to his country while held by his Iraqi captors. Today we recognize him for his unwavering patriotism and dedication to both his job and the American people. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Chief Warrant Officer David Williams for his bravery and dedication abroad, his service to Chesapeake, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the American people.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, what really amazes me when you listen to the debate on this bill is the huge disconnect between the rhetoric we hear and what the bill actually before us is about. This bill is not about choice, and this bill is really not about abortion. This bill substantively, when you look at it, is about one procedure, one procedure that is so painful to an unborn baby, so barbaric, so egregious, that even the most extreme proponent of abortion has to look at it and say it shocks even their conscience. The overwhelming testimony is that a partial-birth abortion is never necessary to protect the health of the mother. This procedure is infanticide, and its cruelty stretches the limits of human decency. This issue comes down to one simple question: Is there no limit, is there no amount of pain, is there no procedure that is so extreme that we can apply to this unborn child or this fetus that we are willing as a country to say that just goes too far and we cannot allow that to happen? That is what partial-birth abortion does. It goes too far. That is why it is so important that we pass this bill today.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, the issue that we face this afternoon is very simple. It is whether or not the American flag is of such importance to the American people that their elected Representatives should have the right to protect the desecration of that flag. I would submit that the answer to that is deafening from voices from every military base, local barbershop, restaurant, church, school, or veterans group in America. Last week I had the privilege to fly out to the USS Roosevelt as she returned home from her great efforts in Iraq. Just before that great aircraft carrier made its turn into the pier, all of those sailors in white uniforms circled around the aircraft carrier and in each of their hands was an American flag. As they turned and looked at the pier, they all raised their flags up, and the people on the pier raised their flags up in a great symbol of unity. If we ask any of them if the flag is worth protecting, they will tell us that we are absolutely doing the right thing. But Mr. Speaker, I will tell the Members that the testimony that was most compelling to me did not come from any of these, or any of the testimony before the subcommittee or the full committee, but it came really in the unintentional testimony of my 17-year-old son, Justin, that convinced me of what we were doing today and that it was the right thing. Justin is like a lot of teenagers, he does not like politics and his greatest love is basketball. My wife and I were therefore surprised when we discovered a few weeks ago that he had written an essay that had been selected as the number one essay on patriotism in Virginia by the State PTA. He wrote that he was just an ordinary teenager who spent most of his time talking about girls, playing basketball, or fixing up his 1981 Jeep. He said he had an ordinary grandfather who was neither richer, smarter, nor better-looking than most people. Yet when his grandfather was 19 years old, he left for the Army only 3 days after he got married, and he ended up in a little place called Normandy. Fortunately, he arrived several weeks after the initial invasion, but Justin wrote that he could not get over the courage and commitment of 19-year-old boys coming off landing craft. He wrote about September 11, when he looked at ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things across the country, and the thing that united them was the American flag. Mr. Speaker, Justin concluded by saying that most of our heroes are very ordinary people who do very extraordinary things. He said that even though he might be ordinary, there was one time when he became very extraordinary, and that was when he held his flag high. That united him with his grandfather, it united him with the victims of 9/ 11, and it united him with all the other great heroes of this country. I agree with him. I think it is time we hold this flag up high. It is time we say it really is a special piece of cloth. Mr. Speaker, I think it is time we pass this legislation.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 118 concerning the treatment of members of the Armed Forces held as prisoners of war by Iraqi authorities. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today with a heavy heart. For the past two days, we've watched emotionally stirring television footage of POW's who are being detained by Iraqi forces. These soldiers were on missions to defend and protect Americans from the evils of weapons of mass destruction when they were captured. I am saddened when I see these soldiers being detained, but I am confident that their extensive training has given them the strength and courage of conviction to prevail even at the hands of an evil regime. While we do not know when our POW's will return home, I do know that we as Members of Congress expect the Iraqi regime to treat all POW's humanely and in accordance with the requirements set forth in the Geneva Convention. Those who violate this doctrine, and use force or other methods of inhumane treatment will be held accountable for their actions, and will be subject to prosecution to the fullest extent of the law. Brave soldiers, who give so much for our country, deserve no less. My deepest and heartfelt sympathy goes out to the families of all of the POW's. We can only begin to imagine the pain and concern that the families of POW's must feel knowing that they are in the hands of the enemy halfway around the world. It is our hope and prayer that American and coalition forces will be protected throughout this struggle as well as the Iraqi people. These POW's and their families are making a tremendous sacrifice for our country--our country that soldiers are so proud to serve. Our country--where families await the safe and speedy return of loved ones. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of our servicemen and women and to their families, who wish them a speedy and safe return.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the following article written by Rabbi Israel Zoberman, spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Chaverim in Virginia Beach. Rabbi Zoberman's editorial appeared in the Suffolk News-Herald on March 18th. Divinity, Diversity, Dignity Bound Together This is a time of decision beclouded by political partisanship and posturing at home and in the United Nations. Going to war for a democracy is not an easy undertaking as it would be for a dictatorship. The value of human life weighs heavily upon decision-makers in a nation such as ours whose guiding concern is the individual's welfare. That is contrary to a totalitarian regime where the individual is not an end in itself but a means to goals serving the interests of an autocratic ruler. There is thus a vast difference between the conduct of George W. Bush and that of Saddam Hussein, both representing diametrically opposing systems of government. America is on the verge of confronting Iraq primarily for the sake of eliminating a growing danger to the world by a leader who proved that he would not hesitate to use mass destruction weapons even against his own people. Hussein has not given up his dream of gaining hegemony over a region rich in oil to be used for his own megalomaniac purposes as he seeks to establish a nuclear option. He has only become emboldened to get his way by his past defeat in the 1991 Gulf War and consequent limitations posed on Iraq by the United Nations. A wounded and humiliated lion is more dangerous than an uninjured one. History taught us that dictators do not willingly relinquish power. No doubt, the evil of 9/11 created a greater urgency to respond to forces undermining the world's stability, propelled by the global terrorism of uncompromising militant Islam assailing the West and its values. It begrudges our superior standing and their own longstanding inadequacies. Its aim is tragically not dialogue but a deadly duel they are bound to lose. Al-Qaida, now on the run following their defeat in Afghanistan, was too successful for its own good. It will be relentlessly pursued. Imagine if Osama Bin Ladin invested his large finances in promoting cultural exchange between civilizations! Hussein contributes to terrorism in a variety of ways, including generous monetary rewards to Palestinian families of suicide-homicide bombers who have terrorized Israel, the West's frontier, for over two years, wrecking havoc that no nation would have tolerated so long. The last terrifying terror act in Haifa was in the neighborhood where I grew up and it was Bus #37 and the stop, which I used only a month ago. My sister, a ``Reali'' school counselor, lost two young teenage students among the fifteen dead. Another hopeful democracy in the making in the Middle East, the first Arab one, alongside Israel's inspiring example, would bode well for an essential transformation of a critical part of the world once blessing humanity with the vision of the sacredness of each human life and now breeding those who violate it in God's name. America standing up for itself would have a sobering effect on those who believe that it has grown too weak to be the world's leader. That is a dangerous scenario we cannot afford. Power to defend what we rightfully cherish, touching upon our very security and basic way of life, is not to be snickered at. As son of Polish Holocaust survivors I know what the absence of power meant to the Jewish people in our darkest period. Let us take pride in our hard-earned power and in Hampton Roads' leading role in our nation's military mission for freedom's sake, pledging to support all our heroic servicemen and women as well as their families awaiting their safe return. Eleven members of my own over 300 family unit synagogue are in the Persian Gulf arena. At this trying juncture for humanity, America is called upon once more to assert that divinity, diversity and dignity are bound together. Mr. Speaker, I comment Rabbi Zoberman for his timely and thoughtful statement. As we appear on the verge of war with Iraq, Rabbi Zoberman's words serve as a strong reminder of the differences between the United States and the evil Iraqi regime.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I first would like to thank the distinguished chairman for his hard work on bringing this bill forward. Mr. Speaker, we have heard a number of things today, including from my good friend from North Carolina who mentioned that he had failed to see a situation where a malpractice case crossed State lines. Yet the case law in his own State contains many cases just like that. As a matter of fact, the Supreme Court in North Carolina has actually ruled that if a patient leaves North Carolina, where they have no cap, travels to Virginia and are treated by a doctor there who thinks he has the protection of a malpractice cap, they can actually be sued in North Carolina, and the Supreme Court there said no cap applies. Mr. Speaker, I have worked on this crisis, which I believe is indeed a crisis in health care and access to health care, for over a decade now, and every single time this issue is debated I see the opponents of this type of legislation coming in and they try to paint these faces. On the one hand, they will show a victim of the most egregious scenario, and certainly those victims do exist. On the other side, they will show a portrait, mental, if no other way, of a doctor who is the most egregious kind of doctor. Mr. Speaker, that is not the true face of this legislation, not the true face of this problem. Let me give you three of those faces. One is the young internist who tries to save the life of a patient who can no longer breathe, and is actually getting on a helicopter and traveling to a hospital with that patient. At the end, even though they have committed no malpractice, they end up in litigation for almost 4 years. At the end of the process, the doctor looks at you and says, I did nothing wrong, but for 4 years I had a cloud of litigation over me, worried about whether I was going to lose my home and everything I had. It has the face of the emergency room physician who has been working for 8 hours, and all of a sudden responds to a code outside of the department with a dying patient that he cannot pull one more miracle out of the hat on, and that patient dies. He is brought into that litigation just as a shotgun approach, and, after 3\1/2\ years, even though he has no award against him, his malpractice premium has gone up 70 percent. Mr. Speaker, it also has the face of a family practitioner, an African American practitioner who I met with just a few months ago, who 2 years ago his premium was $30,000. Last year it went up to $100,000. This past year it went up to $230,000. Mr. Speaker, he closed his doors. The difficulty is not that he is no longer in that office; the difficulty is when all of the patients he serves knock on that door, he is not there to open it again. Mr. Speaker, the difficulty with not passing this bill is the fact that all of those patients would no longer have access to health care. That is why it is important we get it passed.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Chairman, I would first like to thank the chairman for yielding me time and for his hard work on this bill. Mr. Chairman, as a cosponsor of the bill before us, I am pleased to see the House quickly acting on this important bill. Today we are taking an important step in affirming the uniqueness and dignity of every human being. Human cloning represents the first footstep into a dark wilderness from which we may never emerge. University of Chicago Professor Leon Kass, who is also the chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics, has written that human cloning would be a fateful step toward ``making man himself simply another one of the man-made things. Human nature becomes merely the last part of nature to succumb to the technological project which turns all of nature into raw material at human disposal.'' The last century and a half is blood-soaked with examples of what happens when men are subjugated to the will of other men. In our vain quest for immortality, will we simply regard cloned babies as meaningless blobs of cells and tissue mass that we can dispose of without any burden to our conscience? For those who say we should create embryos for medical research, my own father suffers from Parkinson's disease. While I recognize the agony of so many Americans with devastating illnesses and injuries, we must search for ways to ease their suffering without destroying human life. We must promote methods of scientific research that increase our quality of life without forsaking the value of human life in its most vulnerable form. Cloning diminishes human reproduction from a loving act between two parents to a cold exercise of producing parentless children. Life is a gift. It is not ours to manufacture to our predetermined criteria. I shudder to think of the consequences of turning the creation into the creator. If we allow human cloning to proceed as a mainstream scientific endeavor, we may soon find out what C.S. Lewis meant when he observed, ``Man's conquest of nature would result in the abolition of man.''

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding career of Colonel Edward S. Jones who is currently the Comptroller for the Defense Commissary Agency at Fort Lee, Virginia. Colonel Jones will retire after 29 years of distinguished service in the U.S. Air Force and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his selfless service to both the Air Force and to the United States of America. Commissioned in 1974 as a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, Colonel Jones has served in comptroller positions at all levels of the Air Force: wing, major command, headquarters, unified command, and finally, defense agency. Colonel Jones' list of prior assignments includes: Director of Financial Management, Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.; Deputy Director of the Operations Center and Deputy Director of Resource Management, Headquarters, Defense Commissary Agency, Fort Lee; and Chief, Integration and Accounting Branch, Comptroller Division, Directorate of Acquisition and Resources, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., and Executive Secretary to the Air Force Commissary Service Board of Directors, the Pentagon, Washington, DC. A graduate of the Valdosta State University, Ga. holding a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Colonel Jones also holds a Masters of Business Administration from Golden Gate University, San Francisco. His military education includes the Air War College, Armed Forces Staff College, Professional Military Comptrollers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Squadron Officer's School. Colonel Jones' awards and decorations include: the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, Air Force Achievement Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, Air Force Organizational Excellence Award with two oak leaf clusters, American Defense Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Ribbons, and the Air Force Longevity Service Award with five oak leaf clusters. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, and Colonel Jones' many friends and family in saluting this distinguished officer's lifetime of service. Colonel Jones is the very embodiment of patriotism and it is fitting that the House of Representatives honors him on this day.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize four outstanding individuals who helped me resolve a matter involving one of the youngest constituents of the Fourth District of Virginia. Jacquelyn Dominguez is the one year old daughter of a servicemember stationed at Ft. Lee. Jacquelyn was born with Cystic Hygroma on the right side of her neck. At the time of her birth, the cyst was diagnosed as ``free floating.'' Last September 2002, the Army flew the family to Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, DC, for Jacquelyn to be seen by a specialist. The specialist did several MRIs and determined that the cyst was growing inward on Jacquelyn's neck, cutting off her breathing. The best option for treatment on this tender child would be an experimental drug, Picibanil Sclerotherapy, also known as OK 432. It is not standard procedure for medical health providers to provide for experimental procedures. It is certainly not standard for them to read, and reread, and reread the rules again until they can find an exception. These four individuals, who neither I nor my staff had ever met before the plight of this little girl, took on my cause and made a difference. They helped me save this little girl's life. For that I, and Jacquelyn's active duty family will always be grateful. It is at this time that I would like to recognize Ms. Mary Dix, Vice President of the Uniformed Services University of Health Science (USUHS), Colonel Charles C. Partridge, the Legislative Counsel for the National Association for Uniformed Services (NAUS), Dr. Stephen K. Scroggs, Ph.D., the Vice President of Government Affairs at Sierra Military Health Services, and the most valuable player of this team, Ms. Christine Van Cleave, of TRICARE Management Activity--Aurora, Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, and Jacquelyn Dominguez' family in saluting these four outstanding Americans. Their willingness to help young Jacquelyn is the very embodiment of our country's spirit, and it is fitting that the House of Representatives honors them on this day.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor a woman who leads her community in advocating reading and education, and has spent thirty years building an exemplary library system in her community. Since 1973, Margaret ``Peggy'' Stillman of Chesapeake, Virginia, has worked to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Hampton Roads as a librarian at the Chesapeake Public Library. Ms. Stillman's dedication to enhancing her community's joy of reading and access to information and resources is outstanding. In addition to her service to the library, Ms. Stillman chairs the Library of Virginia Board, and serves as the Chairman of the Library of Virginia Building Committee. Ms. Stillman has also dedicated time and service on the local boards of the American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, and Chesapeake Chamber of Commerce. Amidst all of her obligations, Ms. Stilhnan is known for her love of and commitment to her wonderful children, Lindsay and Walker. Her loyalty and willingness to do all she can to help everyone is unfailing. No one deserves the distinguished honor of being named Woman of the Year for the Women's Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce-Chesapeake more than Peggy Stillman. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Margaret ``Peggy'' Stillman, for her commitment to literacy, service, and compassion for her community.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor a friend and advocate of the museum arts. Wilson Greene of Petersburg, Virginia, will be sworn in tonight to serve as a member of the National Museum Service Board. Mr. Greene will serve as one of fifteen members of this advisory board of the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences. As a member of the National Museum Service Board, Mr. Greene will work to ensure high quality museum programs and services to the public. Mr. Greene has been the executive director of the Pamplin Historical Park in Petersburg, Virginia since 1992. Previously, Mr. Greene served as President and CEO of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War sites, for which he serves on the National Advisory Board. Mr. Greene has also worked for the National Park Service, serving at several significant historical sites. Wilson Greene's devotion to academia is apparent as well. Mr. Greene has been a faculty member at several institutions of higher learning including: Mary Washington College, Germanna Community College, and St. Bernard Community College. Mr. Green is also the author of more than twenty-five publications dealing with Civil War and Southern History. Based on his years of public service with the National Park service, commitment to education, and overall enthusiasm for the study of history, I am confident Wilson Greene will serve as a valuable member to the National Museum Service Board. The Commonwealth of Virginia deeply appreciates Mr. Greene's service and his passionate interest in helping Virginians and all Americans to better understand the very important story of our nation's past. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Wilson Greene, for his recent appointment to serve as a member of the National Museum Service Board.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to honor a patriot and pioneer in public television. Sidney ``Sid'' M. Oman has given ten years of service as host of the weekly public affairs talk show, ``Sounding Board'', on the City of Chesapeake's cable channel, WCTV-48. Each week, Sid highlights hot topics in politics, current events, and other news that impact the residents of the Chesapeake community. He invites state and local leaders to talk about important issues, and share their thoughts with the community in an objective forum. Sid and his ``Sounding Board'' have a long history together. From 1960-1964, he hosted the original ``Sounding Board'' on WAVY TV-10 in Hampton Roads, Virginia. From the beginning, the show featured people in local, state, and national politics and government, as well as those in the arts and media. Sid has been serving his community in a variety of capacities for many decades. He began his career of service as public relations chief for the City of Norfolk, and served five years as executive director of the Norfolk's International Azalea Festival, an annual celebration that salutes NATO member nations. Sid's love of politics eventually persuaded him into public office. Sid served as a three-time mayor of Chesapeake, Virginia, and a one- time mayor of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. During these years of service, Sid continued to host weekly public television segments and call-in radio programs where citizens phoned in with questions and comments. After ten years with WCTV, Sid Oman still holds a strong commitment to educating and providing information to the public. He and his wife, Lillian, are both well-respected and much-loved members of the Chesapeake community. When not hosting ``Sounding Board'', Sid oversees his successful funeral business. In spring of 1964, Sid himself planned and coordinated the funeral of General Douglas MacArthur. Again--Sid's commitment to serving and honoring others has been an outstanding and lifelong pursuit. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Sid Oman, for his years of service to WCTV, to Chesapeake, and to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to our distinguished colleague, Sonny Callahan, as he retires from Congress after 18 years of representing Alabama's first district. Chairman Callahan has dedicated most of his life to public service. In addition to his long and noteworthy career in the House of Representatives, he served in the Alabama legislature for 12 years and he has served his country in the Navy. I congratulate him on his remarkable record of service. I commend him for his proven dedication to his constituents and his countrymen. Most recently, Sonny has served as the chairman of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. In this role, he has had a direct, lasting, and positive impact on the basic infrastructure that enables America's economic might. Nearly every congressional district represented in the House, Mr. Speaker, has directly benefited from Sonny's leadership of this committee. I have personally benefited from Sonny's leadership. His office in the Rayburn Building is next to mine. Because of his proximity, he has provided me with guidance and support in my first term in Congress. I am grateful, Mr. Speaker, for direct and positive impact Mr. Callahan has had on me in his final term. Our Nation is better off because of Sonny Callahan's long and distinguished career. We in Congress are better off for knowing him. I wish him well in his future endeavors, and I thank him for his accomplishments.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding career of Col. Robert G. Hicks who is currently the Executive Director for Public Health, Safety, and Security for the Defense Commissary Agency at Fort Lee, Virginia. Colonel Hicks will retire after 30 years of distinguished service in the U.S. Army and I would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his selfless service to the Army and to the United States of America. Colonel Hicks was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on May 18, 1949, and earned a Bachelors of Science Degree from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. He received a four-year Army ROTC scholarship and later received his commission as a Second Lieutenant in June 1971 as a Distinguished Military Graduate. In 1975, he received his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, and a Masters in Food Technology from Texas A&M University in June 1989. During his long and distinguished career Colonel Hicks has enjoyed assignments in Omaha, Nebraska, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Hague, The Netherlands, The AMEDD Academy of Health Sciences in San Antonio, Texas, and as Commander of the 64th Medical Detachment in Landstuhl, Germany. Colonel Hicks' military education includes the AMEDD Officer Advance Course and the Command and General Staff College. Additionally, Colonel Hicks is Board Certified in Veterinary Preventive Medicine, and a recipient of The Army Surgeon General's ``A'' Proficiency Designator and the AMEDD Order of Military Medical Merit. Colonel Hicks' other military awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Army Commendation Medal, and the Humanitarian Medal. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you join me, our colleagues, and Colonel Hicks' many friends and family in saluting this distinguished officer's lifetime of service. Colonel Hicks is the very embodiment of patriotism and it is fitting that the House of Representatives honors him on this day.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, not as some would mistakenly say in strong support of war but, rather, as history will proclaim, in strong support of an America free from the fear of terrorism. Today, this House finds itself debating at one of the most significant crossroads in our fight against terrorism, as we ask why we must now focus our attention on the most powerful terrorist in the world, Saddam Hussein. I ask this question of those who would have us close our eyes and sit on our hands: Can we afford to wait any longer? Since September 11, 2001, the United States has worked to ensure that future attacks on our soil do not occur. We did not choose that fight. We did not choose to have thousands of innocent victims perish in brutal attacks. But we now have to win this fight against all of those who would seek to use force against the American people. It is no longer enough to punish evil after it has destroyed innocent lives. We must fight to ensure that evil does not succeed and protect the innocent as well as punish the guilty. Such a threat lies in Saddam Hussein if he is not disarmed and ousted as leader of his regime in Iraq. Madam Speaker, the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia is home to many servicemen and women. They are not statistics, they are not numbers, they are my friends, my neighbors, and members of my church. But, Madam Speaker, they are ready to remove the Iraqi leader who seeks to destroy the freedoms that we as Americans hold dear. The President addressed last night, and I think it is important to reiterate today, that we have a duty to act now to prevent a first strike attack by Iraq. Procrastination will only increase the threat that terrorist agents will once again cross over into our borders. But why now? Because over the past 11 years, the international community agreed on 16 United Nations Security Council resolutions designed to ensure that Iraq does not pose a threat to international peace and security. Because the world witnessed what an unchecked Saddam Hussein was capable of doing, and the world has waited while Saddam Hussein has violated each and every resolution that the United Nations has put forward. To those who today cry, wait, wait, wait, I ask, if we have waited over 11 years for Saddam to fully disarm his chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction under the supervision of inspectors, how much longer should we wait? If we have waited 11 years for Saddam to disarm all ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometers, how much longer should we wait? If we have waited 11 years for Saddam to agree to not use, develop, construct, or acquire any weapons of mass destruction, how much longer should we wait? If we have waited 8 years for Saddam to agree not to enhance military capability in southern Iraq, how much longer should we wait? If we have waited 6 years for Saddam to report shipments of dual- purpose items related to weapons of mass destruction to the U.N. and IAEA, how much longer should we wait? And if we have waited 5 years for Saddam to give immediate, unfettered access to the Iraqi officials whom U.N. inspectors want to interview, how much longer should we wait? And if we have waited 4 years for Saddam to reinstate U.N. weapons inspectors to have full and unrestricted access to weapons production facilities, how much longer should we wait? Madam Speaker, we have waited long enough. We cannot wait until Saddam completes reconstruction of his weapons factories. We cannot wait until we are allowed to read the certificate of occupancy posted on the walls of these facilities, announcing more fear and terror to the free world. We cannot wait until he has nuclear capabilities. We cannot wait for history to repeat itself while trying to appease yet another unchecked dictator. Now is the time to act. Now is the time to fulfill our obligation to protect the American people. Now is the time to pass this resolution.

Mr. FORBES

Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 523, which recognizes the important contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. These institutions are rich sources of history and knowledge that continue to serve communities across the nation. Virginia's 4th Congressional District is home to two historically Black institutions of higher education. Virginia State University, located near the historic center of the City of Petersburg, was founded on March 6, 1882 when the legislature passed a bill to charter the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute. The University's first academic year, 1883-84, saw a student body of 126 and a faculty of only seven. By the centennial year of 1982, the University was fully integrated, with a student body of nearly 5,000 and a full-time faculty of 250. Dr. James Solomon Russell founded Saint Paul's Normal and Industrial School in 1888. In 1941 the institution was granted authority to offer a four-year degree program. In 1957 the name was changed to Saint Paul's College, the name it bears today. Saint Paul's College boasts a characteristically small college atmosphere with a student body of 600, allowing for both diversity and camaraderie Virginia's history and desire for academic excellence are indelibly linked to the success and achievement of these institutions. For this reason, I rise in support of this resolution to recognize the Historically Black Universities and Colleges of our Nation.