Melissa Hart

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize some of the brave men and women of our community and their families on the Fourth of July 2006. On this day, our forefathers stood up to oppose tyranny, and these men were willing to fight for freedom and liberty. These men made difficult sacrifices for these principles. Today the battle for freedom is not over, and those tough sacrifices are still being made. It is only fitting that today we show our support and honor these patriots. From the United States Air Force: SrA Crystal Lynn Chatham and CPT John Matthews; from the United States Air Force Reserves: MSgt James E. Schlieper; from the United States Army: SPC Bruce Liptak, SP1 John Moan, SPC Scott Meehan, E-4 David Michael Hallwirth, and SGT Eric Klemm; from the United States Marines: PFC Michael J. Powell II, COL Michael Naylor, and Colonel Naylor's son PFC Paul Naylor; from the United States National Guard: CAP Edward Bartsch; from the United States Navy: Seaman Christopher Jazbinsek and 1LT Anthony DiBucci. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring these courageous soldiers on this day of celebrating our Independence. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute these great Americans.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Cranberry Township and the celebration of Community Day on the 4th of July 2006. Cranberry Township's Community Day began over 100 years ago and as a celebration of the United States' Bicentennial in 1976. The events of this celebration included a parade, musket shoot, battle of the barrels contest, bonfire, sing-along, and fireworks. Cranberry Township's Annual Community Day has evolved into an opportunity to highlight a number of local non-profit organizations. It has continued to grow and change to include, not only non-profits, but also businesses and vendors throughout the region. The annual festivity has expanded to include over 100 booths, activities, and events throughout the entire Cranberry Community Park with over 20,000 people attending. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring these courageous soldiers on this day of Independence. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute these great Americans.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, I especially want to thank Chairman Oxley, Ranking Member Frank, subcommittee Chairman Bob Ney and Ranking Member Ms. Waters for addressing this issue. It is one that I know many of our colleagues have dealt with with their constituents due to flash flooding, which occurs all over the United States, not just in coastal areas. I rise in support of this bill because it will help many of those people who, unfortunately, on top of the suffering that they faced as a result of the flooding, also faced more suffering because they didn't get what they needed as a result of, I think, poor administration of the National Flood Insurance Program. The story is all too common across the country. Young couple saves money, buys their dream home, finds that it is in a flood-prone zone, so they buy Federal flood insurance, thinking things will be okay. In fact, even their paperwork makes it look like they will be completely covered. But in September, 2004, in my district, remnants of the Hurricanes Frances and Ivan came through my district in Pennsylvania; and I worked with many families throughout my region who had lost their homes. My staff and I spent a significant amount of time with them and learned of all of the deficiencies involved in the National Flood Insurance Program. We learned that these incidents were as a result of poor administration of some rules that needed to be carried out that had been put in place in 2004. We raised these concerns with Chairman Oxley and Chairman Ney, and they offered graciously to hold a hearing on this issue. One of my constituents, Beth Beam, was given the opportunity, along with other victims of flooding throughout the eastern seaboard, in fact, to highlight the problems they had experienced with the NFIP. It became clear from this hearing that we needed serious reform. Many of my constituents learned too late that they were listed in the wrong flood zones or the maps were outdated and they really were not listed as being eligible or that they had problems receiving adequate compensation for their actual losses. Most frustrating was the lack of support and information that they received when they raised their concerns. The lack of true appeals process within the NFIP meant that many individuals had no recourse when they believed the system was not meeting their needs and the agreement that they had made on their policies. This bill is a great solution to ensure these types of problems don't happen again. First, it directs FEMA to develop more sophisticated and updated maps so that we will update the standards and people will know if they are actually in a flood zone. Second, the bill reinforces the need for FEMA under the legislation that Congress passed a couple of years ago to create this appeals process that will help people have the opportunity to have their concerns addressed. It will also require adequate training for the insurance agents who sell this federally subsidized flood insurance. That issue is so important as people will need help getting through the process when they have lost so much. Finally, the bill provides optional coverage for living expenses, business interruption insurance, basement repair costs and replacement of contents, things that obviously people who face these losses need so much. Following the floods in my district, people were surprised to learn how much of their property was not covered. People were very surprised and disappointed to learn how much of their property was not covered, although their policy showed that it might be. This legislation will ensure that they are able to receive compensation for the damages they actually experience, which is in line with what they have bought insurance to cover. Again, I want to thank the chairman and the committee for listening to these concerns. The NFIP is supposed to fill the gaps for those who lose their homes and properties. Unfortunately, the inadequacies have caused so much harm in the past and made people's lives even worse. Programs like NFIP are supposed to be a safety net, and I believe this bill will help us fix it and make it the safety net that people expect. The NFIP has been directed to make these changes. I urge Congress and my colleagues to support this legislation so that we can carefully oversee this process and ensure our constituents will not face these problems again.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me some time on this issue, one that I have worked on for quite a few years. When I was a State senator in Pennsylvania, we rolled back the death tax 1.5 percent. We immediately saw healthier small businesses, healthier family businesses, and healthier family bank accounts. I rise in support of this bill that further addresses a tax problem that the Federal Government has attempted to solve for a number of years. It is one of the main issues I hear about from my constituents when we talk about tax policy and what incentives we need in our Tax Code to promote entrepreneurship and to promote economic and job growth. The death tax is a clear example of tax law that deters this kind of growth. It deters an individual from starting a business. It deters a family from keeping a business going for generations. Worse than that, it deters the very people that the other side was referring to that this allegedly hurts, the middle class. These are our small business people. A report recently released by the Joint Economic Committee highlighted a number of disadvantages created by the death tax. First, it inhibits economic efficiency and it stifles innovation. One survey noted that two-thirds of the respondents stated that the death tax was the top reason why it was difficult for a small business to survive from one generation to the next. One of the biggest complaints I hear from these people, family business owners, small farmers in my district, is the immediate cost of complying with that tax. The majority of the assets held by a family business are farm property or business equipment or the business's building. They are invested in the business. This isn't cash. So they do not have the liquid assets to pay this tax. So what do they have to do? In order to find the capital to pay this death tax, we force these families to sell off a part of their business and to sell off parts of their family farm to pay the tax. How this helps them I am really baffled. I don't think it helps them. They tell me it doesn't help them, and they have asked us for relief. Today's bill puts us in the direction of further relief for these families, these family business people, these family farmers. I suggest my colleagues look at the facts. Look at how people respond to death tax cuts, with more job growth, and support this bill.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 298 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mr. Flake

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Thank you Mr. Chairman, for yielding me a few moments today to speak with our colleagues and with the American people. As I traveled with seven colleagues earlier this year to visit our troops in the Middle East and Central Asia, I learned a great deal about the American spirit, the spirit of our volunteer servicemen and women and what drives them to risk it all. It is the defense of freedom. It is the understanding that vigilance and sacrifice are requirements for our Nation's security. Back home in the comfort of their living rooms though, many Americans lack that focus. They forgot about Iraq's violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions and the mounting incidence of attacks on our Nation leading up to 9/11. They began to loudly dissent and doubt and distract from our mission in Iraq. One of the generals who I spoke with while I was in Kuwait took the opportunity in a quiet conversation to ask a very pointed question. He said, is America fighting this war, or is it just our military who is fighting this war? We today, together with all Americans, must answer that general's thoughtful question. We must answer it for him, for ourselves, for the rest of the world, but especially for our enemies, so they know America is truly committed to liberty and the victory of civility and opportunity for all who love freedom and support democracy. These enemies have long been committed to robbing the world of liberty. The United States and others have been targets of these terrorists many times leading up to 9/11 because of our commitment to the ideal of freedom. These enemies include regimes which harbor terrorists, but most especially those loosely connected terrorist organizations operating outside a national framework who share an ideology of oppression, tyranny, control, hatred resentment. They value no life, no man, no woman, no child. We Americans cannot continue to be free if we spend all our time questioning our mission. Many Americans want to debate the validity of prewar intelligence or weapons of mass destruction. Whether one nation or another supported al Qaeda, how many troops do we need? Americans have to look beyond the tactical challenges. We must do as Tony Blair did. The people who are fighting us, he said, know what is at stake. The question is, do we?

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 277 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment Offered by Mr. Flake

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the National Association of the Wolves and its member dens for all of their work in the community. The National Association of the Wolves was founded approximately seventy-five years ago by a group of Italian-American businessmen in New Castle, Pennsylvania. With over 400 members in 14 dens (12 in Western Pennsylvania and 2 in Eastern Ohio), the Wolves promotes higher education among high school students by awarding college scholarships. Over the years, the National Association of the Wolves has raised over $6.1 million for 2,537 students. In addition to providing scholarships, the Wolves have established endowments at colleges and universities across Western Pennsylvania. The National Association of the Wolves will hold their national convention August 18 and 19, 2006 at the Avalon Inn in Warren, Ohio. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the National Association of the Wolves. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated group like the National Association of the Wolves.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Donnie Iris, an entertainer who hails from my district, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Donnie Iris, a singer, first learned how to sing from his mother. In 1970, as a member of the Jaggerz, he earned a gold record for writing and singing the song ``The Rapper''. He then formed ``Donnie Iris and the Cruisers'' with his friend Mark Avsec. The band had the hit song ``My Girl'' and began to tour non-stop in 1980. In August 2004, the band celebrated their 25th anniversary. This past May they released the album ``Ellwood City''. The title track ``Ellwood City'' is reminiscent of Iris's childhood growing up in the area. On Saturday, June 17, 2006 Armstrong cable is hosting an event honoring the musical achievements of Donnie Iris at the Folino Entertainment Stage in Ewing Park. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Donnie Iris and all of his musical and entertainment accomplishments. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Hour of Power Full Gospel Tabernacle, Inc. of Farrell, Pennsylvania on its 30th anniversary. On Saturday July 1, 2006 the Hour of Power Full Gospel Tabernacle, Inc. will hold its 30-year anniversary celebration at the Shenango Valley Senior Center in Hermitage, Pennsylvania. At the celebration the church will also hold a Recognition Banquet. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Hour of Power Full Gospel Tabernacle, Inc. on its 30th Anniversary. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for sponsoring the legislation, along with our colleagues on the committee, but especially Mr. DeLay and Mr. Stark for being the prime sponsors of legislation. A lot of us have a lot of life experience that we bring to Congress. I know sometimes the general public doesn't believe that we do. Many of us are lawyers, and sometimes that is looked upon disparagingly by the general public. But in my practice I dealt with the foster system, and I wasn't very pleased. Unfortunately, it didn't often work out as well as it should have for the children. When I was a State senator, we had a debate about our foster system and our adoption laws and how we were treating children as chattel, the legal term for a possession. This bill helps move us away from that attitude. It helps us move toward treating children as the human beings that they are and the valued human beings who need love and nurturing that they are. I rise in support of this bill, the Safe and Timely Interstate Placement of Foster Children Act. It will expedite the safe placement of foster adoptive children in foster homes across State lines. Currently, these types of placements take an additional year on top of all the years that the poor child has already spent in foster care. The results of delaying safe placement have terrible implications for children. These delays are unreasonably long. They should not exist, and psychologists have stressed the importance of placing children in safe and loving environments in a timely manner. The sooner a child is part of a safe and secure family, the sooner that child will thrive. Whether it be with a family member or another loving family, the best interests of that child dictate permanency. Among other things, this bill will require courts to notify any foster parents, pre-adoptive parents, relatives, caregivers of the child of any court proceeding to be held concerning the child and strengthen the right of these individuals to be at permanency hearings and perhaps to be the permanent home for that child. All of these important changes to current law ensure that some of the most vulnerable children, not only those who have been neglected or abused but who are also on top of it, have been in foster care with a lack of security, that they get that security, that they get that security sooner, and that a safe and secure, loving home will be theirs.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for a stop to the misleading and dishonest rhetoric from some political circles that has been used to purposefully scare seniors regarding the new prescription drug program that is available through Medicare. These hollow claims that it is too expensive for seniors or doesn't provide good coverage have been repeated by groups across the country. These couldn't be farther from the truth. By every true measure, the new program is succeeding in its core mission of helping Medicare patients save money on their prescription drugs. Participation in the program has now exceeded its goal of enrolling 30 million by the conclusion of the first year, and it is only May. In addition, since the beginning of March of this year, seniors have been enrolling in the prescription drug plan at the average rate of 416,000 seniors per week. The overwhelming reason that so many Medicare recipients have now enrolled is simple. They are seeing real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs. The average senior who signs up for a plan will save more than $1,100 on their prescription drugs this year and low income seniors projected to save about $3,700; the average premium, only $25. Some in my State are paying just over $10. Mr. Speaker, with so little time left to enroll, I encourage my colleagues help seniors enroll, not scare them.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the opportunity to speak in favor of H.R. 4297, the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act. The title is exactly what this bill will do. It is important for us to complete our work on this legislation today so we can keep our economy growing in the positive direction that it has been moving in since we cut taxes. Interesting enough, though, those opposed will also oppose reductions in our spending, making it very difficult to make sense in making their argument. They want to increase spending, and somehow I guess that means we are going to have to increase taxes. The results say we need to keep taxes low. First, the extension of the enhanced expensing for small business will continue to provide incentives for small businesses to expand and create more jobs. Second, extending the lower rates on capital gains and dividends for 2 more years will free up additional capital that fuels the economic growth that we have experienced over the last 3 years. The American economy has rebounded strongly over the past 3 years with an average growth rate of 3.9 percent. In the first quarter of this year, the growth rate is nearly 5 percent. This growth has translated into job creation, with over 5 million jobs created since August of 2003, and reducing the national unemployment rate to 4.7 percent. Where I live in western Pennsylvania, we are always the last to see the economic growth, until recently. Recent articles in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and our Democrat State Department of Labor have admitted that Pittsburghers are finding jobs. A Labor Department analyst, Michele Heister, called the latest trend encouraging, and we are showing signs of recovery. The truth is we need to keep taxes low. The truth is we need to keep money in the hands of entrepreneurs who are the job creators. The truth is the policy that those on the other side of the aisle advocate will kill our economy and cause job loss. I encourage my colleagues to support the good, sound economic policy in this legislation.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, the results are in on the new prescription drug program, and they are very encouraging. Nowhere is the success of this new prescription drug benefit more apparent than my home State of Pennsylvania. Take these statistics into consideration. As of April 1, more than 1.2 million Pennsylvanians have enrolled in the new program. In my district alone, 73 percent of Medicare beneficiaries now have prescription drug coverage, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project that that number will be near 100 percent by the end of this year. With the May 15 enrollment deadline fast approaching, we should be doing everything we can to help seniors enroll in the new part D program so they can realize the incredible savings the plan offers. Take the story about Tom and Dolores from Pittsburgh. Tom and Dolores need about a dozen medications, and they feared that they soon would not be able to afford these medicines. They were also afraid that they would not be able to find a plan in their prescription drug program that would cover all the medications that they need as well as their costs. With help from their Medicare Today counselor, both Tom and Dolores found plans that work for them. They now expect to save over $2,000 a year on their costs. I encourage any Medicare recipient who is not yet enrolled to seek some information from Medicare Today and find out the savings it offers through Medicare part D.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Madam Speaker, today, as we consider H. Con Res. 357 to support the goals of National Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Month in May, I would like to bring attention to such efforts in my district and in western Pennsylvania. One such family in my district, the Nicotras, are doing just that. ``Hayden's Heroes'' was formed in 2005 by Sam and Rhea Nicotra to support CF research. The Nicotras' grandson, Hayden Klein, was diagnosed with CF in 2004, when he was just one week old. The Kleins and their family faced the questions familiar to many CF patients and their loved ones about genetic factors, the difficulty in diagnosing CF and, of course, the challenges in treating and managing the disease. The Kleins had no history of the disease on either side of the family and, since CF patients can look healthy, there is no way to diagnose the disease just by looking at him or her. Clearly, cystic fibrosis is stealthy; we have much to learn about its origins, how to treat it and, ultimately, how to defeat it. Fortunately, many Americans are committed to providing the resources to wage this battle, and, with National CF Month approaching, it is important that we recognize the many local resources to support this important task. The local chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation is an active participant in the national Great Strides walk to raise funds for CS research--participants across the country have succeeded in raising more than $150 million since 1989. The local chapter will participate in this year's walk next month at North Park Lake in my district. The local CF Foundation office also encourages friends and families of CF patients to provide support for such resources and research, and the Nicotras have been local leaders with Hayden's Heroes, which is hosting a ``Dancing with the Pittsburgh Stars'' event to raise awareness of the disease and support local resources, and a local talent-training organization in my district, the In Tune Studio, is also working on an event to support CF research. It is through such community efforts that we will understand more about CF and treat this disease, and I commend the dedication and tenacity of the local chapter of the CF Foundation and, in particular, the Nicotras and their family, for advancing this important cause. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing National Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Awareness Month and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute a worthy cause like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Beaver County Children & Youth Services. The Beaver County Children & Youth Services organization helps place children who are victims of child abuse in safe foster homes. The program has three different areas of service, which include general protective services, teen protective services and substitute care. On April 27, 2006, the Commissioners of Beaver County will announce that May 2006 will be designated as ``Beaver County Foster Parent Month.'' As part of the event, the Beaver County Children & Youth Services will tie a blue ribbon to a large tree for each child in placement throughout Beaver County. In addition, there will be a large blue ribbon displayed in the courthouse for the duration of Foster Parent Month. Protecting children is an important issue and I commend the efforts of the staff at the Beaver County Children & Youth Services. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing the Beaver County Children & Youth Services and Beaver County Foster Parent Month.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the Superintendent of Farrell School District Richard R. Rubano, Jr. Mr. Rubano not only serves as the Superintendent of the schools in Farrell, but also teaches a leadership class to juniors and seniors in the school district one day a week. The subjects taught in the class vary from speech preparation to key decisionmaking to job and college outlook. This leadership class has become very popular among students in the Farrell School District. Mr. Rubano has been the superintendent of the Farrell School District since 1997. Before becoming the superintendent, Mr. Rubano spent many years as a teacher, then principal. Mr. Rubano has served as a team facilitator for a group of ten who designed new math curriculum for grades K-6. He also assisted in writing the district's Act 178 Professional Development Plan. Mr. Rubano has dedicated his career to bettering the education of young minds. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing all of the hard work and time Richard R. Rubano Jr. has put in to make the school district better. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual like Richard R. Rubano, Jr.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate Charles Mohan for all of his hard work with the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation, UMDF. This year the UMDF celebrates its 10th anniversary and the retirement of founder and Board Chair, Charles Mohan. Mr. Mohan started the foundation after his daughter, Gina, lost her courageous struggle with mitochondrial disease. The UMDF is headquartered in Pittsburgh and has funded more than $3,000,000 for research to find a cure for this devastating disease. I ask my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Charles Mohan for his work with the UMDF. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the 103rd unit of the Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol, USA, located in Farrell, Pennsylvania on its 100th anniversary. The Sokol USA was created as a fraternal benefit society dedicated to providing insurance and physical fitness programs to men and women. The roots of Sokol USA can be traced back to Czechoslovakia in 1862. The program was started in New York in 1898. Eight years later, 22 Slovak immigrants founded the 103rd unit in Farrell, Pennsylvania. They take great pride in the fact that all of their programs are still conducted by volunteer members, and that they continue to offer weekly gymnastic classes for all age groups. On May 20, 2006 Sokol members from the Farrell area, western Pennsylvania and surrounding states, as well as from their sister club in the Slovak Republic are expected to attend the Anniversary Banquet of the Sokol USA which will be held at the Radisson Hotel in West Middlesex, PA. They will be celebrating the 103rd units 100 years of service to the community. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating The Slovak Gymnastic Union Sokol USA of Farrell for its 100 years of service. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated organization like Sokol USA.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Goehring Farm of Marion Township as it celebrates its 100th anniversary. The Goehring family began their family farm 100 years ago on 88 acres of land in Marion Township. The original owner of the farm, John Goehring, was just 27 years old when he started the farm. Brothers, Jim and Ron, now manage over 100 head of cattle and expanded acreage on the farm. With a number of children to follow in the family foot steps, the farm will surely continue to prosper in the years to come. The family marked the farm's 100th anniversary on Saturday, April 8, 2006 with a dinner at Concord United Methodist Church in North Sewickley Township. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the 100th anniversary of the Goehring farm. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a great family business.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Dave Bianco, the Project Coordinator, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) program, at St. Margaret Foundation. Mr. Bianco, a resident of Hampton Township and an Iraq veteran, has designed the AED program to support a ``heart safe'' community. The AED program trains, and places AEDs in places where people tend to congregate like schools, churches, community centers and police and fire departments. AEDs are designed to reverse Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) which kills 300,000 people annually. The AED program through St. Margaret Foundation began 1998 and has saved 17 lives, including eight since June 2005. The Foundation has donated 162 AEDs since 1998 and continues to be the only foundation in the country that provides complimentary AEDs and full-service, diagnostics and repairs. Two AEDs will be donated to Al Zarenko, Director of Community Services, to be placed in the new community center in Hampton Township. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in recognizing Dave Bianco for all of his work for St. Margaret Foundation. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated individual.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, as a alumna of Washington and Jefferson College, I am especially pleased to recognize that this year's Hugh O'Brian Youth, HOBY, Leadership Seminar will be held at Washington and Jefferson College from June 15 to June 18, 2006. The HOBY Leadership Seminars are designed to prepare our country's high school sophomores to become effective, ethical leaders in their home, schools, workplaces and communities. Selected high school students from each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Canada, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan and Israel attend annually and interact with recognized leaders from business, education, the arts, government and other professions. These discussions are intended to generate opportunities for young people to demonstrate and develop their leadership abilities when they return home for the betterment of community and country through community service. This year marks the 48th year of outstanding dedication to recognition and development of leadership potential in high school students and the 28th year that the seminars are being conducted in Pennsylvania. Moreover, the Western PA Seminar is a 3-day workshop modeled after the World Leadership Congress and hosts over 70 students from high schools in the western one-third of Pennsylvania. I ask my colleagues in the United States House of Representatives to join me in honoring the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Seminars and their distinguished service in Pennsylvania. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute this premier leadership development program.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. I would like to thank my colleague, Dr. Gingrey from Georgia, and a very, very good baseball player, I must say, for allowing me to join all the doctors on the floor tonight. I have had a lot of experience with this issue, significant senior population in western Pennsylvania where I live, and represent a lot of folks who have benefited from this program. And I think you and your fellow physicians and a lot of our Members have worked very hard to make sure that people are aware of the program, they are aware of the offering. And so many people who had no coverage whatsoever for prescription drugs are now saving a significant amount of money. And even more importantly, a lot of folks who believed they couldn't really afford their drugs, and so they maybe weren't taking care of themselves the way they should, or they were cutting their pills in half and really not taking the dosages that they really should have been for their health, are now able to do so. They are able to afford the drugs that they need. They are able to take the dosages that they need. And we are going to see a lot more people be a lot healthier a lot longer, and I think that is extremely important. I would like to make a couple of points, one obviously being what is shown behind me, that seniors are saving on an average of $1,100 a month with the Medicare prescription drug coverage. Low-income seniors who are not having to pay some of the deductibles, some of the other up-front costs, are saving even more, $3,700 a month. That is per month. And we are talking about seniors, so most of them are going to be on a fixed income. And it is certainly a challenge to pay this kind of money out of your pocket if you are working full time. So the concern that a lot of us had, and the reason that the Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate decided to support a plan within Medicare to provide prescription drugs, was that we want people to be able to access the kind of health care that is delivered today. And our physicians certainly know very, very well, and I am really honored, as a lawyer especially, to be part of the group tonight, explaining to a lot of folks who may not be aware of the program yet or who may, unfortunately, have heard some of the negative comments out there from those who maybe for political reasons don't want this plan to succeed. And really I would like to call for a stop to some of the misleading and dishonest rhetoric that has been used. It seems as though it is designed to purposely scare seniors away from this prescription drug program that is available through Medicare, which is just the worst thing to do for their health. By every measure this program is succeeding in its core mission of helping Medicare recipients save money on their prescription drugs. Participation in the program has now exceeded its goal of enrolling 30 million by the conclusion of the first year, and it is only April. In addition, since the beginning of last month, seniors have been enrolling in the prescription drug plan at the average rate of about 416,000 seniors per week. So obviously the message is getting out. But we need to make sure that it gets out that the truth is that this program is helping seniors from coast to coast. In my district alone, in western Pennsylvania, more than 90,000 seniors now have prescription drug coverage, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project that that number will only increase by the end of this year. The overwhelming reason why Medicare recipients are enrolling is simple. They receive real savings on the cost of their prescription drugs. The average senior, as I said earlier, who signs up for this plan is saving more than 1,100 on prescription drugs. In fact, the robust competition among the Medicare drug plans actually has begun to drive down the cost that we expected seniors would pay when we were initially discussing the legislation. As Dr. Gingrey knows, we were talking about how much the monthly cost would be for the plans, and we were worried that some people might not be able to afford the plan. So we did everything we could to drive down the monthly cost for the prescription drug coverage so that people would buy the coverage and then obviously save a lot of money on their prescriptions. It was originally estimated that we would be nearly $40 a month, and now the average premium is only about $25 a month. And, in fact, some, one that we found in our district, is only about $10.14 a month. And so seniors who have very little means certainly have an opportunity to get into this program even if they don't qualify for the no-cost monthly benefit. Back home in Pennsylvania, beneficiaries, as I mentioned, have a wide range of choices. It is not just the amount that each of these plans cost, but it is the level of service as well; the broader-based formulary, if you have a lot more needs for different prescriptions. I saw Dr. Burgess was holding three prescription drug bottles when he was talking. Some seniors may have one or two. Some may have four or five. And so it is important that they make sure, as Dr. Burgess suggested, that the formulary, that is the list of the drugs that are covered by the plan, actually cover the prescriptions that they need to take to stay healthy. A Medicare beneficiary in Pennsylvania who doesn't currently have coverage and uses three different prescriptions per month commonly prescribed for diabetes, for high cholesterol and for hypertension is an example of a person who can save a significant amount. On average this beneficiary can save $920, or 33 percent, by enrolling in a Medicare prescription drug plan. This beneficiary can save even more, as much as $1,900, or 68 percent, by using a mail order. And all of the plans that are offered give each senior options. They can choose to be able to go to their local pharmacist, which is very important because many people would love to talk to their pharmacist every time they have a chance to. Some are very comfortable with their prescriptions or medications, and they don't need to do that. They would rather save money and can get mail order, and so they have the opportunity to save even more that way. But every State offers different plans that have different benefits, and it is nice to know that whatever your needs are, there is going to be a plan to cover them. While some outside this Chamber today have sought to discount this plan and say it is too complex for seniors, the savings that people are realizing is having a very serious positive effect on people across the country. Madam Speaker, these statistics speak for themselves, and the individuals who choose to demagogue the new program are not only trying to harm seniors, but they are also insulting the intelligence of seniors in the United States. With more than 30 million Americans who are now enrolled in the program, we should be doing everything we can to help seniors and increase the enrollment in the part D program, not scare them. And I really appreciate the fact that our health care professionals who are Members of Congress are here, because they have the credibility of being providers of health care and also now as legislators here in the Congress, who have helped us move forward with this legislation, helped us get through some of the bumps in the initial roll-out of the program to the point now where so many people are benefiting. And I want to commend you, Dr. Gingrey, for being one of those steadfast individuals who not only represents your district in Georgia, but you are doing a world of good for seniors across the country to make sure that they know that this is a great plan for them, it is going to help them save money, and most importantly, more importantly than anything else, to help them stay healthy. And I want to thank you for allowing me to join you.

Ms. HART. It has been a pleasure. I thank you.

Ms. HART

Ms. HART. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Highland School District for its nomination for the 2006 Rising Star Award presented by People Do Matter, which is part of the Pittsburgh Human Resources Association. This award was given to the school district because they demonstrated a link between Professional Development, their people practices, and their students' test score results and achievements by using innovative and emerging practices. They are the only school district to ever receive this award. The Highland School District will receive the ``Rising Star'' Award on April 5, 2006 at a dinner at the Rivers Club in Pittsburgh. I ask my colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Highland School District for receiving the Rising Star Award. It is an honor to represent the Fourth Congressional District of Pennsylvania and a pleasure to salute such a dedicated school district as the Highland School District.