Joel Hefley

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2586, the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2002. I believe the committee has done a good job in fulfilling its role of oversight of the Department of Defense and has done its best to provide the necessary funding to improve the readiness of our military forces. Let us not forget, however, that for many years we have asked our military to do more and more with less and less. Now, after the tragic events of last week, we will be asking our military men and women to do even more. Although there have been many additional missions placed on our military forces over the years, there has not been a corresponding increase in funding to fully sustain our infrastructure and equipment. We are all heartened that the funding levels requested by the administration for next year makes an attempt to arrest the decline in military readiness and begins the process of rebuilding and restoring our military forces. To accomplish this, the administration has had to significantly increase readiness funding this year as compared with last year. As an example, funding for flight operations has increased by over $2.2 billion, which includes the increased costs for fuel and attempts to address the severe parts shortages. In addition, there is an increase for combat training of over $825 million, an increase for facilities repair and sustainment of nearly $500 million, and an increase of $1.2 billion for depot maintenance and repair of equipment. These are significant increases; but, again, they merely halt the decline. Madam Chairman, H.R. 2586 is a responsible, meaningful bill, that fairly allocates resources for the restoration of acceptable readiness and an acceptable quality of life for men and women of our military forces. To do anything less will allow the readiness of our military to slip further and could risk the lives of countless men and women in every branch of the military. As we get this bill into conference, we may decide on or the President may come down with other needs based upon the events of the last few days and we can address those and we need to address those. For now, however, this is a good bill, and it deserves our support. I strongly urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill, to vote yes to maintain military readiness.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday's devastating terrorist attacks will forever be seared on our individual and national memories. It was an unreal and incomprehensible assault on our people and our Nation. When I awoke this morning, it was with the sad realization that the attacks of yesterday actually occurred and claimed so many innocent lives. Mr. Speaker, I passed the Pentagon on my way to work just a few minutes before the plane hit. This morning when I drove by the Pentagon, it was a very real and very different scene. The smoke was still pouring out, and the water was pouring in; but in a glimmer of hope, the American flag continued to wave on the grounds of the Pentagon. The American spirit will not be disabled. It is shameful that thousands of American civilians gave their lives for a cause they did not know, for an issue they were not concerned. An attack against civilian targets of women and children, mothers and fathers, peaceful and without prejudice is beyond comprehension in our modern day, civilized world. I mourn for the dead and extend my sympathy to the families of the afflicted. In this hour of bereavement, I extend my gratitude and praise for the men and women who risk their lives and continue to risk their lives to find the victims and rescue the injured. The men and women who serve to protect our society cannot pause to grieve, for their job is far from complete. To the families who grieve, the citizens who serve and a Nation that questions, I cannot underscore enough the desire of this Congress to find the perpetrators and inflict punishment. Mr. Speaker, there will be an enormous price to pay, both to the cowards behind these horrendous acts and to any nation that harbors them. Yesterday, the United States of America was the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth. Today, the United States of America is the greatest Nation on the face of the Earth, and by the grace of God we will remain so.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today about an organization, which is headquartered in my district and has had an immeasurable impact on America. The history of Junior Achievement is a true testament to the indelible human spirit and American ingenuity. Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 as a collection of small, after-school business clubs for students in Springfield, Massachusetts. As the rural-to-city exodus of the populace accelerated in the early 1900s, so too did the demand for workforce preparation and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement students were taught how to think and plan for a business, acquire supplies and talent, build their own products, advertise, and sell. With the financial support of companies and individuals, Junior Achievement recruited numerous sponsoring agencies such as the New England Rotarians, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs the YMCA, local churches, playground associations and schools to provide meeting places for its growing ranks of interested students. In a few short years JA students were competing in regional expositions and trade fairs and rubbing elbows with top business leaders. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge hosted a reception on the White House lawn to kick off a national fundraising drive for Junior Achievement's expansion. By the late 1920s, there were nearly 800 JA Clubs with some 9,000 Achievers in 13 cities in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. During World War II, enterprising students in JA business clubs used their ingenuity to find new and different products for the war effort. In Chicago, JA students won a contract to manufacture 10,000 pants hangers for the U.S. Army. In Pittsburgh, JA students developed made a specially lined box to carry off incendiary devices, which was approved by the Civil Defense and sold locally. Elsewhere, JA students made baby incubators and used acetylene torches in abandoned locomotive yards to obtain badly needed scrap iron. In the 1940s, leading executives of the day such as S. Bayard Colgate, James Cash Penney, Joseph Sprang of Gillette and others helped the organization grow rapidly. Stories of Junior Achievement's accomplishments and of its students soon appeared in national magazines of the day such as TIME, Young America, Colliers, LIFE, the Ladies Home Journal and Liberty. In the 1950s, Junior Achievement began working more closely with schools and saw its growth increase five-fold. In 1955, President Eisenhower declared the week of January 30 to February 5 as ``National Junior Achievement Week.'' At this point, Junior Achievement was operating in 139 cities and in most of the 50 states. During its first 45 years of existence, Junior Achievement enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 45 percent. To further connect students to influential figures in business, economics, and history, Junior Achievement started the Junior Achievement National Business Hall of Fame in 1975 to recognize outstanding leaders. Each year, a number of business leaders are recognized for their contribution to the business industry and for their dedication to the Junior Achievement experience. Today, there are 200 laureates from a variety of By 1982, Junior Achievement's formal curricula offering had expanded to Applied Economics (now called JA Economics), Project Business, and Business Basics. In 1988, more than one million students per year were estimated to take part in Junior Achievement programs. In the early 1990s, a sequential curriculum for grades K-6 was launched, catapulting the organization into the classrooms of another one million elementary school students. Today, through the efforts of more than 100,000 volunteers in the classrooms of America, Junior Achievement reaches more than four million students in grades K-12 per year. JA International takes the free enterprise message of hope and opportunity even further . . . to more than 1.5 million students in 111 countries. Junior Achievement has been an influential part of many of today's successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Junior Achievement's success is truly the story of America--the fact that one idea can influence and benefit many lives. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have Junior Achievement in my district and proud of its many successes over the years. It is my hope this great organization continues to prosper and benefit many in the years to come.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I hope that we pass this bill unanimously here today, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to again thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Delahunt), and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen). Without the gentlewoman's help, this would not have been possible to move this quickly. She has been a delight to work with on this, and indeed to work with on all the things we have worked with so far in Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands. And I want to thank the rest of the subcommittee members as well. I got a real education during this process. I have to admit that I too have not, and I perceive of myself as being some kind of an amateur historian, I love history; and yet I too did not understand the significance of John Adams, and not only John Adams but the Adams family. I am thankful for this being brought to my attention because it enriches my life as well. There are principles to be taken, I think, from Adams' life. They are almost without number; but the ones I jotted down were his intelligence, his courage, his tenacity, his love of country, his religious faith, and something we, as politicians, talk about all the time and will be talking about on the stump during the 4th of July, I am sure, his belief in family values. If it were not for that strong belief in family values, he would not have had the kind of illustrious family that he has. So I am thankful for the education I received from this and for the education that future generations of Americans will get from the memorial that is created as a result of this. Madam Speaker, this is a bill whose time has come. Let us pass it here today. Let us encourage our friends in the Senate to pass it. My dream, and I am sure the dream of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), would be that they too, even this week before recess, before the 4th of July, would pass this out of the Senate, and we would send it down to the President for his signature.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1668 introduced, by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), would authorize the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor former President John Adams and his legacy. H.R. 1668 is supported by the administration and has strong bipartisan support. Perhaps no American family has contributed as profoundly to public service as the family that gave the Nation its second President, John Adams; his wife, Abigail Adams; and their son, our sixth President, John Quincy Adams, who was also, by the way, a member of this body. The family's legacy was far-reaching, continuing with John Quincy Adams's son, John Francis Adams, who was also a member of this body and an ambassador to England during the Civil War; and his son, Henry Adams, an eminent writer and scholar, and it goes on and on. The bill, as amended, focuses on the remarkable achievements of President John Adams, his wife Abigail, and their son, John Quincy Adams. We have a monument here in our Nation's Capital honoring our first President, George Washington, as well as monuments honoring Lincoln, Roosevelt and Jefferson, but, incredibly, we have overlooked one person who arguably, second only perhaps to George Washington, did more than any other person to make it all happen. Historian David McCullough reminds us that while Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence, he was the pen of the Revolution, John Adams was its important voice and the driving force. Clearly, we owe him a deep and lasting debt. Madam Speaker, it was the voice of John Adams in the Continental Congress that was the most responsible for pushing, prodding and cajoling the other Founding Fathers to sever our ties with England. He did this at enormous personal sacrifice: separated from his wife and family for nearly 10 years, taking life-threatening voyages during winter storms across the Atlantic Ocean to secure help for our struggling Army from foreign nations, and risking imprisonment or even execution as a traitor if his efforts were to fail. He was blunt and outspoken, but he was also warm and humorous and passionate, and he was passionate above all things about his brilliant and accomplished wife, his family and his country. Many of his views were controversial and unpopular in his day. Even the notion of forming our new country was highly controversial and unpopular. But he put the good of a country as a whole above any desire to win a personal popularity contest. His death was, fittingly, as interesting as his life. By an incredible coincidence he and Thomas Jefferson both died on the very same day, and, Madam Speaker, that same day was July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That was a significant date in their lives, and it is the significant date in the history of our country, thanks to his courage and thankless work. For this reason, we worked very hard to bring this bill to the floor this week to honor this important American whose sacrifices created the very holiday all of us will be celebrating next week. Next week we will mark the 225th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We will finally, at long last, be on our way to correcting a glaring oversight in our Nation's history. It is ironic that more than 200 years have passed without properly honoring John Adams, but, upon reflection, perhaps we augment the value of our honor by doing so at this late date. After all, how many of us could possibly hope or expect to have such attention devoted to our memories and legacies two centuries after we draw our final breath? That we do so today speaks volumes about the significance of President John Adams' contributions to our lives. Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the truly enormous efforts of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) and, by the way, his staff as well. They put enormous efforts into this legislation. The gentleman from Indiana has worked tirelessly as a true champion of John Adams, by pushing this legislation through our subcommittee, by bringing two nationally recognized scholars to come before us, and by educating so many of us here in this body and so many citizens of the public at large about the enormous debt we owe to this hero and champion of liberty, John Adams. When the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) retires from Congress next year, he can justifiably look back on his work on this legislation with a long- lasting sense of pride. Madam Speaker, in closing, I would like to observe that once, in a very low moment, during a period when her husband's work took him to Philadelphia, leaving her alone in Massachusetts, Abigail Adams wrote in a letter to John Adams, ``I wonder whether future generations will ever know what we sacrificed for them?'' The answer to that question, Madam Speaker, is a resounding ``yes,'' we do know, we will know, because of what we do today, and we are grateful. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1668, as amended. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1668) to authorize the Adams Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal land in the District of Columbia and its environs to honor former President John Adams and his family, as amended.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, we have two speakers remaining; and I wonder if we could after that have a minute or two.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material in the Record on H.R. 1668, the bill just considered.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, only a few months after the U.S. Postal Service hiked its first-class postal rates, the quasi-Federal agency is again set to increase mail costs, this time by as much as 25 to 30 percent. The hike comes in response to the agency's projected loss of $2 to $3 billion this year and a report from its own Inspector General that the agency loses approximately $1.4 billion per year in waste and abuse. Charges of abuse at the Post Office include $200 million worth of lavish executive parties, large-scale junkets, high-priced publicity campaigns, and generous employee bonuses. The agency managed to rack up $9.3 billion in debt by the end of fiscal year 2000, but has yet to put in place a repayment program for that debt. The American consumer should not have to pay increased mail costs to repair inefficiency and waste at the Postal Service. The Postal Service gets my porker of the week award.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues today in extending my congratulations to Erik Weihenmayer on his remarkable achievement. On May 23, Erik reached the top of Mount Everest, which is a triumph for any athlete. The fact that Erik is blind makes the achievement all the more impressive. As the first blind person to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest, Erik symbolizes the athleticism of all mountain climbers, as well as the determination and ability of people with disabilities. Those with disabilities can accomplish extraordinary goals if they are provided with the proper resources, training and opportunities. Erik took advantage of these opportunities and now joins the small rank of individuals who have conquered Mount Everest. At the age of 32, Erik has climbed not only the highest mountain in the world, but also Mount McKinley, El Capitan, Kilimanjaro, Vinson Massif in Antartica, and Polar Circus in Alberta. Today's resolution pays tribute to Erik and, in turn, all people with disabilities. I congratulate Erik on his achievement and his determination to succeed. His accomplishment proves that we are all capable of achieving great things when we set our hearts and minds to accomplishing a goal.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter) for yielding the time to me. Mr. Speaker, law enforcement officials from around the country have come in these last few days and today to Washington, D.C. to commemorate and honor fellow peace officers slain in the line of duty. The National Peace Officers Memorial Day serves as a solemn reminder of the sacrifice and commitment to safety that police officers make on our behalf. The National Peace Officer Memorial Resolution, H.R. 116, which is cosponsored by 81 of my colleagues, expresses the gratitude of the House of Representatives for the work that these officers perform. Law enforcement officers face unprecedented risks while protecting our communities and our freedoms. Today over 700,000 men and women place their lives at risk to serve as protectors of law and order. Throughout U.S. history, more than 15,000 men and women serving as peace officers have sacrificed their life for their Nation and community. In the year 2000 alone, 151 Federal, State and local law enforcers gave their lives in the line of duty. To date, 54 have died in 2001; 3 of these 54 come from my home State of Colorado. Law enforcement officers face enormous risks while protecting our neighborhoods, our families, our freedoms; yet there is often an attitude of indifference. Every community has been impacted by the work of officers, yet most citizens have little direct contact with peace officers. Therefore, the sacrifices of these brave Americans go unnoticed and often underappreciated. Mr. Speaker, without the service of peace officers, our society is left unprotected. Law enforcement officers deserve to be recognized and honored for their work, their dedication, their sacrifice, and, yes, Mr. Speaker, their bravery in defense of our society. I hope my colleagues will join me in expressing our appreciation to all peace officers and paying tribute to those slain in the line of duty and to their surviving families by supporting H. Res. 116.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. I rise in very strong support of H.R. 1696. If ever there was a memorial that should be built, this is it. Quite simply, Mr. Speaker, there is no memorial more befitting than to honor our World War II veterans and the tens of millions of people who were affected by World War II. In fact, we in Congress agreed to honor the men and women of World War II when we passed and the President signed the act to authorize the construction of the memorial. Yet, here we are, 8 years later, with nothing to show for it. The only reason we have nothing to show is that the memorial construction has been stonewalled time and again by lawsuits and litigation by a small group of Washingtonians who do not want any additional memorials on the Mall, not even one to acknowledge what is arguably the most important event of the 20th century. The sad fact is, Mr. Speaker, that in the meantime, over the 8 years, almost 3.4 million World War II veterans have died. With each passing day, over 1,000 more veterans die, men and women who deserve this memorial who will never see it. As this process drags on, we lose 30,000 more each month and 400,000 a year. We simply have to get construction started and completed on this memorial. I want to add that this bill is not something we are trying to ramrod through at the last minute; quite to the contrary. There have been 22 public hearings, five approvals from the Commission on Fine Arts, and five approvals from the National Capital Planning Commission. There has been overwhelming national support, and over $170 million has been raised or pledged by over half a million citizens, hundreds of corporations, 1,100 schools, and hundreds of veterans groups. Mr. Speaker, all the requirements of both the National Environmental Policy Act and the Commemorative Works Act have been met. All of the approvals have been made. The site has been established and is in the proper, rightful, and fitting place. We must end the delays and get on with the construction of the memorial, which pays homage to the brave men and women who fought for our country and sacrificed their lives to keep this country and the world free. Mr. Speaker, I am ashamed at the delay that has taken place. I strongly urge passage of H.R. 1696 so we can finally bring the stonewalling to an end and ensure that this deserving memorial will be constructed.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I understand that some Members of Congress are working on legislation which will tell the United States Army what kind of headgear to wear. I believe this action is micromanagement at its worst and makes Congress the fashion police. For those of us who have strong ties to the military community, this entire episode has been a whirlwind of emotions. Like most of my constituents, I too felt the issuance of a black beret, the modern-day symbol of excellence in the United States Armed Forces, to all soldiers was ill-advised. As I have related to senior Army officials and my constituents, this action is analogous to issuing a letter jacket to all high school seniors regardless of whether they played ball or not. This problem has been worked out, however, by allowing the Rangers to wear a different color beret to distinguish their unique contribution. Even though I believe the Army is spending too much money on berets, $30 million and climbing, and even though I have problems with where they are made, particularly in China, although that contract has been canceled, I believe Congress does not have the time or the charter to meddle with what the Army does or does not wear. If we can trust the chief of staff of the Army to command our young Americans in wartime, certainly we can trust him to determine what kind of uniform they will wear.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, as the previous speaker just said, this week small business owners are recognized for their personal achievements and outstanding contributions to our communities. Small businesses across America employ more than half of the country's private workforce. The contributions of small businesses impact our Nation's economy greatly, and small business owners deserve to be commended for their personal achievements as well as their contribution to society. William K. Hurt, the owner of Shields Real Estate, is Colorado's Small Business Week State Winner. Mr. Hurt is a deserving winner as he continues to make a significant contribution to our community and our economy. Shields Real Estate is an excellent example of a successful small business in my hometown of Colorado Springs. The business was founded in 1985 in an atmosphere not already lacking in real estate companies; but through hard work, initiative and energy, Shields has expanded its service to provide a full-service real estate firm with 22 full-time employees. Mr. Hurt is an outstanding example of an entrepreneur who is contributing to his local community. I applaud his accomplishment and am glad to recognize him for his contributions. Small businesses are the backbone of our Nation's economy. I hope that Congress will encourage the development and prosperity of small businesses.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 581 and H. Con. Res. 83.

Mr. HEFLEY

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chairman, I am supportive of this amendment. I would like to commend the gentleman from Ohio for keeping our feet to the fire when it comes to this buy-American theme that the gentleman has been the leader in Congress on. I think in the appropriations bill where the money is appropriated, the gentleman has gotten the amendment in last year there, so we have it there. We have it in the authorization side. I think both are good, and I support the amendment.

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant).

Mr. HEFLEY. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman, I introduced H.R. 581 to assist the U.S. Forest Service in expediting the transfer of funds from the Service to other Federal agencies for critical and necessary interagency consultation activities in connection with wildland fire management. H.R. 581 is simply a technical fix to clarify that funds appropriated in the 2001 Interior and Related Agencies Appropriation Act for wildland fire management may be transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to reimburse those agencies for the fuel load reduction consultation activities required by section 7 of the Endangered Species Act. Madam Chairman, the fiscal 2001 Interior Appropriations Act appropriated $2.9 billion towards the National Fire Plan in response to the devastating 1999 and 2000 fire seasons. The $2.9 billion which was appropriated, which included $1.6 billion designated as emergency contingent funding, is administered by the Department of Interior and the Forest Service. Included in the plan are funds specifically directed for reducing fuel load. However, before fuel loads can be reduced, the Forest Service must meet existing laws, including the Endangered Species Act. Among the goals of the National Fire Plan are: to build firefighting readiness, to be better prepared to fight wildland fires; to reduce hazardous fuels, to invest in projects to reduce the fire risk; to restore fire-impacted sites, to restore landscapes damaged by fire; to protect communities, to concentrate efforts in the wildland-urban interface; and to assure accountability and track accomplishments of the plan. Decades of excluding fire from our forests and past management practices have drastically changed the ecological condition of western forests and rangelands and dramatically affected fire behavior. A century ago when low-intensity, high-frequency fires were commonplace, many forests were less dense and had larger, more fire-resistant trees. Over the last century, the number of trees has increased dramatically and composition of our forests has changed from primarily fire- resistant tree species to more species that are nonresistant to fire. Madam Chairman, the fire ecologists point out the paradox in which we now find ourselves in terms of fire suppression: The more effective we become at fire suppression, the more fuels accumulate and ultimately create conditions for the occurrence of more intense fires, such as those we in the West have experienced the last 2 years. To illustrate my point, here is a statistic to think about: In the early 1930s, the annual acreage burned by wildfires in the lower 48 States was about 40 million acres a year. By the late 1950s, we were effectively controlling fires at less than 5 million acres per year. Through the 1970s and much of the 1980s, the annual acreage burned by wildfires in the lower 48 States stayed at about the same levels, but in 1988 and again in the late 1990s we had severe seasons, burning close to 10 million acres each year. Experts predict that future fire seasons will be similar to last year's devastation. Reversing the effects of a century of aggressive fire suppression and past management practices will take time and money targeted to high- priority areas to protect people, communities, readily-accessible municipal watersheds, and habitat for threatened and endangered species. The most at-risk areas are those wildland-urban interface zones represented by areas with increased residential development in fire-prone areas adjacent to Federal land. With continuing drought in the western and southern United States, we are facing the threat of another possibly horrendous and catastrophic wildfire season. It is important that H.R. 581 proceed expeditiously to launch the multiagency fire prevention initiative needed to ward off another devastating wildfire season. The funds made available in this bill to the Fish and Wildlife Services and the National Marine Fisheries Services will enable the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to proceed with their fire management program, as intended by the 2001 Appropriations Act. The bill will not affect other aspects of the National Fire Plan. Lastly, Madam Chairman, H.R. 581, I do not believe, is controversial. It is nonpartisan and it is supported by the administration. It is also reported by unanimous consent from the Committee on Resources. So I would urge an aye vote on H.R. 581. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.