Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to continue to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), the chairman of the Committee on House Administration, who has been so incredibly important in getting us to this point. We passed a very good bill through the House. The Senate has now passed a bill which also, in my opinion, has some very good aspects. It will now be necessary to put those two bills together so that we might in a timely fashion enact election reform. The effort to correct the problems that surfaced in the 2000 election has been in some respects a long, lean one and often a difficult one; but then, of course, Mr. Speaker, most worthwhile efforts are. Today, as this House prepares to go to the conference with the other body, I am pleased to say that we are closer than ever to enacting the most comprehensive voting reform legislation since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The motion that I am offering today is intended to ensure that as Congress enters this final critical stage of election reform we do not forget to correct the very problem that sparked us to recognize the need for reform in the first place. I am referring, of course, to the infamous punch card machines and their accompanying chads, which were used by approximately one-third of all voters in this country in 2000, more than any other voting system. My motion would instruct House conferees to insist on title I of the House-passed version of H.R. 3295, which authorizes $400 million for the buyout of punch card voting machines. Numerous authoritative studies issued in the past year, including one by MIT and CalTech have only confirmed what we all knew was the truth in November 2000, that punch card machines must be retired and replaced by a new generation of more accurate, more accessible and more user-friendly voting technology. H.R. 3295, the Help America Vote Act, which this House passed last December by an overwhelming vote, recognizes that obsolete, poorly maintained punch card machines are a prime threat to our democratic process. Recognizing this threat, title I authorizes a $400 million punch card buyout program that will be available to those States and political subdivisions that used punch card machines in 2000. For States like Florida and Georgia, they have already begun replacing their punch card machines. Title I authorizes assistance in that effort. Under title I, States or their political subdivisions will receive conditional grants of up to $6,000 for each voting precinct in which punch card machines were used in 2000. The motion also instructs the House conferees to insist on section 232 of the Help America Vote Act, which creates a simple, common sense formula for distribution of funds. Mr. Speaker, I believe that this is a motion which has been agreed on by the chairman and myself. It does not obviously deal with all aspects on which there is some controversy. I expect us to discuss that in the conference, but I am expecting, as our relationship has been, where not only has the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and I worked closely together, but our staffs have worked closely together, that we will reach an historic reform piece of legislation to ensure that every American not only has the right to vote, not only is facilitated in that vote, not only is encouraged and educated as to how to vote, but is assured that their vote will count. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), one of the very senior Members of this House, a Member who has risked literally life and limb on behalf of the right of Americans to vote. This is a Member who, long before I got to this House but throughout the years I have been in this House, for over 2 decades, has been one of the strongest voices for the civil rights of all Americans, the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am glad the gentleman brought that up, because I want to share that not only the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) but the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the Speaker, both committed to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and I over 6 months ago that they understood the importance of this issue and they committed to put $650 million into the supplemental subject to the passage of this legislation. There was only $450 million in this bill, but that was because we were so late in passing this bill. And I think $450 million is going to be sufficient certainly for certain portions of this bill. But I want to share the gentleman's view in thanking both Speaker Hastert and Chairman Young for their leadership and their support of getting that money in the supplemental. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 7 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), who has done such an outstanding job in working on election reform, recognizing the problem and working to solve it.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, of course the Voting Rights Act, obviously, and the Motor Voter Act provides for the removal of people who have died or are not otherwise eligible. On the other hand, the gentlewoman raises an absolutely critical issue. The committee and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) and I were very concerned about that. There are a number of provisions in this bill that deal with that issue. First of all, while we provide under Motor Voter removal of voters who are ineligible under State law, we have a provision that says that the States must take care not to remove persons who are in fact eligible. Number two, there is a provision in the bill which provides for the adoption of a state-wide registration system so that we have a uniform system of keeping people on the roll and/or removing them. Obviously, some smaller jurisdictions have great difficulty having the technological capability to keep current, and they make mistakes. We hope to move them in that direction. The third critical provision included in our bill and the Senate bill is the providing of an opportunity for a provisional balloting. That is a critical provision so when someone goes into the polling place, as happens in every voting jurisdiction in America, and their name does not appear, but they say to the election official, we should be registered, we are supposed to be registered, the election official will provide them with a provisional ballot that they will fill out. It will be kept separate and apart, and then in the succeeding days they will check to see whether that person is an eligible voter. If so, they will count that vote. In all of those different ways we are trying to deal with that, but the gentlewoman raises an area of great concern to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney), to myself, and to the Senate conferees as well. I thank the gentlewoman for focusing on that point.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney). The gentleman is a delight to work with. He is open, fair, and wants to achieve the same objective that all of us do of having a system that works well, and as the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) said, of every American's confidence that they have the right to vote, and their vote is counted accurately. Mr. Speaker, I think this is a good motion, and I am looking forward to going to conference as quickly as possible so we can pass this legislation, which I think will be one of the hallmarks of the 107th Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me time. Madam Speaker, I guess one aspect of serving for over 2 decades in the House you get to know some extraordinary people, some extraordinary people who have been sent here from around the United States to represent them in the House and in the Senate. Paul Simon is one of the most decent people with whom I have served either in the 12 years I was in the Maryland Senate or the 21 years I have been here. Paul Simon and his wife, Jean, who passed away some years ago, were two people who loved this country, who loved Illinois, and who loved this House. I am sure they loved the Senate as well. But Paul Simon was someone who brought great credit to democracy in his honesty, his integrity, and as the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) has pointed out, his hard work on behalf of his constituents. Americans were made prouder by this House of Representatives by knowing Paul Simon. Senator Simon, of course, became a candidate for President. He did not win the nomination, but he won the hearts and minds of literally millions of people around this Nation for his honesty and his deep sense of pride in this country and his deep concern for its people. I am proud to rise on this floor to pay tribute to Paul Simon and to say what an appropriate thing it is to name a Job Corps center for someone who cared so deeply about young people and about education, and about opportunities, and about hope.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for yielding me time, and I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) for facilitating the movement of this bill to the floor. I rise, of course, Madam Speaker, in strong support of the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building Designation Act. The building which we speak of today is the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, located in my district in College Park, Maryland. Harvey Washington Wiley is best known, as has been said, for his pioneering work as the chief chemist at the Bureau of Chemistry, which of course is now known as the Food and Drug Administration. His work in the early 1900s led to the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. As the head of the Bureau of Chemistry, Wiley served as chief enforcer of the act, and his inspection program revolutionized the country's food supply by making it healthier and safer. Each of us every day benefits from the work of Dr. Wiley. After serving 29 years, as was observed by the gentlewoman from District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), as the chief of the Bureau of Chemistry, he resigned and later established the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval as the director of Good Housekeeping Institute's Bureau of Foods, Sanitation and Health, a demonstration of his lifelong commitment to the purity of our food and our health and our safety. The Harvey W. Wiley Building is the result of a strong commitment and partnership between the Food and Drug Administration, the General Services Administration, the State of Maryland, the city of College Park, the city council, the local community, and the University of Maryland. The Wiley Building, which opened in October of 2001, is the first major laboratory completed as part of the Food and Drug Administration's consolidation effort. The facility holds over 950 researchers and other staff doing a critical job for our people and for our country. We depend upon them to ensure that the foods we consume and the cosmetic products we use are safe and labeled properly. The FDA's consolidation effort has been ongoing since 1991 when Congress gave authority to the FDA to improve its dilapidated facilities and bring its workers closer together for more efficient operations. In addition to this facility, the Center for Veterinary Medicine in Beltsville was completed in 1996 and work continues on four remaining centers at White Oak. When the consolidation is finally completed, Madam Speaker, it will consolidate nearly 40 different FDA facilities scattered around the metropolitan area. This will not only improve the working conditions of employees, it will save the taxpayers literally millions of dollars in reduced lease costs. These Federal entities in tandem with the University of Maryland's world-class academicians and researchers will creates a unique synergy in the Washington metropolitan region. Naming the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in College Park after Harvey W. Wiley will cap off an already marvelous achievement for the FDA and GSA. There are times when we name buildings after people because perhaps they got the money for the buildings or perhaps they were luminaries in a particular jurisdiction or State or nation, but not necessarily involved with the building. This naming is as appropriate a naming as I think we have ever done because Dr. Wiley was such an integral part of developing food safety, nutritional health, and the oversight of that which is manufactured and purveyed that we either ingest or put on our bodies, that it will be safe for doing so. So I rise in strong support of this legislation. Again, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for expediting its presentation to the House and urge its unanimous adoption.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, a week and a day ago, Charles County, Calvert County, and Dorchester County in Maryland were hit by a tornado. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to your attention a truly remarkable individual from my district who is helping us respond to that tornado. As you know, Southern Maryland was recently devastated by what is believed to be the second most powerful tornado ever to hit the East Coast. It is tough times like these, Mr. Speaker, that brings out the best of what America has to offer, for those who have lost a great deal themselves rise to the occasion to help others who are in need. Mr. Paul Facchina is a tremendous example of one such extraordinary person who heads up a company peopled by extraordinary individuals. Mr. Facchina owns and operates Facchina Construction in LaPlata, Maryland. That small town in Charles County completely lost 48 businesses in the matter of minutes that the tornado took to pass through. Lawyers' offices, banks, convenience stores, fast food restaurants, grocery stores, a lumber yard, all destroyed. Mr. Paul Facchina's company was among those that were decimated, and he has every intention of rebuilding a brand new headquarters, which he happened to have already planned just across the street from the one that was destroyed. And though he and his employees are busy finalizing plans for the new building, while at the same time cleaning up the old, he did not forget about those other businesses in LaPlata that were destroyed and put out of business. Instead, Facchina Construction began work on a ``temporary town center'' just hours after the powerful F5 tornado ripped through the county. Recognizing the devastation that loss of customers could mean to his neighboring small businesses, Paul Facchina acted quickly to create a 2-acre home for them on company property in the center of LaPlata's business district. This temporary town center will consist of 21 office trailers, complete with utilities and a paved parking lot to accommodate any LaPlata business that was displaced by the tornado. On Friday after Congress adjourned, I was on the Facchina construction site. It was amazing what they had done in the 4 days since the tornado hit, plumbing being installed, pads being prepared. And what does Mr. Facchina ask for in return for his generosity, the generosity of his company and his people? Nothing more than what a business can afford to pay. If they are not doing any business because they have been blown out of the water, so to speak, they will not pay anything. Otherwise, they will pay a commensurate lease. Facchina Construction is no stranger to disaster response. The company was on site at the Pentagon on September 11, and crews were involved in the subsequent rescue and recovery of people in the Pentagon. Facchina headed up the restoration of the damage to the Pentagon and recently completed the project 3\1/2\ months ahead of schedule. They made it clear to the world that we have healed our physical wounds and are moving ahead with the business of this country. Mr. Speaker, there are those who say that capitalism inevitably creates a dog-eat-dog world in which only the strong survive. Mr. Speaker, I offer to them the example of Facchina Construction and Mr. Paul Facchina. In a time of turmoil, we rely on people like this to remind us what America is about and to tell those whose lives have been turned upside down that everything will be okay. The author said in a ``Tale of Two Cities'': ``It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.'' Sunday, 7 p.m. a week ago was the worst of times in LaPlata, Maryland. We lost five people to that tornado; but Paul Facchina and his people and neighbors, neighbors who had been hit by the tornado, neighbors whose houses had been spared, businesses hit by the tornado came out into the streets right after that tornado passed to help their neighbors, help their community say that they were not going to be defeated by nature, as we have not been defeated by terrorists. Mr. Speaker, we all owe a debt of gratitude to these courageous people.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I did not know this resolution or this bill was on the floor, but the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) mentioned the Helsinki Commission. I had the opportunity to co-chair the Helsinki Commission. I chaired the House side while Senator D'Amato chaired the Senate side of the Helsinki Commission for a number of years. I rise simply to observe that Al D'Amato was, of course, a vigorous partisan and proponent of his party, but at the same time, he was a supporter of making sure that we did the business in the Senate and the House in a way that did credit to America and to its principles. I say that because he was the Chair of the Helsinki Commission when the Senate was taken over by the Republicans in the 1980s; specifically, in 1985 and 1986. There was a real effort, frankly, to change a nonpartisan professional staff to a staff that reflected party affiliation more than professional ability. Senator D'Amato, as I said, was chair of the Commission. Because it goes between the House and Senate, it was the Senate's opportunity. Senator D'Amato, I know, received many suggestions about changes in staff. The staff to this day remains a professional staff, unrelated to partisan politics, serving not only this country's interests but the interests of so many citizens around the world who look to the Helsinki Commission to raise issues of human rights and political rights. For that alone, I would have great respect for Senator D'Amato. I wanted to make that observation, that he saved, frankly, the Helsinki Commission's professional staff from being politicized at a time when that could very well have happened. I am pleased to rise in support of the legislation, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the underlying resolution which supports Israel's response to the attacks on its people. For many years, in the early 1990s, I was one of the most outspoken Members of this body urging the United States and its European allies to act with force, if needed, to stop the slaughter and ethnic cleansing of the Muslim community in Bosnia-Herzegovina. I believe that we had a moral imperative to confront the Milosevic- inspired evil and to take action to stop it. I stood squarely with the Muslim community seeking international justice. I do not choose to be evenhanded or neutral in the face of despots who preach death and destruction to others. I believe Yasir Arafat is such a despot. In the name of legitimate grievances, he and his terrorist allies employ grossly illegitimate means. We must bring peace to this savage region of our globe, but we must not achieve peace at the price of justice. Justice for Israel, the only democratic state in the region, and her people, and justice as well for the Palestinian people. Today, Mr. Speaker, I join in supporting this resolution because I strongly support the right of Israel's people to eliminate the genesis of unconscionable terrorist attacks against innocent men, women and children. The State of Israel, like every other nation on earth, has the right of self-defense. This resolution is an expression of American solidarity with Israel as it acts to maintain and secure its independence as a free and sovereign nation. At the same time, it is incumbent upon the United States as well as the international community to continue to work with Israel and other States in the region to end this escalating cycle of violence, to relieve the suffering of all peoples of that region, and to work toward a permanent and stable peace. I absolutely believe the Israeli people share that goal. I pray that there are Palestinian leaders who share it as well. In his actions and his words, it is clear to me, however, that Yasir Arafat does not. We must not shrink from our responsibility to stand for a just resolution of this continuing conflict, and we must surely avoid making muddled mistaken parallels between essentially justified defensive actions and terrorist tactics designed to inflame and destroy. We must be committed to helping the parties avoid violence and effect peace. We must be willing to help a Palestinian state realize economic stability. And we must be willing to be an honest broker to achieve these ends. But we must leave no doubt that we are absolutely and irrevocably committed to the survival of Israel and to its security and to its safety of its people. On that, my colleagues, there can be no neutrality.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, for the past ten years, I have sponsored a resolution for the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby to hold its race along Constitution Avenue. Once again, I am proud to have sponsored H. Con. Res. 356 to permit the 65th race of the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby. It is scheduled to take place on the Capitol grounds on Saturday, June 22, 2002. This resolution authorizes the Architect of the Capitol, the Capitol Police Board, and the Greater Washington Soap Box Derby Association to negotiate the necessary arrangements for conducting the race in complete compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the Capitol grounds. I request my colleagues to join with me, and other co-sponsors including representative Jim Moran, Connie Morella, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Frank Wolf, and Albert Wynn in supporting this resolution. The Soap Box Derby has been in the Washington, D.C., area since 1992. It has attracted over 50 contestants each year. The participants range from ages 9 to 16. The participants work very hard to prepare for the local Soap Box Derby. They are given an opportunity to learn basic skills of workmanship. They build their own race cars from a kit provided by the All-American Soap Box Derby Program. The participants are able to enhance their building skills to create a basic style car. Winners of three levels of the local race become eligible to compete in the National Soap Box Derby races held in Akron, Ohio. Prior to the National races, they attend a week of camp in ``Derbytown'' where they make lasting friendships while participating in a variety of sporting activities. The National races are held in August and give the participants a chance to win scholarships and merchandise prizes. Mr. Speaker, this even has been called ``The Greatest Amateur Racing Event in the World''. This is a wonderful opportunity for our children from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia to venture into the world of science, while experiencing the spirit of competition.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. I am talking about the employees' organizational rights and protections that would be, in our opinion, undermined by the Issa amendment. Is there any evidence that they contributed in any way to the problems?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, is there any evidence that the rights which would be undermined by this amendment were, in fact, impediments to management in effecting corrections of the problems that you correctly observe exist?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the 45 seconds. Mr. Chairman, I would join in the remarks made by the chairman, my friend from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis), the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), and I am sure the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella). The fact of the matter is that this will undermine two very important things. First of all, I strongly believe that employees ought to have the right to organize and to have a voice to which they can address management. Secondly, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis) is absolutely correct. The other provisions of the Issa amendments will in fact in my opinion substantially undermine the opportunity to recruit the kind of people you need to affect what has really been the problem and that is management. Not labor, but management, in this agency. And, therefore, I would hope that we would defeat and reject this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. This amendment continues Republican attempts to erode the rights of Federal employees. In his first major legislative action after taking office, President Bush repealed a regulation designed to protect millions of American workers from ergonomic injuries. On January 7th of this year the President issued an executive order denying union representation for 1,000 employees at the Department of Justice. The President cited national security concerns for this order, even though some of those employees have been part of a union for over 20 years and others covered by that order hold clerical and administrative positions. This administration is also considering what rights Federal baggage screeners will have. Let there be no doubt, if the administration denies these employees the right to join a labor union and collectively bargain, it will do so for purely political reasons that have little or nothing to do with national security. Today, we consider an amendment that will eliminate existing procedural protections for all INS employees for any offense allegedly committed by an employee. There simply is no justification for denying them this basic democratic freedom. INS employees would no longer have the basic right of due process protection and the process of independent review and appeal would be eliminated. This amendment would strongly discourage employee ``whistleblowers'' from providing essential information to Congress and even the Congress for fear of losing their jobs. The large majority of INS employees are hard working federal employees that we should be proud of because they are on the front lines protecting our homeland. Let's not punish the masses for the mistakes of a few. Protect the rights of federal employees and vote ``no'' on the Issa amendment.

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

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleagues in speaking about the genocide, a genocide, unfortunately, that has not been acknowledged by some and, unfortunately, heightens the risk of its repetition. The massacre of Armenians in Turkey during and after World War I is recorded as the first State-ordered genocide against a minority group in the 20th century. Tragically, Mr. Speaker, it was not, as we all know, the last. In the 87 years since this unspeakable tragedy, the world has witnessed decades of genocide and ethnic cleansing and wholesale persecution of people simply because of who they are: European Jews, Bosnian Muslims, the Tutsis of Rwanda, Kosovar Albanians, and others. Mr. Speaker, we undertake this year's commemoration of the Armenian genocide in a world that is forever changed as we reflect on the terrible events of September 11. We understand that confronting irrational hatred and the evil which kindles it remains a constant challenge for us all. Mr. Speaker, there are those who deny that there was an Armenian genocide, yet there is, of course, no lack of documentation of what occurred during that terrible time. In her powerful new book, A Problem From Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, author Samantha Powers points out that The New York Times gave the Turkish horrors steady coverage, publishing 145 stories in 1915 alone. According to Powers, beginning in March 1915, the paper spoke of Turkish ``massacres,'' ``slaughter,'' and ``atrocities'' against the Armenians, relaying accounts by missionaries, Red Cross officials, local religious authorities, and survivors of mass executions. The U.S. Ambassador to Turkey at that time, Henry Morgenthau, Sr., cabled Washington on July 10, 1950 stating, ``Persecution of Armenians assuming unprecedented proportions. Reports from widely scattered districts indicate systematic attempt to uproot peaceful Armenian populations and through arbitrary arrests, terrible tortures, wholesale expulsions, and deportations from one end of the empire to the other, accompanied by frequent instances of rape, pillage, and murder, turning into massacre, to bring destruction and destitution on them.'' The tragedy, Mr. Speaker, is that similar language could have been applied during the 1990s in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mr. Speaker, those reports came to us, and the West did little. The West did little until the middle of the 1990s and, when we acted, the killing and carnage stopped. Sadly, Mr. Speaker, at that time in 1915, no action, no action was taken to try to save the Armenians because their plight was deemed to be an ``internal affair'' of their government. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of having chaired for 10 years the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, otherwise known as the Helsinki Commission. It oversees the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act, signed August 1, 1975 in Helsinki, Finland. That act, post- genocide of the 1930s and 1940s, adopted the premise that a nation's mistreatment of its own citizens would never be again an internal affair. To that extent, Mr. Speaker, the international community has, in fact, adopted the premise that we are our brothers' and our sisters' keepers. Decades later, 6 million Jews would perish in the Holocaust before the community of nations would adopt the universal declaration of human rights. Then, as I have said, the Helsinki Final Act, some years later. The declaration on human rights captured the world's revulsion of that traditional view of international relations and made clear a new norm: how a State treats its own people is of direct and legitimate concern to all States and is not simply an internal affair of the State concerned. Mr. Speaker, I trust that all of us will urge our Turkish friends who were not involved in this genocide, but who now head their governments, to acknowledge and express their own horror at those acts taken in 1915.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time and thank the gentleman from Illinois for his very appropriate comments. We reiterate that we owe a debt of gratitude to these men and women of the D.C. National Guard and thank them for their service. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I support, clearly, the gentleman from Ohio's (Mr. Ney) motion and congratulate him for bringing this matter to the floor in such a timely fashion. For 5 months, Mr. Speaker, more than 130 men and women of the District of Columbia National Guard stood watch here at the Capitol complex alongside our own Capitol Police. They superbly assisted the Capitol Police in the discharge of their principal duty, which is to enable Congress to operate securely in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities. With the support of the National Guard Bureau and the Department of Defense, the men and women of the District of Columbia Guard helped make it possible for Congress to continue its work. For that, all Members are thankful. The men and women of the Guard also enabled our Capitol Police to have some measure of much needed rest and relief. Even with the Guard's help, Capitol Police officers worked 12-hour shifts during the last 7 months, most for 6 days a week. I hope all the Members heard that because it is not appropriate that we allow that to continue. It is not appropriate for our security. It is not appropriate for the safety of our men and women in the Capitol Police. It is not appropriate for their families. Fortunately, that grueling schedule has somewhat subsided. It doubtless would have been even more demanding, however, without the assistance of the diligent, dedicated Guardsmen and -women, and for that, as I said, we are most thankful. Mr. Speaker, the men and women of the District of Columbia Guard distinguished themselves in this undertaking. They discharged this extraordinary duty with diligence, professionalism, dedication and good humor. I will include at this point in the Record a complete list of their names. Task Force Capitol Guardian (DCNG) Abele, Timothy, SPC, Addison, Mark, SGT, Aiken, Anthony, SPC, Allen, Tekeshia, OC, Armstrong, John, SSG, Atkinson, Anthony, SSG, Baird, Gordan, SFC, Baker, Anthony, SSG, Barnes, Samuel, SPC, Belton, Karla, SPC, Bennett, Carolyn, SGT, Black, John, SPC, Blankenship, Todd, CPL, Bloodworth, Stephen, SSG, Brooks, Geoffry, MAJ, Brown, Anthony, SFC, Bryan, Rosemary, SPC, Cammon, Melvin, SGT, Carr, Jerry, SGT, Clark, Karen, SPC. Clemons, Rodney, SGT, Clinton, Jerry, SSG, Coates, Elizabeth, SPC, Coles, Christopher, CPL, Coley, Antonio, SSG, Cotton, Chandler, SGT, Cradie, Tavar, PFC, Dancy, Julius, SGT, Davis, Derwin, SPC, Davis, Michael, MSG, Day, Albert, SPC, Douglas, Kirk, SGT, Doye, James, SSG, Elmore, Albert, SGT, Emiabata, Abayomi, SFC, Espinosa, Angelo, SPC, Fenton, Keith, SSG, Frost, Dwayne, SPC, Goodwin, Shannon, SSG, Graham, James, SGT. Gray, Devon, 1LT, Green, Marion, SGT, Hailstalk, Jacelyn, SPC, Hall, Robert, SGT, Harris, David, SGT, Hayes, Stephanie, SPC, Height, Ramonz, SSG, Henry, Alvin, SFC, Hill, David, SPC, Hill, Steven, SGT, Hinaman, Arthur W., LTC, Hoffman, Mary, SPC, Hudson, Leonard, SFC, Hughes, Rachel, 1LT, Hutchins, James, SPC, Jackson, Anthony, MAJ, Jackson, William, SFC, Jenkins, Deron, SGT, Johnson, Dennis, 1SG, Johnson, Trinette, SPC. Jones, John, SPC, Jones, Rasheeda, SPC, Jones, William, SPC, Kinley, Roland, MSG, Lancaster, Arthur, SPC, Lawton, Denny, SSG, Lee, Dennis, SGT, Lewis, Timothy, SPC, Luu, The Khai, 2LT, Magruder, Paulette, SFC, Mason, Kenneth, SPC, Maynard, Arturo, SGT, McArthur, Charlie, SGT, McGrath, Joseph, 1LT, McKinnis, Francis, PFC, McLaurin, Joann, SSG, McMillian, Charles, SGT, Metts, Nathaniel, SSG, Mickens, George, SGT, Miles, Robert, SSG. Minor, William, SSG, Mitchell, Juan, SSG, Muhammad, Franacine, SPC, Nathan, William, SPC, Nelson, Cartone, SPC, Newman, Agnes, SGT, Nicholson, Maurice, SPC, Parker, Dwight, SPC, Patterson, Rodney, MAJ, Pollard, Shanita, SPC, Powell, Steven, SFC, Prailow, Melvin, SPC, Prat, Glynn, SFC, Queen, Denise, SGT, Queen, Mark, SGM, Ramdat, Awadit, SGT, Richardson, Vicki, SPC, Robinson, Aaron, SPC, Robinson, Lawrence, SPC, Roy, Chris, SGT. Samuel, Rodger, SSG, Scott, Jay, SPC, Semper, George, SSG, Shirk, Terrence, SFC, Shuford, Robert, SSG, Singleton, Nebra, SGT, Smith, Rudolph, SFC, Spencer, Rodney, SFC, Steedly, Mark, SGT, Sterling, Karen, SSG, Summers, William, SPC, Sutton, Tamara, SGT, Taylor, Ramon, SSG, Taylor, Regina, SSG, Taylor, Ronald, SGT, Terry, Melvin, SSG, Thomas, Aretha, SPC, Travers, Victor, SPC, Turner, Gary, SPC, Tyler, Edward, SGT. Valdivia, Gerard, 2LT, Walker, Sharon, SSG, Warren, Ralph, SFC, Washington, Trina, SGT, Watson, David, SFC, Wellington, Larry, SSG, Wells, William, SSG, White, Quion, SPC, Whitley, Vanessa, SGT, Wiggens, Donald, SPC, Wilkins, Ricardo, SGT, Williams, Angela, SPC, Williams, Edward, SPC, Wilson, Jack, SGT, Wilson, Lashon, SPC, Wilson, Morris, SGT, Wilson, Reggie, SPC, Woodall, Brian, SSG, Young, David, SGT, Zollicoffer, Randolph, SSG, Freeman, Warren L., MG--DCNG Commanding General. They brought honor upon themselves as individuals and upon the District of Columbia and the National Guard. They also brought honor upon this Capitol, managed in a very efficient, effective, secure way. The National Guard, of course, is a cornerstone of our national defense establishment, and these men and women represented it well. We greatly appreciate the willingness of men and women from every walk of life to serve when needed, at home and abroad, to help keep this Nation free and secure. The National Guardsmen and -women who served here at the Capitol have now resumed their normal duties. They certainly deserve the salute of this House. This resolution, Mr. Speaker, commends the Guard, the Guard Bureau, and the Defense Department for a job well done. It records their contribution to the security of our democracy. I note that this resolution resembles one introduced by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) on April 10. The fact that multiple resolutions have been introduced demonstrates the affection and gratitude Members have for the men and women whom we met and who served our Nation and our Capitol. Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member to support this motion, as I am sure they will. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), who had a similar resolution expressing a similar sentiment.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, we have been talking about the Washington, D.C., National Guard. I am very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), who represents the District so very, very well.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for his generosity in yielding me this time, and I rise in strong support of this resolution. Being a Secret Service employee is special. It is a job that requires a very special kind of person, a person that would be held to a higher standard than others, and a person who we depend upon to protect our Nation's leaders, our communities, and our Nation's financial systems. On September 11, the images of heroes that we all remember were of first responders, like firefighters and New York City Police Department officers. Within the masses, however, were special people that we may not have noticed, and some were the men and women of the Secret Service. The Secret Service field office, as has been said, was located at Number 7 World Trade Center, which was adjacent to the north and south towers. For the second time since the World Trade bombing in 1993, these men and women faced unusual challenges that tested their courage, strength, dedication, and loyalty. On September 11, like any other morning, most of the Secret Service employees were either settling into their offices or still making their way to work. Others were about to attend meetings to prepare for the upcoming meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. At 8:48 a.m. their offices in Building 7 shook and the lights flickered. Most of them stopped for a quick moment but quickly returned to their work. However, after realizing that a plane had hit the north tower of the World Trade Center, they very quickly went into an alert mode. Although most other tenants started to evacuate the building, the men and women of the Secret Service instinctively grabbed first aid trauma kits and other emergency equipment. Special Agent in Charge, Steve Carey, and other managers ran from one floor to another, and room to room, to ensure that everyone was moving to safety. Once outside, they saw the sky engulfed by flames and smoke. Some of the agents ran into the north tower to assist in the evacuation process. Others began to execute the emergency medical skills that they had been trained to perform and set up small triage units on West Street to assist the injured. Tragically, as the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Otter) has said, the Secret Service lost an employee, Master Special Officer Craig Miller. Officer Miller was on a temporary assignment in New York for the United Nations General Assembly and was nearby at the Marriott Hotel when the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Although the hotel was evacuated, it appears that Officer Miller stayed behind to help. Because of his military background and extensive emergency medical training, those who knew Officer Miller believe his life was taken while trying to assist the wounded. In fact, some of the medical equipment was later found in the lobby of the Marriott Hotel that that particular officer had in his possession. Following September 11, the employees at the New York field office knew that the hours and days ahead would be equally challenging. Not only were they now without an office, but all of their equipment, all of their equipment was destroyed with their building. However, with strong support of other Secret Service offices within the region and around the country, and other law enforcement assistance, they returned to a readiness mode in 48 hours, as the ranking member has indicated, an extraordinary achievement in and of itself. In fact, within 48 hours of the attack, the Secret Service Electronic Crimes Task Force was able to track the cell phone use of some of the terrorists involved in the attack. The men and women of the U.S. Secret Service have devoted, Madam Speaker, their careers to protecting the lives of others, to protecting the financial integrity of our Nation, to protecting the integrity of our currency. Their level of bravery was no real surprise. Their courageous efforts were simply an extension of what they had been trained to perform at any given minute. They are deserving of this honor and always worthy of trust and confidence. Madam Speaker, Franklin Delano Roosevelt said that ``the lives of nations are determined not by the count of years but by the lifetime of the human spirit. The life of a man,'' he said, ``is three score and ten, a little more or a little less, but the life of a Nation is the fullness of its will to live.'' How special are these agents that we call Secret Service, how special are these people who themselves represent the fullness of the will of a Nation to live and to succeed. These patriots, Madam Speaker, these proud Americans demonstrated that even under attack, the Nation stands strong; the human spirit remains unbowed. I rise in strong support of this resolution and thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Istook), who was responsible in many respects for its introduction; and I thank the members of the committee for quickly processing this resolution which the gentleman from Oklahoma and I and others will personally deliver to the men and women of the Secret Service located in New York next week.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), for yielding me this time; I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller) for facilitating the movement of this resolution to the floor in a timely fashion. And I say to Chairman Istook, I am pleased to join with him in the sponsorship of this resolution. Madam Speaker, the United States Customs Service has a long and proud history that dates back over 200 years. It was at its outset, of course, our principal funding agency. It is now one of our principal trade facilitation agencies and law enforcement agencies. To most of us, they are the men and women in blue uniform that process us through international ports of entry. But they do so very much more. With nearly 20,000 employees, the Customs Service collects $22 billion in revenue each year, it prohibits illegal drugs from crossing our borders, it enforces against illegal trade practices, and prevents individuals with destructive intentions from entering our country, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) has cited in his own remarks. The men and women of the Customs Service are truly on the front line in the war on terrorism. Madam Speaker, the President has correctly said that we ought to recognize those on the front line, in Afghanistan, in Bosnia, in so many other parts of the world; but these men and women are as truly on the front line as those in the services of our Armed Forces. These men and women are in some respects the first line of defense against terrorism coming in from without. Madam Speaker, I join in the strong support of this resolution to honor the men and women of the United States Customs Service who worked in World Trade Center 6 adjacent to the North Tower. Building 6, World Trade Center, which housed 760 Customs employees, stood only 40 feet from Tower One. Shortly after the collapse of the North and South Towers, the fire proved too much for Building 6, which suffered a devastating internal collapse. By the grace of God and by the exercise of diligence and courage and energy, all 760 employees who worked in that facility escaped the wreckage without injury. In the wake of such tragedy, these employees were resolute and determined not to let such a despicable and cowardly act of terrorism deter them from protecting our Nation. Since September 11, these employees have worked around the clock to reestablish their physical presence and have played a key role in the Federal Government's investigation of the terrorist acts that occurred on September 11. Customs employees in New York have also played a major role in the volunteer effort to sift through the rubble at Ground Zero and at the Staten Island placement site. The Customs team worked around the clock, through the holidays, through the cold winter weather, all for the purposes of finding some sign of life. Even after the canine teams stopped searching, the Customs employees continued their search, their quest in their hope to find maybe just one, maybe two, maybe more. They knew that the people who lost their lives at the World Trade Center, as they did, had children, had homes, had hopes for their own futures. To Customs volunteers like Joseph Gloria, Louis Boehner, Stephen Cook, Jack Russo, and Richard Tursi, who spent so many days and nights searching through heaps and piles of dirt for personal effects of those who lost their lives so that loved ones might have them to remember them by, you are American heroes, as are the 194 other Customs volunteers who devoted their time. America will not forget you. As it will not forget the firefighters and the police who lost their lives that day, we will not forget your efforts that day or every day as you protect America, our commerce, our health, our safety. Madam Speaker, I also want to mention Joe Webber, who is the special agent in charge of the Customs office in New York. For over 2\1/2\ years, the Customs Service has been investigating a Colombian money laundering scheme called Operation Wire Cutter which involved the illegal exchange of drug-based dollars into pesos in Colombia. Following the September 11 attacks, it appeared that 2\1/2\ years of investigative material was lost and that that investigation was for naught because the evidence compiled and housed in 6 World Trade Center was not available. Mr. Webber, however, kept the faith. He still thought there was a chance to retrieve the information. A month after the attacks, he convinced fire officials to lower him into the wreckage of World Trade Center 6 to search for the evidence. Fortunately, yes, perhaps miraculously, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra) said, Mr. Webber was able to find that evidence which led to the seizure of $8 million and the arrest of several individuals involved in this scheme. The terrorists had lost. Mr. Webber, we thank you for your determination. You once again proved that terrorism will not, did not, must not defeat our resolve. To all of the Customs employees who worked in World Trade Center 6, we honor you today. We will be there to honor you again next week, but it is significant that 535 of your fellow citizens, sent here by 287 million Americans to represent our country, stand united in thanking you, in honoring you, in respecting you for your service, your hard work, your compassion, your determination. Our Nation owes you a debt of gratitude for the leadership and commitment you showed during a time when our Nation was most vulnerable. Our national anthem says that we are the land of the free. We are the land of the free because we are the home of the brave and these are some of those brave.