Steny Hoyer

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of the outstanding high schools in the great State of Maryland. Since 1927, Great Mills High School has set an example in Southern Maryland and across the State for its dedication to educating tomorrow's leaders. For more than 70 years, Great Mills has been a partner with the local community, providing students valuable opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom. As we celebrate the success of Great Mills High School, we must not forget the partnerships the school has forged with the community. Through a joint initiative called ``Partnerships for Success'', students have had the opportunity to become involved in all aspects of the St. Mary's County community. Whether taking advantage of after school tutoring by personnel at nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station, working in a cooperative program with a local business, taking classes at St. Mary's College through the Charlotte Hall Fellowship Program, or volunteering with the Special Olympics, Great Mills students are an important and vital resource to the County. Today, Great Mills offers a richly diverse student body the same valuable opportunities in education and extracurricular activities, as it did seventy years ago. Whether students choose to go on to pursue a bachelors degree, join the workforce, or serve our country in the Armed Services, all of them possess a solid high school education and a firm foundation for succeeding in life. While the surrounding region has transformed, the quality of the Great Mills graduate has not. Thanks to a hard working faculty, a strong network of parent volunteers, a student body of academic achievers and a caring community, graduates continue to excel. Their academic success can be measured in their career choices--championship coaches, test pilots, doctors, Congressmen, olympians and teachers. All of them have gained their educational foundation in the classrooms of Great Mills High School. In the coming years, the list of outstanding graduates is certain to grow. Great Mills is poised and ready to give its students a quality education as we approach the new millennium. While the Southern Maryland region continues to lead the State in growth, the $14 million dollar expansion and renovations of the school are sure to ease the pressures of a growing student body. With a first rate faculty, new computer and science labs, superior athletic facilities and expanded capacity, students have all of the tools necessary for the future. The dedication of the new and expanded Great Mills High School represents a true Celebration of Community. Congratulations and best wishes to the students, faculty, staff and to each and every one of the individuals dedicated to the future of Great Mills High School.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding this time to me, my friend from Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this rule and in support of this bill. However, I must say that I share the views of the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) the ranking member of the Committee on the Budget. I think his concerns are absolutely accurate; but, like him, I will vote for this bill and hope that we can work out some of the problems as it goes through. I am pleased that the committee was able to work together in a bipartisan fashion to draft this bill. However, Mr. Speaker, I am extremely concerned that the authorization for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards was eliminated during markup of the bill. I have talked to some of the staff of the committee on our side, and that was not our intent, and my understanding is we are not supportive of that, although it is a small component of a large bill. As education is one of our Nation's highest priorities, Mr. Speaker, we need to focus on improving the quality of the teachers in our schools. National board certification is, in my opinion, an important way to achieve this goal. Both the President and a bipartisan group of our Nation's Governors support the good work that the national board is doing to improve the quality of our teachers. Recently, Mr. Speaker, the Maryland Legislature passed a bill creating a pilot program to encourage up to 45 teachers to seek national board certification. In the city of Bowie, Maryland, just down the road, the City Council approved a $20,000 set-aside in its 1997- 1998 budget for initiatives to enhance the teaching skills and instructional environment in Bowie schools, including national board certification. Mr. Speaker, as President Clinton said last Friday, and I quote, now is no time to walk away from our commitment to public education. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the President said, should not be a partisan issue, it should not be an ideological issue, it ought to be purely and simply what we can do to help you do what is best for our children and their future, close quote. Mr. Speaker, as I said, I will support this bill, but I am very, very hopeful that the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is included in the Senate bill and will be included in the conference. I will be talking to my good friend, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the chairman-in-exile of this committee, and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), chairman of this committee, in working toward that end. I think this is a critical component of our overall effort to upgrade the status of teaching, and, therefore, the quality of education in our schools. I would hope that we could come to an agreement between the two bodies on this, and I look forward to working toward that end.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to state my disappointment that this legislation contains no legislative language authorizing Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ) funds to be utilized for the operation and construction of telecommuting centers. In 1991 ISTEA broke new ground by allowing CMAQ funding to be used to study the benefits of telecommuting centers. These centers are presently funded by the General Services Administration and allow federal employees to use an alternative workplace in lieu of traveling to their main offices several times a month. This concept, which has been tested in Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties, has been very successful. I remember vividly speaking to a young woman about the impact of telecommuting about a year ago. She was the mother of two small children who lived about an hour and a half outside of Washington. Every morning she got up before 5 a.m. in order to get her children to daycare and still be at work by 8 a.m. On a good day, her morning commute was about 90 minutes. However, if there was an accident or bad weather it could take her two or more hours to get to work. After getting two sleepy children ready for the day and fighting traffic she told me that she often felt exhausted before she even started her job as a computer programmer. Mr. Speaker, there is a telecommuting center located not far from her home in Lexington Park. A few times a month she works out of the telecommuting center instead of driving up to Washington. What is the impact? For starters there is one less car on the highway. One less car equals less congestion on the crowded Washington metropolitan corridor and a decrease in air pollution. She is also more productive at her job as a programmer because she is better rested and less stressed, she gets to spend more time with her children, and she saves money, gas, and wear and tear on her car with a shorter commute. Mr. Speaker, telecommuting makes a real difference in the lives of constituents in my district. There is a need for additional centers in Maryland and the rest of the country and I hope that H.R. 2400 will be amended in Conference to allow CMAQ funds to be used for the design, construction, and operation of telecommuting centers.

Mr. HOYER

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

Mr. HOYER. Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) for yielding to me. Madam Chairman, as all of us know, many of us know, the gentleman from Pennsylvania has been one of the leaders on fire service protection not only on Capitol Hill but throughout this country. He is a former chief of a volunteer fire company of his own congressional district, a former municipal leader. And he did, in fact, raise to a high level of attention, subsequent to the fire in Speaker Wright's office, the necessity to make our buildings more safe for our Members, for our staffs, as well as for the visitors to our offices. Today's fire in the Longworth House Office Building was a fire that apparently an acetylene torch, I think, heated up some materials that ignited very rapidly and shot flames seven stories high up through the elevator shaft. There was very significant smoke on the seventh floor. I do not know about other floors, but I heard from my staff on the seventh floor. What is significant, and I think we all ought to know, is the extraordinarily quick and very skillful response that was given by the Capitol Hill officers, our medical staffs, the Sergeant at Arms' staff, all of those who were called upon to assist in evacuating the building. Some of the officers that were taken out, were taken out because they remained in the building to make sure that the building was, in fact, evacuated by showing great courage to assure the safety of all of those who might be in the building. In addition, I want to report that my staff reported that the District of Columbia Fire Department was there almost immediately. There has been some criticism of the District of Columbia Fire Department for not responding as quickly as they might, but in this instance they were there very, very quickly. And I think we owe a debt of thanks to all of those who we rely on day-to-day. As is so often the case, we do not think of them because we are not personally involved, it does not happen, there is not a crisis. And because they are there to respond to domestic crises such as this and we do not have one, we may not acknowledge their presence and their readiness to risk their limbs and their lives to protect their communities. So I want to join with the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), who has really made it a cause, and a successful one at that, to ensure that we are aware of the risks and take every precaution to avert risks that might have tragic consequences for individuals not only on Capitol Hill, not only in this city, but throughout this country. So I thank the gentleman for taking this time and thank him for yielding me this time.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the distinguished member of the Committee on the Judiciary for yielding. There are not many, there are some but not many, who have stood on this floor and either voted for or advocated for the pay raises not only for Federal employees but for Members of Congress than I. I, however, in this instance, although understanding the concern that some have with respect to impact on Members' pay, want to strongly join the chairman of the committee in his comments with respect to delinking. Very frankly, my friends, this has to do with whether or not the Congress of the United States has either the courage or judgment to stand and do what I think the overwhelming majority voted to do back in 1989, and that is take a cost-of-living adjustment, not a pay raise, but a cost-of-living adjustment to keep pay even. That is what a cost- of-living adjustment does. It keeps pay even. Now, if we think we ought not to do that for ourselves, what the Chairman is saying, we ought not to tie in others to that same position, which in my opinion relates not to the equity of pay but relates all to politics. I understand that. I criticize no one for that. But I was going to support the Chairman's inclusion of the delinking in the bill. Many on my side have not have done that, Mr. Chairman, as my colleagues know. And, frankly, some of my strongest allies on the other side on the pay issue would not have supported it. But I think it is wrong that we continue to keep the judiciary tied to the political vagaries of what this body is willing to do for itself.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I want to thank the gentleman for his remarks and associate myself with them.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, from 1981 to 1992, we increased the debt of America by 437 percent. We did so doing good things the wrong way. Yesterday, we passed a $2.9 billion bill and the majority demanded offsets before it passed. Today, we add $26 billion to the deficit, with offsets unknown. We should have, my friends, the discipline to pass a budget prior to adding $26 billion in spending before the caps. My colleagues, we have come a long way in balancing the budget. Let us not fail now. Let us show the discipline to say, yes, we want these things; yes, we want to invest in the infrastructure of America; but let us determine how we are going to pay for it before we do it. That 437 percent increase in the debt was because we did not answer that question first.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the University of Kentucky's men's basketball coach Orlando ``Tubby'' Smith. Let me first point out my allegiance continues to be to the Terrapins of the University of Maryland, as I am sure our Speaker pro tempore's does to the University of Kansas, Roy Williams. But I wanted to take this opportunity to comment on how proud I am of the accomplishments of Tubby Smith in taking the Wildcats of Kentucky to victory and winning Monday's NCAA National Championship in San Antonio, Texas. Mr. Speaker, I want all of my colleagues to know, particularly the good gentleman from Kentucky, that Tubby Smith comes from my district, Scotland, Maryland, a rural area near Point Lookout where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Potomac River. This community, as you could imagine, now bursts with pride for its native son Tubby Smith, and I am proud to join them in saluting the accomplishments of this distinguished resident. Tubby Smith was born to Mr. and Mrs. Guffrie and Parthenia Smith 46 years ago, as the 6th eldest child of 17 on a tenant farm in St. Mary's County, Maryland. Guffrie Smith, Sr. held 3 jobs, driving school buses, cutting hair, and firing boilers at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, to support his family. He and his wife still live today in the five-bedroom home he built on five acres in St. Mary's County. As to Tubby Smith, after scoring over 3,000 points for the Great Mills High School basketball team, Tubby attended High Point College in North Carolina on a scholarship. He began his coaching career at his alma mater, Great Mills High School, in 1973, and then worked stints as an assistant coach at Virginia Commonwealth and South Carolina. Smith then served under the leadership of Coach Rick Pitino from 1989 to 1991 as an assistant coach at Kentucky University. His first collegiate head coaching job was with Tulsa University, combining a record of 79-43, while making two NCAA appearances in the Sweet 16. From there, Mr. Speaker, he became the first Georgia State coach to record back-to-back 20 victory seasons. Then, in May 1997, he was named to replace the legendary Rick Pitino as the head coach of one of the most successful NCAA basketball programs in the country at the University of Kentucky. Kentucky's Athletic Director Newton learned what Tubby's family and friends also knew, that Tubby would be respected for his outstanding coaching rather than simply as the program's first African-American coach. In Saint Mary's County, those who know the Smith family are not at all surprised by Tubby's extraordinary accomplishments. They will tell you a heartwarming story of an incredible mother and father who have raised 17 great citizens, who were taught hard work, discipline and the value of good education. Tubby's accomplishments remind me of the words spoken by Booker T. Washington, who said, ``I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position one reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.'' Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to share with you some of the pride that the Southern Maryland community has for Tubby Smith and for his family. It is important to learn Tubby's outlook on life, and I quote: ``To never forget where you came from, never forget who you are, and never forget where you are heading.'' I ask all of my colleagues to join with me in congratulating Coach Smith and the Kentucky men's basketball national championship.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha).

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Guam, (Mr. Underwood).

Mr. HOYER. I understand that. Can any additional amendments be offered, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. HOYER. But no amendments can be offered; am I correct, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. HOYER. One amendment made in order. No other amendments other than an amendment allowed by the Committee on Rules can be made, no alternatives can be proposed for other offsets; am I correct, Mr. Chairman?

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, am I correct that under the rule no amendments are allowed, no alternatives can be proposed? Am I correct on that? It is a closed rule; am I correct?

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

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding this time to me, and I want to associate myself with the remarks the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) made earlier. I regret that I come to this floor to oppose this bill. Instead of coalescing funding to continue our peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and ensure a strong and forceful presence in the Gulf, we are being asked to undercut important domestic programs included in last year's budget agreement to finance our national security interests. It is not enough that the budget agreement of 1985 provides for emergency spending without offsets during domestic or international crisis. It is not enough that the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, my good friend, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Livingston), it is not enough that Mr. Livingston fought hard to prevent making unwise and devastating cuts in domestic programs, notwithstanding the fact that he just said something a little different. In fact, Mr. Speaker, it apparently is not enough that the United States Senate, with the support of the President of the United States, passed this emergency spending without gutting domestic programs by voice vote. No, Mr. Chairman, instead today this body is being asked to gut the Section 8 low income housing program which could leave 800,000 Americans without housing next year. We are being asked to effectively shut down the AmeriCorps program through a 60 percent cut, and perhaps in one of the most outrageous affronts contained in this bill, the leadership is advocating a cut of $75 million in bilingual and immigrant education. Let there be no mistake, Mr. Chairman, as to the importance of the emergency funding the President is seeking. Continuing the U.S. presence in Bosnia is critical. Progress is being made in the implementation of the Dayton Accords, and this progress has only been possible because of U.S. participation in the NATO-led stabilization force. There is not one of us that has visited that force, that has not been proud of our men and women and the effect that they have had. Apparently the majority party did not learn the lessons of the 1995 disaster relief supplemental. The chairman learned them; I think most of the chairmen of our subcommittees learned them. But their caucus did not learn them. There are very serious issues to be debated in this Chamber. However, we should not hold emergency funding hostage when on its surface we all support the need for a strong presence in Iraq and a need to respond to the ravages of El Nino. I urge my colleagues to vote down the latest sham of the Republican leadership and release this funding from the daily game of politics in which we have been embroiled. Vote ``no.''

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Chairman, I say to the gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman Livingston), my friend, I tell him honestly that I have heard him say that before. He said it on the emergency bill that we had for the flood victims in the Midwest. The gentleman has said it before in terms of the budget and the shutdown of government. The fact of the matter is this President believes he is part of this process and he believes that there are certain things he will not accept. We understand that. And I agree wholeheartedly with the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young) who said some of these items, yes, they ought to be debated in a larger context, but not on an emergency supplemental. The gentleman from Louisiana (Chairman Livingston) himself was for not having offsets, and I agreed with him on that. This is important and ought to pass as quickly as possible. And to facilitate that, we ought to take these extraneous issues, bring them on the floor, put in a day or two of debate. We certainly have not used much time in the last 90 days. We would have time to debate. Mr. Chairman, I will tell the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), ranking member of the Subcommittee on National Security, I intend to enthusiastically support his motion to recommit because I think it is the right way to go to get this critical bill through in a timely fashion.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, we just heard, minutes ago, about the death of one of our former colleagues, Bella Abzug. She had a full career and made contributions that her talent and commitment enabled her to do. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in great sadness to honor the memory of a young man who did not get the time to live out the promise of his ability, of his character, of his unbelievably goodwill. The son of our colleague, Ben Cardin, and his wife, Myrna, died suddenly last week. I know, Mr. Speaker, that the entire House of Representatives joins me in extending condolences to the very sad Cardin family on the loss of a gifted and caring young man. Mr. Speaker, I have known Michael Cardin since he was a very young boy. His father and I went to the general assembly in 1967 together. Ben first became a member of the Maryland general assembly on the year that Michael was born. He graduated from the University of Maryland law school on that day as well, in that year. But the proudest event of 1967 in the Cardin family was the birth of Michael. I and some of the rest of my colleagues, perhaps, had the opportunity to watch Michael grow as he and his sister, Deborah, and their mother, Myrna, would visit their father in the House of Delegates and here in Congress. There were two characteristics, Mr. Speaker, that I remember most about Michael. He cared more for others than for himself, and he was an intelligent young man whose greatest concern was for those less fortunate than himself. As a student at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, Michael continued to develop the commitment to serving others that he had shown even as a child. He served as editor in chief of the school newspaper where he demonstrated his strong communication skills and dedication to justice. In 1993, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, a great and good man, who has celebrated 93 years of service to his State and Nation, and his father, like both of them, Michael graduated from the University of Maryland School of Law. With his grandfather in attendance, Michael received his juris doctorate degree after hearing his father deliver the commencement address. The occasion was a fitting honor for the Cardin family, which has contributed so very, very much to this State and this Nation. At the University of Maryland, Michael was remembered as being a talented student dedicated to becoming a lawyer to help people, not for profit. This past winter Michael was admitted to the Maryland bar, a bright future lay ahead. After passing the bar, he worked in Baltimore for the special counsel and volunteered at the Hamden Family Center working with children and families. Everyone that I have talked to who worked with Michael at the Hamden Center said he was one of the brightest lights for all the children who were benefited by that center. His willingness to help others has always been a core value to Michael, and he demonstrated it in every part of his life. At the service this past Sunday, his father rose and said that there were many instances of which he and Myrna had no knowledge, incidents that demonstrated with individual people, homeless, children, people in trouble, Michael repeatedly showed the character that he had, which I suspect was in his genes, because it was consistent with the Cardin contribution. Mr. Speaker, Michael was 30 years of age. He left us too soon. All those who know him are heart sick. We can take comfort, perhaps, in knowing that in the time he spent with us he made a tremendous difference in the lives of all those he touched. His parents can take comfort in knowing, and I know they do, that Michael was a wonderful son from a wonderful family. I do not know any family that I have ever met, Mr. Speaker, that is more supportive, closer, more giving, more respectful of one another than the family headed by Ben and Myrna Cardin. They are wonderful human beings, good and decent people who loved and nurtured their son without reservation. Michael, for the 30 years that he had, got the best that there was in the Cardin family. I know that all my colleagues who know Ben so well, some who know Myrna and some who know Michael will join all of us in Maryland in honoring the memory of Michael Cardin, this compassionate and caring young man, and we will join together in extending our deepest sympathies, love and caring to Ben, Myrna, the Cardin family. We are a lesser land for Michael's loss.

Mr. HOYER

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to comment on yesterday's debacle. Some rose and said that this was legitimate campaign finance reform. The American public wants campaign finance reform. They do not want money to be the arbiter of the politics of America. They want money contributed honestly and reported effectively. The chairman of the Committee on House Oversight, who offered these bills to the Congress, had one principal large bill. That bill, he said, would pass. We said it was a sham. The New York Times said it was a sham. The Washington Post said it was a sham. We were criticized on our side of the aisle for being partisan and saying it was a sham. But, Mr. Speaker, when the vote was called, two-thirds of the majority party voted against their leadership's bill, including their leadership. It was, indeed, a sham.

Mr. HOYER

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

Mr. HOYER. But not vote.

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

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I hear what the gentleman is saying. A number of you have indicated ``not voting.'' Would a 17-year-old under your bill be able to contribute to a campaign?