Joseph Hoeffel

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jane Roberts who will retire in December as Commissioner of Springfield Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. She has served her community for many years with distinction. Jane is a dedicated public servant. Upon arriving in Montgomery County, she became active with the Schuylkill Valley Center for Environmental Education and became interested in politics through the League of Women Voters where she served as President. Jane, a Democrat, was elected a Commissioner of Springfield Township in 1994. She served as Vice President of the Board of Commissioners in 1996 and 1997. For the past seven years, she has been active in promoting recycling and other environmental causes as the Chairwoman of the Cultural and Environmental Resources Committee. In addition, she has served as the Commissioner Liaison to the Board of Directors of the Free Library of Springfield Township. Jane and her husband Roy are the proud parents of two sons and one granddaughter. I am pleased to honor Jane Roberts on her retirement from the Board of Commissioners. She has made significant contributions to her community that will leave a lasting mark. Her dedication to her community truly is commendable. I join Springfield Township in congratulating Jane on her many years of exemplary service.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3295, the Help America Vote Act of 2001. The 2000 presidential election demonstrated the need for reform of the nation's electoral system. There is no doubt that tens of thousands of voters were disenfranchised in the election. It is quite probable that similar numbers have been disenfranchised in other elections, but the closeness of the 2000 presidential election highlighted the problem like no other. A nation that can launch a craft to a space station hundreds of miles above the earth, should be able to count every ballot accurately. I believe the federal government must take a leading role in this effort by establishing minimum voting standards and providing funding to modernize voting systems. When you introduce technology into an election, it leaves room for error. My Congressional district is a clear example of this. Prior to my election to Congress in 1998, I served for seven years as a County Commissioner in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, a County of over 700,000 people. During my tenure, I supervised the replacement of the old, mechanical voting machines in Montgomery County with those using the more modern advanced touch screen technology that are widely recognized as the most reliable voting machines in terms of accuracy of vote tabulation. A Congressional study of the rates of uncounted votes in 40 congressional districts nationwide found that voters in Montgomery County were less likely to have their votes discarded than voters in most of the other districts surveyed. These results are directly attributable to the modern voting machines used in Montgomery County. This bipartisan legislation before us today is not perfect; no bill is. However, H.R. 3295 is a good starting point to ensure that every vote is counted. This legislation authorizes a total of $2.65 billion for federal election reform. The Help America Vote Act provides states that use punch card voting systems with funding to replace these outdated and unreliable machines. Punch card machines produced the controversial ``hanging chads'' which illustrate how flawed our system of electing Presidents can be. H.R. 3295 also requires states to adopt minimum election standards, including a statewide voter registration system, in-precinct provisional voting, assurances that voters who make errors will be able to correct them, and means for disabled voters to cast secret ballots on new voting equipment. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the important legislation.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in strong support of this resolution today. The increased violence in the Middle East and the horrible acts of terror against Israelis have recaptured the attention of the world. And as we refocus on the Middle East, and in our mutual search for peace, we have to be willing to denounce and decry the horrible acts of violence against civilians. The inexcusable terror directed against Israelis must be condemned by the world. We must hold Yasar Arafat responsible for stopping that terror. Israel surely has a right to hold him responsible, the United Nations and the United States must hold him responsible, and the world must hold him responsible. Israel surely has a right to defend herself, and we are seeing that today. She surely has a right to act firmly to prevent further acts of terror. But we must, as we criticize appropriately Yasar Arafat, we have to keep our eyes on the ball, which is not so much Yasar Arafat and his terrible failings, but the hope that is offered by George Mitchell and George Tenant. The Mitchell plan and the Tenant principles to restart the peace process have to be the focus of this country. We need to move forward with a cooling off period, a cease-fire, of confidence-building measures and must restart the peace process. That is the highest priority, and I call on the House to give our full support to it.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the McKinley Baptist Church in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. The church has had a long commitment to serving the spiritual needs of the community. The McKinley Memorial Baptist Church was established in 1901. The founding members of the church named it in honor of the late President William McKinley. The church began as a prayer group with the original members belonging to the Salem Baptist Church in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. The new church members met at the home of A.T. Cottom to organize a new church, which would be formally recognized as a Baptist Church in June, 1902. The church began a new era in 1970 under the inspiring leadership of the Reverend Lowell M. McCown, Sr. Through the years both the McKinley Church family and the programs offered have grown in Christian brotherhood. The church continues its tradition of developing and sponsoring community outreach programs. These include the Youth Scholarship Fund, the President's Council, the Board of Christian Education, the Missionary Circle, the Young Adult Ministry, and the Drama Ministry. In 1976, McKinley Memorial Baptist Church created the Willow Grove Senior Citizen Center and named Pastor McCown as its executive director. The Center serves the needs of the elderly in the community, providing them with an atmosphere of Christian fellowship. Throughout its history, McKinley Baptist Church has served the needs of many parishioners. It has been successful in bringing many people together in Christian brotherhood. As one of the oldest churches in Montgomery County, it stands as a pillar of strength and prosperity in the Willow Grove community. It is a privilege to recognize McKinley Memorial Baptist on its one hundredth anniversary.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Guido J. Martinelli, who has been awarded the Montgomery County, (Pennsylvania) Chamber of Commerce ``Outstanding Citizen Award,'' for his many years of dedicated service to his community. Guido was born and raised in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania as the fourth of five children of Italian immigrants. After graduating from Norristown High School in 1955, he took a position with the Montgomery- Norristown Penn Trust which was the forerunner of the PNC bank. He quickly ascended through the ranks of the bookkeeping departments, advancing all the way to assistant branch manager and then was granted the first corporate title of assistant secretary. Guido received numerous promotions culminating with the rank of branch manager of the Continental Bank, in Norristown. He retired from PNC Bank in 1998 after forty-three years' service. But his retirement did not last long as he accepted the position of vice president in business development with the Progress Bank where he still is currently employed. In addition to his stellar career in the financial services sector, community service has been extremely important to Guido. He currently serves on the board of the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and has been active with the organization for seventeen years. He currently serves as a board member of the Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County. He participates in the Norristown Lions Club, the Norristown Rotary Club and the Meals on Wheels program. Guido and his wife Janet have been married for forty years. They are the proud parents of three children and three grandchildren. I am pleased and honored to present this award to Guido Martinelli. His dedication to his community is commendable.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2998, the ``Radio Free Afghanistan Act.'' I would first like to thank my House International Relations Committee colleagues, Ed Royce and Howard Berman, for their hard work in introducing this important piece of legislation, and to acknowledge their commitment to free speech and freedom in Afghanistan. The importance of the Radio Free Afghanistan Act should not be underestimated. Under this bill, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty would expand to create Radio Free Afghanistan. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has effectively developed over the past 50 years the ``surrogate broadcasting'' concept of local, regional and international news in native languages in countries that do not enjoy freedom of the press. The principle of broadcasting news and factual information free of the propaganda of repressive states is well established. Bringing the truth of the Taliban's actions to the Afghan people would continue a long-held tradition of bringing the voice of liberty and personal freedom to people around the world. The Radio Free Afghanistan Act would simply allow the Afghan people to learn the hard-hitting truth about what is happening in their own country. As we all know, knowledge is power. In the war against terrorism, we must blanket the people of Afghanistan with the voice of freedom, truth and democracy as we blanket the Taliban with bombs. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this vitally important piece of legislation.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 50th anniversary of the Highway Home in Hatfield, Pennsylvania. The Highway Home has been serving the needs of the elderly and I am honored to join them in their celebration. The High Home was founded by the Highway Tabernacle Church of Philadelphia in 1951 and is a non-profit organization. Since 1980, the Highway Home has been licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the mission of excellent care to the elderly and enhancing the quality of their lives. They have met this mission with great success. I am proud to join Highway Home in their celebration. Our community is fortunate to have such a fine facility that meets the important needs of our elderly.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate John B. Gourley the Chairman of the East Norriton Township Board of Supervisors for twenty-four years as a distinguished community leader in this Pennsylvania community. A forty-year resident of East Norriton, Mr. Gourley has served as vice president and twice as president of the Montgomery County Association of Township Supervisors. He was the founder and first president of the Delaware Valley Association of Township Officials which encompasses the Counties of Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery. Mr. Gourley also founded and was the first vice president of the League of Municipalities which includes 56 Pennsylvania communities. He founded the first Township newsletter in East Norriton and initiated television coverage of township meetings. After serving five years in the United States Navy, Mr. Gourley built a professional career as a national and executive sales manager in the chemical field. Mr. Gourley has been a dedicated member of multiple civic organizations including the American Legion Post in Jeffersonville, the Sons of Italy, the East Norriton Republican Committee, and the Boy Scouts of America. He is also a long time member of Visitation B.V.M. Roman Catholic Church. Mr. Gourley is married to Nancy Pistilli-Gourley and they are the proud parents of John B. Gourley, Jr., Esquire, William Scott Gourley and Ann Marie Gourley. I am pleased to have this opportunity to recognize John Gourley for his outstanding service and commitment.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate the Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia at Montgomery Hospital in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on their fifty years of academic and clinical training of nurse anesthetists. Dr. Tornetta founded the school in 1951 to provide the community with highly educated and clinically competent nurse anesthetists. Over the past fifty years, the school has graduated over 300 students. The nurse anesthetists from the Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia are respected in their various fields and hold many high level positions in academic and administration fields. The school is accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia. A strong academic partnership exists between the La Salle University School of Nursing and the Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia. This partnership has also received a one million dollar grant through the Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. The Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia has been a premier institution at Montgomery Hospital for fifty years. It has developed a long tradition of excellence and a highly regarded reputation. Our community is very fortunate to have such an outstanding educational presence in the health care field in our area. I am honored to celebrate this special day with the Frank J. Tornetta School of Anesthesia.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Madam Chairman, I rise in support of this bill and in strong support of the Tauscher amendment that will be offered later today as part of an en bloc amendment that would require a Presidential strategic plan dealing with nonproliferation issues regarding Russia. Clearly, the unstable situation in Russia and the uncertainty about the future of her nuclear weaponry and technology requires this kind of strategic plan to be performed. It is very appropriate that the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) offer this amendment to the defense authorization bill. I wanted to speak in strong support of it. I also want to bring to the attention of the House that we have passed in the State authorization bill a similar proposal that I offered that would require a 5-year strategic plan to be done on our arms control and non-proliferation strategies in general. It is important that we pay close attention to these challenges, that we require both the State Department and, in this case, the Department of Defense to do this sort of planning under Presidential direction, and that we get our national security team and agencies to work together to deal with nonproliferation issues, with arms control matters. Madam Chairman, I compliment the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher) for bringing this matter to the attention of the House. I urge support for her amendment and the close attention to be paid to the future of proliferation issues. The events of last week bring home as clearly as possible the need for us to pay attention to keeping the nuclear weaponry, technology and information out of the hands of terrorists. This sort of strategic planning is the way to do it. I ask for support of the Tauscher amendment.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, it is very appropriate for this Congress to be granting specific authority to the President to use all necessary and appropriate force against the terrorists that attacked America this week and against those that harbored the terrorists. It is important, I believe, to note that this grant of authority and this purpose of force is to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States. In other words, we are not just engaging in an act of retaliation or revenge, as satisfying as that will be, but we are taking action to prevent this from happening again to save the lives of Americans. The use of force that we authorize today must be used swiftly and surely and smartly. It has been said that this force should be used ferociously. And that is a strong word but an appropriate word under these circumstances. We need to punish the perpetrators of this terrorist activity. We must prevent a recurrence, and we must protect Americans. It may be we do not need to grant this authority. Under the War Powers Act, the President has the ability to use force when America is attacked, as we have been this week. But it is good for Congress to add our voice of support and to specifically grant this authority to the President. We must be targeted and accurate. We must spare innocent civilians, but we must act and act firmly. We must also be ready to use diplomacy, to build a worldwide coalition to combat terrorism, to lead the charge, to unite the democratic governments that oppose terrorism and those authoritarian governments that also oppose terrorism. We need to provide that leadership. This is our opportunity. We need to make sure that we fight the terrorists and not the Islamic world. Most of the Islamic world agrees with us in opposition to terrorism. If we are creative and sensible, this can be the beginning of the end of international terrorism.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution and in support of my country. As I walked to work this morning across the Capitol grounds, I was struck, as I often am, as I always am, by the beauty of the Capitol Building. It occurred to me, as I saw the dome shining so whitely against that bright blue sky today, such a glorious symbol of stability and strength of this country, that it could have been a target yesterday of that fourth ill-fated hijacked plane. The simple truth is that if a terrorist act had destroyed the Capitol dome yesterday, or if a thousand terrorist acts had obliterated the Capitol, America would still be standing firm, as it is today. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the President as our government hunts down and punishes those who were responsible for yesterday's acts of war and for those who assisted in any way. The United States is the greatest country in the world, and we will prove that once again as we bury our dead and heal our wounded, rebuild our greatest city and the Pentagon, punish the perpetrators, and rekindle the light of liberty and freedom in all our citizens. My prayers and condolences go out to the victims of yesterday's cowardly and inhumane attacks. America will never forget the innocent lives that were lost yesterday, and will never be able to forget or repay the bravery of those who are working heroically to save lives in New York and at the Pentagon. Yesterday was a turning point for America, a galvanizing event that has unified Congress and the American people and the President to wage war against terrorism. I hope and I believe that our response to this attack is the beginning of the end of the threat of international terrorism. Let us act to make it so, and may God bless America.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, there is a lot of oil under the North Slope of Alaska. Right now we can drill in 95 percent of the North Slope of Alaska. We are saying protect 5 percent, the coastal plain of ANWR. There are other opportunities. Seventy-five percent of the North Slope is comprised of the National Petroleum Reserve set aside in the 1940s for exploration and drilling. Drill there. But protect ANWR. Protect the coastal plain. We are not talking about capping Old Faithful or damming up the Grand Canyon. Do not drill in ANWR.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Chairman, for 25 years, this country has not permitted the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. We have said that the reactor waste generated around this country at reactors shall not be reprocessed, for the very sound reason that the reprocessing of this reactor waste generates plutonium, and plutonium is the key ingredient in nuclear weapons. And if we are generating plutonium through reprocessing, that is going to threaten our efforts to stop the proliferation of weapons around the world and to keep the supply of plutonium away from rogue nations and dictators. Now, this bill very quietly reverses that 25-year policy. It says that we shall now have research and development spending on what they call advanced fuel recycling technology. That is reprocessing. That is taking spent reactor waste and reprocessing it, creating plutonium, which threatens our nonproliferation regime around the world. There was very little debate on this in the Committee on Science, and no consideration on the floor. The rule did not permit an amendment by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that would have allowed a straight up-or-down vote. Mr. Chairman, this is not just an issue for our national energy policy; it affects our international relations as well. And there is no way, with so little debate and so little public notice and no hearings, that we should be approving this. Vote no.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, for 25 years this country has prohibited the commercial reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. We have prohibited reprocessing because it creates plutonium, and plutonium is the raw material of nuclear bombs. We do not want to proliferate that raw material. This underlying bill reverses that 25-year prohibition and permits what they are calling an advanced fuel recycling technology. That is reprocessing. The Committee on Rules did not make in order an amendment by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that would have permitted a straight vote up or down on whether or not to reverse a 25- year prohibition. This is a bad rule because of that and because of all the other reasons we have heard this morning, and we should vote ``no'' on the rule. We do not want to add to the proliferation of nuclear weapons in this country and around the world. This is an issue that goes beyond our own national energy policy and affects our international policy. We are reversing with hardly any notice this 25-year policy. It is wrong. The rule is wrong and should be defeated.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Arcadia University on officially changing its name. Formerly known as Beaver College, Arcadia University is located in Glenside, Pennsylvania and for almost 150 years has provided students with a first rate education. Founded in 1853, Arcadia University originally began as the Beaver Female Seminary in Beaver County, Pennsylvania located northwest of Pittsburgh. It was one of the first institutions to offer a curriculum for women only. The school became co-educational in 1872, and in 1907 adopted the name of Beaver College. The college had outgrown its campus space and moved east in 1925 to Jenkinstown, Pennsylvania. This new location provided a larger campus, as well as development opportunities. Owing to the success of the school more land was needed, and a second campus was opened in nearby Glenside. Today, Arcadia University has an enrollment of more than 2,800 students and boasts a student to faculty ratio of 12 to 1. 88% of the faculty hold doctoral or terminal degrees. There are over 30 undergraduate degrees offered and 11 masters degree programs. The university also operates a continuing education program with evening and weekend classes. The study abroad program is nationally recognized and offers students the opportunity to study in a foreign land. U.S. News and World Report has ranked Arcadia in the top twenty regional universities in the North. The school attained university status in 2000 after completing requirements to attain the new name. Arcadia University has been a premier institution in Pennsylvania for many years. Our community is very fortunate to have such an outstanding educational presence in our area. I am honored to celebrate this special day with Arcadia University.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Limerick Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania on its 275th Anniversary. Native Americans of the Delaware tribe were the original inhabitants of this area followed later by William Penn, who in 1682, purchased large tracts of land from the Native Americans. Early settlers from Wales, Germany, Holland, and France, soon began to settle here. Many important and prominent families began to arrive such as the Brookes, Evans, Kendalls, and the Ickes. A petition to form the township of ``Lymmerick'' was filed in Philadelphia in 1726 and may still be found in City Hall. Education was of major importance to the citizens of the township. From the beginning many schools were constructed. There were eight one-room schools in the township in 1848 and that number continued to grow throughout the rest of the century. Currently there are four major schools within the township. Limerick Township has been a farming community for much of its history. Development grew slowly though steadily until the construction of the Pottstown Expressway in 1985 which connects Philadelphia with King of Prussia. As one of the oldest townships in Montgomery County, Limerick Township is now home to 18,000 residents, a nuclear generating station, an airport, and several golf courses. It is one of the fastest growing areas within Montgomery County. I am proud to represent such an extraordinary township. This anniversary should serve as a lasting tribute to the men and women who built Limerick and now make it their home. Their dedication has made this township the wonderful place it is.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, I hope that the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) is right. I hope that FEMA has $1.3 billion. It is going to need every penny of it to respond to Allison; every penny is going to be needed and then some to respond to Allison. In Upper Moreland Township in my State, 10 inches of rain fell in less than an hour. In a fully developed suburban community with too many parking lots and too many impervious surfaces, these small backyard creeks, the Pennypack, the Mill Creek, Little Neshaminy Creek, usually a couple of inches deep, maybe a couple of feet, Mr. Chairman, became flooded 15 feet and 20 feet deep, stretching out hundreds of yards wide and flooded out whole neighborhoods. In my district, 1,200 homes were flooded, 200 businesses were flooded. Almost $5 million in damages to public facilities was incurred. This is a letter from Governor Ridge to President Bush asking for a Federal declaration of disaster to be issued. We have a major disaster in Philadelphia from the same storm that so badly affected Houston, Texas, and so many communities in between. This bill, which rescinds FEMA money, $389 million, is a terrible mistake. The previous amendment, I believe, will not succeed. It will be voted down, because of the broad across-the-board cuts. The Bentsen amendment is the only vehicle we have to restore this money to FEMA that is so badly needed. If the Bentsen amendment is ruled out of order, I hope that the House will pass the Obey recommittal. We have to restore this money. We cannot take a chance that FEMA will run short. The Allison bills are just beginning to roll in from Pennsylvania, and they are going to be enormous. We must act now.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Marcel Groen of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Marcel has been awarded the first Mark E. Goldberg Memorial Award which recognizes individuals for their commitment to Jewish culture and civic life and also for participating in the Israel Bonds Program. The Mark E. Goldberg Memorial Award was established in memory of Mark E. Goldberg and his strong devotion to the Jewish community. Marcel is a founding partner in the law firm of Groen, Laveson, Goldberg & Rubenstone in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. He is extremely active in his community as a former chairman of the Bucks County International Trade Council, a board member of the Bucks County Male Teen Conference, and he was former counsel to the Lower Bucks County Chamber of Commerce. Marcel has served as a special counsel to numerous municipalities and their agencies. Marcel has long been an active supporter of the Democratic party. He is the Chairman of the Montgomery County Democratic Committee and is a member of the Pennsylvania Democratic State Committee. He was also the former Finance Chairman of the Bucks County Democratic Committee. Marcel has dedicated much time and efforts to Jewish causes. He is an officer of the board of Beth Shalom Congregation, served as past- president of the Philadelphia ORT and the Bucks County Jewish National Fund, and a former vice president and board member of the Philadelphia Solomon Schechter Day School. Marcel and his wife Bernice are the proud parents of four children: Marlon, Jennifer, Rachel, and Justin. Their family also includes son- in-law Ami Dolev and future son-in-law, Elad Yagur. Marcel is my close friend. He is a good man committed to public service and civic leadership. I am pleased to congratulate Marcel for this distinguished award.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take a moment to explain my absence from the House on Saturday, May 26. After the Senate passed its version of the tax cut bill on Wednesday of that week, the Senate version and the House version were sent to conference committee to produce a compromise final bill that both houses would vote on. Following Senate passage, most observers expected the conference report to be ready for a final vote on Thursday, or at the very latest on Friday. However, negotiations dragged on with members receiving only periodic, gloomy updates. Finally, an agreement was announced late Friday night. I spent the entire night in my office waiting for a vote that was promised by 2 or 3 a.m. No vote was called. At 8 a.m. Saturday, I boarded an Amtrak train to attend my son's graduation from the Hill School in Pottstown, PA later in the morning. This was the last train that I could take and still make my son's graduation. The House voted on the bill about two hours after I left Washington. I apologize to my constituents for not being able to vote on what I believe to be a very flawed tax bill, but I believe the vast majority will understand why I chose not to be there. Had I been present to vote, I would have voted against the tax bill. Not because I don't think there should be a tax cut, but because this one is simply too big, is heavily titled to the wealthy, is filled with fiscal gimmicks, and threatens to plunge this country back into deficit spending. I support an immediate rebate to the American people, and actually supported a larger rebate than was in the bill from the outset of the tax debate. I also conceptually support several other items in the tax cut such as fixing the marriage penalty, reforming the estate tax and providing tuition tax credits. However this bill simply went overboard and threatens the fiscal discipline we have shown over the last several years. The folly of this tax cut will be shown as the President tries to pay for items like increased defense spending and education reforms that he has not accounted for in the budget, and for years to come as the tax cut is fully phased in and scarce revenue is needed to meet our national retirement and health care obligations to the growing number of older Americans.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Richard A. Luoma upon his retirement from the Hatboro-Horsham School District in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania after 29 years of dedicated service. Dick graduated from Fitchburg State College where he received a Bachelor of Science degree and went on to an advanced degree from Boston University. He first taught math and science at Groton Middle School in Concord, Massachusetts and later he was promoted to Assistant Principal. Following his move to Montgomery County in 1972, Dick became the principal at Keith Valley Middle School and Loller Middle School. He was promoted to the position of Assistant to the Superintendent in charge of Curriculum and Instruction and finally Assistant Superintendent in Hatboro-Horsham. He has been a dedicated citizen of his community as well. Dick has been a member of the Horsham Rotary for 28 years and has also served as president and secretary of that organization. He has been active in politics for the Republican Party in Towamencin Township. An avid golfer, Dick was president of the Men's Golf Association at Oak Terrace Country Club and continues to serve on the Board of Directors at the Talamore Golf and Country Club. I am honored to recognize Richard A. Luoma and his long and productive career dedicated to our children. He has never wavered in his belief that our youth are our future.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) for their support for my amendment. This amendment would add new flexibility to the Federal funds provided in this bill in the enhancing education through technology program to clarify that our school districts on their own initiative can use these funds to provide for the associated cost of leave time so that teachers can be trained in technology. When I was first elected, Mr. Chairman, I wanted to make sure I knew as much about the public schools in my district as I could. I wanted to hear from the educators in my district about their needs. I sent out a survey to each of the school districts. I started and continue to hold regular education round tables open to parents and teachers, principals and superintendents. I learned a lot about my district and the schools in my district. They obviously put a high priority on educating children, and they want to use the highest and best technology. I represent a suburban district. We are fortunate to have the resources so that most of my school districts have a good amount of hardware, of computers and so forth, so they are able to provide computers for teachers and students. But I discovered that the biggest problem in my district was getting the teachers trained on technology and to keep them up to date on technology. Mr. Chairman, the training courses are available to the teachers, but it is difficult in many cases for the school districts to make the time to get teachers out of the classroom in order to be trained. This amendment would make it clear that school districts can use this Federal money as part of their application for funding under the enhancing education through technology program to apply for leave time and other associated costs to make sure they can get their teachers out of the classroom on a regular basis as they see fit at the local level to keep them trained and updated on technology. This amendment will go a long way to help the professional development of teachers. While in this bill we are determined to leave no child behind, let us make sure we leave no teacher behind as well. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) for his leadership and his support on this particular bill and his hard work in the committee to bring forward this excellent bill. I thank again the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the ranking member.

Mr. HOEFFEL

Mr. HOEFFEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Chief of Police Russell J. Bono for his thirty years of service with the Borough of Norristown Police Department in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. His dedication to the citizens of Norristown has been exemplary and without peer. Russell Bono began his tenure in 1971 as a patrol officer. He quickly advanced to a K-9 Officer and then to detective. He was promoted to sergeant and then to captain in 1996, before being made Chief of Police in 1998. Chief Bono has served in all of the positions in the department. For three years he has also been the Acting Public Safety Director for the Borough of Norristown. He is responsible for all public safety including the police, fire and code enforcement. Chief Bono has furthered his education as well as his career. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Montgomery County Community College with an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice in 1977. In 1995 he graduated from the FBI National Academy. He has been active in his community as a member of the County Revitalization Board and the Mannechoir Club. He and his wife Linda have been married for thirty years and are the parents of three daughters. It is a privilege to honor the contributions and the public service of Chief Russell Bono. I wish him continued success in all of his endeavors.