Rush Holt

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, while thousands of individuals celebrated their domestic accomplishments and democratic government a week ago on Republic Day, the earthquake shook the ground that they marched on and turned a festivity into a disaster for hundreds of thousands. Earlier this month, I had the privilege of traveling again in India, a country rich in heritage, beauty and traditions, a country quickly rising in economic power. Now, however, despite the dismal reports, small glimmers of hope are emerging from the darkness. Just yesterday, a 24-year-old computer student, Veeral Dalal, a resident of my State of New Jersey, was rescued in Bhuj after spending 4 days with only 8 inches of room between him and a collapsed ceiling. Americans are generous to those in need. We stand ready to offer assistance. Mr. Dalal is just one example of how grief can be mitigated with hope. But we must stand ready not only to offer help and rescue, recovery, and emergency shelter and care, but also in the longer-term efforts in community planning and reconstruction of a modern infrastructure in keeping with the great country of India and our growing closeness to democratic countries.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, even at the dawn of the twenty-first century, there are many states and localities that conduct their elections in ways that are outdated, slow, unreliable, inaccurate, and inaccessible to many. One need not look further than the turmoil surrounding the 2000 Presidential election to see the disparities of our electoral process. For instance, while some counties in Florida have modern voting machines that leave little room for error, others use dated punch-card ballots, that can lead to the now-famous hanging and dimpled chads. That is why I rise to introduce the ``Commission on Elections Procedures Act,'' which establishes a bipartisan commission to study the Federal, State, and local electoral process and to make recommendations on the implementation of standardized voting procedures. The long national nightmare of the 2000 Presidential vote counting has taught us, Republicans and Democrats alike, that we need to improve the instruments of voting and the means of electing our office holders. Even the Supreme Court Justices spoke of the need for uniform voting procedures. Let me be clear: unlike some legislation that has been introduced in this regard, this is not a federal mandate of election standards. This bill simply calls for a study to determine if standardization is necessary and to recommend what changes can be made to improve our electoral process. I understand that a rural state like North Dakota has voting problems that are different than those faced by a more urban state like New Jersey. Urban and rural areas have unique difficulties with voting. My legislation recognizes these differences and will work to find a common solution. While all areas could face problems of the cost of transition to a new system, I am confident that money can be found to assist the states in this area. By establishing a commission to study the issue and to review the unique circumstances of each state, we have a chance to find a solution that will work for everyone. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 476, which commends the present Army Nurse Corps for extending equal opportunities to men and women, and recognizes the brave and honorable service of the men and women who have served in the Army Nurse Corps and as Army hospital corpsmen. From the earliest days of this great country, whenever our army was needed, nurses have served. During the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and other times of need, nurses have been there with the soldiers. Congress officially established the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on February 2, 1901, with 202 nurses serving on active duty. During World War II, the Corps swelled to over 59,000 nurses, all of whom served their country valiantly and honorably. Indeed, Army Corps Nurses received 1,619 medals, citations, and commendations during World War II, reflecting their courage and dedication. Sixteen medals were awarded posthumously to nurses who died as a result of enemy fire. These included the 6 nurses who died at Anzio, 6 who died when the Hospital Ship Comfort was attacked by a Japanese suicide plane, and 4 flight nurses. Overall, 201 nurses died while serving in the Army during the war. In 1947, another act of Congress established the Army Nurse Corps as part of the Medical Department of the active army. In 1950, when hostilities broke out in South Korea, 3,460 Army Nurses were on active duty. Many of them were assigned to field, evacuation and new Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals (MASH), only minutes from the battle areas by helicopter. Unfortunately, due to the gender discrimination of the Army Nurse Corps during World War II, men, regardless of their training and accomplishments, could not receive officer's commissions in the Nurse Corps and thus often had to enlist as hospital corpsmen, subordinate in rank to female nurses. One of my constituents, Sam Landis, was one of these men. Mr. Landis served as a surgical technician in the Pacific theater during World War II. During the battle of Okinawa, Mr. Landis placed himself at extreme personal risk in tending to anesthetized casualties while his field hospital was being shelled. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroic service. I am proud to offer this resolution which recognizes men like Sam Landis and which commends the Army Nurse Corp for allowing men into this brave and honorable service. In 1955, Congress opened the Army Nurse Corps to males, thereby allowing male nurses in the Army to be commissioned as officers, and the Army Nurse Corps became the first gender integrated corps in the Army that year. From the battlefields of the Civil War to the foreign lands of Asia, these Army Nurses and Army hospital corpsmen sought to relieve the pain and suffering of war. And their mission is no less vital in peacetime. Army Nurses perform in a range of medical situations and emergencies. The extensive training, the sense of proud tradition and the strong commitment to help mankind, have made the Army Nurse not only a valuable asset to the Army, but to our country as well. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H. Res. 476.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, in May of 1992, Mr. Li Hongzhi had an idea-- one that would promote better health and moral living in the people of China and those around the world who chose to partake in the ancient practice of Falun Dafa. The phenomenon quickly swept the country and eventually the world as men and women rediscovered their ancient Chinese culture. Through simple exercises, practitioners strove to renew their senses of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance that serve as a foundation for their happiness and spiritual satisfaction. Ultimately, individuals found strength, physical well-being and peace as they embraced the simplicity of this self-improvement practice. But despite the recognition that Mr. Li gained throughout the world and despite the thousands of practitioners scattered all over the globe, a crackdown occurred--a crackdown that denied the right to freedom of religion to thousands of Chinese citizens. Apparently through fear of losing control over its citizens, the Chinese government started a crusade to persecute those practicing Falun Dafa. Characterized as an ``evil force,'' the Chinese government worked tirelessly to suppress the practice of Falun Dafa by enacting anti-cult laws and committing human rights abuses. Although Falun Dafa believers lead peaceful lives and emphasize nonviolence, practitioners found themselves being persecuted, beaten and imprisoned for simply practicing their beliefs. Numerous men and women have been the victims of torture, suffering and death, and many individuals feel that these attacks on Falun Dafa practitioners are unconscionable and unwarranted. They fly in the face of freedoms that we in the United States all too often take for granted. Mr. Speaker, all people should have the right to practice their religious and philosophical beliefs without persecution or prejudice. Therefore, in honor of those men and women who have risked their lives for the practice of Falun Dafa and in honor of the emotional and physical benefits that Falun Dafa has given to thousands of practitioners worldwide, I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning this abuse of religious freedom. Let us recognize those who choose to participate in the Falun Dafa movement and commend the contributions, spiritual fulfillment and happiness that it has offered to many individuals worldwide.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to recognize the Jamesburg Elks Lodge 2180's 40th anniversary. This organization continues to make lasting contributions to the local community through its hard work and dedication to those in need. The Jamesburg Elks began serving the community upon the approval of their local charter on July 13, 1960. The first Exalted Ruler of the Elks, Stanley Wzorek worked diligently to set the standard by which the Elks continue to serve the community today. In 1975, the Elks were joined in their efforts with the formation of the Jamesburg Elks Ladies Auxiliary. The Elks contributions to the community take many forms. Through their donation of space they help groups such as the Girl & Boy Scouts of America. They allow organizations for disabled veterans to host weekly events in their lodge such as lunch, bingo and health check clinics. Recently, the Elks donated cellphones to local school crossing guards in case of an emergency. One of the greatest efforts of the Jamesburg Elks is to host an annual Charity Ball to benefit local children with disabilities. In the summer months, the Jamesburg Elks, in conjunction with state assistance, send local children with disabilities to Camp Moore for a weeklong outdoor experience. Jamesburg Elks Lodge 2180 is a great asset to Central New Jersey. I urge all my colleagues to join me today in recognizing its dedication to community service and Central New Jersey.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Leslie Davis Potter and her ongoing dedication to serving the growing needs of central New Jersey families. I applaud the achievements she has made working to address the family planning, educational, and outreach needs of our community. For over 65 years, Planned Parenthood Association of the Mercer Area (PPAMA) has been providing high quality reproductive health care, education and support to women and families throughout Mercer County. Since its modest beginnings in a tiny three-room clinic, PPAMA has evolved into a full-service agency with four centers that provide a comprehensive range of reproductive health services and educational programs to the community. Leslie Potter has served central New Jersey families as the Executive Director of PPAMA for seventeen years. Throughout her tenure, Leslie Potter has worked to increase access to reproductive health services for low-income women, to ensure the reproductive rights of all women and address the growing needs of Mercer County's Latina population with affordable bilingual/bicultural health care. It was under Leslie Potter's direction that the 65-year-old chapter became a certified HealthStart prenatal care provider. Successfully directing such an active health care organization requires great managerial ability, as well as considerable skills to enlist and motivate thousands of volunteers and supporters who make a community-based organization like PPAMA possible. Leslie Potter has shown that ability and skill to an extraordinary degree. She has also shown great political skill as a public speaker for women's health and women's rights. Before taking the helm at PPAMA Leslie spent five years as the Director of Planning for Central New York Health Systems Agency. It was here that she worked to establish family planning and primary health care centers throughout upstate New York. Once again, I applaud the efforts of Leslie Davis Potter and ask all my colleagues to join me in recognizing her steadfast commitment to serving our community.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Kurt Landgraf. Recently, Mr. Landgraf, former chairman and CEO of DuPont Pharmaceuticals, took over as president and CEO of the Education Testing Service in Princeton, NJ. ETS develops and annually administers over 11 million tests worldwide on behalf of clients in education, government, and business. Mr. Landgraf served as associate marketing director of ETS from 1970 to 1974. Following that he held various marketing and financial management positions with Upjohn Co. In 1980, Mr. Landgraf joined E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co., where he worked within the pharmaceuticals division. In 1993, Mr. Landgraf was appointed president and CEO of DuPont Merck Pharmaceutical Co. At the same time, the Harvard Business Review Case Study highlighted Mr. Landgraf's efforts to create a highly diverse and inclusive organization. In 1996, Mr. Landgraf was appointed chief financial officer of E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. Later, he would be appointed executive vice president and chief operating officer and chairman of DuPont Europe. Kurt brings solid leadership, combined with the global business experience, understanding of education issues and strong support of ETS' mission to the position. Mr. Landgraf excelled as a senior executive of a successful company and has a solid track record in identifying and developing talent, a perfect complement to ETS' mission. Once again, I welcome Kurt Landgraf to ETS and ask all my colleagues to join me in recognizing his achievements.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I today pay tribute to an individual who, throughout his long and distinguished career has been tireless in his efforts to help the people of central New Jersey and the Nation. This Friday, November 3, Rev. David H. McAlpin, Jr., is being honored as he steps down as president of the Trenton Area Habitat for Humanity. I want to take this moment to thank him and Habitat for Humanity for their long service to the Nation and its needs. We are all very familiar with the fine work that the Habitat for Humanity does in providing affordable housing and creating safe, self- sustaining communities. Habitat has built over 61,000 houses throughout the world for needy families. Their programs are a classic example of providing opportunities for deserving Americans, through their selling of completed houses with no-interest mortgages to families who complete 500 hours of work hours or ``sweat equity,'' earned through participating in other building projects. Reverend McAlpin, as president of the Trenton Area Habitat for Humanity, has worked with over 2,000 committed volunteers to provide decent housing for all low-income central New Jersey residents. Since its inception in 1986, Trenton Area Habitat has completed 39 houses in the Trenton and Princeton areas. I join with the people of central New Jersey, and the nation in congratulating him on his fine efforts and the work of Habitat for Humanity. His example shows us all what the American people can be capable of if they all come together to solve the Nation's problems. Reverend McAlpin is truly a remarkable citizen who sets an example for us all. I urge all my colleagues to join me in recognizing his dedication to our community and the needs of our Nation.

Mr. HOLT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), my colleague, a freshman Member of Congress and an outstanding member of our freshman class, who will explain that indeed, $1.3 billion is not enough, but why we should do it and we must do it now.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to speak today on why we are still in session in November and why we may have a lame duck session in front of us. In fact, I would like to speak about work not done. And I am not talking about the Patients' Bill of Rights or gun safety legislation or campaign finance reform or minimum wage legislation or workplace safety legislation or prescription medicine coverage under Medicare. Yes, that is some of the work that is not done. But in particular I would like to talk about overcrowding in our schools and the need to provide adequate classrooms for our students so that we may educate them for the 21st century. I have visited nearly 100 schools in my district, and everywhere I go I hear from parents and teachers and administrators and students about the problems of overcrowding. It is no wonder. The number of school children is growing at a record pace. In the last 11 years, the student population of South Brunswick in my district has doubled from 3,500 to 7,000 students. In Montgomery, total enrollment has more than doubled in the past 6 years from 1,500 students to more than 4,000 students. In some of my school districts, the number of children in kindergarten outnumbers the number of students in grade 12. One does not need higher mathematics to understand the implications of these numbers. Our classrooms are overcrowded. To alleviate this crowding, many of the schools in my district are installing trailers. Now, while trailers may be a temporary solution, they are ill-suited for classroom use. Not only are they expensive to install and maintain, but their long, narrow floor plan creates an awkward learning environment. Moreover, in many cases they are not connected to the Internet; and of course, students get wet when it rains and they have to go to the main building. Many schools do not have a choice about whether or not to use trailers. With the cost of a new school at tens of millions of dollars, our property taxpayers can no longer afford to shoulder this financial burden alone. This is evident in the fact that a number of the school construction referenda in my district have had very close votes, some of them resulting in turning down the referendum and the inability of the school district to proceed with the construction. New Jersey communities, as in many other parts of the country, need assistance in building new classrooms and schools. A recent report issued by the National Education Association estimates that $322 billion is needed to repair and modernize America's public schools and to construct new classrooms. Last month, the U.S. Department of Education issued its annual baby boom echo report that documents not only the record 53 million children in our Nation's schools today but projects explosive enrollment growth over the next 10 years. We cannot continue to delay on this issue. We should take care of this issue before we leave Washington. It is time we stopped talking about improving education and actually act on it. We have bipartisan legislation that the Republican leadership has refused to act on. The President's proposal, as introduced by Representative Johnson and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) would provide $25 billion in new tax credit bonds to help build and modernize 6,000 schools. This new type of bond would provide interest-free financing to help State and local governments pay for school construction and renovation. There would be no Federal involvement in the selection, in the design, in the implementation of school modernization projects. The only Federal role would be in providing tax-subsidized financing under the same procedures that are currently utilized for tax exempt bonds. In addition, the President has proposed $1.3 billion in loans and grants to fund 8,300 emergency renovation and repair projects in America's schools. This is for schools where there is a critical, immediate need such as dangerous electrical plumbing or asbestos problems. Now, this part of what I am talking about was in the agreement for the Labor-HHS, Education appropriations agreement that fell apart after the lobbyists for special interests forced the leadership to drop it over the issue of worker safety. Our schools should not be lost in the last-minute wrangling over these appropriations bills. Our schools must be made safe for our children. There is no logic in refusing to act on these important proposals. The Federal Government assists the States in other areas of local need. We give millions of dollars at the local level to help them build roads and bridges. We respond to emergencies. All of these are important areas of assistance but so are our children. We have a responsibility to ensure that our children are receiving the best education possible for all children and that our students are not falling over one another in crowded hallways and classrooms. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this motion to instruct conferees. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), one of the leading men in this debate on school construction and classroom construction, who will explain why this has not yet been settled and why it is necessary for us to bring this up yet again today.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), who will explain why it is necessary for us to plow this field again, if I may use a rural metaphor for a gentlewoman from an urban district, because we do not yet have it. There may be an agreement, as the gentleman from the other side said, but show us the vote.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi).

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Olver), another champion for excellent education.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I think the speakers here have made it clear why it is necessary to instruct the conferees to depart from the Senate amendment, which denies the President's request for dedicated resources for local school construction and instead broadly expands block grants. The other side has said we are plowing the same ground. Any farmer in my district will tell us that one can plow ground again and again. Until one plants, one cannot reap. We want to make sure that we actually get some benefits, that the students of America can reap the benefits here. Talk is cheap. We have yet to have a vote on this. That is why it is necessary to instruct conferees so we can bring to the floor legislation that will take care of the decrepit and crumbling schools and the pressing need for construction of new classrooms. We are not here to refight partisan squabbles of 1995 and 1996 the other side seems to want to do, about who killed what and who rescinded what. That is not the point. The point is that, today, we have a multi- hundred billion dollar need in the schools of America to provide adequate facilities so students can learn for the 21st century. That is why it is necessary to instruct the conferees to depart from the Senate language so that we can actually, not just talk about providing these facilities for the students of America, but vote on it and see that it is done.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds just to address the comment there, because here we go again. This has been held up. The agreement has been held up over worker safety. We have failed to get the minimum wage. I have to remind the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) who just spoke that Davis and Bacon were two Republicans who thought that it was really unfair to have outside workers come in and, not just undercut wages, but undercut working standards. That is what we are trying to preserve here. As I understood from the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling) and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), this was in fact agreed upon. Davis-Bacon is not the issue here. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, how much time is remaining?

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) a champion for education for all. (Ms. WOOLSEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), my distinguished colleague who will explain that we do indeed understand what is stated here.

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca).

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 15 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens).

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro).