Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the Pocono Lions Club in Pocono Pines, Pennsylvania. The Lions are celebrating their 50th anniversary at a dinner on June 24, and their record of service is truly deserving of honor and recognition by the House of Representatives. In the fall of 1949, a group of Pocono-area men met at Johnny's Inn in Pocono Summit to discuss the possibility of forming a Lions Club dedicated to serving some of the needs of the community. Bill Lewis and John Desanto, who became the Pocono club's first president, were the original group leaders. Bill Lewis is the lone surviving charter member and remains very active in the Lion's activities to this day. The Pocono Lions are a group of community-minded people who pool their talents in behalf of local, national and international needs. Their members are mostly retired businesspeople who enjoy the social aspects of the club while also returning something to the community that has been home to them and their families for many years. Their largest fundraiser is their annual auction, held on the fourth Saturday in August, although they hold several other events throughout the year to contribute to the community. They like to say that they make money and then give it away. Some of their recent donations include $3,500 to the Pocono Regional Police, $5,000 in scholarships for local high school students and $500 to the Salvation Army for its building fund. The Pocono Lions will be inducting four new members at their 50th Anniversary Charter Night, who will be joining the current membership of about 45 in their active fulfillment of the Lions motto: ``We Serve.'' Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the fine work that the Pocono Lions do for their community, the nation and the world, and I send my best wishes on the occasion of their 50th anniversary.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, as the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee over the jurisdiction of the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, or OFHEO, I rise to speak in favor of the Hinchey amendment. This amendment would increase the amount of funding provided in the bill from $22 million to approximately $26.8 million, the full amount requested by OFHEO for the year 2001. Mr. Chairman, at this point, may I point out this has nothing to do with budget restrictions. All of this money will be paid by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and they are in favor of the expenditure. OFHEO is the safety and soundness regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. As such, Congress has charged the agency to reduce the risk of failure of the two companies in order to ensure that they are able to continue their important mission in our Nation's extremely successful housing and mortgage finance sectors. Although this organization receives its fundings from the companies it regulates and receives no taxpayer dollars, unlike other financial regulators, it is subject to the annual appropriations process. It is crucial that OFHEO have sufficient capacity to fulfill its safety and soundness oversight responsibilities. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to grow and their operations increasingly are complex. According to this regulatory agency, the two enterprises are currently exposed to more than $2 trillion in credit risk on mortgages. That figure has doubled since 1993. Moreover, this agency is in the process of finalizing its risk-based capital standings. When promulgated later this year, OFHEO will need the resources to enforce them properly. We need to have a strong independent regulator for the housing government sponsored enterprises. We must also ensure that the regulators have the resources they need to get the job done. As someone who participated in the Congressional debate to resolve the savings & loan crisis, I am acutely aware of the need to protect taxpayers from risk. It is in the public's interest that we maintain a strong regulatory regime over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. This money will help this agency to achieve this objective. Mr. Chairman, I have a great respect for the chairman of this subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations and the ranking member. I know that although, for whatever reason, they have only limited the increase to 15 percent, that when they analyze the $2 trillion potential risk to the United States taxpayers, when they realize that it costs the budget allocation nothing because it is budget neutral, and because Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are in support of their own regulator having more financial reserves to handle the safety and soundness of these two organizations, it would be unreasonable for this Congress not to grant them this requested fund. So I urge my colleagues on the committee, both the chairman and the ranking member, to realize that to deny a request for approximately $4 million more by the regulators to regulate themselves, to save the exposure of the American taxpayers to $2 trillion of potential risk, and to provide for safety and soundness, would really be an unreasonable decision. I urge my colleagues, both the chairman and the ranking member, to agree with the Hinchey amendment, that it is reasonable, it is proper, it does not cost the taxpayers a cent, and that it provides for safety and soundness for the American people and for this government. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the Hinchey amendment.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Stuart Heydt, who will retire June 30 after 10 years as president and chief executive officer of the Geisinger Health system, which is based in Danville, Pennsylvania. He will be honored at a dinner on June 22. Dr. Heydt has led the health system during an eventful decade for both Geisinger and health care nationwide. We are all familiar with the changes in health care, such as the rise of managed care and new technologies and treatments. Geisinger itself has undergone tremendous change during this time and appears to be well-positioned for a bright future. In all my dealings with Stu, I have found him to be a man of the highest integrity, who always made the welfare of his patients his top priority. I consider him to be a friend and a great asset to Pennsylvania. Dr. Heydt is a maxillofacial surgeon and 27-year employee of Geisinger. He is a native of New Jersey who served active duty in the Navy from 1965 to 1967, followed by five years in the active reserves and an honorable discharge. He received his education at Dartmouth College, Fairleigh Dickinson University and the University of Nebraska. Geisinger hired him in 1973 as director of oral and maxillofacial surgery and since that time, he rose through the ranks to lead this institution that provides quality medical care to people in 31 Pennsylvania counties. His numerous community activities include serving as president of the Columbia-Montour Boy Scouts Council and on the boards of the Penn Mountains Boy Scouts Council, United Way of the Wyoming Valley, Greater Wilkes-Barre Partnership, Family Service Association of the Wyoming Valley and Bucknell and Wilkes Universities. Dr. Heydt's awards include the William H. Spurgeon III Award and Distinguished Citizenship in the Community Award from the Boy Scouts of America, the Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Association for Community Leadership and the Distinguished Fellow Award from the American College of Physician Executives. He resides in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with his wife, the former Judith Ann Fornoff. They are the parents of three grown children. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania community in honoring Dr. Heydt on the occasion of his retirement. I send my best wishes and my thanks for his hard work.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe). Today really was an interesting day, because it allowed me to relive my youth in a way. I had the great pleasure of having a night conversation and lunch with my sponsored page Becky Hoffman, who is part of this class. And her grandmother and her grandfather are very old and dear friends of mine are in the gallery watching this ceremony. I went over and thought how being a page some 47 years ago had changed my life. And as my friend, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) said, it allowed me to form my best friend relationship through my entire life, Bill Emerson, who I met here on my first day as a page, was a roommate with him for 2 years while I was here. And he continued on for his 3rd year, and then we had the honor to come back and serve in the Congress together for about 7 years prior to his untimely death. My class and my Congress that I served in was exceptional because out of that class of pages we produced three Members of Congress. I know that after having been here, maybe you all think, gee, that is the last thing in the world I would ever want to be; but I hope you have taken the charge that Mr. Hoyer has given you, and that you have had this window of opportunity to see from within, as the Speaker said, the real activity of the legislative process and democracy in action. I hope it spurs you on to develop an ambition to be in public service, particularly to be participants. I know you are the best and brightest from all over the country, and you are going to go to great attainment in your life. If I could give you a little advice for when you go back to your schools: you will be different. You are more mature, more worldly; there will be some jealousy toward the experience you had. You have to treat that gingerly so that your peers learn something from you and do not have envy for what you had. Take the opportunity to bring them along in your peer groups in your various high schools. Do that. Do not be foolish enough to think about this experience as having made the touchdown, as being the most important game of your senior year in high school and as the high point of your life. Page activity is very important, but do not let it ever be the high point in your life. You are just beginning now to go on to attainment and to great success, and you should look forward every day in your life to doing bigger and better things, and every one of you can. I would just like to say that over the last 47 years since I started here as a page with Bill Emerson and Bob Bauman, we were both in the 83rd Congress, the last Republican Congress before these three Congresses when the Republicans were in power, I formed a friendship for life, I learned what I wanted to do, and I had an experience that I have carried with me, and I want to pass it on to you. These Members that you deal with day in and day out and you see and you witness, and the Members of the Senate, you have already met four or five future Presidents of the United States. They are here among us. How to discern who they will be is another matter, and that will test how perceptive you are; but they are here. I was thinking back how fortunate I was in 1953 and 1954. I got to meet almost every President of the United States who subsequently became President when they were either a Member of this House or a Member of the Senate. So you have had that same enjoyment. You have probably met and have served with a lot of future cabinet officers, governors, all kinds of individuals. You, if you are interested in public service, can be like Bill Clinton, the President of the United States. You are about the same age as he was when he met with President Kennedy when he was your age in Washington. He looked around, he looked at his classmates, and he decided that he too would like to be President of the United States. He tells an interesting story, because 30 years later from that day, almost within 3 or 4 days, he took the oath of office as President of the United States. Every one of you have that opportunity. But most of all, every one of you have the opportunity to serve, to distinguish yourselves and honor your classmates, and the institution of being a page. I cannot think of all the great pages, but the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) mentioned Bill Gates. Well, he is the wealthiest, I am sure, of the former pages. But people like Daniel Webster, people like Senator Arthur Vandenberg, one of the original charter writers of the United Nations charter, and on and on we could go. It is quite a tradition. Now that you are part of it, you have an obligation to use it wisely, treasure it, and not to embarrass it. We are honored to have served with you, and I am sure I speak for all 435 Members of the House. You have done a great job. Go on now and do an even greater job in life.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce the introduction of the Essential Hospital Preservation Act of 2000. It is a bill designed to use Medicare to assist economically distressed hospitals in regions where the combination of managed care, Medicare, and commercial payments changes have threatened to destroy the entire health care delivery infrastructure. My proposal would give hospitals in regions of the country like northeastern and central Pennsylvania a minimum of a 5-year 10 percent increase in Medicare payments while they work through the development of long-range economic recovery programs. These payment increases will constitute no new Medicare spending, and will not affect other existing providers. Mr. Speaker, over the last 9 months I have met with chief executive officers, financial officers of institutions within my district and outside of my district in Pennsylvania, with the General Accounting Office, with the Payment Advisory Commission Medicare, with HCFA, with staff members of the committees of jurisdiction in the House. And when I studied and have analyzed the problems of the hospitals in my district, they are not unlike some of the problems in other districts of the country where similar phenomenon exist. That is where the hospitals rely on an overly elderly population in high concentration, and where the formula of Medicare as applied to those hospitals returns them an insufficient payment to meet their basic costs. One hospital in my congressional district loses $1,500 for every Medicare patient they serve. As one of the board of directors' members said, prudent business would mean that they should meet the patient at the door, hand him a check for $500 and send them on their way to another hospital in another area. If Medicare fails to pay its way because of the Medicare formula, or because of the failure of this government to recognize that there are disproportionate areas of the country that are distressed economic areas and that contain very large proportions of Medicare patients, then we have to have a system in effect to make sure that we do not lose the health care infrastructure system while we redress the Medicare problem as we will over the next several years. My bill effectively allows hospitals to gain an increase of Medicare payment on an emergency basis for 5 years, to a maximum of 10 percent. It requires the hospitals to reorganize the wherewithal and come up with an economic recovery program that the Secretary and HCFA will participate with so that the managed care system, the Medicare system, the emergency systems, the other high-cost systems could be put into play in a more efficient economic way, but we will not lose the efficiency of the structure itself. Mr. Speaker, I urge all the Members of this Congress to join in reviewing this bill. Study the problems that are a crisis in many of the senior citizen areas of this country as a direct result of underpayment by Medicare, and to cooperate with myself, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Sherwood) and Senator Arlen Specter, who are the three of us trying to work together to come up with a methodology to save our hospitals. This is a start. This is one of the potential alternatives we have. Mr. Speaker, we do not have very much time. I urge my colleagues to address this issue and to understand that legislation must be passed this year and a remedy must be put in place or all our decisions to try and help Medicare, to provide prescription drugs, or do anything we want to do will come to naught if we fail to provide the basic essential care under the Medicare program that was intended some 35 years ago today. So I urge my colleagues to study and join us in supporting the Essential Hospital Preservation Act of 2000. Mr. Speaker, I am today introducing the Essential Hospital Preservation Act of 2000, a bill designed to use Medicare to assist economically distressed hospitals in a region where the combination of managed care, Medicare, and commercial payment changes have threatened to destroy the entire health care delivery infrastructure. My proposal would give the hospitals in regions of the country like Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania a minimum of a five-year, 10 percent increase in Medicare payments, while they work through the development of a long-range economic recovery program. These payment increases will constitute new Medicare spending and they will not come out of payment reductions to other providers. The extra payment will help the hospitals in a distressed region develop new, more economically viable services, right-size acute care beds and covert to needed nursing facility, rehabilitation, psychiatric, or long-term care hospital beds. It will also allow the hospitals in a region to cooperate in ensuring that the emergency room network survives and, indeed, is improved. It permits hospitals to work together to ensure that high cost services are coordinated and shared so as to deliver quality care at less cost. Most of all, my bill helps finance these long-term conversion plans through additional payments above and beyond the 10 percent five-year increase. Mr. Speaker, the hospitals in my region are in deep distress. Many of them are in economic difficulty. I believe other regions of Pennsylvania and the country are facing the same crisis. We simply cannot allow these hospitals to go out of existence. Simultaneously, we also know that the nature of hospitals and the need for acute care beds in changing dramatically. My bill would provide a path by which essential hospitals can survive to serve their communities now and in the years to come. By enabling these economically distressed healthcare facilities with a short-term revenue enhancement and a long-term plan for success, hospitals like those in my district will receive aid for the next five years now and receive additional sums for successful completion of their economic recovery plan. For the last nine months, I have met with Chief Executive and Financial Officers of hospitals in my district, members of their Board of Directors, as well as representatives from the Health Care Financing Administration, the General Accounting Office, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, and staff of the committees of jurisdiction in the House. These conversations have helped me to develop the legislation that I am introducing today. In the next few weeks, I look forward to working with Congressman Don Sherwood and Senator Arlen Specter to look at various alternatives like this proposal to save our hospitals. Additionally, I hope that other Members, hospital associations, and individual hospitals will feel free to recommend additions and improvements in these definitions and in the type of relief that can be provided. I also hope that this type of proposal can be enacted this year. The need is critically urgent for all of our hospitals in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. The crisis is painfully real. We must act immediately for the sake of all of our constituents.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to State Representative Phyllis Mundy of the 120th Legislative District in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, who will receive the prestigious ATHENA Award from the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce of Business and Industry at its annual Business Awards Luncheon on June 8. The ATHENA honor is presented to a person who has attained professional excellence, devoted time and energy to the community in an meaningful way, and assisted women in attaining their full potential. That description certainly applies to Representative Mundy. Phyllis is one of the hardest working, most effective, and more committed legislators in Pennsylvania, and I am proud to consider her a friend as well as a colleague. I consider her a valued partner and a true asset and leader for the community, as well as for the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is a strong leader who has done an outstanding job encouraging women in Northeastern Pennsylvania and throughout the state. From her support of programs like WILL--Women in Legislative Leadership--to the assistance she provides to lower-income working women and their children, she exemplifies the qualities recognized in the ATHENA Award. She has authored many legislative proposals to assist women, including bipartisan legislation to establish the ``Ounce of Prevention'' home visiting initiative to provide early intervention services for at-risk women and children. Her monthly luncheons for women encourage business networking and friendship. She has served as a mentor for Leadership Wilkes-Barre and as a member of the Advisory Committee of the Domestic Violence Center, the Board of Sponsors for Wilkes University's School of Business, Society and Public Policy and the Wyoming Area Kiwanis Club. As a volunteer, she has worked with the Junior League, Domestic Violence Service Center, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Volunteers for Literacy. She has also served two terms as President of the League of Women Voters of the Wilkes-Barre Area. Among her many honors, Representative Mundy has received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business, the Legislator of the Year Award from the Pennsylvania Mental Health Counselors Association, the Distinguished Service Award from Bloomsburg University, the John Heinz Friend of Nursing Award, and the Pathfinder Award from the Wyoming Valley Women's Network. In her work as Representative from the 120th District, she serves on the Education, Commerce and Economic Development and Appropriations Committees of the House. A strong advocate for the taxpayers, she is well known in Harrisburg for her thorough questioning of high state officials during the annual hearings on the budget. She also uses her committee assignments to promote the economic health of our region and all of the state, and to advocate for common-sense policies and priorities that will bring the greatest benefit to the greatest number of children. As she is fond of pointing out, for every one dollar invested in early childhood development programs, we can save up to seven dollars over the lifetime of an individual in the areas of education, health care, and crime. Joined by numerous advocates for children, she has worked tirelessly and in a bipartisan manner to ensure that lower income working families would continue to receive a state subsidy that enables them to keep working and place their children in quality day care. On this issue, she has been second to none. Representative Mundy resides in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and is the parent of a son, Brian, who lives in Walnut Creek, California, with his wife, April, and son, Mason. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber in honoring Representative Mundy. I send my best wishes for her continued success and my thanks for her hard work on behalf of our shared constituents.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the proposition. a difficult decision Mr. Speaker, over the last three months, I have conducted a thorough analysis of extending Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status to China, thereby putting U.S. trade relations with China on the same plane as our relations with virtually every other country in the World Trade Organization. During this time, I have remained undecided on this issue. I have listened to every possible argument in this debate and comprehensively examined the legislation's potential effects so that I could learn more about the quality of jobs that expanded trade can bring and the potential effects of trade on human rights. I also wanted to study the impact of trade on not only our workers, but also the international labor standards for other workers around the world. First and foremost among my considerations during my deliberations, however, was determining the consequences of this legislation for the people working, the families living, and the businesses operating in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. This has been an extremely difficult decision for me. In the long term, I believe that international trade benefits the United States when conducted fairly. Our nation cannot repeat the mistakes of 1930 when Congress enacted the Smoot-Hawley bill, which helped to precipitate the Great Depression. Freer trade among nations increases wealth for all and improves relations with our allies, similar to the 1960s when we reduced a number of trade barriers. nafta and pntr But international trade has not always helped everyone. In the short term, absent the creation of an effective economic safety net, increased international trade will produce winners and losers in our economy. In 1993, I voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), primarily because there were insufficient protections in place to preserve the economic security of average, working Americans and lower-income workers in labor-intensive industries. Over time, my doubts were proven correct. After NAFTA, some sectors of our economy grew, while others did not. Additionally, workers in some regions of our country have flourished under NAFTA, while workers in other regions have experienced wage stagnation or lost their jobs outright. Six-and-a-half years after the NAFTA vote, our country has another opportunity to consider the issue of increased global trade. The debate on PNTR, however, differs significantly from our deliberations over NAFTA. Under NAFTA, we created the world's largest free trade area with two other countries, Mexico and Canada. NAFTA not only eliminated tariffs between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, but it also required us to enter into an expansive range of commitments and agreements to integrate the economies of the three nations. Through PNTR we are only seeking to place U.S. trade relations with China on the same footing as our relations with virtually every other country in the world, including nations like Argentina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Switzerland. In other words, the economic integration required by PNTR is significantly less than that required by NAFTA. Under PNTR, we will not eliminate or even lower our tariffs for the goods we import from China. Thus, a product produced in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, which is not subject to a tariff, will often still remain cheaper than the same item manufactured in China, which will still be subject to the tariffs that we apply not only to China, but also to Germany, France, Brazil, Japan, and Great Britain. Moreover, as a result of this agreement China will significantly lower trade barriers for U.S. products to enter the Chinese marketplace. competing viewpoints In order to educate myself more fully about the reasons to support and oppose PNTR status for China, I have met with hundreds of individuals in recent weeks and months and have heard from thousands more. On one side of this debate, the business community maintains that the United States stands to gain tens of thousands of high-tech jobs as a result of PNTR. In the short term, however, our economy will likely face job losses in low-tech, labor-intensive industries. Additionally, I fear that in the short term only selected communities in our country--like those within the Silicon Valley of California, in the high-tech corridor of Northern Virginia, and along Wall Street in New York--will benefit from extending PNTR. Supporters of the agreement further contend that denial of PNTR would hurt American families who would pay more for consumer goods. They estimate these higher prices could cost more than $10 billion each year. Additionally, supporters of PNTR insist that the best way to improve China's record on human rights, religious freedom, and free speech is to engage and not isolate the Chinese people in the world economy. Finally, PNTR's supporters note that because the Europeans have recently entered into an agreement with the Chinese government, China is all the more likely to join the World Trade Organization this year. Consequently, we need PNTR so that U.S. workers, farmers, and businesses can remain competitive with our trading partners in Europe, the Americas, and Asia. On the other side of this debate, I have heard many reasons to oppose PNTR. Some interest groups have estimated that our nation will lose tens of thousands of jobs as a result of PNTR. Just as I doubt the number of projected jobs that supporters believe will be created by this decision, I also am skeptical of the anticipated jobs that opponents believe will be lost because of this legislation. In reality, the net change in jobs probably lies between these two estimates. Others opposed to this legislation feel that by granting PNTR to China we will condone that nation's record of human rights abuses. But using trade as leverage against the Chinese government is not only unenforceable, I believe it is also likely to bring change to the most oppressed Chinese people. There is a great danger in the arguments that some have put forth in attempting to demonize the Chinese government. If we care about improving our relations with China and improving the qualify of life for the Chinese people, we must remain engaged. As Dai Qing, perhaps China's most prominent environmentalist and independent political thinker, states, ``All of the fights--for a better environment, labor rights, and human rights--these fights we will fight in China tomorrow. But first we must break the monopoly of the state. To do that, we need a freer market and the competition mandated by the World Trade Organization.'' a third way During this debate over Permanent Normal Trade Relations for China, I fear that we may have unfortunately again neglected to address an issue that we should have considered during our deliberations over NAFTA. In this country, a paradox arises because the two diverging viewpoints on extending trade to other nations fail to join together to advance the real interests of all Americans. If we defeat PNTR today, our low-tech, labor-intensive jobs will still continue to be lost by trade that already exists with China and our other leading trading partners around the world under current trade agreements. Additionally, the U.S. stands to lose our opportunity to create new, high-tech jobs for workers in our Nation because we will have failed to open the Chinese market. It is also a false hope that the defeat of PNTR will provide job security for those jobs already lost or about to be lost to global trade. According to the Congressional Research Service, which provides Congress with non-partisan analysis, Pennsylvania has already lost 18,663 jobs to Canada and Mexico since passage of NAFTA. This trend will likely continue in the future, even if we do not pass PNTR today. With or without PNTR, our economy will certainly change in positive and negative ways because of increased worldwide competition in the years ahead. I have, therefore, asked myself what can be done now in the United States to help those regions of the country and those sectors of our economy that need assistance in order to ensure that all American workers and businesses can benefit tomorrow from increased global trade. By providing short-term support for these communities, businesses, and workers, we can ultimately ensure that everyone in our economy profits from international trade. We are fortunate that our economy continues to grow and prosper. President Clinton has led the Nation to the strongest economy the world has ever seen. He has created the most economic opportunities for working families in the last 30 years, and I know that he shares my concerns for those Americans who have not fully participated in the economic expansion of the last eight years. His leadership in reducing the budget deficit, lowering taxes for lower- and middle-income Americans, and supporting workers' rights has strengthened our economic outlook for the 21st century. Of primary importance to me in this debate is how we will overcome the negative consequences of increased trade, especially for those older workers who may lose their jobs. From my perspective, workers and families displaced by greater global competition must ultimately retain at least the same quality of life as they would have obtained under their old jobs. Our government can accomplish this objective through a number of mechanisms. We could, for example, enact legislation to: Promote investment in economically distressed areas. Through President Clinton's New Markets initiative, we can increase investments in the untapped potential of our Nation's underserved markets and create long-term partnerships that will lead to lasting economic change in distressed communities. One component of the New Markets Initiative is the America's Private Investment Companies (APIC) bill, and I have been an ardent supporter of this legislation. APICs would make large- scale investments in businesses operating in distressed urban centers, mid-sized cities, small towns, and rural areas, to stimulate job growth and economic development. Because we recently reached a bipartisan agreement between President Clinton and Speaker Hastert on this economic development package, I am hopeful that will pass this legislation later this year. I do, however, regret that this package is not before us today. Enhance job training and trade adjustment programs. We must additionally give workers the tools they need to succeed in the global economy through reforms of our nation's trade adjustment and economic development assistance programs. We can accomplish this goal by extending trade adjustment assistance eligibility to those who lose their jobs due to shifts in production and strengthening the linkage between income support and early enrollment in retraining. We should also create an Office of Community Economic Adjustment within the Economic Development Administration in order to ensure that economically distressed regions of our country receive access to all available federal resources in times of need. Again, we are unfortunately not voting on such legislation today. Safety net tools, like promoting investments in distressed areas and enhancing job training and trade adjustment programs, will not only mitigate the negative effects flowing from increased trade, but also lift up displaced workers and communities traditionally hurt by greater global trade. The business community and labor organizations should recognize the benefits of taking these proactive steps to help all Americans participate in the prosperity of trade. In the future when we consider other trade measures in Congress, I hope that we will expand the debate to include these quality of life protections. oppose the legislation Mr. Speaker, in the past the American public has demonstrated good judgment in determining how we should conduct trade with other nations. In reaching my final decision to oppose this legislation, I have asked myself the same four basic questions used by many Americans when debating trade issues. Those questions are: Who benefits from the PNTR package in the United States? What are the advantages of the PNTR package for American workers? What regions of the country will benefit or lose under the PNTR package? Who benefits in China from the PNTR package? As I noted earlier, while PNTR's supporters state that thousands of jobs will be created as the result of the agreement, I worry that many workers and businesses in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania will not reap those benefits in the short term and possibly not even the long term. Moreover, the PNTR agreement fails to mitigate the potential damages caused by increased competition in the global marketplace for our communities at home. Workers that lose their jobs because of increased trade will further lose from a poorly constructed economic safety net. This outcome will lead to a further widening in the gap between the income of wealthy individuals and average, hard-working Americans in this country, a far more worrisome problem because of its potential future effects on our society. Admittedly, some workers in some sectors of our economy will undoubtedly win under this PNTR package. We cannot, however, overlook the fact that some workers will not only lose their economic security, but they could also potentially experience changes in the structure of their families and their respect for their government as a result of this legislation. I cannot support this legislation, because it fails to mitigate these and other losses that workers, families, and businesses may face from increased trade. Finally, during this PNTR debate I have often heard from my constituents that China ``cannot be trusted.'' In reality, they are saying that the Chinese government cannot be trusted. Efforts to include provisions in this PNTR package that establish a commission to monitor human rights, labor standards, and religious freedom in China are a step in the right direction, as is requiring the Administration to report annually to Congress on China's compliance with international standards. I commend my colleagues Congressmen Sandy Levin and Doug Bereuter for their bipartisan and hard work on this issue. Although it may be the best we can ask from the Chinese government at this time, we need to really know whether we can trust the Chinese government in the future before moving ahead. Mr. Speaker, an agreement such as this one is a contract. As I recall from my days as an attorney, people generally enter into contracts only if all parties to the agreement believe that they will win under the arrangement. China may feel they have a winning deal with the United States on this PNTR package. From the perspective of the United States, however, this PNTR agreement fails to strengthen the short- and long- term economic security for all regions of our country and all American workers. Rejecting this legislation is not rejecting trade with China. It merely means that we will continue to have the opportunity to review on an annual basis our current trade policy with China and examine changes in that nation's trade record and human rights performance. Regretfully, I must oppose this bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for H.R. 3544, the Pope John Paul II Congressional Gold Medal Act. I am a cosponsor of this notable legislation that would award Pope John Paul II with a gold medal in recognition of his many powerful and enduring contributions to international peace and religious understanding. This bill is also necessary to honor a man who has served not only as a spiritual leader to Catholic Christians in the United States and around the World, but also as a political champion for human rights. In the more than 20 years of his papacy, John Paul II has been an exemplar of the power of faith against the forces of intolerance and corruption. His support of the Solidarity trade union in his native Poland in the early 1980s, combined with his unwavering support of Catholics living in the former Soviet Bloc nations and his steadfast opposition to the communist regimes suppressing their beliefs, contributed immeasurably to the eventual collapse of those oppressive systems. Pope John Paul II has additionally been a tireless worker for international peace, traveling hundreds of thousands of miles in order to share his spiritual messages with millions of individuals like myself. In October 1995, during his visit to the United States and the United Nations, I had the opportunity to meet with the Pope John Paul II and learn firsthand more about his good work. The Pope's effort have also proven instrumental in virtually all of the World's major conflicts of the past two decades. He brought his message to Central America in the 1980's during its period of revolution and bloodshed. He spread his message to fight apartheid in South Africa, tribal war in Central Africa, and genocide in the Balkans. In an effort to relieve them of their pain, he has traveled to these places to show them he shares in their loss and despair. Most recently, Pope John Paul II served as counsel in bringing together Israelis and Palestinians in a non-denominational effort to cease the brutal conflict that has plagued these two peoples for far too long. This legislation is appropriate in light of the fact that many entities around the world that have similarly honored the Pope. From being designed as the Time Magazine's ``Man of the Year'' in 1994 to serving as the namesake of a Catholic grade school in my hometown of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, Pope John Paul II has received many honors. I coincidentally have the good fortune of being visited today by 28 students in the graduating 8th Grade class at Pope John Paul II School. I am therefore very pleased that we are at this time taking up this legislation to honor the great man for whom their institution is named. In closing, Mr. Speaker, in recognition of his 80th birthday and his leading the Catholic Church into its Third Millennium, we should acknowledge the important accomplishments Pope John Paul II has made to our World during his lifetime. I encourage all Members of the House to support this bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to my very good friends, Susan and Judd Shoval, from my district in Pennsylvania. The Shovals will be honored at the prestigious S.J. Strauss Lodge of the B'nai B'rith Lincoln Day Dinner on May 24 as this year's recipients for the distinguished Community Service Award. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this event. Judd and Susan Shoval are among the most entrepreneurial and community-minded business leaders in my district. As partners in the Guard Insurance Company, specializing in workers' compensation insurance, the Shovals have expanded the company from its founding in the early 1980s to a sophisticated insuring organization with more than 20,000 customers in 16 states, with three subsidiaries. Just last fall, the couple opened Guard Security Bank, which uses electronic banking procedures, offering select financial products to both individuals and business. Susan is a native of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She graduated magna cum laude from Cornell University and graduated with highest honors from the College of Insurance in New York City. In 1993, she was honored as the recipient of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Athena Award and was named among Pennsylvania's Best 50 Women in Business in 1997. She is a member of the Committee of 200, a select group of women who head successful firms. Susan has served the community on the United Way Board and local university boards, but I am especially appreciative of the tremendous amount of time and leadership Susan provided as a director on the board of the Earth Conservancy, a non-profit organization dedicated to reclaiming 16,000 acres of former coal mine land. Among the couple's proudest accomplishments are their four children, Ben, Deborah, Karyn and Rebecca. Judd Shoval is Susan's life partner and business partner, serving also as chief executive officer and a director of Guard Insurance, its subsidiaries and the Guard Security Bank. He is a past chairperson of Associated Risk Managers International and has been a member of the Young Presidents Organization, comprised of presidents and chief executive officers of medium- to large-sized companies. He is also very involved in the community, serving on boards of the local universities, the Jewish Community Center and United Jewish Campaign. Born in Austria, Judd was raised in Israel and received his law degree from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He came to the United States in the early 1970s, finally settling in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the Shovals are dedicated professionals and community leaders. I applaud the S.J. Strauss Lodge's choice of this year's recipients for the distinguished Community Service Award. I am pleased and proud to join with the Lodge and the community in congratulating them and sending my sincere best wishes for continued success.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Luzerne County Head Start, Inc., on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, which will be celebrated May 22. Luzerne County Head Start opened in 1965 and was one of the first such programs in the nation. The program has grown from initially serving 90 children in one community, Wilkes-Barre, to serving a total of 692 children today at 11 locations in Luzerne and Wyoming counties. Mr. Speaker, Luzerne County Head Start's accomplishments are truly impressive. Over the past 35 years, the program has prepared more than 12,000 children to enter kindergarten excited about learning and ready to succeed in school. Further, four of Luzerne County Head Start's classrooms were accredited in 1999 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and other classrooms are being reviewed. To put that in perspective, only 7 percent of early childhood programs nationwide have received this accreditation. Head Start provides a high quality education program to children and their families. In addition, the program ensures that children receive nutrition and social services and needed medical services, including immunizations, health check-ups and preventive screenings. Mr. Speaker, studies have shown that one-third more at-risk children who attended a quality early childhood program such as Head Start graduated from high school compared to those who did not attend. Studies also show that at-risk children who have been enrolled in Head Start or other quality early childhood programs are 25 percent less likely to repeat a grade. Since the current cost of public education averages $5,200 per student, per year nationally, programs like Luzerne County Head Start save taxpayers a significant amount of money in the long run. Head Start is a proven program that helps to give children a strong beginning in life. I am proud to support it and proud of the good work of the Head Start centers throughout my district. Under the Clinton-Gore Administration, funding for Head Start has doubled and I strongly support President Clinton's goal of increasing the number of children served nationally by Head Start from 793,807 in 1997 to 1 million in 2002. Lynn Evans Biga is the very capable director of Luzerne County Head Start. She is aided by the board, including the executive committee of President John Hogan, Vice President Carl Goeringer Jr., Secretary Joanne Coolbaugh and Treasurer Gene Caprio, all of whom volunteer their time for this fine program, as does every member of the board. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to honor Luzerne County Head Start on the occasion of its 35th anniversary, and I send my best wishes for continued success to the employees and the many children and families whom they serve so well.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I rise, of course, in support of this resolution. I just want to point out to my colleagues that this is one of the most bipartisan pieces of legislation that we have been working on for several years. I initially got involved in this because of the berylliosis problem at the Department of Energy plant in my district. I have since discovered, in working with various Members of Congress, that they have similar problems from beryllium, radiation, and other hazardous exposures that occurred in Department of Energy and Department of Defense installations in this country. For more than 50 years now, people have been dying and suffering from horrible injuries without compensation. The opportunity we have today is to take advantage of at least four pieces of well thought out and previously introduced legislation, to have the committees of jurisdiction come together and take these pieces of legislation, hold hearings, and construct a bill that this Congress can pass, probably with unanimous consent, in the next several months. Fifty years is too long to wait to assist these workers dying from horrible diseases when we know they have only suffered as a result of their exposure as Cold War warriors. To deny compensation any further is foolish because the Department of Defense and the medical establishment of this country have established, without question, that these diseases are directly related to their employment and that exposure. If we can enact other legislation in several weeks, this Congress, in a bipartisan way in the next month, should come together and pass a compensation bill to compensate the Cold War warriors of this country.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this event. In 1964, a small group of private sector leaders gathered to discuss forming a regional economic development entity, which would assist the local chambers of commerce in their work. The original group included members of the banking and business communities, colleges and universities, utilities, and others. These informal discussions led to the formation of the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, or EDCNP as it is well known today. The council hired its first executive director, expanded its board, and two years later became a private/public sector partnership with designation as a development district. In 1965, two federal acts for economic assistance were enacted. These legislative proposals, first suggested by John F. Kennedy, were signed into law by Lyndon Johnson. These landmark acts, the Appalachian Regional Development Act and the Public Works and Regional Development Act became the springboard for EDCNP to expand to seven counties under what is known as the substate regional plan. Mr. Speaker, the EDCNP has provided numerous services to the community over the 35 years of its existence. Under the leadership of current president David Donlin and executive director Howard Grossman, the EDCNP continues to strive to promote economic development throughout our region. During my tenure in Congress, I have had the pleasure of working with the EDCNP on many economic development efforts. Working to highlight the importance of the Tobyhanna Army Depot during the last round of base closures, and getting the Susquehanna River named an American Heritage River are just two of the most recent efforts. This organization provides many valuable services to Northeastern Pennsylvania, and I am pleased and proud to bring this distinguished organization to the attention of my colleagues. I send my very best wishes for continued success.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Louis Cardoni of Plains Township, Luzerne County, in my district, who will be honored by the Plains Rotarians at a dinner May 21 for his role as a community leader. Lou Cardoni has a long history of community involvement, dating back to the 1940s, when as a youngster, he helped his father develop the Hilldale baseball diamond. Since that time, he has worked hard to make Hilldale and all of Plains Township a showplace for recreation in Northeastern Pennsylvania. After returning from his service in the Army, Lou resumed his strong involvement in service to the community. He was a charter member of the Hilldale Community Center and is presently a member of the Plans Rotary Club, the Plains American Legion and the ITLO Club. He is a past president of the Plans Rotary and of the Hilldale Community Center and is the current secretary of the ITLO Club. Mr. Speaker, Lou chaired the Plains Recreation Board for many years, and his accomplishments on the recreation board have been a model for the community. Among his most prominent accomplishments was helping to develop the Hilldale Baseball Park, which sent many boys on to the professional ranks, including Ed Ott, Randy Martz and Jim Farr, the current baseball coach at the College of William and Mary. Lou also spearheaded the development of the Birchwood Complex, one of Luzerne County's showplaces. Working with other community leaders, Lou also helped to build three playgrounds, secure a grant for one of the first handicapped-accessible parks in Pennsylvania and obtain grants for roads and water lines in Birchwood Municipal Park and for filling a mine pit which has now been replaced with athletic fields. Lou and his wife, the former Ellen Dooley of Plains, have three children, Louis Jr., Maureen Riley and Kathy Cardoni, and five grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the Plains community in honoring Louis Cardoni for his exceptional service, and I send my best wishes for continued success in all his endeavors.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Father John Terry, V.F., of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood this week. Father Terry currently serves two parishes, St. Charles Borromeo and Holy Family, located in the Sugar Notch area of my district. He was born in Scranton and raised in Jessup. After being ordained a deacon in 1974, he served for a time at St. Mary's Church of the Immaculate Conception in Wilkes-Barre, and he returned there upon his ordination to the priesthood. Father Terry's career is notable for his interest in youth and youth programs. His passion for sports has helped him to connect with young people. In 1979, he took on the difficult assignment of serving as director of the Catholic Youth Center in Wilkes-Barre. At that time, several factors worked against the center, including a dependence on government and outside funding, a facility that needed expansion and development, and the loss of staff for budget reasons. With goals established--and hard work day by day, week by week, year by year--the center was reborn under the leadership of Father Terry and Tony English, the executive director, to face the challenges of service to the needs of the youth in the community. Father Terry thrived on that assignment, which introduced him to high school sports at G.A.R. High School and working with teenage youth. At one football championship game, the students hung up a huge banner portraying Father Terry with wings, and it read, ``Our Angel in the Backfield.'' At the same he directed the youth center, Father Terry served as an assistant pastor at St. Patrick's Parish in Wilkes-Barre, and was later assigned to Holy Savior and St. Christopher's Churches, followed by the parishes of Sugar Notch, where he has been for more than nine years now. The two churches where he now serves have been completely restored and updated. The emergence of a pastoral council, with representatives from both churches, began to develop more ministries, such as a pastoral outreach to shut-ins, youth ministries, liturgy--especially addressing children, adult education and the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults, involvement of Eucharistic ministers, readers, altar servers and ministers of hospitality. Father Terry has worked with Deacon Phil Harris to make these things possible. Mr. Speaker, Father Terry has given his life in devotion to God and the people of the Wyoming Valley, and I am proud to join in honoring him on the 25th anniversary of his ordination. I send him my very best wishes for continued success.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an organization of which I am proud to be a member, the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. I am pleased and honored to have been asked to participate in the 150th anniversary of its founding. Founded in 1850 by the leading attorneys of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, the Association was first known as the Wilkes-Barre Law Association. As the bar association for all of Luzerne County, the association soon adopted the longer name of Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association, which is how it is still known today. Its original function was a law library for its membership. Because of the expense of older law books dating back to the Civil War era, it was an attempt to create a central law library as a less costly way for lawyers of the day to have an important resource in their practices. The original library contained around 2000 volumes. Throughout the years, the library has expanded and by 1968 contained over 21,000 volumes of law books including English law. Some of of the oldest volumes date back to the early 1700's and the library is one of the finest in the nation to this day. The membership of the Association currently includes 649 members and has had a total of over 1,600 members in good standing in its 150-year history. Its first president was the Honorable Hendrick B. Wright, a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature, and Andrew McClintock and George B. Nicholson served as the first treasurer and secretary, respectively. Many of the original names on the membership list are quite familiar to those of us in the Wyoming Valley--Welles, Dennison, Bidlack, Conyngham, Wright--as even to this day many of our streets and communities bear these distinguished names. Many served in the Pennsylvania Legislature and were icons of the era. At least 14 members of the Association were elected to the U.S. Congress, myself included. The Association also boasts three governors among its ranks: Henry Hoyt, Arthur James, and John S. Fine. Mr. Speaker, the list of appellate and state supreme court justices from this bar association's membership list is too long to name all of them here, but that list includes some of the most distinguished jurists in the Commonwealth's history. One of its most famous was Chief Justice Gibson, whose case precedents were considered the most widely read in his era and were cited regularly by courts as far away as Westminster, England. Currently in senior status, Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Max Rosenn is a highly respected member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. With my strong support, the Congress recently renamed the Wilkes-Barre Federal Courthouse in his honor. Mr. Speaker, the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association is the oldest and most distinguished legal institution in Northeastern Pennsylvania. It is the center of the legal community in Luzerne County and its library is a great resource to its membership. I am extremely proud to be a member and to have this opportunity to bring its history to the attention of my colleagues in the House of Representatives. I send my sincere best wishes on this milestone anniversary and for the future of the legal profession in Luzerne County.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to my good friends Chris and Jane Breiseth from my District in Pennsylvania. This week, the Breiseths are being honored with the Distinguished Community Service Award by the Wilkes-Barre Society of Fellows, Anti-Defamation League (ADL). I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this event, which is honoring such a well-respected and well-liked couple. Dr. Christopher Breiseth will retire as president of Wilkes University in July 2001, after 17 years, the second-longest presidential term in the institution's history. He has been an extraordinary president of Wilkes University, bringing significant growth to the institution during a challenging period for all private institutions of higher education. He not only established the School of Pharmacy and oversaw the construction of numerous new buildings on the Wilkes campus, but he also maintained a warm, caring atmosphere that encouraged students to thrive. During his tenure, the university has experienced unprecedented growth in its fundraising, programmatic and campus development initiatives. He led the institution to its 1989 designation as a university by the Pennsylvania Board of Education, a recognition of the breadth of Wilkes's programs and curricula at the undergraduate and graduate level. Under Chris's leadership, the Wilkes campus has been transformed into a cohesive academic environment, with several buildings constructed or remodeled for student residence, study and recreation. Curricular enhancements include the 1994 creation of the School of Pharmacy, which will graduate its first class of Doctors of Pharmacy on May 20. Chris's legacy extends to his tireless efforts as a community leader. His awards and involvements are too numerous to list them all. Personally, I developed enormous respect and appreciation for him from countless hours working together on the creation of the Earth Conservancy, a unique organization formed to reclaim thousands of acres of mine-scarred land in the Wyoming Valley. There were many difficult moments during the early days of the Earth Conservancy, and Chris Breiseth put himself at significant personal and professional risk to make our dream a reality. He continues to serve as chairman of the board and has helped to develop the Earth Conservancy into a respected and important asset for the community. Mr. Speaker, Jane Morehouse Breiseth is a highly educated community activist in her own right. Educated at prestigious Cornell University, she earned a Bachelor's in Comparative Literature, then earned her Master's in Education there in 1967. She is certified to teach Language Arts and Social Studies in several states. Jane has taught in several schools over her career and was a study skill specialist, worked on a quality of life survey project and was assistant to the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare. Since coming to Northeastern Pennsylvania, Jane has continued her civic involvement. She has worked with the Family Service Association, Hospice St. John, Luzerne County Women's Conference, and the Northeast Philharmonic Society, to name just a few. The Breiseths are active members of First Presbyterian Church in Wilkes-Barre and the parents of three fine young women, Abigail, Erika, and Lydia. Mr. Speaker, when the Breiseths came to Northeastern Pennsylvania, they truly made it their home, volunteering their time and energy to many worthwhile projects and community activities. The area is enriched by their presence and I am extremely proud and honored to be among their many friends. I sent my sincere best wishes as they accept this prestigious award and I look forward to their continued involvement in the community for years to come.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to support and speak for the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act. This bill will increase homeownership opportunities for all Americans, enhance access to affordable housing for low- and moderate-income individuals, and expand economic opportunity for underserved communities. As we know, Mr. Chairman, our economy continues its record expansion, and our Nation has achieved its highest ownership rate in its history. The 1993 Budget Act helped form the foundation on which these accomplishments have been built. The budget policies outlined in that law have contributed to a record budget surplus, lower interest and mortgage rates, 7 years of robust economic growth, and record levels of consumer confidence. Despite our successes, significant numbers of households are still precluded from sharing in the benefits of homeownership. H.R. 1776 addresses many of these inequities. Among its provisions, the legislation helps schoolteachers, police officers, firefighters, municipal employees, and correction officers to purchase homes in the jurisdiction that employs them with reduced down payments and deferred FHA loan insurance premiums, reauthorizes funding for Community Development Block Grants, allows elderly homeowners to refinance their reverse mortgages, while establishing consumer protections to shield them against fraud and abuse. Although H.R. 1776 is a good beginning, more still need to be done to help encourage economic investments in underserved communities. That is why I hope the House will pass the administration's New Markets initiative. We have in recent weeks been working and making progress and negotiating a bipartisan plan that merges Democratic and Republican ideas for helping underserved communities. Thus, I am hopeful that we can pass legislation in this area in the upcoming months, and deliver on an agreement reached between the Speaker and the President last November to cooperate on economic development issues. In closing, Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1776 is a solid piece of legislation that helps more people become homeowners in very innovative ways. Because increased ownership rates strengthen communities, I strongly support H.R. 1776, and encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Valley Grange 1184 of Danville, Pennsylvania, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its charter. Valley Grange was chartered April 2, 1900, and has been continuously active since that date. The Grange is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life through educational, social and legislative activities; promoting family life through family-oriented activities; advancing the cause of agriculture; developing rural leadership; and acting as a spokesman in public affairs. From its founding, the Grange has been in the forefront of the fight to secure fair treatment and better conditions for farm and rural citizens. From securing rural free mail delivery to rural electrification, to fair prices for farm products to local tax reform, the Grange has been there for its citizens, ``preserving the traditions of yesterday and ensuring the hope for tomorrow,'' as its current slogan proclaims. The Grange deserves much credit for preserving the very traditions that have made America a strong and caring country--traditions such as legislative action, family values, citizenship, stewardship and community service. Exemplifying commitment to those traditions are ten members of the Grange in Danville who will be honored for their many years of continuous membership when Valley Grange celebrates its 100-year milestone with a dinner at the Grange Hall on April 3. I am pleased to join their fellow Valley Grange members in honoring the following people, who will be presented with certificates and pins for their dedication: Hazel Savage, 75 years; Sarah Kreisher and Clyde and Ruth Krum, 70 years; Lansford Steininger, 60 years; Robert George, 55 years; and James and Lois Hagenbuch, Dorothy Keefer and Minor Leighow, 25 years. Mr. Speaker, it is people like these ten members of Valley Grange who help to keep rural America strong, and I am proud to wish them and their fellow members a happy 100th anniversary.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a close personal friend and devoted public servant, Frank Castellino, upon the occasion of his retirement. Frank will be honored by his friends and colleagues on March 23rd, and I am honored to have been asked to participate in this event. Frank Castellino is an institution in Luzerne County Courthouse, and his daily presence will be missed by everyone who has become so accustomed to his warmth and genuine concern for people. Frank Castellino began his public service as a clerk in the Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds office in 1940. In 1968 he was elected Recorder of Deeds and proceeded to serve eight consecutive terms. No matter how busy he was, Frank always had time to get personally involved in solving people's problems. I first came to know Frank Castellino when I was a boy tagging along with father as he visited the Recorder of Deeds office in his law practice. Later I grew to know him as the father of one of my classmates at Dickinson School of Law. Once I began my own practice of law, I frequently took advantage of his considerable expertise and helpfulness. A lifelong resident of Pittston, Frank also served as Alderman from 1946 to 1966. He is a member and past president of the Pittston Lions Club and the Luzerne County Columbus League, which erected the Columbus memorial in Pittston. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Under Frank's leadership, the Luzerne County Recorder of Deeds office was the first in the state to computerize its records. Mr. Speaker, the Luzerne County Board of Commissioners paid a fitting tribute to Frank when they praised him as a ``gracious and good-natured gentleman, who carried out his professional and personal responsibilities with a zeal many of us would envy, and whose broad community impact can never be fully measured.'' I am pleased and proud to join with the Commissioners in thanking Frank Castellino for his years of dedicated service to Luzerne County and commending him on a ``job well done.'' I send my sincere best wishes for a happy, healthy and productive retirement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to William P. McFadden. This year, the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will honor Bill with the W. Francis Swingle Award at their annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this event. The Swingle Award is named in honor of Professor Frank Swingle, a noted and respected educator and orator, active in civic organizations locally. Bill McFadden will be the eleventh recipient of this prestigious award. Mr. McFadden has had an exemplary career in nursing for more than thirty-two years. He specialized in industrial nursing at Bethlehem Steel, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, and also the Ford Motor Company, Chester, Pennsylvania, and San Jose, California. Administratively, Bill was Staff Nurse and Supervisor at Wilmington Veterans Administration Hospital, Director of Nursing at Fresno Community Hospital in California and a nursing home supervisor in New Jersey. Until his retirement in 1985, he served as Nursing Supervisor at East Orange Veterans Hospital, New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, Mr. McFadden is a native son of Northeastern Pennsylvania, having been born and raised here. He attended St. John's High School in Pittston, went on to St. Joseph's School of Nursing in Philadelphia and received his degree in nursing from Villanova University in 1959. He served in the Navy Reserves from 1945 to 1947. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate William McFadden on this prestigious award. I join with his wife Ann, family, and his many good friends in sending him my most sincere best wishes as he accepts this honor.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Michael F. Tigue. This year the Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will honor Mr. Tigue as ``Man of the Year'' at their 86th annual St. Patrick's Day banquet. I am honored to have been asked to participate in this prestigious event. Michael Tigue is a lifelong resident of Hughestown, in my District in Pennsylvania. In the early days of the coal industry, young boys were used on the breakers to sort coal. It was backbreaking work that paid pennies a day. Michael Tigue was one of these lads while attending school. He later went on to work at the Lehigh Valley Railroad and then as a pipefitter. He is a member of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local Union 524, the Knights of Columbus and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. Mr. Speaker, Michael Tigue has been married to his wife Joan for 56 years. They are the proud parents of four, Thomas, Mariclaire, Michael, and Kevin. Their son, State Representative Tom Tigue, is a longtime friend and colleague of mine. The Tigues boast 10 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren and are members of the Blessed Sacrament Parish in Hughestown. Mr. Speaker, I applaud this year's choice for the Friendly Sons' ``Man of the Year'' award and send my sincere best wishes to Mr. Tigue and his family.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the American Red Cross Blood Program in my District in Pennsylvania. On March 9, the local chapter will celebrate 50 years of service to Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in the celebration. It is fitting, during American Red Cross Month, to acknowledge the outstanding service of the blood program. In 1950, the Wyoming Valley Chapter of Blood Services was formed. By the end of the first year, over 21,000 units of blood were collected and the unit was serving 17 counties and 56 hospitals. In 1979, the facility moved to its current location in Hanover Industrial Estates and expanded service to 19 counties in Pennsylvania and 2 counties in New York. Expansion continued when Bloodmobile Buses were included, taking the collection effort throughout the district. By 1999, the program included two bloodmobile units. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the American Red Cross is one of our nation's finest and most dedicated institutions, helping millions of people through disaster and difficulty. The blood program is a vital part of that effort. Currently the local chapter serves 1.5 million people, and in 1999, collected an unprecedented 87,600 units of blood. Blood collection assists in the care of the critically ill, premature newborns, accident victims, surgery patients, and burn victims. Over 10,000 volunteers assist the staff of 200 professionals, currently led by Ms. Chris Rogers. The agency supplies blood to 41 hospitals in Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania. In addition to collecting blood, the Blood Center offers blood testing, including typing and HIV testing. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to bring this milestone anniversary of the American Red Cross Blood Program of Northeastern Pennsylvania to the attention of my colleagues. I send these dedicated people my sincere gratitude for a ``job well done'' and best wishes for continued success.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about H.R. 1180, the Work Incentives Improvement Act. As a senior member of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, I want to provide my colleagues with an explanation of one provision in this conference report. Specifically, this legislation updates the funding formula for the Federal Family Education Loan Program by changing the lender index from the 91-day Treasury bill rate to the 90-day commercial paper rate. The interest rate index switch has a strong bipartisan backing, including the supporter of the Chairman and ranking Democratic member of both the Committee on Education and Workforce and its Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning. Additionally, this change will not in any way affect the interest rate paid by individuals on their student loans. This change only affects the index for lenders. Importantly, this switch will not cost the taxpayers a dime. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will reduce taxpayer expenditures by tens of millions of dollars over the next decade. The Office of Management and Budget concurs that this change will not increase costs to the federal government. This change flows from the agreement made on lender yields during last year's debate over the Higher Education Act. The conferees on the Higher Education Act recognized that there were serious questions about whether the Treasury bill was still the appropriate index to use. Consequently, the Higher Education Act asked for a study. Over the last year, a great majority of the people who have intensively examined this matter have concluded that the Treasury bill index has serious shortcomings, which will worsen as the federal government continues to run a budget surplus and the market diminishes for Treasury securities. Furthermore, in June 1999 testimony before the Senate Committee on Finance, Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Stuart Eizenstat acknowledged this problem. He stated, ``As the supply of Treasuries dwindles in the future, as we gradually reduce the debt held by the public, there would be a ready supply of other securities of other issuers including high quality corporations and government sponsored enterprises that would likely become benchmarks for the broader securities markets.'' Deputy Secretary Eizenstat further said that, ``The Federal Reserve currently uses Treasury securities to conduct open market operations, but it has not always been that way, nor would it have to be in the future. As with other market participants, the Federal Reserve would adapt to such a changing environment by substituting other debt securities for Treasuries.'' Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what this legislation does. It substitutes the 90-day commercial paper rate, with an appropriate adjustment determined by the Congressional Budget Office to reduce federal outlays by tens of millions of dollars, for the 91-day Treasury bill. This change is as important for students and their families as it is for providers of student loans. Without this change, the private sector will experience periods of time, such as the majority of last year, when it cannot issue asset backed securities to fund student loans. Because the private sector finances roughly two out of every three dollars of student loans, we must stabilize this important source of funding. Stability and liquidity in the market help all participants, including students and their families, and colleges and universities. Today, our fiscal and economic climate is dramatically different from what it was when the 91-day Treasury bill was selected as the index for the student loan program. Twenty-five years ago, the federal deficit and the Treasury bill market were both quite large, while the student loan and commercial paper markets were relatively small. Today the situation is reversed. The government has a budget surplus, and the size of the Treasury bill market is less than half of what it was as recently as 1996. Moreover, the volume of outstanding student loans has grown from $7 billion to $120 billion, and the commercial paper and London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) markets have exploded in size. The simple truth--as anyone on Wall Street will attest, is that the overwhelming majority of private sector commercial loans are based on LIBOR and commercial paper rates, not Treasury bill rates. The federal government should recognize this change in the marketplace and revise its statutes accordingly. Changing the interest rate index will not harm students, and it will not harm the federal government. Instead it will help both by ensuring that a large and liquid market remains available for student loans. Finally, Mr. Speaker, some people have tried to use this issue to reopen the debate between the merits of direct lending and guaranteed lending. That is a red herring. This change will not adversely affect the direct loan program or the competitive balance between direct and guaranteed loans. This change is simply a technical fix to reflect transformations in the marketplace that scores of financial experts have acknowledged. It is time to switch the interest rate index used to calculate lender returns for the Federal Family Education Loan Program. I encourage all my colleagues to read the following recommendations from the Chairmen and ranking Democratic members of the House Committee on Education and Workforce and its Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning. Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC, November 8, 1999. Hon. Bill Archer, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC., Hon. Tom Bliley, Chairman, House Commerce Committee, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC., Hon. Dick Armey, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, the Capitol, Washington, DC. Hon. Charles Rangel, Ranking Minority Member, House Ways and Means Committee, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Hon. John Dingell, Ranking Minority Member, House Commerce Committee, Ford House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Conferee, We are writing to clear up some misinformation regarding Section 409 of H.R. 1180, the Work Incentives Improvement Act. At issue is a provision that was added to H.R. 1180 that would update the index on which lender returns are based in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP). Last year, as we reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Committee became concerned that the 91-day Treasury bill, which is the index used for the last 25 years to determine the interest rate on guaranteed student loans, was becoming an out of date tool for determining lender yields. T-bill based payments made sense when the loan program was conceived. However, financial markets have evolved, and most lenders now fund their portfolios using more commonly traded instruments such as commercial paper (CP) or London interbank offered rate (LIBOR) rates. While the Committee was willing to explore other mechanisms for determining lender yields during reauthorization, the complexity of the issue required us to form a study group, made up of a broad range of stakeholders in the program, to determine the financial instrument that would be most efficient and cost effective. Unfortunately, the study group failed to reach consensus on an appropriate alternative index. To date, the only proposal that has been put forth came from the lending community. The provision in Section 409 is based on that recommendation. We are seriously concerned that, in an attempt to stall this important change, some are spreading a set of contrived ``what if'' numbers, which are not based on sound assumptions or supportable data. The facts, are as follows. Changing the FFELP index for lender yields will not cost the federal government money. CBO scoring shows that this provision will actually save the government $20 million in reduced payments to lenders. These are savings that will help to pay for benefits provided for disabled workers under H.R. 1180. Changing the index won't create a windfall for lenders. The fact of the matter is that had this change been in effect over the last 10 years, lender return would have been slightly lower than the returns that were earned using the current T-Bill based index. Changing the index will not drive smaller lenders or community banks from the program. In fact, in a letter to Senator Lott dated November 3, 1999, the Independent Community Bankers of America (a trade association that exclusively represents this nation's community banks) raised the index change, stating that it ``maximizes community banker participation in the program.'' This provision will not cost students a dime. It in no way affects the interest rates paid by students. The bottom line is that changing the index for determining lender yields for the FFEL program is sound policy, and it enjoys the bipartisan support of our Committee leadership. It will increase the efficiency and stability of the program. By basing the index on a private sector funding mechanism such as commercial paper, lenders can more easily borrow money from the private sector and fund more student loans. This change simply ensures that student loans will be readily available for all students. In closing, we urge you to maintain Section 409 in conference. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us or have your staff call George, Conant (Majority) at ext. 5-6558, or Maryellen Ardouny (Minority) at ext. 6-2068. Sincerely, Bill Goodling, Chairman, Committee on Education and the Workforce. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Chairman, Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning. Bill Clay, Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce. Matthew G. Martinez, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Postsecondary Education, Training and Life-Long Learning.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring a very special anniversary to the attention of my colleagues. This Saturday, November 13, marks the 59th anniversary of the founding of the National Federation of the Blind. An historic plaque will be placed at the original meeting place in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon, and I am proud to have been asked to participate in this historic celebration. In November of 1940, the first nationwide self-advisory group of persons with disabilities was founded at a meeting in the Reddington Hotel in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. At that time, the future for most blind people was bleak and employment often meant sheltered workshops for pennies an hour. With few educational opportunities available, the blind came together to organize. Elected to lead the fledgling group was Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, a young blind lawyer who would go on to become a prominent professor of constitutional law. This small group of people dedicated to the advancement of those with disabilities began a trend of advocacy for all people with physical and mental challenges. Mr. Speaker, today the National Federation of the Blind is the largest organization of its kind in America. Every state has a chapter, as do many communities across the nation. Several thousand activists attend the Federation's annual national convention. The Federation provides scholarships, discrimination assistance, newsletters, and legislative consultation. It supports and assists in the development of new technology to improve the lives of the visually impaired. The Federation champions civil rights for the blind and often intercedes when parents face interference from social service agencies who attempt to remove their children from their homes. Currently, the Federation is attempting to establish sound case law regarding custody rights of visually impaired parents. Today, the blind are employed in every profession there is, from the law to medicine. The National Federation of the Blind should take great pride in the extraordinary progress it has helped bring about since that day in November of 1940 when the founders gathered together for the first time. I am pleased to join with the citizens in Northeastern Pennsylvania and across the nation in congratulating the National Federation of the Blind and its local chapters as members gather at the organization's birthplace in my district in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to celebrate this historic event.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, on November 4 and November 5, 1999, I was away from Washington on official business and unable to vote on several matters. Had I been present on rollcall 563, I would have voted ``yea''; on rollcall 564, I would have voted ``nay''; on rollcall 565, I would have voted ``yea''; on rollcalls 565, 567, and 568, I would have voted ``nay''; on rollcall 569, I would have voted ``yea''; and on rollcalls 571, 572, and 573, I would have voted ``yea''.