Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the selection of Dr. Mary E. Hines as 2002 Community Leader of the Year by the Northeast Branch of the Arthritis Foundation. Dr. Hines will be honored with a dinner on October 17. Dr. Hines has served as the campus executive officer for Penn State's Wilkes-Barre campus since July, 1997. During her time in Wilkes-Barre, she has been very involved in the community, serving as a member of numerous organizations, including the Children's Services Center Blue Ribbon Task Force, the Pocono Region Advisory Board for Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania and on the boards of the Ethics Institute of Northeast Pennsylvania, the YMCA, the Kirby Center, Family Services of the Wyoming Valley, the Family Care Consortium, and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Business and Industry. While serving on the Chamber board, she chaired its Ethics Committee, which conducted several programs on business ethics. Dr. Hines currently serves on the board of Leadership Wilkes-Barre, where she chaired the Executive Leadership Committee for two years and continues to serve on the Executive Leadership Series Committee, the Nominating Committee and the Mentor Committee. She has also recently joined the Professional Women's Advisory Council. In addition, Mr. Speaker, Dr. Hines chairs the 15-member group known as the Northeast Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Universities, co-chairs the Education Task Force of NE PA Alliance, and is the past chair of the Luzerne County Council of Presidents, on which she continues to serve. She is a member of the Regional Steering Committee of the state ``Stay, Invent the Future'' initiative and the Executive Committee for the regional collaborative grant to attract and retain young people in Northeastern Pennsylvania. At the national level, Dr. Hines has served on the American Council of Education Fellows' Executive Board and participated at the Kellogg Foundation Roundtable for Higher Education Leaders and Chairs of Education Committees of the U.S. Congress. She is regularly called upon to speak about educational, ethical and economic development issues to business and community organizations. Dr. Hines' academic degrees are in philosophy. She graduated first in her class and summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts from St. Francis College in New York, where she also received the College's Ethics Award, and she received a National Fellowship to pursue her master of arts and doctorate, which were both awarded by the Catholic University of America in Washington. Before coming to Penn State, Dr. Hines held faculty and administrative positions at Dundalk Community College and Catonsville Community College in Maryland and was the recipient of multiple awards and honors. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member in philosophy at several private colleges in Maryland. Dr. Hines and her husband, Kenneth, live in Dallas, Pennsylvania. They have four children: Sean, Kevin, Kathleen and Brendan. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the achievements and service to the community of Dr. Mary E. Hines, and I wish her all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the honoring of Ed Harry at the Organized Labor 2002 Dinner to be held on October 24 by the Greater Wilkes-Barre Labor Council and the Northeast Alliance Pennsylvania Retirees District 3. Ed will be honored for his many years of dedicated and outstanding service to the local labor movement and the community. Ed is the son of a United Mine Workers member and a member of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, where he worked in Air Force intelligence and spent 1968 and 1969 in Vietnam and Thailand. He began working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1971 at Retreat State Hospital. Working as a custodian, he became a shop steward in his department in 1972, and in 1974, he became the chief steward for Local 537 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees. In that capacity, he represented most of the employees at the hospital. In February 1977, Ed spent 22 months organizing public employees in Florida for AFSCME, traveling throughout the state. In September 1978, he returned to Pennsylvania and began working as a staff representative for District Council 88, based in the Reading office. Following the general election in 1980, Ed was able to come home, where he began working for District Council 87. He has been a member of the Wilkes-Barre Area Labor Council since 1972 and has served as a trustee for approximately the past 12 years. He has been active in politics, including most statewide and federal campaigns in Pennsylvania, since the 1970s. Ed is an avid sports fan and during his well-deserved retirement, his friends and colleagues know they will be seeing him at many local and college games. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the achievements and service to the community of Ed Harry, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the long record of service to the community of Anthony A. Bianco, who will be honored as ``2002 Person of the Year'' at the October 13, 2002, banquet of the Luzerne County Italian American Association. He has served as Sergeant-at-Arms for the last three years and on the board of directors of the Association. Anthony is the son of the late August and Lucille Serignese Bianco. He is a graduate of the Pittston High School Class of 1954. Over the years, he has participated in numerous civic and religious organizations. He is a lifelong member of the Holy Name Society of Mount Carmel Church, Pittston, where he is a volunteer assistant at all functions. He is also a member and volunteer of the American Red Cross, where he has participated for more than 21 years in community blood drives, which resulted in the Red Cross presenting him with the ``21 Year Pin'' recently. He has also represented the Italian American Association at the Pittston Tomato Festival Parade and serves as a volunteer for the groundskeeping work at the Columbus statue in Pittston throughout the year. He has represented the 7th Ward, 3rd District in the City of Pittston as the Democratic Committeeman for more than 25 years and also serves as Judge of Elections for that ward. Anthony has worked for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and for the past 32 years, he has been employed at the Luzerne County Veterans Affairs Bureau, where he has been responsible for delivering veterans' stone markers and flags to all cemeteries in Luzerne and adjacent counties of his jurisdiction. He is a lifelong resident of Pittston. His family includes a brother, the late Philip Bianco, and a sister, Grace Bianco Nolan. He has three nieces and a nephew, along with several great-nieces and great-nephews. Mr. Speaker, for all these reasons, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the well-deserved honor being accorded to Anthony Bianco, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the long record of service to his fellow citizens of James Paisley, former mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, who will be honored as ``Outstanding, Italian-American of the Year'' at the October 13, 2002, banquet of the Sons of Italy Lodge 1043, members of the Columbus Club and UNICO. Jim was born July 1, 1928, to John and Frances LaRocco Paisley. He is a lifelong resident of Hazleton, was educated in the public school systems and graduated with the class of 1946. Following his graduation, he worked as an apprentice mechanic for the Hazleton Ford dealership. He entered the Army in November 1950 as a private with the 43rd Infantry Division and was discharged with the rank of sergeant first class on November 1, 1952. The 43rd Infantry served in Germany, with its primary function to patrol the border with the Communist nations in Europe during, the Cold War. After returning to the United States, he met and married the former Irene Bonomo in 1953. They are the parents of a daughter, Francine, owner and operator of Francine's Beauty Shop, Hazleton; a son, the Very Rev. James J. Paisley, pastor of St. Maria Goretti Church, Laflin; and a daughter, Carmela, a clinical instructor at the School of Radiology, Greater Hazleton Health Alliance, Church Street Campus. In 1954, Jim was appointed patrolman with the Hazleton Police Department. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1964, and then promoted to captain of detectives in 1969. He retained the position as captain until retirement in 1974. After retirement from the Police Department, he worked as a drapery installer for Bonomo Decorators from 1974 to 1978. In 1978, he was elected mayor of Hazleton and served two four-year terms. He was appointed to the position of field investigator with the Pennsylvania Treasury Department, where he was responsible for the investigation of fraud cases in 12 counties through August 1989. After passing the required state civil service examination in 1989, he was employed by the Hazleton Housing Authority as a project manager, and was promoted to administrative officer and grant coordinator in 1995 after successfully managing the Vine West Family Community. He was also named contacting officer for the authority. After 11 years of outstanding, exemplary and faithful execution of his duties, he was appointed in 1999 as executive director of the authority, in which capacity he continues to serve. Jim is a member of the Most Precious Blood Roman Catholic Church, where he serves as an extraordinary minister of the Eucharist and as a lector. He has also served two terms as president of the Hazleton UNICO club. Mr. Speaker, for all these reasons, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the well-deserved honor being accorded to James Paisley, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise with a heavy heart because the decision to go to war is the greatest vote a Member of Congress can make. I take my sworn constitutional duty in this matter very seriously. Accordingly, I have conducted a thorough analysis of this situation since the President indicated discussions several months ago about the possible need for American military action in Iraq. The examination and analysis has resulted in my conclusion to support this resolution. Ultimately, we must do what is right for the security of our Nation. Before the United States agrees to commit troops abroad, we must first determine that Iraq represents an imminent and serious threat to the American interests. We have known for some time that Iraq possesses biological and chemical weapons of mass destruction and material, an unacceptable breach of its international obligations. Additionally, Iraq seeks to produce nuclear weapons. Moreover, we have evidence that Iraq has worked to build the delivery systems and now has the capacity to deliver these weapons all over the world. After considerable deliberations, I have, therefore, determined that a convincing case has been made that Iraq presents an imminent threat to our national security. Without question, we know that we cannot trust Saddam Hussein. Other nations might have the same deadly capacities as Iraq, but none has a leader like Saddam Hussein, who is a vicious and dangerous man. At this critical junction, we must, therefore, act quickly to safeguard our national security and the security of our allies. If we do not, millions may die. Let us err on the side of national security. Further, we have before us a well-crafted compromise resolution to authorize the use of force against Iraq. This resolution imposes some appropriate checks on the President's authority to use force against Iraq. It also represents a reasonable compromise between what the President had initially requested and what the Congress felt was wise to allow. After all, under our Constitution, only Congress has the power to declare war. We must additionally consider the consequences of military intervention for our diplomatic relations with other nations. In my mind, the President has made a convincing case to Congress about the need for such action in this instance. His administration in recent weeks has made progress in educating the rest of the world about the need for such action. Furthermore, the resolution before us today prioritizes U.S. diplomatic efforts in the United Nations for resolving this escalating situation. As a result, it is my hope we will resolve the situation through diplomatic means. But should those efforts fail, we must and we need to ensure that the President has the tools he needs to protect our national security. Further, if we must use force against Iraq, it is imperative that we not leave a vacuum of power so that one dangerous regime replaces another dangerous regime. If we fail in the second part of our mission in Iraq, we will not have accomplished much. If we ultimately pursue military action, we must therefore commit this Congress and the American people to provide assistance, as we did after the war in Europe. Consequently, I am pleased that the President has expressed his support for rebuilding Iraq's economy and creating institutions of liberty in a unified Iraq at peace with its neighbors. Mr. Speaker, Congress must act swiftly to pass this resolution so that the United States can fully protect the national security of the American people. The resolution now before us represents a reasonable compromise between the desires of the administration and the goals of Congress to protect the American people. We should, as a result, support this resolution and support the President as he upholds the duties he was sworn to do.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of and express my strong support for House Concurrent Resolution 425, which the gentlelady from Wyoming, Congresswoman Barbara Cubin, introduced. I am pleased to be an original cosponsor of this important legislation. Although more than $1.5 billion collected from coal producers and dedicated for cleaning up our Nation's abandoned coal mine sites is currently available for reclamation projects in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States, these funds sit unappropriated in the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund. As a result, we are needlessly postponing important reclamation work so that the federal government's bookkeepers can offset other expenditures from the Federal budget. In fiscal 2002, Congress appropriated $203.5 million for abandoned mine land reclamation projects nationwide. For fiscal 2003, however, the Administration has requested just $175.5 million for this critical program, a cut of almost 14 percent. With an estimated total cost of abandoned coal land reclamation at $20 billion, we need to do more to fix this problem. Past coal mining practices have had a devastating effect on the environment and the economic potential of our Nation. Additionally, this problem is widespread. In fact, more than 120 congressional districts in 27 states, represented by both political parties, are affected by the problem of abandoned mines. At the current rate of expenditures for mine land cleanup, however, some of our Nation's abandoned coal land areas will remain unreclaimed 200 years from now. That is wrong. To fix this problem, House Concurrent Resolution 425 would ensure that the goals of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 are met by providing the States with their lawful share of the unappropriated balance of the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund. States need these funds to revitalize their economies, restore their environments, and protect the safety of their citizens. I therefore commend Congresswoman Cubin for helping to bring this legislation to the Floor. In addition to cosponsoring this important resolution, I have introduced a bill to establish an alternative to the trust fund. H.R. 3218, the Abandoned Mine Land Area Redevelopment Act would provide capital to fund the health, safety, and environmental restoration and economic redevelopment of abandoned coal mine land areas. More specifically, my bill would allow for comprehensive regional cleanup efforts without reliance on federal appropriations by authorizing a qualified entity to issue special tax credit bonds. Holders of the Abandoned Mine Land Area Redevelopment Bonds would receive a federal tax credit in lieu of interest. Regions afflicted by abandoned coal lands would then use the proceeds from the sale of the bonds to design, undertake, and oversee a reclamation and redevelopment plan. As we have heard today, while the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund provides much-needed resources for redeveloping areas devastated by coal mining, these funds have proven insufficient to address all of health, safety, and environmental problems of abandoned mine land areas. The tax credit system established by my bill would result in the complete restoration of our Nation's abandoned coal land areas in roughly 30 years. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I again thank Congresswoman Cubin for introducing House Concurrent Resolution 425, and I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation to help our Nation's mining communities. I also look forward to working with her and my other colleagues to consider other innovative solutions like the Abandoned Mine Land Area Redevelopment Act for addressing this long-standing problem in the near future.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the continuing outstanding achievement of the employees of Magee Rieter Automotive Systems of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, which has won General Motors' prestigious ``Supplier of the Year Award`` for the tenth consecutive year. Of GM's 30,000 suppliers, Magee Rieter Automotive Systems is the only ten-time winner in North America. This is truly a tremendous achievement and one of which the company and all of its employees should be proud. Magee Rieter, the leading supplier of carpets to General Motors in America, will celebrate this accomplishment on September 10, 2002. The company has been in business in Bloomsburg since 1889 and has been supplying General Motors for more than 90 years, first with hand-draped tapestries of Fisher Body carriages, through today's production of fully molded carpet floors and integrated acoustical systems. Through the past 113 years, the company has endured and overcome numerous challenges, including floods, fires and the rapidly changing business environment. The company received the Army/Navy ``E'' Award for Excellence after World War II in recognition of its production of high-quality materials for the war effort. As demonstrated by the more recent awards, the current employees have carried on the tradition of pride and success handed down by their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents who worked at Magee Rieter. Under the leadership of President and Chief Executive Officer Mike Katerman, Magee Rieter continues to be a cornerstone of the Bloomsburg community. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the hard work and impressive achievement of the people of Magee Rieter, and I wish them all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding time. Mr. Speaker, may I take the opportunity to say how pleased I am to be here in support of this conference report, because I, together with the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), opposed the bill originally passed in April by the House of Representatives for the simple reason that it was not sufficiently sound enough to meet the needs that were even evident in April, and have become far more evident now. But I dare say that as a result of the efforts of the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) in crafting the alternative Democratic proposal in the House that did not have the opportunity to go forth to the conference, it did strengthen the Senate's hands in the drafting of the Senate proposal, which ultimately is the basis for this conference report. Mr. Speaker, we have not solved everything, by a long shot. We have much to do. But I believe that we have now put teeth into the accounting process. I, for one, am a person that supports the marketplace and non-government regulation, when possible. But if there is anything we have learned over the last 9 or 10 months, it is the absence of regulation has allowed the fox to take control of the hen house at the corporate level at some of the financial institution levels, at the accounting level, and we have seen grievous harm done not only to these fine corporations, but to the investors in the corporations, to the employees of the corporations, and to all the pension funds and 401(k) fund investors across the country that took on the representation of accounting firms and CEOs and boards and all these people that things were done properly. We have addressed accounting irregularities, executive abuse and corporate governance malfeasance, but we must come back and do more, and this is only the beginning. I heard the chairman of my subcommittee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), talk about something that I want to respond to. We have seen on television all these mansions in Texas and Florida. I would say to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), the answer is we do not have to do a special bill. We can take out the exemption in the bankruptcy law so every State in the Union has the same basic principle, a $750 deduction, nothing else. There is no reason in Texas and in Florida you can have a $25 million mansion, go into bankruptcy, and keep your mansion.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the well deserved recognition that my good friend Mr. Allan P. Kirby, Jr. recently received from the Salvation Army of the Greater Wyoming Valley Area. Allan received the Salvation Army's ``OTHERS'' Award, which was presented in the area for the first time and is given to an individual or entity that has contributed substantially to the benefit of others. He was presented with the award at the local Salvation Army's First Annual Community Recognition Dinner. The dinner's purpose is to raise money for the Kirby Family House, which is a transitional housing program for homeless people looking to make a better life for themselves through a series of classes, self-help groups, literacy programs and job training, as well as to establish a camp scholarship fund for underprivileged children in the Greater Wyoming Valley area to attend the Salvation Army's Camp Ladore. Allan is an entrepreneur known nationwide and a well-respected philanthropist from the Wilkes-Barre area. He was born in Wilkes-Barre and moved at an early age to Morristown, N.J. He graduated from Lafayette College, where he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. After completing officer's school, he served on active duty with the Naval Reserve. He now lives in Mendham, N.J., where he also maintains an office. Mr. Speaker, Allan's professional and philanthropic endeavors are far too numerous to list them all here, but I would like to provide the House with an overview. He serves as a trustee and treasurer of the Angeline Elizabeth Kirby Memorial Health Center in Wilkes-Barre, which has as its mission the preservation and promotion of the public health, particularly in Wilkes-Barre and neighboring communities, and the control and elimination of disease. He chairs the A.P. Kirby, Jr. Foundation and the Allan P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship at Wilkes University. For many years, Allan has been a dedicated trustee for Wilkes University, where I served with him. He also chairs Wilkes' endowment committee. He is also president of Liberty Square, Inc., and a director and chairman of the executive committee of the Alleghany Corporation, one of the largest holding companies in the United States. Alleghany is the largest single stockholder in American Express and owns Chicago Title Insurance Company and other title and casualty insurers including a large stake in St. Paul Companies. He is also the owner of River Ridge Farms in Sussex County, N.J. He is the father of five children and 15 grandchildren. Allan comes from a long line of Kirbys with impressive accomplishments in both their professional and philanthropic endeavors. For example, in the 19th century, at age 23, Fred Morgan Kirby committed his entire savings of $500 in partnership with Charles Sumner Woolworth to purchase a variety store in Wilkes-Barre. Over the years the two men developed that modest investment into the enormous F.W. Woolworth Company. Similarly, the family's commitment to helping others is also long- standing, as shown by the many organizations and community buildings built with Kirby family donations, including those I have already mentioned, as well as the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes Barre and the Kirby Hall of Civil Rights at Lafayette College in Easton, among many others. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the service to the community of Allan P. Kirby, Jr. and this well-deserved award, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, first of all, may I say how we are going to miss the gentleman's leadership after he completes his final term in Congress, because certainly he has been a stalwart supporter of transparency, accountability, and responsibility, both in government and in private business. Mr. Speaker, I guess I want to talk to the President of the United States. I had the opportunity to watch his speech yesterday. I have watched my colleagues struggle over these last 6 months with the disclosures that have occurred in American business, and I have talked to a lot of my constituents. I guess I want to set certain perspectives that I view this from. First and foremost, it is one thing to lose money in the stock market if one is a direct buyer in the stock market, if one is wealthy enough to be a speculator or trader in the stock market. But unfortunately, the people that have really lost this money are pensioners and 401(k) owners, millions and millions of Americans that were persuaded over the last 20 or 30 years to become part of democratic capitalism; and they, through their pension funds and through their 401(k)s, bought into the idea that America is indeed a great capitalistic Nation and had the wherewithal to participate in the growth of that capitalism, in the creation of that wealth; and they entrusted their meager funds, their retirement funds to managers that primarily are located in and around Wall Street. To a large extent, during the flaming years of the 1990s, it got to the point that one had to be a fool not to invest in the stock market. I used to run across constituents of mine that would receive a settlement in a personal injury case or a workman's compensation case and I asked them how they were protecting the money they had that they needed for the rest of their lives; and an unbelievable number used to tell me, oh, I am in the market and I am going to constantly make money and eventually be wealthy. Well, I think about a lot of those people in a lot of those coffee-house chats that I have had with them over the last 5 or 10 years, and I cannot imagine the tragedies their families and themselves suffer today as they see this deterioration in the market. The question is, Is America sliding into a depression because we are not productive, because we are not profitable? I think not. I think the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) made a great point. This is the most vibrant economy in the world, in the history of the world; and yet the market is reflecting a loss on a daily basis, and I think it is an expression of a loss of confidence. Total confidence? No. But a sufficiently large portion of confidence to take some of the usual available purchasing money that is in the market out of the market, and that loss of money reflects the downward trend of prices. Has it been discriminatory? Not really. It is not the bad actors that are paying the loan; it is business across the board. It is our very substantial capital system that is contracting right before our eyes. I heard the President say yesterday that one of his solutions would be he is going to double the sentences for the scoundrels. Well, first of all, we have not seen any convictions of any scoundrels, so we cannot assume any sentences at this point. But I wonder why it is so important, what kind of relief will this give the American pensioner or 401(k) owner if a scoundrel goes to jail for 10 years instead of 5 years? Does it really matter? Does it get one cent back for the pensioner or the person who needs this money for retirement, or for the senior citizen who is indeed using this money in retirement? I think not. So as we look at this issue, I get little solace as an individual or as a representative of so many of these pensioners and senior citizens than to think we are going to fill up the jails with these scoundrels. That is not going to give them one dollar more for them to have the quality of life that they have become used to. I think we have to look prospectively into the future, to what this means and what it can mean, and what is this disease or infection that is affecting the capital markets of America. I come to the conclusion that the most important thing is that we stabilize the capital markets of the United States, and the most important way of doing that is to find a way, either by statute or regulation or by the industries themselves, of disclosure of what the facts are. So I think, first and foremost, we have to find a short period of time and make sure the corporations, most of them that are traded on the exchanges, go back and do proper auditing and accounting, and make a full restatement and disclosure of what they have there. We cannot afford a daily, weekly, or monthly bleed of major corporations failing because of improper accounting procedures or other internal procedures, to take the respect and integrity out of those institutions and infect and affect the other institutions with a loss of credibility among the investing public. Secondly, once we stabilize the markets, it seems to me that we have to move forward with a program, and hopefully this is what I address to the President. I would say, Mr. President, we do not need a weak legislative response or a weak executive response, and 2002 is not a lot different from 1902. What we need is a member of the President's own party to make a revisit to America. We need a Theodore Roosevelt. We need someone who responds with looking at what the problem is, recognizing that it is systemic in some respects, it is dangerous, it could ultimately lead to a deep recession or, in fact, depression, and could destroy the quality of life we have known in this country over the last 10 years. It is up to the leadership of the President, together with private industry and the private market, to structure a response to this problem that is sufficient not to be overbearing and strangle our capital market system, but sufficient to send the word and the message and the standards that the type of activities that have been uncovered in the last several months will not be tolerated in the future; they will be disclosed to the American public, the investing public; and that, where necessary, government will set parameters to stabilize our markets, bring us back to relative security that truth is known, and to reinforce a very successful capital system. I add only one respect: I agree with Secretary O'Neill in regard to the fact that this is not a crisis that all businessmen or executives are crooks. There are just a small number, but there are more than a few. This is not a total failure of the capital markets of America, but it is a bumpy road, and could be serious if not patched. This is not a time for us to wring our hands and try and do as little as possible to prevent disturbance to our friends or our supporters; this is a time to rise above politics and recognize that the very structure and position of the United States of America is at risk. We need the strength of a strong Commander in Chief. We need a second Theodore Roosevelt. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Agnes. I would also like to bring attention to the approaching completion of the landmark Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project in my district to provide protection to the people of the valley in the event of another flood of that magnitude. On June 23, 1972, sirens sounded across much of my district in Pennsylvania, warning that the valiant effort to contain the surging Susquehanna River had been lost. Agnes poured 14 trillion gallons of water onto Northeastern Pennsylvania, causing the Susquehanna River to break from its boundaries and spread a layer of flood water 40 feet deep and 2 miles wide across a densely populated region in the Wyoming Valley. The damage caused by the unyielding rush of water was immense. Twenty-six thousand homes and more than 3,000 small businesses and factories were heavily damaged by flood waters and 3,500 families lost their homes completely. In all, 72,000 people were forced from their homes. Nearly 15,000 Wyoming Valley families lived in trailers provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, many of them for the better part of a year. Luzerne County, located in the heart of northeastern Pennsylvania, suffered 69 percent of the total damage that Agnes caused in Pennsylvania. Property damage amounted to $1.3 billion, or more than $4 billion in today's dollars, and another $300 million in road and bridge damage was incurred. Communities were faced with the prospect of rebuilding entire commercial and residential areas. In the wake of this disaster, one of the worst natural disasters in the Nation's history, a determined populace emerged. Residents of this region found courage among the ruins and forged ahead with an undying spirit to rebuild their communities. Agnes may have laid waste to their homes and businesses, but it could not extinguish their desire to live and raise their families in the ``Valley with a Heart.'' The Red Cross and Salvation Army played a crucial role in providing emergency shelter and meals, not just in the first hours of the crisis but for weeks and months afterward. For example, that summer, the Red Cross spent $13 million locally on food, supplies and personnel, and the Salvation Army provided more than 4 million meals. Meeting the challenge of recovery were several citizen action groups such as the Flood Victims Action Council under the leadership of Min Matheson, and the Flood Recovery Task Force, which was chaired by Judge Max Rosenn. These groups were instrumental in the economic and social resurgence of the areas most damaged by the Agnes flood. I had the honor of contributing to this effort as the volunteer legal counsel to the Flood Victims Action Council over a period of almost two years. While the hard work and determination of local community groups and area citizens played a role in this historic rebuilding of northeastern Pennsylvania, the recovery assistance provided by the Federal Government was truly phenomenal. Through the cooperative efforts of Congressman Dan Flood, State Senator Frank O'Connell, Bill Wilcox, Secretary of the state Department of Community Affairs working on behalf of Governor Shapp, and Frank Carlucci acting on behalf of President Nixon, the Government rushed approximately $1 billion in aid to the communities of the Wyoming Valley. When critics disparage the ability of government to do things for citizens, I recall that moment when the Federal Government made an enormous difference for the better for the people of Pennsylvania, and look forward to the completion of the landmark project that will protect the people of the Wyoming Valley in the event of another Agnes- level flood. In 2002, the people of the valley have something they did not have 30 years ago--the nearly complete $175 million Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project that includes more than 50 communities and 5 counties along a 60-mile stretch of the river. The structural components of the levee system are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. In 1972, the existing levees were overtopped by several feet during the Agnes flood. In 1986, during my first term, Congress authorized the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project to modify the existing flood control projects to protect against a new flood of the same magnitude. We had a disturbing reminder of the need for the levee raising project during the January 1996 flood. At that time, the rapidly rising Susquehanna River prompted officials to order the evacuation of approximately 100,000 people living in the City of Wilkes-Barre and its neighboring communities in the Wyoming Valley. While the river peaked at nearly 13 feet above flood stage, it remained within the banks of the levees and caused relatively minor damage. From my first term in Congress, I have made it one of my top priorities to provide Agnes-level flood protection to the Wyoming Valley, and it is heartening to see that day approaching. Completion of the levee raising project will be a major step forward in transforming the Susquehanna River from a liability into an asset. One of the steps forward that we have already taken is the 1997 designation of the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna watershed as one of just 14 American Heritage Rivers in the nation. In the years ahead, I hope that we will continue our progress toward a cleaner Susquehanna that will provide recreation and an enhanced quality of life, not only for present-day residents but also for our children and grandchildren.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of a great American, Gino J. Merli of Peckville, PA. Mr. Merli passed away Tuesday at the age of 78, and with his passing, we have lost a true American hero. I would like to insert here the two articles which appeared in the Scranton Times and Tribune on Wednesday about Mr. Merli, who exemplified the best of America's ``Greatest Generation.'' WWII Hero Gino Merli Dies (By David Falchek) Gino Merli didn't embrace fame or his role of war hero. Yet he accepted them as he lived his life, with a sense of duty. So the man who rarely talked about the event that earned him the Medal of Honor responded to every letter praising him for his heroic deeds. Mr. Merli died Tuesday at his Peckville home. He was 78. On the night of Sept. 4, 1944, Army Pvt. Merli was manning a machine gun when German forces attacked near Sars la Bruyere, Belgium. The outnumbered U.S. forces began their retreat, but Pvt. Merli held his position, providing cover fire. Under attack with his fellow soldiers dying around him, he played possum. When the Germans turned their attention to the retreating men, Pvt. Merli rose from the ground and fired, repeating the ploy again and again. When he returned from World War II, his duty became serving other veterans. For 34 years, he was an adjudication officer at the VA Medical Center in Plains Township. When veterans, unaware of Mr. Merli's record, talked about their war experiences, he never mentioned his own. ``He never put himself or his experiences against anyone else's,'' explained friend and Marine veteran Ike Refice. ``You never saw him point to himself or say `Look at me. I have this medal.' '' Not much changed in the time since he received a hero's welcome in Scranton in 1945 or walked the beaches of Normandy with Tom Brokaw in 1984. In 1945, he told a cheering crowd of 500 people at the Hotel Casey that he'd ``rather be on the battlefield any day than make a speech.'' Yet, in a letter he sent to admirers, he wrote that he may have been motivated by ``my dead buddies or my hatred of war.'' NBC News anchor and author Tom Brokaw remembers Mr. Merli always talking of other soldiers, rather than himself. ``He was a reluctant warrior, full of modesty and humility,'' Mr. Brokaw said. ``The fact that he went to a church and prayed for men he had killed through the night was typical of him.'' Mr. Merli was an inspiration for Mr. Brokaw's book ``The Greatest Generation.'' The two met often. When Mr. Brokaw began writing his book about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, he said he was thinking about Gino Merli. ``I came to love him,'' Mr. Brokaw said. Mr. Merli helped change how local people defined ``American.'' During World War II, Italy's alignment with Axis countries stoked anti-Italian and antiimmigrant sentiments. Italian Americans often found their patriotism questioned. Gino Merli's heroics helped many in Lackawanna County see beyond ethnicity, said his son, Gino Merli Jr. ``When people saw my father come home and heard what he did, it changed their perception about what it means to be American,'' he said. ``People saw the first- and second- generation immigrants sacrificing life and limb for the United States and for freedom.'' In 1994, Mr. Refice and Mr. Merli visited Europe to retrace their steps through Europe. Oddly, the rural area where Mr. Merli held back Nazi troops was unchanged. They met a Belgian man who, at the age of 16, watched Mr. Merli confound the Nazis again and again. During their visit, the town put a monument in the village common thanking Mr. Merli. In his final days, he still shied away from speeches. But he did like to stand before a crowd for one purpose, Mr. Refice said. He enjoyed leading a crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. Lately, Parkinson's disease and a heart ailment held him back. As a final encore last Saturday, the History Channel showed Roger Mudd's special on the Big Red One, the first infantry division, which featured Mr. Merli. In letters he sent to admirers, Mr. Merli wrote: ``Not everyone can be a Medal of Honor recipient. But everyone can take pride in himself--have pride in his heritage. We must always keep trying to better ourselves and our surrounding and we must never quit. Always remember America is you and me.''

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2941, the Brownfields, Redevelopment Enhancement Act. This important legislation will assist in the redevelopment of abandoned contaminated industrial sites in our nation's communities. During debate on this legislation within the Financial Services Committee, however, the lack of a definition of what constituted brownfields concerned me. More specifically, I wanted to ensure that the Department of Housing and Urban Development would consider the cleanup of mine-scarred land eligible for funding within its brownfields program. Within my congressional district, we have significant amounts of abandoned mine land, some of it located in or near town or city centers, and therefore ripe for economic development opportunities. Some of this land is also contaminated or potentially contaminated, sometimes having become a dumping ground for other waste, and it often contributes to water pollution, particularly acid-mine drainage. The redevelopment of this under-used land through HUD's brownfields program could help to improve the economic climate of the region. Additionally, when Congress considered the brownfields law last year affecting the Environmental Protection Agency's programs, we provided for the eligibility of mine-scarred land. I therefore wanted to ensure parity between the agencies' programs to facilitate the efficient use of government resources to reclaim land. As a result of my concerns, I worked with the Chairman of the Financial Services Committee during our deliberations on H.R. 2941 to specifically include mine-scarred land within the bill. From my perspective, the expansion of the definition to include excavation of culm banks and the removal of other mining waste at abandoned mine sites will benefit business, generate jobs, improve the environment, and improve the health and economy of thousands of communities across the nation. In closing, I thank the Chairman and the Committee and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for recognizing the importance of this issue and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the lifetime of community service provided by my good friend and neighbor, Michael E. Sinco Sr. of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. This Tuesday, I will cast my vote in the Pennsylvania primary at the Pope John Paul II Elementary School gymnasium in Nanticoke, and I know I will see Mr. Sinco steadfastly performing his duty at the poll, as he has for so many years. At the age of 90, Mr. Sinco continues to be one of the most active members of the community in Nanticoke, and I know I can always count on him for unvarnished and insightful information about the community. Last fall at its annual recognition dinner, the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council of the Boy Scouts of America presented Mr. Sinco with a certificate of appreciation for his lengthy service to Scouting. Mr. Sinco joined the Scouts in 1931. Today he is registered with Troop 418, which meets at the American Legion in Nanticoke. In 1932, he organized and supervised Boy Scouts in Nanticoke for the Russian relief drive and participated as a member of the steering committee in the development of an athletic meet for Nanticoke Boy Scouts, which was held at Kirby Park that May. He has also supervised athletic meets at the park. He organized and participated in rescue activities carried out by Boy Scouts in floods that took place in the Nanticoke and West Nanticoke areas, taught Red Cross first aid classes to Scouts in his area and supervised an ecological project in the Nanticoke, Glen Lyon and Sheatown areas in which trees were planted in high runoff areas. In addition, he initiated a program of after-school activities for Boy Scouts, implemented the first marble tournament for Scouts in the Nanticoke area and organized a drum and bugle corps which was instructed in drill and formations at Falcon's Hall, Nanticoke. He organized a Boy Scouting program for newspaper scribes in 1936 and organized three troops in the council in 1976. Mr. Sinco also served as chairman of a Scouting effort to provide gifts to children who were in hospitals on Christmas Day and took the gifts to the children. He also worked with the local American Legion on a program of placing flags on servicemen's graves and also organized the placing of flags on the graves of Scouts. Last but certainly not least, he has worked with his son, Michael E. Sinco Jr., a psychologist, to develop a Scouting program for children with mental retardation or physical disabilities. Mr. Speaker, as you can see, Michael E. Sinco Sr. is a tremendous example of how one person truly can make a difference in the lives of numerous other people. I congratulate him on receiving this well- deserved honor from the Northeastern Pennsylvania Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and I send him and his family my best wishes.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the well-deserved recognition that my friends Allan M. and Sue Kline Kluger will receive from the Anti- Defamation League on May 8, 2002, in Plains Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The Klugers will receive the League's 2002 Distinguished Community Service Award. Allan is the president and founder of the Wilkes-Barre-based law firm Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn, P.C. He is a graduate of Wyoming Seminary, Amherst College and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a member of the board of directors of Luzerne National Bank, Bertels Can Company, King's College, the Valley Auto Club, Bloomsburg University Foundation, F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts, Northeast Pennsylvania Ethics Commission and the Luzerne Foundation. Mr. Kluger is also on the board of directors and executive committee of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry. He has received the following honors: B'nai B'rith Outstanding Citizen Award, Ethics Award given by Ethics Institute of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Wyoming Seminary Distinguished Service Award, Boy Scouts Distinguished Citizen Award, and Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award presented by the Greater Pocono Northeast Chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives. Sue, a graduate of Goucher College and College Misericordia Graduate School, has served as the executive director of Leadership Wilkes-Barre for the last 20 years. Leadership Wilkes-Barre brings together existing and emerging leaders from throughout Wyoming Valley and exposes them to the problems and challenges of their community and motivates and encourages them to assume leadership roles in community affairs. She has received the following honors: Woman of the Year, Sisters of Mercy; Lifetime Achievement in Philanthropy Award, National Society of Fund Raising Executives; Preceptor Award, National Association for Community Leadership; National Director of Who's Who in Executive and Professional Women; United Way of Pennsylvania, Volunteer of the Year Award; Alumni Medallion, College Misericordia; B'nai B'rith Distinguished Service Award; Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania; U.S. Postal Service Honoree for Women's History Month; Northeastern Pa. Council of Boy Scouts Honoree, Salute to Northeastern Pennsylvania Women; and Athena Award, Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce Award for Outstanding Business Women. Sue is also on the board of directors of Northeast Regional Cancer Institute, the Diversity Institute and the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry. She is a trustee of Wyoming Seminary and a member of the Northeastern Regional Advisory Board of PNC Bank. Allan and Sue have three children, Attorney Elizabeth Kluger Cooper of Great Falls, Va.; Attorney Joseph E. Kluger, Allentown and Wilkes- Barre; and Lawrence Kluger of Mechanicsburg. The couple also has four grandsons. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the service to the community of Allan and Sue Kluger and this well-deserved award, and I wish them all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the May 3 installation of Dr. Ernest R. Gelb, D.O., of West Pittston as the 91st president of the Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Association. Dr. Gelb specializes in family practice. He attended Wilkes College and is a graduate of King's College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has been vice president of the state association and a member of its board of trustees, a delegate to the American Osteopathic Association, and a community leader in the field of family medicine. His awards and distinctions include the receipt of the Raymond J. Saloom, D.O., FACGP, Memorial Award, 2000; and his selection as Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, 2001; His service to the community includes serving as health officer of the Borough of West Pittston from 1991 to the present and as troop committee chairman of Boy Scout Troop 352 of West Pittston. He has also served as a member of the board of trustees of the West Pittston Community Ambulance Association, as its vice president from 1986 to 1993 and as its president from 1993 to 1994. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Ernest Gelb has distinguished himself as a dedicated physician who continues the osteopathic tradition of assuring exemplary family medicine. I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the service to the community of Dr. Gelb and this well- deserved honor he is about to receive, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the well-deserved recognition that the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce will provide to Mr. John F. Grimes, a good friend of mine, at its 80th annual dinner meeting on May 1. It is with good reason that the Chamber refers to Jack as its ``secret weapon'' for attracting quality businesses to sites in the Pittston area. He was instrumental in the recently announced agreement to bring 1,200 jobs to the area at the new TJ Maxx distribution center to be located in the Vogelbacher Industrial Park. In all, the Chamber credits Jack as being responsible for bringing 4,500 jobs to the Greater Pittston Area since his involvement began with the Chamber. Jack has deep roots in the community--he was born in Pittston and has lived there all of his life. In 1942, after graduating from St. John the Evangelist High School, Jack began a 21-year career with the Lehigh Valley Railroad. Within just a few years of beginning his career with the railroad, Jack was appointed assistant division engineer and became the youngest person ever to be assigned to that position of responsibility. During his career, Jack earned two professional licenses: surveyor and civil engineer. Although Jack remained very committed to his job, he has also made community service a major part of his life. He served as the president of the Lions Club of Pittston, and has been a lector and usher at St. Mary's Church. He has also contributed to the city of Pittston by serving as a member, secretary and president of the planning commission over a period of more than 30 years. Knowing of Jack's commitment to his community, his colleagues called on him to be the executive director of the Pittston Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure, Jack reactivated the Pittston Area Industrial Development Authority as a subsidiary function of the chamber. He has aggressively campaigned to bring new industry to the region, and he has helped publicize Pittston's strongest assets to companies seeking to relocate in the city. Jack Grimes has become a valuable partner with local, county, and State officials who diligently work to revitalize the Greater Pittston area. For all of these reasons, the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick rightly honored Jack as their Man of the Year in 1996. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the Greater Pittston area, I extend my deepest appreciation to Jack Grimes for his lifetime of commitment to promoting industrial and business development throughout his community. I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives his service to the community and the well-deserved tribute he will receive on May 1, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may need. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose H.R. 3763, the Corporate and Auditing Accountability, Responsibility, and Transparency Act. The dramatic collapse of Enron exposed many systemic problems to the intricate public-private network that monitors excess in our Nation's capital markets, including deficits and corporate governance and insufficiencies in audit independence and oversight. H.R. 3763 responds to these problems in a largely illusory and superficial way. It will not sufficiently restore public confidence in the integrity of our capital markets; and it will not significantly improve the protections for investments, pensions and savings of millions of hardworking Americans and retirees. For example, in the words of the Wall Street Journal, the bill ``punts'' an overhaul of the accounting industry to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although H.R. 3763 creates a new organization to oversee accountants that audit public companies, much of the bill's language is simply too vague to ensure that essential standards for effective oversight will be met, giving the SEC near-total flexibility in establishing guidelines for the new oversight body. Given the importance of this oversight role, Congress should not delegate this task. We should create a strong auditor regulatory board with sufficient investigation and disciplinary powers. The legislation also preserves auditors' cozy relationships with their clients by not prohibiting consultant services that create conflicts of interest. Audits are supposed to be independent assessments on a company's finances conducted for the benefit of the investing public. When an auditor also receives a million dollars from the company for nonaudit services, common sense dictates that those nonaudit fees may influence the auditors' judgment in favor of the client. While H.R. 3763 partially bans two nonaudit services, it does not go far enough to eliminate the serious potential for undermining the independence of auditors. Additionally, H.R. 3763 protects corporate wrongdoers by actually making it more difficult to ban guilty officers and directors from serving in other public companies. In particular, the bill codifies high standards that the SEC complains significantly impedes its abilities to obtain officer and director bars in court. We must fix this problem. Finally, the bill prescribes studies, not legislative action, on some major issues raised by Enron, whether CEOs who misled investors about the financial health of their companies should surrender their bonuses and fat stock option and whether stock analysts are pitching stocks they do not believe in. In sum, Mr. Chairman, the Congress should not shirk its responsibility by delegating these urgent problems to the SEC or shunting them off to the oblivion of bureaucratic studies. We have an opportunity and a responsibility to restore integrity to capital markets. Quick fixes will not do the job. Ultimately, Mr. Chairman, we must work together on a bipartisan basis to develop an appropriate response to the collapse of Enron and the overabundance of earning restatements by our Nation's publicly traded companies. Although we have made improvements in the bill since its introduction, it will represent only superficial reform at best. Meaningful reform will require lengthy deliberation and a substantial strengthening of the bill before us today. Mr. Chairman, there is an old idea of lost opportunities. As the Congress addresses this serious problem today, we are missing an opportunity for Congress not to delegate its responsibility to the SEC or not to dodge its responsibility to the American public, but to take time and effort and deliberation necessary to make a bill that will protect the investing public, will arm the regulatory agencies with the authority they need to ensure the protection of the investing public, and to significantly improve the confidence in the American market. Just last night I had the occasion to speak with some members of the investing community, and they called to my attention that never in their experience in the last 25-30 years have they seen a loss of confidence in the capital markets of the United States as has recently been exposed in the last several months since the Enron collapse. The capital markets of the United States are the greatest in the world, but they are that way because the Congress at times of need and at times of over-abundance of activities and recklessness in the markets have stood tall to enact legislation to straighten the markets out and to send a signal to the investing public that the Congress will oversee and protect their interests as best can be had in a capitalist system. Today's legislation does not meet that mark. As the Wall Street Journal said, ``This bill punts.'' As The Washington Post said this morning, ``The chairman punts.'' I urge us to oppose this legislation at this time, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise in favor of the substitute amendment. I heard the chairman of the committee say that this is the embodiment of the President's plan. If it is, then it is an example of the President having spoken on one occasion as to what is necessary, and then seeing it reduced to legislation that does not comport with what the President indicated in his public appearances as to what he wanted us to do. This is opting out. When we have an opportunity to do something well, the underlying bill ignores or virtually sets aside any of the real reform and just plasters over the defects within the system. The substitute bill, although in my own opinion is maybe premature in itself but we are stuck with the rules of having to come here, I support the substitute because it at least puts meat on the bones. It says something to corporate America, that we are going to hold you responsible. We are going to hold corporate executives responsible when they put out statements that are fraudulent or grossly overstated. We are going to tell the accounting industry that they cannot have conflicts of interest and, if they do, there is a penalty to be had, and perhaps a loss of their business. We are going to say to Main Street America and the investors, that you can understand that corporate America plays by the same rules you do, and that they are fair and they are honest and they are straightforward; that they are not swindlers, that they are not tellers of untruth in order to encourage 50 percent of the American people to make investments in equities in our market today who are getting information that they cannot rely on. Not in all instances, not all corporations by a long shot, but enough that we see a need for remedial legislation. Instead, the underlying bill is an attempt to cover and do little or nothing. But in the substitute bill, we have substance, we have material that will correct some of the Enron problems, will give some form of integrity back to Wall Street and some sort of support to Main Street investors. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the substitute amendment and, if that fails, to vote ``no'' on the underlying bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the long public service of my good friend Joseph P. Orsulak of Lansford, Pennsylvania, who will be honored with a retirement dinner on March 2, 2002. Joe began his political career working for the late Congressman Francis ``Tad'' Walter of Easton in Washington, D.C., as an assistant publication officer. In 1971, he was appointed as Carbon County's chief clerk and served several county commissioners in that capacity over the next 20 years. During his terms as chief clerk, the commissioners entrusted him with additional responsibilities and named him the country's fiscal director to coordinate all fiscal and budgeting affairs of the country government. During his service as country chief clerk, the state Association of County Commissioners asked him to serve on a state committee to create an instructional booklet on the duties and responsibilities of a county chief clerk. He accepted the challenge and contributed many administrative ideas to improve the way chief clerks do their jobs. In 1993, Joe was elected to the first of two full terms as Carbon County treasurer. During his first term as treasurer, he installed a new computer system and upgraded the software to conform with the various changes in the hunting, fishing, and dog license regulations. One of his primary duties as treasurer was serving on the Carbon County Employees Retirement Board. In his capacity as a fiduciary member of the board beginning in 1994 with a portfolio worth $20 million, he set a goal of reaching $50 million during his term of office, and this goal was reached in 2000. Joe was also instrumental in having the Retirement Board to evaluate its investment policies and strategies by engaging the services of a second investment manager to diversify the employee pension fund portfolio. He served on the legislative and nominating committees of the Pennsylvania State Association of County Treasurers, and hosted two state conventions in Carbon County. He was also a member of the Pennsylvania Finance Officers Association. In December 2000, Joe was appointed to the Pennsylvania State Association of Elected County Officials to represent all treasurers in Pennsylvania. In this capacity, he met monthly with state legislators on the Local Government Commission in Harrisburg to discuss legislation pending in the state House of Representatives and state Senate. Mr. Speaker, Joe also dedicated himself to serving his neighbors outside of his official capacity. He was active in the former Panther Valley Jaycees, serving as an officer on a local, regional and state level. He concluded his tenure in the Jaycees organization as a Pennsylvania state vice president and state chairman of a program called ``Operation We Care'' accepting the portfolio of the ``Apple Butter Sunday'' program. He coordinated the statewide program where Jaycee chapters raised funds for the mentally disadvantaged children of Pennsylvania. In two weeks the organization raised over $400,000, and the funds were used to send children to summer camps to enjoy the fruits of recreation. Also in his activities with the Jaycees, Joe had a major role in creating a ``Leadership in Action'' committee, and traveled throughout the region instructing Jayee chapters in leadership skills and the importance of the use of the rules of parliamentary procedures in public meetings. Joe is a member of St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church and a graduate of the former Lansford High School. A lifetime Democrat, he has served on the Carbon County Democratic Executive Committee and as a member of various Democratic clubs in the county. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives to the long public service of Joseph P. Orsulak, and I wish him a happy retirement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to join my colleagues today first of all to congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for a great compromise entered into several years ago, in 1998, that provided for a new formulation of how we would finance student loans. Basically what we are doing is making it attractive for lenders to provide funds for students and parents to get guaranteed low rates and to make the funds sound for at least the next 6 years to bring about a better use of higher education funding in the United States. I commend both the ranking member and the chairman of the committee and, as I said, the respective chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee. This is a technical problem that probably is not of the highest order of understanding of people, but it is the type of fix and in the tradition of trying to be bipartisan in an issue in education and in the country today where both sides of the aisle can come together and support this. I urge all of my fellow Members on the Democratic side to join the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and myself and others and my Republican colleagues on the other side and show a resounding show of support to fix the student loan program to provide long-term funding into the future at reasonable rates that parents, students and lenders can rely upon.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the fact that our nation has a long history of helping Muslims. While we are familiar with the actions America has taken in recent years to intervene for the benefit of Muslims in Somalia, Bosnia and Kosovo, among numerous other locations around the world, America is hardly new to coming to the aid of people of the Islamic faith. In particular, I would like to call the attention of the House to an instance brought to my attention by an alert constituent, Mr. Leonard Mulcahy of Wyoming, Pennsylvania. In light of recent events, Mr. Mulcahy recalled seeing an article in the July 1953 issue of National Geographic magazine about the U.S. Air Force assisting nearly 4,000 Muslims in 1952, and he was kind enough to provide me with a copy of that issue of the magazine. Mr. Speaker, the article states that in August 1952, ``with the opening of the hadj only a few days away, nearly 4,000 desperate Moslems found themselves in Lebanon . . . with air tickets but no reservations. Commercial lines, flooded with applications, could take only a few.'' As you may know, Mr. Speaker, the hadj is the annual pilgrimage to Mecca which each Muslim is expected to undertake at least once in his or her life if possible. The article continues, ``To help in the emergency, American Ambassador Harold B. Minor asked the United States Air Force to fly 14 C-54s from Libya and Germany. Quickly a shuttle service was set up; in 75 flights 3,763 pilgrims were transported 900 miles from Beirut to Jidda in time to begin their hadj. In gratitude, the Mufti of Lebanon ordered prayers for Americans in all mosques, and King Abdul Aziz al Saud presented Arab robes to 86 airmen.'' The article also states, ``The Air Force accepted no money for the pilgrim passages. Fares collected by commercial airlines, for flights they were unable to complete, went to Moslem charity.'' Mr. Speaker, I would again like to thank Leonard Mulcahy for making sure that America's assistance to the Muslim pilgrims in 1952 is not forgotten. Despite our imperfect history, Americans can be proud that ours is a generous and tolerant nation, and I believe the fact that we provided this type of assistance to thousands of Muslims nearly half a century ago helps to illustrate that fact.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the dedication of the team from the USS Russell who rescued the four member-crew of an Air Force B-1B bomber that crashed on December 12th in the Indian Ocean. In particular, I would like to highlight the role of Boatswain Mate 1st Class Stephen Lyons, a native of my District. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that I am proud of him and all the military personnel from Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania and grateful for their willingness to serve America. I would now like to enter into the record the following article about Boatswain Mate 1st Class Lyons from the December 17th edition of the Wilkes-Barre Citizens' Voice: City Native Involved in Indian Ocean Rescue (By Gene Skordinski and Tom Venesky) A Wilkes-Barre native was one of the members of the USS Russell who rescued the four member-crew of an Air Force B-1B bomber that crashed Wednesday in the Indian Ocean. Boatswain Mate 1st Class Stephen Lyons, 38, operated one boat that rescued the crew. The rescue boats were launched from the destroyer USS Russell after the jet crashed on its way to bomb targets in Afghanistan. The $280 million bomber went out of control and fell into the ocean about 60 miles north of Diego Garcia after taking off from the British island, government sources reported. It was the first manned, fixed wing U.S. aircraft lost in the Afghanistan campaign. Crew members ejected from the plane at 15,000 feet and were in the water about two hours during the night. Lyons, who is on the USS Russell, was driving one search and rescue boat that responded to the crash. All four crew members were in good condition, said officials. Lyons Joined the Navy following his graduation from Meyers High School in 1983. During his Navy career, he has served aboard the USS Guam for five years as well as the USS Savannah. He has served in Beirut, Somalia and the Gulf War. He has also completed several six-month tours of sea duty in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean. Lyons was responsible for collecting personal items from sailors on the USS Guam as well as the embassy personnel during the evacuation of the embassy in Somalia. Aside from operating search and rescue craft, Lyons drives the captain's launch, a boat used to shuttle the ship's captain to and from shore. He has also served at Norfolk, Va.; Pax River, Md.; Kings Bay, Ga., and Pearl Harbor. While at Pax River, he worked in the testing of hovercraft and with the David Taylor Research in Norfolk. He is the son of Harold and Jean Lyons, 160 Wood St., Wilkes-Barre. Boatswain Mate 1st Class Lyons is married to the former Sharon Gula, formerly of Edwardsville. They have two sons, Stephen, 13, and Justin, 11, and the family resides in Pearl Harbor. His grandmother, Lucy Machinshok, resides in the Pocono area. His mother said he is currently on his fourth six-month cruise since joining the Navy in 1984. He is set to return after Easter. Although his exact location is classified, she said she keeps in touch with her son through e-mail. ``He e-malls me three times a week,'' she said, adding it can be difficult not knowing where he is. ``You worry and wonder and thank God when you hear from him that it's good news,'' she said. ``He can't tell us where he is or even where he's going.'' Mrs. Lyons explained that the long months away from his family are accepted as part of her son's job. Although it can be difficult to be gone for extended periods of time, she said her son is doing what he loves. ``He's happiest when he's on the ocean. There's a certain calm about it that he enjoys while he's on the ship,'' she explained. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the service to our nation of the crew of the USS Russell, including Boatswain Mate 1st Class Stephen Lyons, as well as all the military personnel from Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania, and I send my best wishes to them and their families.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend George Bath, a native of my district, who is on his way back to his hometown of Edwardsville after a long career here on Capitol Hill. A farewell party will be held for George on December 18th. After graduating from Wyoming Valley West High School and Wilkes College, George moved to the Washington, D.C., area to begin his career in the procurement field. While working here, he earned a Masters in Business Administration from Frostburg State University in Maryland. His strong negotiation skills, coupled with an unyielding commitment to quality management and teamwork, have earned him the respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Hill. George arrived on Capitol Hill in June of 1989, working as a Purchasing Agent for the Senate Sergeant At Arms Office in the start-up procurement office. During his tenure, he helped to mold an office that saved millions of dollars for the taxpayer while also receiving the highest quality goods and services. In August 1996, George transferred to the House side, where he became a Procurement Specialist in the Office of Procurement under the Chief Administrative Officer. George possessed exceptional knowledge of procurement practices and principles and worked superbly well with Member, Leadership and Committee offices and all other House Officers. No job was too small or too great for George. Just as he had done on the Senate side, he focused on saving taxpayer money, while achieving the highest quality product for the offices he served. George's uncanny knack for resolving disputes for the offices he served consistently resulted in win-win outcomes. In 1998, George became a Senior Procurement Specialist because of his ability to handle high-stress and high-visibility projects on behalf of a very demanding customer base. His accomplishments and talents in this position include diligence and attention to the House's unique needs for improved vendor performance, using the Internet to post procurements, and opening the realm of competition to a wider range of vendors. He worked in conjunction with the Committee on House Administration in providing House-wide briefings to all House offices, and it would be hard to find an office that has not heard the name George Bath. After all, he developed a training manual and class and then taught House personnel on how to effectively manage contracts. In June 2000, George received recognition for his exemplary contributions to the organizations of both the Chief Administrative Officer and the Architect of the Capitol by earning the Distinguished Service Award. George was honored for his management of the procurement process supporting a first-of-its-kind project demonstrating the ability of these offices to work together to produce a successful delivery. As part of this process, George oversaw the installation of a state-of-the-art audio-visual system for the International Relations Committee hearing room. Perhaps his greatest story involved the delivery of a 10-feet-square-by-40-feet-long crate for the hearing room through the front door of the Rayburn Building as he was suddenly surrounded by police. In November 2000, George ultimately became the head of the Office of Procurement because of his excellent overall performance. He became a known commodity unto himself throughout the House, recognized for his ability, responsiveness and candid, reliable advice. Bill Dellar, Associate Administrator of Procurement, has said, ``George Bath has indeed served the House with pride, energy, and creativity. His shoes will be hard to fill!'' Mr. Speaker, I heartily agree. But, Mr. Speaker, George's new life back in Pennsylvania has been on hold since October of this year. You see, he was supposed to start his new job there in October, but he was called into action after the September 11th terrorist strikes and October 17th anthrax attacks and has extended his time here to put the House in a better and more secure position. His devotion and dedication to the emergency contract challenges that followed have proven exemplary. The challenges he encountered were frequent and varied, but George's engaging personality and recognized professionalism met these needs effectively. Now George's wife, Diane, and two sons, Stephen and John Paul, are patiently awaiting his return to Pennsylvania, and we, here at the House, need to let him go. His professionalism and performance bring great credit upon himself, to the House of Representatives, and, I am sure, to his new employer, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre. I will close by repeating the words of the Chief Administrative Officer, Jay Eagen, about George: ``If I have a complaint about George Bath, it's that he tried to do too much, for too many people. But of course, that's not really a complaint, it's a compliment.'' Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call George Bath's public service to the attention of the House of Representatives, and I send my best wishes to him and his family.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I support the motion to recommit because it is certainly in the first provision cleaning up the tort reform provisions, which would go a long way in moving the process along to a final conclusion. A second provision in the bill allows, of course, for restrictions to pass through. As I understand the concept, rather than allowing insurance companies to keep their profit scales and just pass a rate increase on to the customers, even though they have profits that could afford the cost of those losses, they first would have to look at their profits before there is a pass-through. The purpose of this motion to recommit is to put a bill together that is more tenable for action in the Senate and eventually to pass this House. I urge my colleagues on both sides to reexamine their conscience and put the real issue at stake, the need for reinsurance in this country, a good underlying bill that was structured to accomplish that, and to do it in a bipartisan way.