Steve Israel

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Paul DeVaul, a decorated veteran and past County Commander for the Suffolk County American Legion. On October 5 2003, the American Legion will be honoring Mr. DeVaul for his service to veterans on Long Island. After entering the United States Army in December of 1961, Paul was assigned to the United States Army Special Warfare School at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. During this time Paul was awarded numerous awards, including the Army Commendation Medal and the Good Conduct Medal upon his discharge on December 16, 1984. Paul has been an active member of the Bay Shore Post, #365, of the American Legion since 1990 including serving as County Commissioner in 2001. Paul is one of the few Legionnaires who has served as County Commissioner for two years. One of his more notable accomplishments was when he took it upon himself to gather the names of all Korean and Vietnam War veterans from Bay Shore to create an Honor Roll to recognize their sacrifices for this country. Paul also developed recognition programs for community groups, individuals, and students who support Veterans and American Legion programs; such as the Spirit Of American Award, which honors individuals for their efforts on behalf of veterans or for their community work. On September 11, 2001 Paul coordinated seven local American Legion posts to serve as shelters for the emergency workers at Ground Zero. Paul continues to play an active role in the American Legion community and he serves as a role model for all Legionnaires. I commend Paul DeVaul for his dedicated service to our country during his time in the Army and in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center, and for his hard work on behalf of veterans on Long Island.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, early tonight when the House voted on the Ryan Motion to Instruct on H.R. 1308, rollcall No. 509, the Stenholm Motion to Instruct on H.R. 1, rollcall No. 510, the Rodriguez Motion to Instruct on H.R. 1588, rollcall No. 511, and passage of H.R. 1409, rollcall No. 512, I was not present. Unfortunately, I was compelled to miss these votes due to a long-standing meeting with Prime Minister Silvio Burlusconi of Italy. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall Nos. 509 through 511, ``no'' on rollcall No. 512.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues the following opinion piece from the New York Times on Sunday, September 21, 2003. Written by Mark L. Kimmey, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army Reserve and a systems engineer in civilian life, this piece portrays Reservists' frustration with the Defense Department's recent decision to prolong their deployment. Boots on the Ground, Family Back Home (By Mark L. Kimmey) The Army's decision to keep its Reserve forces in Iraq on duty for a full year from their arrival may have profound consequences for both the Army and the war in Iraq. While the Army will gain increased flexibility with its ``boots on the ground,'' the long deployments may demoralize reservists. When mobilization and demobilization are included, 12 months on duty in Iraq will mean a 14- to 16-month separation from family and career for reservists. ``Fair doesn't mean equal,'' a battalion commander once told me. But the message to reservists is unmistakable: the Army no longer takes into account sacrifices made to maintain two careers and lives. Many reservists will watch the regular soldiers with whom they came to Iraq go home before they do. The Army may not care about the disparity between the way the forces are treated, but those of us in the Reserve do. Everyone knows that the regular and Reserve units of the Army are not equal. Regulars are better trained, better equipped and expected to execute their missions more professionally. That's the way it should be: it's their job-- their only job. Reservists have jobs in the civilian world. For a reservist, every day in uniform is a day away from what might be (or might have been) a promising career. Despite the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination against an employee because of military service, we understand that when a dispute with an employer arises, the reservist always loses--even if the employer is forced to take us back. What's more, many of us don't serve long enough to qualify for a military pension--and even if we do, it's not enough to compensate for opportunities missed while we were deployed. Hardships on Reserve families have increased with longer and more frequent deployments. Reservists don't always have ready access to a military base and its support programs. Left to fend for themselves, Reserve families are becoming more vocal about their unhappiness with the situation. Politicians may not be listening to their complaints, but you can bet we husbands and wives overseas are hearing their pain. The Army is fond of bragging about the advantages of the all-volunteer force. But reservists are volunteers, too. We sign up for the Reserve when we leave the Army because we want to continue to serve with people we respect. We sign up because we want to serve our country. We sign up for extra income or educational benefits. Some of us sign up to be part of history, for the possibility of adventure. But nobody signs up for occupation duty, especially occupation of a country that never officially surrendered. It is not a question of performing our duty. I have served as a peacekeeper in the Balkans, a job that most of us found hard but acceptable. Even though most active-duty soldiers were deployed to Bosnia or Kosovo on 180-day assignments--90 days shorter than us reservists--my unit didn't suffer from a flood of resignations after Balkan duty. In fact, we laughed that reservists were providing more continuity there than the regulars. The problem in Iraq is that the Army doesn't seem to know what to do with us. The Army has only one civil affairs battalion on active duty. Its job is to get in fast, stabilize the situation and then hand responsibilities to a mobilized Reserve unit as quickly as possible. That's where my Reserve civil affairs brigade comes in. I am a communications officer in a unit filled with higher- ranking officers. Why so many senior soldiers in a civil affairs brigade? Because our knowledge, skills and experience, gained in the civilian world, make us valuable in rebuilding countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. In the case of my brigade, we've had nothing to do for almost a month. We were originally deployed in support of the First Marine Expeditionary Force, but when it went south to Kuwait at the end of August to begin its journey home, we were left to cool our heels. Our three battalions were dispersed on far-flung assignments. One battalion was sent to Bosnia on a scheduled peacekeeping rotation; another was split, with half reinforcing the 101st Air Assault Division. The remaining soldiers are filling holes in my own unit. So here in a makeshift base camp, we have a brigade headquarters with few reservists to command and no regular Army commander to support. The feeling throughout the ranks is that we are being held in place while someone tries to think of something for us to do. We've been assured that new orders will be published ``any day now,'' but we've heard that before. The advantage of experienced reservists to a unit is immeasurable. But here in Iraq, I am hearing more soldiers talk about calling it quits when they return to the States. Even though some soldiers are only four or five years from qualifying for retirement pay and benefits, they're getting out. The constant deployments are difficult for families and careers, they say, and waiting around for retirement benefits is no longer worth it. The evidence I see in other units around me is the same: the United States Army is about to see a mass exodus from its Reserve. For me, the length of time I spend in Iraq is less important than getting the job done right. I don't want my son to have to come here in five years because we messed it up. But if the Army continues its policy of year-plus tours for its Reserve forces in Iraq and elsewhere, it will soon find those ranks empty. The question the Army faces is simple: will more frequent, extended deployments dry up the Reserve pool? We need an answer soon. If the Reserve continue to be misused, soldiers will vote with their feet when they get home. By then it will be too late for the Army to figure out what went wrong. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has said that we need to be fair to reservists, their families and their employers. If reservists are forced to spend too much time on active duty, he said, ``we're going to end up losing them, and we can't afford to lose them.'' From my perspective, however, we're already losing them. The real impact of the Army's policy on Reserve deployments won't be felt until long after his watch. But because everything bad that happens is the commander's fault, Mr. Rumsfeld's tenure may be remembered less for its battlefield victories than for the damage it caused to the morale of the Army.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this motion to stop outrageous plans to cut hazard and separation pay for troops. In fact, Mr. Speaker, I think it's appalling that we would balance the budget on the backs of our troops. It is critical that we make the increase in imminent danger pay and the family separation allowance permanent for our Armed Services and their families and make it available to everyone in imminent danger, no matter where they are serving. In April, Congress approved a much deserved pay raise for our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. This was the least we could do for those who are risking their lives to secure our freedom. It wasn't a lot of money--increases of $75 a month in ``imminent danger pay'' and $150 a month in ``family separation allowances.'' In fact, this was the first raise in ``imminent danger pay'' in over 10 years, and the first increase in the ``family separation allowance'' in over 5 years. Now, as a Member of the Armed Services Committee, I have had the privilege of spending time with military personnel on the day of their deployments. With 500 men and women of the Marine Corp. 2nd Battalion at Plainview, NY as they left for the Middle East and said goodbye to their families with the brave men and women at the U.S. Navy and Marine Reserve Center in Amityville. One of my most vivid memories from that day is of a Marine kissing her child and saying, ``I'll be back soon.'' In her eyes, I saw determination and strength and faith and courage. Could we ever look another soldier in the eye, if we allow these increases in imminent danger pay and family separation allowance to expire? The right thing to do is to make the increases permanent. We know that the war on terrorism will be a lengthy one. it will require a deepest commitment. Just yesterday, another American soldier was killed and another wounded in a bomb attack on their vehicles northeast of Baghdad. The slain soldier was the 287th U.S. service member to die in the Iraq War. Sadly, we know that he will not be the last. In the 24 hours before the soldier's death, the Pentagon reported that there had been 14 attacks on U.S. forces. Clearly, no one can ever doubt the bravery of our forces. They know that sacrifices are necessary in the global campaign against terror. For the first time since the Vietnam War, army personnel are facing the possibility of doing back-to-back combat tours. To fail to make these benefits permanent is to shortchange the moral contract we have with our soldiers. This is our chance to stand with our troops at home as they fight for our freedom abroad. Many of our servicemen are already under severe financial stress due to their extended deployment. The effect on reservists and members of the National Guard has been particularly devastating. Let's keep our promise to those in uniform. Vote for this motion to instruct the conferees and authorize the necessary funds to help those who are fighting for us, for our families, and our future.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall vote No. 458 on final passage of H.R. 2859, a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003. If I had been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' Stated against:

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to recall that George Washington once said that the ``willingness of future generations to serve in our military will be directly dependent upon how we have treated those who have served in the past.'' Unfortunately, that is a lesson that still hasn't been learned in the city that bears his name. Today, the House considered legislation funding the Veterans Administration. This bill funds veterans' programs at a level $1.8 billion less than was promised in the budget passed through the House just a few months ago. Veterans' health care is no place to start slashing funding. We cannot send troops into war today and cut their vets benefits tomorrow. We cannot ask them to fight in Iraq and, then, when they come home tell them that we've slashed spending, causing veterans to lose access to VA health care. There is no excuse for trying to balance domestic budgets on the back of those willing to fight to protect our freedoms. The funding level set out in the bill today does not keep pace with hospital inflation or the growth in the numbers of veterans enrolled. There is a staggering crisis in veterans' medical care: an average of 200,000 veterans are waiting six months or more for an appointment at Veterans Administration hospitals. Some are even dying before they get to see a doctor. I have been working with colleagues in the House to prevent increases in prescription drug co-payments and enrollment fees and to increase investments in veterans' health in order to reduce these waits for medical appointments. It is generally acknowledged that veterans deserve a $3.3 billion increase for medical care. The $1.4 billion increase is inadequate to allow us to fulfill our obligations to those who have served our country so well. This stinginess with our veterans health needs is unacceptable. As Americans are fighting for our freedom abroad, we must stand with them at home. But where will we stand tomorrow? Will we remember what we owe them? At the end of WWI, the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George asked: ``What is our task? To make Britain a fit country for heroes to live in.'' Our task is to make America a country fit for heroes to live in. Our veterans deserve better. I urge my colleagues in voting to return this bill to the Appropriations Committee for reconsideration.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 2210, the School Readiness Act of 2003. Head Start is one of the great success stories in the history of American education. Since 1965, Head Start has benefited more than 20 million low-income pre-school children, preparing them to compete with their more affluent peers when they reach primary school. Head Start offers these kids a research-based academic curriculum and a wide range of vital services, including health screenings, nutrition, dental and vision services, as well as extensive parental involvement in education. It currently serves over 900,000 pre-schoolers, including 2,500 on Long Island. Last week, I had the privilege of meeting several Head Start success stories in my district. Let me tell you about one of them. Thomas Farrell attended Head Start for 2 years as a pre-schooler. Thomas came into Head Start with a speech impediment, which the Head Start educators worked to correct. Now, Thomas has just finished his first year at Brown University. He has excelled in his coursework. He plays linebacker on the football team. And he speaks perfectly. From Head Start to the Ivy League. That's the kind of life-changing difference that Head Start makes. But this bill will pull the rug out from under all of the future Thomas Farrells out there--ending Head Start as we know it. H.R. 2210 dismantles Head Start, turning the program over to States with unproven expertise and without the Federal program's quality standards and oversight. It this bill passes, our low-income kids will be placed into State- run Head Start programs, which will be held to a weaker set of quality standards--if they are held to any standards at all--than current, locally run Head Start programs. States will be able to cut off all services to 3-year-olds, increase class size, eliminate adult literacy services, eliminate parent classroom involvement, and use unproven and untested academic curricula. And under this bill, States will be able to raid Head Start funding to pay for other educational programs. My Republican colleagues say they want to make Head Start better. But under this bill, State are under no obligation to show that they would improve the program. In fact, no State pre-kindergarten program has ever been demonstrated to be as effective as Head Start. Mr. Chairman, my Democratic colleagues and I are willing to work with our friends across the aisle to make Head Start an even more effective program for our low-income kids. We can start by fully funding Head Start so no eligible child is left behind. We can work together to expand Early Head Start to serve more infants and toddlers. And we can improve the quality of Head Start teachers by requiring that more of them have bachelor degrees and by compensating them properly so that they stay with Head Start. But what we must not do is dismantle a program that has proven to be so effective for our low-income kids. Mr. Chairman, education is the great equalizer for kids like Thomas Farrell to achieve the American Dream. I implore my colleagues to vote against H.R. 2210, which makes the playing field even more unlevel for them. Our primary job in Congress is to set priorities for America. Let our children be our highest priority.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend an honorary New Yorker, Colonel Bob Morgan (USAF) Ret. Colonel Morgan was part of the heroic and courageous crew aboard the Memphis Belle during World War II. During that time the Memphis Belle flew 25 consecutive successful missions while helping the allies to defeat Nazi Germany. In a ceremony at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport in New York, Colonel Morgan honored many supporters by describing them as ``Americans who have preserved and protected our nation's past so that we may better protect our future.'' It is thanks to the dedication and service of men and women such as Colonel Morgan that we have such a bright future to protect. I am honored to have gotten to spend time with Colonel Morgan and thank him again for his service, dedication and patriotism to the nation. Mr. Speaker, I ask that his remarks at the July 3, 2003 ceremony be inserted into the Record at this point. Congressman Steve Israel, Mr. Hugh Jones, Mr. Edward Blumenfeld, Supervisor Bellone--distinguished guests and fellow veterans--it is a tremendous honor to be here this morning at the American Airpower Museum at Republic Airport. I have not been in New York since September 11th, 2001. But truth be told, I don't find its spirit to be much different than when I was here back in the late 1990's. You still have the guts, the grit and the determination of what I remember. You continue to be that tough competitor on the outside with the heart of gold on the inside. That character was on display that morning of September 11th as men and women made life and death decisions with courage and bravery that will be recorded in the annals of American history for all time. Some 22 months ago many in this audience found themselves on the front line of this nation's fight against tyranny and terrorism. Civilians and uniformed services found themselves together--under fire and confronting an enemy we had never known before. And yet because we were attacked as Americans we responded the same way--as Americans. I am proud that you think me worthy of being called an honorary New Yorker. Congressman Israel, I will wear that label proudly as it shows solidarity with each and every one of you. It reminds all of us that the fight to preserve and protect our country is never without sacrifice. Some sixty years ago I served with men who understood that stark reality. To protect our freedom we need to put ourselves in harms way. In a plane much like the B-17 Flying Fortress sitting beside the museum, we set out 25 times to defy the Nazi Luftwaffe. We knew that if we didn't put bombs on target the people of Europe would remain slaves forever and the people of America would always live in fear. We never wanted to be heroes but we understood the stakes. Today is no different. The stakes are high. The risks are great. But we are a nation that will do what it takes to defend itself and preserve liberty. These aircraft at the American Airpower Museum are part of that legacy. The outstanding work that Congressman Israel does in Washington is part of that legacy. And the support we get from people like Hugh Jones of Republic Airport, Ed Blumenfeld of BDG, Faith Weiner of Stop & Shop and Bill Mullaney of Hampton Inn keep that heritage alive and well. Accordingly, I would like to make those individuals honorary members of the Memphis Belle--Americans who have preserved and protected our nation's past so that we may better protect our future. Wear your new membership proudly-- you are now part of our American heritage. Thank you all and God Bless America.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, it is late, I understand that; and I will not take the full 5 minutes. I simply want to say this. We have heard it stated repeatedly that this is not about $105,000, and it is not about $105,000. It is about the line that President Bush drew in the sand when he came to this Chamber after 9/11/2001. He said that this struggle was between democracy and dictatorship, between liberty and tyranny, between education and indoctrination, between schools that teach people how to put things together and schools that teach people how to blow things apart. For that reason, the gentleman's amendment ought to be passed in this Chamber. Mr. Chairman, I was reading tonight an important book called ``Hatred's Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism.'' It is by a former ambassador to the United Nations, Dore Gold. I want to share very briefly, in a minute or less, some important excerpts from that book. Ambassador Gold points out that a third of the prisoners that the United States held from the war against bin Laden's al Qaeda organization were Saudi nationals. He talks about a Rand Corporation analysis who told the Defense Policy Board in July 2002 that the Saudis were active, quote, ``at every level of the terror chain.'' And if you do not want to listen to Members of Congress on this floor and if you do not want to accept the words of others, let me suggest that we understand the words of activists and leaders in the Middle East. Let me share the words of Mohamed Charfi, a former Minister of Education in Tunisia who wrote in the New York Times: ``Osama bin Laden, like the 15 Saudis who participated in the criminal operations of Sept. 11, seems to have been the pure product of his schooling. While Saudi Arabia is officially a moderate state allied with America, it has also been one of the main supporters of Islamic fundamentalism because of its financing of schools following the intransigent Wahhabi doctrine. Saudi- backed madrasas in Pakistan and Afghanistan have played significant roles in the strengthening of radical Islam in those countries.'' Or the words in December 2001 of Sahr Muhammad Hatem, a doctor in Riyadh, who bravely wrote a letter to a London-based Arabic newspaper in which she said: ``The mentality of each of us in Saudi Arabia was programmed upon entering school as a child. Anyone who is not a Muslim in Saudi schools is our enemy and that the West means enfeeblement, lack of values. We all focus on bin Laden and his ilk, but we have yet to focus on the more dangerous people, and I mean those who fill our heads with this rhetoric in the schools, the mosques and the media, who disseminate words without hesitation, without considering the consequences or even understanding that in this era the entire world hears what is said.'' Mr. Chairman, it makes little sense to fund the people who are funding terrorism. It makes no sense whatsoever. Until the Saudi Government stops funding terrorism, stops supporting violence against Israel, stops teaching hatred in its schools, starts teaching tolerance and starts digging up the roots of ideological hatred against the West, any amount of money, even $105,000, is just too much.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Chairman, I rise to thank the gentleman from Illinois and the ranking minority member for their support on a critically important provision in this State Department authorization act. It is a measure that I drafted and they embraced and included in this bill. The Lantos-Israel language will require the Department of State to include in its annual country report on human rights a specific description on the nature and extent of curricula and classrooms that promote violence and hatred and terrorism around the world. Why is this important? I believe it is important because I am convinced that all of the road maps and all of the cease-fires and all of the diplomatic accords and all of the agreements are going to be futile for as long as children are taught in their second grade classrooms how to hate, and the world will continue to be a very violent place if we allow classrooms to teach kids how to blow things up instead of how to put things together. Some brief examples, I am talking about textbooks that teach children that there is no alternative to the destruction of the state of Israel, textbooks that equate Zionism with Nazism, textbooks that indoctrinated the terrorists who attacked and murdered over 200 of my constituents on September 11, 2001. Madam Chairman, we have ignored school-sponsored lessons of hatred for too long. This provision for the first time will monitor the problem and will keep us focused on it, and it puts the world on notice that we want kids who are educated to put things together rather than indoctrinated on how to blow things up. I thank the gentleman from Illinois and the ranking member for advancing this critical measure.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues these remarks from my constituent, Larry Simon, on the dedication of the Simon Rainbow Room at the Gurwin Jewish Geriatric Center in Commack, New York. Larry and Sandy Simon's spirit of generosity is evident in these touching remarks. Simon Rainbow Room Dedication, Larry Simon Remarks Thank you Gerry, Concetta and Barbara for helping to make this a very special evening for us. It is particularly meaningful to Sandy and I that those for whom Gurwin was built, our residents, share tonight with our family, friends and special colleagues. We chose to dedicate the Rainbow Room because it represents the vitality and possibilities of life. It symbolizes the very reason for our devotion to the Gurwin Center's work. Sandy and I have had the opportunity to stand at this podium and witness so many joyous events that have touched us beyond imagination. We have shared excitement and joy with our residents and their families, and we always leave with an uplifting feeling that we and our fellow colleagues have made a difference. So often when people confront the difficult challenges of life they ask, ``why me . . . why us.'' For Sandy and I, grateful for our yesterday's when our hopes and dreams were new, grateful for today's joys and bounty's of life and thus given the opportunity to make a difference, the question we asked ourselves is ``why not us . . . if not us who.'' That simply is why we have made Gurwin such a special and important part of our life. Our involvement is a tremendous source of pleasure, pride and personal satisfaction. We truly believe we receive back far more than we have given. Let me share this poignant letter with all of you to demonstrate our point! Dear Mr. Friedman: . . . My wife entered the Gurwin Center on March 25, 2003. At that time she was on a ventilator, incontinent and was being fed through a G-tube. She couldn't speak or walk, and I feared I was losing her. The wonderful, professional, compassionate and caring staff of doctors, nurses, nursing assistants and therapists on 4 East changed all that. My wife is now off the ventilator, no longer incontinent, and eats solid food. She can walk and speak and seems well on the way to a complete recovery. God bless you and the excellent staff on 4 East for giving my wife back to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Respectfully and gratefully. This letter certainly confirms our point of getting back more than we have given. In the business world we deal with many ``investment partnerships and partnership investors.'' Sandy and I are equally grateful for our Gurwin partners as well. We would like to thank those who work so closely with us. We greatly value the commitment and leadership of our fellow Board and Auxiliary colleagues. We respect and admire the dedicated staff who make this Center their life's work, and we thank the staff of the Gurwin Auxiliary and the Gurwin Foundation for making our volunteer experience so rewarding. We must also acknowledge tonight's Gurwin participants who have been so kind to us, here at the podium. Phyllis Charash, you are a woman of strength, a woman of faith, a woman of honor, and a woman of pride and charity. Thank you for emceeing tonight's celebration and dedication. You are a very special lady. Herb Friedman, you've worked so hard and diligently to make Gurwin what it is today. You've dared to share your dreams, encourage and advise all of us and you've been here right from the very start. You are one of the most important people in our Gurwin life and we thank you for your dedication and outstanding effort year after year. Joseph Gurwin, you continue to share your strength, vision and wisdom with us, and mentor by example the values of love, respect and commitment to family and the Gurwin community. Your friendship and counsel have been sustaining and inspiring. We offer our love and admiration. You are a very special man. Our wish for all of you here tonight--be grateful for tomorrow and the promises it holds--wonderful times, a happier life, and a deeper affection for the human spirit and needs as each new day unfolds. Just as our name will now be etched on the dedication plaque for this room, the special feelings of this evening will be etched in our memories forever. We applaud all of you for sharing our passion for Gurwin. Thank you!

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act (H.R. 438), which will help improve the education of children attending public schools in high poverty areas. Research has demonstrated that highly qualified teachers and high retention rates improve the performance of our schools. This will require additional incentives for our nation's college students to enter the teaching profession. The Teacher Recruitment and Retention Act will increase the amount of student loans that can be forgiven from $5,000 to $17,000 for ``highly qualified'' math, science or special education teachers serving in schools with special needs. For the past two years, Congress has been working to ensure that no child is left behind. We must also ensure that we do not leave minority teachers behind. Currently minority students account for 33 percent of American public school enrollment. But minorities only account for 13 percent of America's public school teachers. It is estimated that more than 40 percent of the nation's public schools have no minority teachers at all. This gap between the percentage of minority students and teachers will not close on its own. In fact, it will grow wider every day. By the year 2025, minority students will account for half of American public school enrollment. But one bleak estimate has minority teachers representing just 5 percent of the future teaching force. If attracting and retaining high quality teachers is necessary for our children to have a high quality education, and we continue to value equal opportunity and diversity in our public workplace, then more must be done to correct this disparity. That is why I have worked to secure funding for innovative programs on Long Island. In 2002, I secured $800,000 for a new Institute for Minority Teacher Training, based at St. Johns University, to attract a new cadre of minority math and science teachers. Last year, I secured $400,000 in funding for Dowling College to continue the development of an innovative program to attract minority students from economically disadvantaged neighborhoods, help the students obtain an undergraduate degree, and return them to the same neighborhoods to teach in underserved public schools. I am hopeful that this legislation will work in concert with my efforts on Long Island to ensure that our teachers become as diverse as the student body they mentor. We cannot make the mistake of leaving minority teachers behind. I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort by creating similar programs in their districts and by expanding incentives for people to teach in previously neglected schools.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride and admiration to commend Leonard R. Totora for his service in the United States Army. At this time of conflict, stories like those of Mr. Totora remind us of the courage the members of our Armed Forces have always displayed and continue to display on a daily basis. They are a testament to the dedication, honor and strength of the men and women in uniform. They deserve to be praised for generations to come. After enlisting in the army at the age of 17, Mr. Totora attended the Army School of Photography and then spent two years in Europe as a member of the Signal Corps, filming motion pictures for the military. With the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, Mr. Totora was assigned to General MacArthur's headquarters in Japan. In Korea, Mr. Totora served above and beyond the call of duty when he volunteered to jump 35 miles behind enemy lines with the 187th Airborne Rangers. Unfortunately, with no prior parachuting experience or training, Mr. Totora suffered severe injuries to his right leg and ankle. Knowing hove important the footage he was capturing was, Mr. Totora initially refused medical treatment and remained with the 187th Airborne Rangers for many more hours. Upon hearing the news of his heroic effort on the battlefield, UN Supreme Commander General Ridgeway awarded Mr. Totora paratrooper wings with a Battle Star. In addition to his paratrooper wings, Mr. Totora was awarded the Bronze Star for bravery against the enemy. I commend Mr. Leonard Totora for his dedication and service to his country and for the bravery, honor and valor he displayed during his service in the Army.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a Democratic Member of this body. I have always been proud to be a Democrat. And always will be. But I came to Congress 2\1/2\ years ago with a promise to my constituents that I would work hard to break through partisan gridlock. I promised that when I agreed with the Republicans I would vote with them; and when I disagreed I would vote against them. But that I would always work to develop consensus and move our country forward. That is what brings me here today, Mr. Speaker. In those 2\1/2\ years, I have focused on a health care crisis for seniors on Long Island. We used to have 12 Medicare HMOs in my communities. Now we have two left. Eighty-five thousand seniors have been tossed out of their Medicare HMOs. One out of five is skipping their medication because they can't afford them. And in those 2\1/2\ years, I have listened to Republicans blame Democrats for this crisis; Democrats blame Republicans; the House blame the Senate; the Senate blame the House; Congress blame the White House; the White House blame Congress; and everyone blame the insurance companies. There is plenty of blame to go around. But all the blame in the world isn't going to help a single senior citizen get their prescription drugs at a more affordable price. It's time to stop blaming. It's time to stop finger pointing. It's time for conservatives to stop railing against a $400 billion prescription drug plan because it's too liberal. It's time for liberals to stop railing against a $400 billion prescription drug plan because it's too conservative. It's time for everyone to stop rejecting the imperfect because we can't get the perfect. It's time to move this process forward. Mr. Speaker, I believe the Democrats are right. It will take at least $800 billion to provide America's seniors with a truly comprehensive, voluntary prescription drug plan. Is an $800 billion prescription drugs program better than a $400 billion program that's before us today? Of course. $400 billion is only half as good as $800 billion . . . but it is $400 billion better than nothing. And nothing is exactly what we will leave our seniors if we reject this proposal today. To reject the largest expansion of Medicare in its 38-year history because it's $400 billion instead of $800 billion just doesn't make sense to me. Mr. Speaker, only a short time ago, President Bush argued for a $190 billion prescription drug plan. My side of the aisle proposed an $800 billion plan. Some say we have ended up at a $400 billion plan. I disagree. I think we are beginning with a $400 billion plan. It is the largest expansion of Medicare in its 38-year history. It is, in my view, a down payment. An investment. Is this plan flawed? I believe it is. I believe the Senate plan, supported by Ted Kennedy, is much better. But we can't get near that plan unless we go to a House-Senate conference. And we can't go to a House-Senate conference unless we pass this bill today. Yesterday at the White House, I listened carefully to President Bush. He said clearly we must move this process forward and pledged to work on a bipartisan basis to develop a final bill that represents consensus. But there's no hope for consensus, no hope for a penny of prescription drug spending, if we slam the brakes on the process today by killing this bill today. Mr. Speaker, of particular importance to me and the constituents I represent is that this bill contains the Greenwood-Israel-Fossella amendment, which ends the economic discrimination in federal reimbursement formulas to suburban Medicare HMOs that have forced 85,000 of my constituents out of their prescription drug plans. Those seniors are watching us today. They are tired of blame, tired of gridlock, tired of excuses. They don't care whether it's a Democratic solution or a Republican solution, as long as it's a good solution. This is not a perfect solution. But it is a good start. It is the largest expansion of Medicare in its 38-year history. It ends the price discrimination on Long Island and other suburbs around the nation. Mr. Speaker, let me close by repeating this: $400 billion is only half as good as $800 billion . . . but it is $400 billion better than nothing. And nothing is exactly what we will leave our seniors if we reject this proposal today. In the spirit of advancing the process, I will support this bill. I reserve the right, however, to vote against a bill that emerges from Conference that does not address the significant flaws in the legislation before us tonight.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution that expresses the sense of Congress that the United States Postmaster General should issue a postage stamp commemorating the 75th birthday of Anne Frank. As we all know, Anne Frank documented her life during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in a diary that she called ``Kitty.'' The diary became her confidant, and she wrote about her experiences before the occupation, going into hiding, and the tortuous years in hiding. She has come to be a girl we all feel we know well, a personification of good in the face of hatred, murder and genocide. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl has been translated into 67 languages and has sold more than 31 million copies. It is the most widely read memoir of the Holocaust. For many American students, this book is their first exposure to the horror and historical uniqueness of the Holocaust. Anne Frank has become an inspiration to youth of all faiths and is a symbol of children throughout the world who suffer in war, subjugation and oppression. She serves as a beacon of bravery, hope and tolerance under the most harsh, inhumane conditions. Her life and death are reminders of the need for constant vigilance and international human rights. U.S. postage stamps have honored well-respected and influential people, and I believe that Anne Frank deserves recognition. It is appropriate to honor her in this very unique way. Today Anne Frank would have been 74 years old. She was a talented writer, and her contribution to the world cannot be understated. In one year from today, we will be remembering her on her 75th birthday. I am hopeful that this postage stamp will be issued in time for this milestone. I encourage all my colleagues to cosponsor this important resolution.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Coach Lou Giani of Huntington High School on his induction into the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Coach Giani is among the most successful wrestling coaches in New York State history, having compiled 388 victories in 34 seasons. This past season Coach Giani and his Huntington High School team won the New York State team title--a remarkable eighth title for Coach Giani. In addition to the team accolades, Huntington High School also had three individual wrestlers win State Championships, increasing the career total of Coach Giani to a record 22 individual state champions. In recognition of these accomplishments, the National Wrestling Coaches Association bestowed on him the honor of ``Coach of the Year.'' In addition to his service to Huntington High School and New York State, Coach Giani has served as an international ambassador for wrestling. Having organized cultural exchange programs in both the Soviet Union and Poland, he has provided disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to learn wrestling from one of the sport's best coaches. Beyond his service as a coach and international teacher, Mr. Giani had an equally impressive career as a wrestler. Having not begun to wrestle until his junior year of high school, Mr. Giani went on to win ten New York Athletic Club titles, a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games and was given the honor of representing the United States on the 1960 Olympic Freestyle team. I commend Coach Lou Giani for his dedication to the sport as well as his service to the students of Huntington High School and I congratulate him on his induction into the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, every day we wake up and are faced with new discoveries. We read about the depths of space that we can only now see with the Hubble Telescope. We learn about tremendous achievement in nanotechnology, like the printing of a Bible that can fit on a pencil eraser. We have been to the moon and back, landed robots on Mars and cured diseases that have plagued mankind for millennia. Yet, Mr. Speaker, in this litany of great achievements one that stands out above all, is to have learned the very vocabulary of life, to have mapped the entire human genome. I rise today in support of this resolution and to recognize that the sequencing of the human genome is indeed one of the greatest scientific accomplishments of the past one hundred years, indeed of all of history. But Mr. Speaker, I rise with special pride because of Long Island's unique contribution in the quest to map the genome. Much of the work to sequence the genome took place at Cold Spring Harbor Lab on Long Island, and in particular, by a brilliant scientist I am privileged to know: Dr. James Watson. Dr. Watson, along with Francis Crick, discovered the structure of DNA. For this accomplishment they shared the 1962 Nobel Prize in Physiology of Medicine with Maurice Wilkins. Their revolutionary concept was that the DNA molecule takes the shape of a double helix, and elegantly simple structure that resembles a gently twisted ladder. Mr. Speaker, my children learn about the double helix today in science class. We take it for granted. We watch Law and Order and CSI and hear about DNA testing and we go to the doctor to find out if we have a genetic marker for a specific disease. Yet we almost never stop to think about this phenomenal breakthrough. It is amazing that in fewer than fifty years we have come so far. We should all be very proud that this achievement occurred here in the United States, a testament to our ongoing strengths, continuing leadership in science and technology. The human genome provides us with the most basic information of life. What we do with that information is up to us. Dr. Watson and his colleagues have gotten us this far. It is my hope, that through efforts like Human Genome Month and DNA Day, our young people will be inspired to make the great scientific leaps of tomorrow--applying the genetic map to conquering dreaded diseases and improving the quality of life on our planet.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend Coach Lou Giani of Huntington High School on his induction into the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Coach Giani is among the most successful wrestling coaches in New York State history, having compiled 388 victories in 34 seasons. This past season Coach Giani and his Huntington High School team won the New York State team title--a remarkable eighth title for Coach Giani. In addition to the team accolades, Huntington High School also had three individual wrestlers win State Championships, increasing the career total of Coach Giani to a record 22 individual state champions. In recognition of these accomplishments, the National Wrestling Coaches Association bestowed on him the honor of ``Coach of the Year''. In addition to his service to Huntington High School and New York State, Coach Giani has served as an international ambassador for wrestling. Having organized cultural exchange programs in both the Soviet Union and Poland, he has provided disadvantaged youth with the opportunity to learn wrestling from one of the sport's best coaches. Beyond his service as a coach and international teacher, Mr. Giani had an equally impressive career as a wrestler. Having not begun to wrestle until his junior year of high school, Mr. Giani went on to win ten New York Athletic Club titles, a gold medal at the 1959 Pan American Games and was given the honor of representing the United States on the 1960 Olympic Freestyle team. I commend Coach Lou Giani for his dedication to the sport as well as his service to the students of Huntington High School and I congratulate him on his induction into the U.S. National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to be in Washington yesterday. Three recorded votes were taken by the House; if I were here, I would have voted as follows: Rollcall No. 227: a motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Res. 159, a resolution Expressing Profound Sorrow on the Occasion of the Death of Irma Rangel. I would have voted ``yea''; Rollcall No. 228: a motion to suspend the rules and pass H. Res. 195, a resolution congratulating Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs for Hitting 500 Major League Home Runs. I would have voted ``yea''; Rollcall No. 229: a motion to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1465, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4832 East Highway 27 in Iron Station, North Carolina, as the ``General Charles Gabriel Post Office''. I would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 218, a resolution that expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should not revise its media ownership rules without more extensive review and without a public comment period. The FCC is scheduled to announce their decision on June 2, 2003. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this important resolution because the proposed media ownership rules will undoubtedly be a drastic rewrite that would place huge limits on what Americans hear on the radio, watch on television or read in the newspaper. We should invite more review and public comment on the consequences of these changes before the rule is implemented. Among other things, these proposed rules would permit a television corporation to own a radio station and a newspaper in the same market. They would also increase the number of stations a television company can own from two to three. These rules will result in increased mergers activity and ultimately, in many markets, Americans will get all aspects of their news and information from one company. The legislated goals of the FCC include fostering competition, local control and an array of voices. But these proposed rules go against the FCC's own objectives by allowing a massive concentration of power and putting local stations out of business. These rules would create homogenized programming. The United States prides itself on diversity and freedom of the press. My constituents have expressed concern at the thought of one media outlet controlling all of the news and information they receive about their government, their fellow citizens and their culture. I am hopeful that by June 2, 2003, FCC Chairman Michael Powell will hear the voices of Americans and postpone implementation of his rule so that he can hold public discussions and conduct a more extensive review.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, earlier I listened to the distinguished chairman of the committee talk about the importance of funding our national security budgets, and I agree with him. But make no mistake about it, this tax plan makes it harder for our kids to fund their national security budgets. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that starting in 2008 we are going to require defense budgets of $464 billion a year. What does that mean? Within a few years, we are going to have to come up with at least $64 billion a year every year over this year's authorized limits. That is $384 billion for defense before this tax cut expires. You do the math: $384 billion more for defense, and $350 billion less to pay for it. We are draining the Treasury when we need even more for defense. No conferee would go into a fancy car dealer, pick out the most expensive model, and say, Let my kids pay for it. Mr. Speaker, this is reckless. For those Members of this body who say they are strong on defense, let them be strong on defense budgets. Strong defense budgets are more important than tax cuts. This plan does the opposite.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday the House of Representatives considered seven bills under suspension of the rules. We met for 2 hours and 24 minutes of legislative business. Yesterday we considered six more bills under suspension. We convened at 10. We completed our legislative business by 4:22, 5 hours and 35 minutes of doing the people's business. And what was the people's business that we did? We directed the commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Cutter Bramble to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History; we renamed three Federal facilities; we honored the life and work of the former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; we made funds available for the fruit and vegetable pilot program in the school lunch program; we established the Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site; we authorized the Secretary of the Interior to revise a repayment contract with a Texas county and to grant an easement to facilitate access to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Nebraska City, Nebraska. All we did not do is extend temporary emergency unemployment compensation to millions of American workers who will fall off a cliff at the end of this month. Today we convened at 10. We are going to go home at 2 o'clock, back to our districts, spend the weekend there, come back next week and still we will not have helped those 2 million Americans who will fall off a cliff without a paycheck and without temporary emergency unemployment compensation. How is it possible that this House can find time to do all of those activities this week and not do what the American people want us to do, to help them, to assist them? If this bill came to the floor now, it would pass, because none of my colleagues are willing to go back to their districts and look in the eyes of a worker who has lost his job and say, I couldn't help you, I wouldn't help you, I didn't help, but I did rename three Federal facilities this week. This bill would pass if it were allowed to the floor. The gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) have introduced legislation to extend temporary unemployment compensation. I have introduced a special rule to allow it to the floor immediately. We have to do this. We have no choice because those millions of workers have no choice, have no paycheck, have no help. This economy is pushing them off that cliff. We are the only people who can bring them back from the brink. If we go home to our districts without having done that, we have done a massive disservice to them, slapped them in the face, and further endangered and damaged our economy.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Denis J. McElligott, who will be honored by the Smithtown Democratic Committee tonight. Denis has been committed to politics since his early years on the campaign trail with his father. He went on to intern for my predecessor, Congressman Tom Downey in Washington. During his service on the Smithtown Committee from 1992 to 1999, Denis worked tirelessly to preserve the true spirit of the committee. In 1999, Denis was tapped by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer to run the Attorney General's Suffolk Regional Office. Since then, he has successfully represented the State of New York in various types of litigation. In addition to his work in politics, Denis is also an active member of the legal community. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association and has served as chairman of the Plaintiff's Negligence Committee. I commend Denis on his commitment to the Democratic Party and his service to New York and Long Island.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the recent war with Iraq, many Americans are analyzing the battles and asking what lessons the military and its leadership learned. The Boston Globe carried an analysis on Tuesday, May 13, by Lawrence J. Korb, who was Assistant Secretary of Defense in President Reagan's administration. In Mr. Korb's analysis, a great deal of credit for our success must go to President Clinton, who appointed many of the commanders, prepared and recruited the troops, and modernized the weapons and strategies used in the war. Mr. Speaker, I commend Mr. Korb's work to the entire House and ask that it appear in the Record at this time. [From the Boston Globe, May 13, 2003] Thank Clinton for a Speedy Victory in Iraq (By Lawrence J. Korb) While it is understandable that President George W. Bush and his secretary of defense are receiving plaudits for the relatively swift military victory in Iraq, the fact of the matter is that most of the credit for the successful military operation should go to the Clinton administration. As Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld noted, the battle plan that led to the American success was that of General Tommy Franks, an Army officer appointed to head the Central Command by the Clinton administration. More important, the military forces that executed that plan so boldly and bravely were for the most part recruited, trained, and equipped by the Clinton administration. The first Bush defense budget went into effect on Oct. 1, 2002, and none of the funds in that budget have yet had an impact on the quality of the men and women in the armed services, their readiness for combat, or the weapons they used to obliterate the Iraqi forces. Given the way that Bush and his surrogates disparaged Clinton's approach to the military in his 2000 campaign, this is ironic. The president and his advisers claimed that Clinton had diminished the armed forces' fighting edge by turning them into social workers and sending them too often on ``useless'' nation-building exercises. These same people also claimed that Clinton had so underfunded the military that it was in a condition similar to that which existed on the eve of Pearl Harbor. Throughout the summer and fall of 2000, Vice President Dick Cheney summed up the Bush team's sentiment toward what Clinton had done to the military: He went around the country telling the military and the nation that help and additional support were on the way for our troops. Anyone examining the facts would know that these claims were bogus. The Clinton administration actually spent more money on defense than had the outgoing administration of the first President Bush. The smaller outlays during the first Bush administration were developed and approved by Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell, who were then serving as secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff respectively. Clinton's last secretary of defense, William Cohen, turned over to Rumsfeld a defense budget that was higher in real terms than what James Schlesinger had bequeathed to Rumsfeld when he took over the Pentagon for the first time in 1975 at the height of the Cold War. Not only did Clinton spend a large amount of money on the military; most of it was spent wisely. In the first Persian Gulf War, less than 10 percent of the bombs and missiles that were dropped on Iraq were smart weapons. That number jumped to 70 percent during this war because the Clinton administration ordered large quantities of upgraded munitions that made these ``dumb'' weapons smart. The Clinton administration also invested heavily in the technology that gave the on-scene commanders a much more vivid picture of the battlefield than a decade ago. It was the Clinton administration that improved the accuracy of the Tomahawk cruise missile and upgraded the Patriot missile, which was so much more effective this time than the original Patriot in the first Persian Gulf War. The Clinton administration also kept the quality of our military personnel high by closing the gap between military and private sector compensation, a gap that the first Bush administration had allowed to grow, and improving retirement and health benefits for military retirees. So if this latest military effort warrants a victory parade for the troops, let's insist that Clinton and his secretaries of defense are invited. They deserve it. And if the Bush administration wants to learn how to rebuild the nation of Iraq, they might ask their predecessors how to go about it.

Mr. ISRAEL

Mr. ISRAEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge May 7th as National School Nurse Day. There are approximately 60,000 registered nurses in public school systems across the country caring for more than 52 million students. Professional school nurses strengthen and facilitate our educational process by improving and protecting the health status of children and youth through prevention, detection and correction methods. School nurses work diligently in the school environment, serving not only our children and youth but also their teachers, community, state, and nation to provide valuable school health services. School nurses have assisted our children for many years, and The National Association of School Nurses, the professional organization of school nurses, is celebrating its thirty-fifth anniversary this year. Frequently, the only health care attention a child receives is through a school nurse. Our nation's children face an increasing number of chronic and severe health problems, from diabetes to asthma, obesity, depression and other mental and physical health problems. School nurses assist these children with their health problems so children can remain in school and achieve success. School nurses also care for a large number of children with chronic and severe health problems, including children in wheelchairs, on ventilatory support or with special health procedures. School nurses provide direct services to them from initial assessment and diagnosis to treatment and maintenance so disabled children can learn and achieve academic success. After September 11th, school nurses had to take on additional new roles. If another bio-terrorism event takes place, school nurses may be the first health care responders that will cope with symptoms of a chemical, radiological or other event as well as providing the necessary treatments and emergency evacuations. School nurses are unsung heroes as they both effectively and efficiently meet the daily and emergency needs of the student populations they serve. Professional school nurses have touched the lives of students throughout our great nation for over a century, and we commend them on their continued contributions to the development of our young people. I urge all Americans to recognize the important contributions that school nurses make toward the health and well-being of our children and youth. National School Nurse Day is a wonderful way to commend them on their years of diligent efforts to keep our children healthy and safe in school.