Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I almost hesitate rising. I know the gentlewoman that has just spoken is a fine member of our committee and, of course, she does not want to burden the homeowners and all of these small business people and everything. When we really stand back and analyze the argument, the argument is, there is a free lunch. Now, we are talking about insurance. There is no free lunch here. Insurance companies do not create money or assets. They merely gather premiums, analyze what the proportionate risk will be, the premiums cover that risk, and then they put out the money. If we reduce the number of premium payers, we reduce the base and for the remaining payers we accelerate the rates. It is as simple as that. It is so simple that most States in this Union require terrorism insurance as part of the main policy. We are not putting an extra burden on people here. I will tell my colleagues what burden we are putting on: if we do not have this premium base that spreads across the country for terrorism insurance, we are going to have a 1,000 percent increase in insurance in New York City and Los Angeles, the symbols of the country where terrorism would attack. Secondly, that is partially what the argument was originally in the committee and the Secretary of the Treasury made and the White House made when we started to put this bill together. They said, terrorism is something that attacks America's symbols, and it is unusual and impossible to identify liability; and maybe that is why the Federal Government should stand in the place of that risk so that premiums do not go crazy. But I hope our friends from the other side are not sending a message out to the American people that this substitute resolution is going to increase premiums. Quite the contrary. We are not going to have any effect on premiums, and premiums in this country on liability insurance all over are going to go up and go up precipitously. And they already have, for two reasons: not only September 11, but because the stock market has gone down precipitously, and the earnings generated and the income generated is no longer there, and now they have to increase the premiums to effect a pool to pay the risk liability. Mr. Speaker, sometimes we treat the American people when we talk on the floor like they are idiots, and I refer now back to the gentleman from California who made the point that they are really worried about the victims of the 1993 bombing because, gee, their cases are still in litigation. It is unfortunate that it takes sometimes 7 or 8 years to get to litigation in this country. There is a solution: do away with the right of suing and collecting damages. From day one, they would not have had a cause of action under this piece of legislation. So yes, we would not tie up the courts or waste 7 or 8 years. The victim would not have a cause of action. I know that is not the intention the Members have. I know something more than that. I know the Republican party historically has understood the free market system and the basis of our civil process in this country. I cannot understand. Just after September 11, we are asking America, and I do not have yet a position, but we are asking to throw away the criminal code of the country, the protections of evidence, due process, and go to military tribunals in the criminal sense. Maybe I could justify in some areas that happening. Well, that tears up 200 years of precedent and procedure in this country in the criminal law area. Now they come on the floor and civilly they want to rip up 200 years of precedent and history because we had this one attack, when in reality the insurance industry only came to the Congress and said, look, we do not know how to set the rates for liability insurance. They came to us and said, we do not know how to set the premium to create the pool that is necessary to cover potential disasters like this. We have no question that we can handle a $10 billion disaster without any problem, but we would like to have something between there and $100 billion that we could not have a dysfunctional economy for a number of years; and after that, we can solve the problem. Everybody concedes that if the disaster is over $100 billion, the United States is going to be there, just as it has been for every other disaster in the country. I hope we do not let this argument fall to the level that we are misspeaking or misrepresenting what the facts are and what the true information is. Neither this side of the aisle nor that side of the aisle wants to see an increase in insurance premiums. That has already happened; it has happened because of the economy, the stock market, and September 11. All we are trying to do is provide a vehicle that this Congress can pass within the next 10 days to provide a stability for the American economy to help come out of the recession and not go further into recession. Everybody recognizes, all the free marketeers of the insurance industry, that there is a role of government to be played here. We are trying to provide that role with the least interference to the private sector.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I speak in favor of the substitute, and it is for a very simple reason. There are three key elements developed in the substitute that I think are important but, more so than being important, I think they make the bill viable so we can get something done. The previous speaker just indicated that it is important to get something done, and it is. We had something that could have been done, and suddenly some of our friends have lobbed on things called tort reform, or revision, as I call it, changing the whole civil procedure and rights of victims in this country, and I think it caused unfairness. As my friend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) pointed out, it seems to me to strip out any benefit or any recovery for non-economic damages and leaves a major part of the victims of this country without coverage. Now, we are fighting here to make sure real estate can go on, insurance can be sold, business can conclude; and we are going to take care of large entities, big investments, because they are the targets for terrorism. But the small victims, the individual citizens who do not measure into the definition providing the limitations in this bill for victims' recovery, they get nothing or are restricted in their recovery. That is nonsensical. First of all, it is not going to go anywhere. I plead with the other side. This bill is not going to be the bill. The Senate and White House are in the process of writing another bill which is going to be sent over here, and we are either going to take it or not take it in the waning days of this session. We have an opportunity, by adopting the substitute that the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) has presented, to handle the three key issues. We do provide something the White House and the Senate has indicated they want at all times, deductibility, and the insurance industry did not say that was bad. As a matter of fact, they were in favor of it, $5 billion or $10 billion deductibility. Two, doing nothing with these victims' rights or tort reform, it does not belong here. We can have another vehicle, another debate, another day, on that issue. Finally, to provide insurance coverage for everyone, I am led to understand the White House is in favor of that too, because we do not want cherry-picking, we do not want favoritism, and we do not want to lessen the base of those people who are going to stand behind the premiums to pay for the terrorist occasion that occurs before it gets to the taxpayers. I say that we have a reasonable substitute here that, if we pass it today, can be moved to the Senate very quickly and become the real vehicle for reinsurance protection for terrorism in the United States. Other than that, this is an academic, a political exercise, that will absolutely go nowhere, and we are going to end up, if we do want legislation, and I think it is vitally important, adopting the Senate provisions when they are finally passed.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time to me, and I will take a moment to congratulate the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), and the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker), for what I thought was a job well performed as far as moving a bill that could gain bipartisan support through the Committee on Financial Services. Unfortunately, with heavy heart, the product that we are about to vote on on the floor today does not meet the standard that it met as it came out of the Committee on Financial Services. It has had added to it something called tort revision, tort reform, some sort of change. To most people watching this debate today, they are going to say, what is all this thing about liability? We are in an emergency. What it means, to say it simply, is there is an attempt here today with these new additions to change the history of responding to liability claims and civil procedures to settle those claims, and change significantly the history of the United States for 200 years by passing this legislation. It is unnecessary. It is not only unnecessary, it is something the industry did not ask for. As a matter of fact, in discussions with the industry, they did not even ask for support down to dollar one lost from terrorist events. They had represented themselves that they were perfectly able to handle as much as a $10 billion terrorist attack on the United States without consequences. What they asked us to do in the interim of a 2- to 3-year period would be to provide a mechanism that if a terrorist attack of the magnitude of September 11 occurred, there would be a mechanism in place that they could move quickly to resolve the problem and put the money back into the marketplace. As a result of not having that mechanism, they are unable to sell policies now with terrorist insurance as part of the policy face and are asking the right to not write terrorism policy in this country. The reinsurance industry will not touch this until the experience table is established as to what rates they can set for terrorist insurance. So what did the Committee on Financial Services start with? What did the White House request? What did the industry request? That we put together a stopgap measure to allow normal commerce to go on in the United States and have terrorist protection insurance in place over the next 3- to 5-year period so we would not stultify or have a disadvantageous result to the economy as a whole. I call it an economic stabilization bill, that is all it is, to show that the United States government, at a time of extreme need and under dangerous circumstances, can put the taxpayers of the United States in a supportive situation to a free market institution, but not interfering with the free market, encouraging the free market to come back and handle the insurance as it has in the past and will in the future, but for a period of 1 to 3 or 5 years, that the United States Government is in there to create a position that would help the insurance industry, the real estate industry, the financial services industry, but most of all, the economy of the United States. That has not happened. The one major reason it has not happened, in spite of some of the changes, is the new additions on tort reform or tort revision are so onerous, so extreme, that we are asking the American people and this Congress to forget victims' rights, rights of plaintiffs, rights of complainants, and rights of injured people, and only taking care of the 25 largest companies in the United States who write 94 percent of the insurance. If I wanted to be a demagogue, I could easily say it is a bailout of the insurance industry. But in my heart and mind, I know it is not that; and it is not intended to be that. If we could have passed the underlying bill, we would have had a very strong, bipartisan support to do that; and it could not have been categorized as a bailout of the insurance industry. But it can clearly be labeled a locomotive for tort reform at the wrong time, at the wrong place, in the wrong bill. I urge my colleagues to vote down the existing bill, unfortunately, taking some time to come back and work out another bill so we can go to conference and pass this important legislation.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to a rule I consider fundamentally unfair. The previous speaker addressed one of the major issues that I wanted to address in an amendment I had offered and asked the Committee on Rules to make in order, and that is to have some limitation on punitive damages and provide for consolidation of lawsuits, but not to enter into tort revision. Unfortunately, some of my friends have seen the opportunity to use this as a locomotive today to go to one of their favorite topics, and that is, tort revision in the country. I think that is unfortunate because the history and the process of this legislation was initially handled by the Committee on Financial Services for the sole purpose of trying to bring together the entire Congress with a bipartisan effort to accomplish something that would allow the economy to have terrorist insurance and to have a reinsurance industry that could be vital, and could be kept in the private sector until we straighten out the problems and the new issues created by the terrorist attack on September 11. I thought we had moved a great deal along that line during the committee operations, but since that time the bill has been taken and fundamentally changed, and made a vehicle to carry everyone else's desire to change fundamental existing law in the United States. I recognize the fair right of all individuals to disagree with the evolution of tort law responsibility in the United States over the last 200 years, and it may be subjected to change. This body is the place that should consider that issue. It should not consider that issue at this time when we have a very limited period of time to get a comprehensive reinsurance bill passed so the economy can be stabilized for the next year or two, so that American businesses can get the insurance they need against terrorism, and so that the rate can be reasonable. What we have here is a political response: taking a very highly emotional and disagreeable issue on the two sides of this aisle, and I may say, Members on both sides in different proportions, and inserting it in this bill, which will ultimately say this bill cannot be passed by the Senate, will not be passed by the Senate, and I think puts at risk the fact that we may have reinsurance legislation in this session, and as a result, could materially destabilize the economy of the United States over the next year or two. That is unfortunate that some of us have given in to our basic weaknesses and have gone to our ideology, rather than to the interests of the people of the United States and the economy of the United States. I hope my predictions are wrong. I hope we can get terrorist reinsurance put through this Congress before we adjourn. But if we do not, if we do not, it will really be as a result of tort law revision that has been inserted into this bill that prevents the passage of this type of legislation in the waning days of this session.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call to the attention of the House of Representatives an important anniversary which will be commemorated in my district on Nov. 13. The Domestic Violence Service Center (DVSC) will observe the 25th anniversary of its founding. I am pleased to have the opportunity to commend the center for its tireless dedication to helping women and children in crisis. Originally called Womencenter when it was first conceived in October 1976, the DVSC began as an assessment agency to focus on the needs of area women. The pleas for help from battered women in the first six months were overwhelming. Because of this, the Womencenter refocused its purpose to address the issue of domestic violence and how it affects women and children in the Wyoming Valley. A task force was formed to study the issue. The result of that meeting was the founding of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV). The first coalition of its kind in the United States, the PCADV is still a leader in victims' rights issues in the State and the Nation. In 1977, the Womencenter received a grant to develop a full-time domestic violence program. Services expanded and a liaison with Legal Services of Northeastern Pennsylvania was established. A speakers' bureau was begun to promote community awareness. In 1978, the task force established the first shelter for battered women in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Within one week, the unadvertised shelter was completely filled to capacity. That June, the Womencenter incorporated as the Domestic Violence Service Center. A board was formed and the first officers were elected. The number of clients served by the DVSC has grown from approximately 700 in the 1985-86 fiscal year to more than 2,400 per year at present. The Domestic Violence Service Center has served the area as a shelter, an advocacy agency, an outreach center, and a counseling center. The DVSC has been on the forefront of public education of domestic violence and involved with other social service agencies and the District Attorney's office in creating a county-wide protocol for the handling of domestic violence cases. The center has coordinated with local police forces to create a common protocol in handling the actual distress calls and has coordinated with local health care providers to develop a family violence medical protocol that has been adopted by all hospitals in the county as well as by numerous home health care professionals and physicians' offices. Most recently, in July 2001, the center received funding to support its partnership with Northeast Counseling Services to implement a Mental Health Advocacy Project, a first of its kind in the state. The project will cross-train mental health and domestic violence staff and provide informed services to clients of both agencies. Led by President Mary Ellen Roberts and Executive Director Ellen Moyle Harris, the DVSC serves as an example to the entire State of Pennsylvania. The center also plays a leadership role statewide through representation on PCADV committees including ones that handle legal advocacy, contracts, legislative and planning matters. In addition, Pat Kwetkauskie, a DVSC representative, chairs the Pennsylvania Medical Advocacy Task Force and has also chaired a committee of the former Attorney General's Domestic Violence Task Force. DVSC staff and training team volunteers have also presented workshops and lectures at state, regional and national conferences. At a statewide PCADV conference in 1991, 12 members of the DVSC board, staff and advisory committee were honored with Leadership in Action awards. The DVSCs Court Advocacy, Medical Advocacy, STOP Violence Against Women Projects continue to be integral parts of DVSC services, and the center continues to provide technical assistance to agencies in other counties that are interested in duplicating DVSC programs. Most importantly, the Domestic Violence Service Center has provided shelter for thousands of battered women who flee their homes, often in the middle of the night, afraid for their lives and the lives of their children. Mr. Speaker, the impact of domestic violence affects the entire community. Each year, the center conducts a solemn and poignant candlelight vigil at the Luzerne County Courthouse to commemorate Domestic Violence Month. I have had the honor of participating in this event. I am proud to commend the hardworking staff, board of directors, and volunteers on their dedicated effort to help those who would otherwise be trapped indefinitely in a crisis situation. Through their work and dedication, they offer a place for women and children to turn to break the cycle of violence. Although this anniversary is not a celebration, it is a call to each of us to help stop this devastation of the American family. Mr. Speaker, I hope this anniversary will expand public awareness of the important work that the DVSC does.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the 90th anniversary of the dedication of St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, which is being celebrated over several days culminating on Nov. 4 with a Divine Liturgy followed by a banquet and celebration. When the church was built, the Hanover Section of Nanticoke was still known as the village of Rhone, and immigrants from areas of Russia that are now part of Slovakia and Poland would walk many miles to Wilkes- Barre or to Newport Township to attend church after working long hours each week in the anthracite coal mines of the Nanticoke area. To unify these groups of Carpatho-Russian settlers in a church closer to home, several families organized to build their own local church to serve their spiritual needs. These founders had family names such as Vancisin (Wanchisen), Cunder (Sunder), Bobak, Ducar, Motika, Pendle, Handoga, Sagan, Brenish, Chromoho, Hrinko, Mititka, Franchak, Sarochinsky, Gula, Franko and Huha. Construction began in the summer of 1911 and the church was dedicated on October 29 of that year with Father Kieko from Russia performing the first services. This year, several members of the church hierarchy will join the pastor, the Very Rev. Stephen Karaffa, and the parishioners in Nanticoke for the Divine Liturgy commemorating the dedication and sacrifices of those founding members. Among those on hand will be Metropolitan Theodosius, the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church in America and Archbishop Herman from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania. As part of the 90th anniversary celebration, Susan Shiposki, a St. John's parishioner, has designed and created two new icons for the church: ``The Mother of God'' and ``Christ the Teacher.'' Mrs. Shiposki is a noted iconographer who has created several works for the church. Her first icon was created four years ago in honor of her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the 90 years of dedication, faith and good works of the people of St. John's Church, 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 100th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary of Czestochowa Roman Catholic Church of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, which will be celebrated on October 21. At the turn of the last century, an increase in the Polish Catholic population led to the need for a third church in the Nanticoke area. The original St. Mary's church was a simple wooden structure located at the corner of Hanover and Grove streets. It was home to a congregation of approximately 500 parishoners, although an estimated 2,000 people worshipped there. Nearly five years to the day of its dedication, the first church was destroyed by fire. Under the leadership of the first resident pastor, Rev. Adolph E. Nowicki, a new church was built at the corner of Hanover and Field streets and was blessed and dedicated soon thereafter. St. Mary's present pastor, Rev. John S. Krafchak, is the eighth pastor to serve the parish, having served since 1983. He also served as assistant pastor at St. Mary's from 1960 to 1966. During his 18 years as pastor, Father Krafchak has continued to support the efforts of the church's organizations, the spiritual needs of the congregation and the material upkeep of the parish. Father Krafchak's first major undertaking was the construction of a new rectory, which was completed in 1985. A Holy Hour of Prayers for Priests was begun in 1986 and has been held once a month since its inception. It was also around that time that air conditioning was installed in the church. With the 1988 consolidation of all the parish schools in the Nanticoke area into Pope John Paul II School, St. Mary's school became the home of Head Start, a federal pre-school program offered to Nanticoke-area children ages 3 and 4 from low-income families. St. Mary's has also teamed with St. Stanislaus Church to promote the Renew 2000 program, a parish renewal endeavor to foster spiritual growth among their parishoners. The parishes have also held consolidated Confraternity of Christian Doctrine classes since 1996. In preparation for this year's 100th anniversary, the interior of the church was painted and refurbished with carpeting and most significantly, an imported replica of the famous Our Lady of Czestochowa image, measuring more than 7 feet in height, was placed on the wall above the main altar. The church organ was also reconditioned to return it to most of its original musical capabilities. One of the portions of St. Mary's history of which the parishoners can be most proud is that the parish has been the mother of 39 vocations, 18 to the priesthood, 20 to the sisterhood and one to the deaconate. The parish also acknowledges the dedication of another parishoner, Henry Gonshor, who aspired to the priesthood but was called to his eternal rest before finishing his preparatory studies. Over the past 100 years, St. Mary's has seen the formation of the following organizations, most of which are still flourishing today: St. Cecilia's Choir, Blessed Virgin Mary Sodality, the Holy Name Society, the Sacred Heart Society, Third Order of St. Francis, Purgatorial Society, the Catholic Council of Women and the Usher's Club. These organizations have helped unite many parishoners throughout the years toward a common cause of service to God and the Church. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the 100 years of dedication, faith and good works of the people of St. Mary's Church, 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 long record of service to the community by my very dear friend Herman D. Castellani, who will be honored as ``Person of the Year'' by the Italian-American Association of Luzerne County at the association's annual Columbus Day banquet on October 7. Herman has served as president of the association for two years and has also served as secretary to, and a member of, its board of directors. He has participated in numerous community activities throughout the years. He has served as president of the North Italian Citizens Club, Perugia Beneficial Italian Club and president of the Exeter Ghents Club. He has been a member of the Exeter Lions Club for 38 years, serving as president in 1971-1972. He was a volunteer office clerk for St. Anthony's Parish in Exeter, where he currently serves as vice president of the Holy Name Society and formerly served as president. In addition, he served his fellow citizens as treasurer and occupational privilege tax collector for Exeter Borough for 11 years. He owned and operated delicatessens in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton for 21 years. He was a concrete foreman for Addy Asphalt in Wilkes-Barre for 19 years and presently works for Luzerne County. He resides in Exeter with his wife of 47 years, the former Louise Fumanti. They have three daughters, Gloria Sekusky of Plains Township, Sharon Ellis of Shavertown and Lisa Dolhon of Exeter, and nine grandchildren. The son of the late Eugene and Palmina Catani Castellani of Nocera Umbria, Italy, he is a graduate of Plains Memorial High School. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the long record of service to the community by Herman Castellani, 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 and dedicated record of public service of Bill Brace, who is retiring after 31 years of working for the people of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He has served as city clerk for 29 years and for five of those years, he has also served as city administrator. He will be honored with a retirement dinner on Sept. 28. Bill graduated from Kingston High School in 1962 and served in the Army from 1963 to 1966. He joined the City of Wilkes-Barre government as a city license clerk in 1970 and within two years, he had moved up to city clerk, the chief administrative officer for the City Council. It is a testament to Bill's abilities that he has served under seven different mayors. It also speaks very well of him that in 1996, rather than lose Bill's services as city clerk because incoming Mayor Tom McGroarty wanted him to serve as city administrator, the City Council convinced Bill to serve in both positions. This dual role meant that Bill took on the added responsibility of serving as the chief administrative officer of a city government that employs 425 people. Bill has also made time for extensive community involvement over the years, including his membership at Veterans of Foreign Wars Wilkes- Barre Post 6227, where he served as commander from 1973 to 1976. He is a past exalted ruler of Elks Wyoming Valley Lodge No. 109, where his fellow members recognized his contributions by naming him Elk of the Year in 1993. He is also founder and chairman of the board of governors of the Killer Bees Athletic Club, a life member of AMVETS Post 59 in Hanover Township, and a member of the North End Slovak Citizens Club, the St. Conrad's Society, and the St. David's Society. He has also served as a board member and officer of the Wilkes-Barre City Employees Credit Union for 30 years. He has also participated in numerous professional organizations, including the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, the International Municipal Clerks' Advanced Education Academy, the Pennsylvania Local Government Secretaries Association, Pennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities, National League of Cities and Wyoming Valley Municipal Managers Association. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the long and dedicated service of Bill Brace to the people of Wilkes-Barre, and I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for the chairman and ranking member. I think we are in a contest here that can be easily resolved. What we are trying to do is send a message to the stock market on Monday. I think that is a reasonable thing to do. Why do we not pass tonight a sense of the House resolution that this Congress intends to establish an emergency finance administration to take care of not only the airline industry, but potentially the insurance industry, the banking industry, or any part of our industry that may suffer as a result of the disaster of September 11. That will take care of the message. That will give us the 4 days between now and Wednesday when we return to have sufficient consultation to see whether or not this is sufficient, whether it should be enlarged or whether it should encompass other companies, other industries and other problems. It should not be done at the 12th hour, when we are about to recess, when we all know the Senate has already recessed until next Wednesday. Nothing can be done. In reality we are trying to send a message to the American people and to the American markets. We can accomplish that by a House resolution expressing the intent of Congress to respond. But it is a fair objection to any Member of this House not knowing what the particularities and the effects and consequences of this piece of legislation will have because we have not had the opportunity to study it. By Wednesday we can stay in town and craft a piece of legislation that will cover all those contingencies and send a broader message to the American people and the American markets that the Congress of the United States and the American government is going to see that the economy of the United States survives.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the selection of John M. Randolph, Jr., C.P.A., as 2001 Community Leader of the Year by the Northeast Branch of the Arthritis Foundation. Mr. Randolph will be honored with a dinner on Sept. 13. A well-respected business leader, John Randolph has also devoted countless hours to improving the community of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He came to Wilkes-Barre in 1959 to attend college and made the Wyoming Valley his home. A frequent speaker for professional and community service groups, John has often shared his financial expertise with the community. The list of his personal and professional affiliations and memberships is long and impressive. King's College, from which he graduated with a bachelor of science in accounting in 1963, has benefited greatly from his service. He has served on the college's board of directors since 1992, served as vice- chairman of the board since 1996 and chaired the Jubilee Capital Campaign that raised approximately $21 million over four years. King's awarded him the Kilburn Medal in 1999 for extraordinary service to the college. He has also been honored with the Annual Trustee Award by College Misericordia, where he served as chairman and vice chairman of the finance committee. He has also served on the board of directors at Keystone College and on the President's Council at Wilkes University. Mr. Randolph also was admitted to the Northeastern Pennsylvania Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Northeastern Pennsylvania and was awarded the prestigious Annual Community Service Award by B'nai B'rith. Additionally, he serves on the boards of directors of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, where he chaired the Project 2000 Task Force, and the Luzerne Foundation, of which he is also treasurer. He has also served as an elected member of the Council of Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants and as a member of the Group B Advisory Council of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Speaker, as indicated by his peers' selection of him for leadership roles, his professional achievements are impressive. He co- founded Parente, Randolph & Co., now known as Parente, Randolph P.C. and was instrumental in the planned growth of the firm to 10 practice offices with revenues in excess of $25 million. When he retired from the firm in 1995, it was ranked as the 20th largest firm in the United States. From 1995 to 1996, he served as senior executive vice president and treasurer of the Wyoming Valley Health Care System. Since that time, he has served as chairman of the board of directors and chief administrative officer of MotorWorld Automotive Group, Inc., as well as a special consultant to a variety of regional businesses. John Randolph also served the nation as a member of the military for six months in 1964. He and his wife, Sharon, were married the following year. They have two grown sons, John III and Scott. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the achievements and good deeds of John M. Randolph, Jr., 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 150th anniversary of the founding of St. Mary, Help of Christians Church in Pittston, Pennsylvania. To mark this milestone, Bishop James C. Timlin will serve as principal celebrant of a Jubilee Mass of Thanksgiving on Sept. 9, which will be followed by an anniversary banquet and program with the theme ``Remembering . . . Rejoicing . . . Renewing.'' The parish will continue its celebration by participating in a ``RENEW 2000 & Beyond'' mission on Sept. 12. The first Catholic church established in Pittston, St. Mary's dates its origins back to a small frame chapel built in 1851 on what was known as Church Hill in Upper Pittston, or the so-called Junction section. The chapel was quite modest. It had no pews, although some families brought movable benches for their own convenience. The street is now appropriately named Chapel Street, with the parish cemetery located near the site. St. Mary's has been an integral part of the community since its founding. In 1896, the church served as a pillar of strength and a source of comfort during a prominent tragedy. Many of its members lost loved ones when the Susquehanna River bed gave way and rushed into a mine tunnel in what became known as the Twin Shaft Disaster. Thirty-two of the 58 workmen who were killed were members of St. Mary's, and they left behind their wives and 72 children. In 1992, following a Mass that was held at St. Mary's in memory of the Twin Shaft victims, the congregation walked to the intersection of Main and Union streets for the unveiling of a historical market near the site of the disaster. The present church was built and dedicated in 1905. Among the many improvements and generous donations made over the years are the stained glass windows above the front doors, dedicated in memory of President John F. Kennedy, and the new organ purchased and installed in 1997, which was donated in memory of Helen Caslin Gill. The rectory contains a stained glass window donated by Mary T. Gallagher and installed in 1996 to mark the 10-year anniversary of the merger of the parish with St. Mary's Assumption Church. The parish even has a home on the Internet to reach out across the World Wide Web, located at http://www.stmarys-pittston.org. This is one of many accomplishments and improvements made under the leadership of the current pastor, Rev. Richard J. Jalmounter, M.S., who was appointed in 1990. He has revitalized the Altar and Rosary Society, the Vacation Bible School, and the annual St. Jude Novena begun under Father Andrew P. Maloney, who served as parish administrator from 1956 to 1963 and pastor from 1963 to 1967. In 1995, Father Polmounter and Sister Anne Therese Peach founded St. Mary's Early Childhood Learning Center, which is located at the rectory in Upper Pittston. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the 150 years of dedication and devotion of the pastors and people of St. Mary, Help of Christians Church, 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 good works of the Knights of Columbus Damien Council No. 598 in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. On Aug. 18, 2001, the members will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the council's founding. The council is one of the oldest in the Knights of Columbus, being the 598th founded out of the nearly 13,000 in existence today. Under the direction of Father James C. McConnon, a group of 47 men from the small town of Mauch Chunk, now known as Jim Thorpe, chose the name of their council to honor Father Damien de Veuster. Now designated as Blessed Damien following his 1995 beatification by Pope John Paul 11, Father de Veuster is remembered for his selfless and courageous efforts to care for the nearly 1,000 lepers abandoned on Molokai Island in Hawaii. Father de Veuster himself died of leprosy in 1889. Since its founding, Damien Council has served Mauch Chunk, later known as Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, Nesquehoning and the surrounding communities. Among its many accomplishments, the council arranged to televise Advent and Lenten Masses for shut-ins on Blue Ridge Cable TV- 13 in the 1970s and 1980s, well before the Catholic cable channel EWTN became available nationwide. The council also broadcast the recitation of the Rosary on WYNS Radio and the Stations of the Cross on WLSH Radio. Damien Council has also provided food baskets for families in need and has honored 39 priests from the area on the occasion of their ordination into the priesthood. Damien Council continues to aid the church, local communities, families and young people through its various programs. Annual activities include celebrating a Memorial Mass for its deceased members, sponsoring Family Hour of Prayer services, participating in the ``Adopt-A-Seminarian'' program, jointly sponsoring the Pro-Life Essay Contest with the other councils in the Diocese of Allentown and coordinating the program for Carbon County, promoting the ``Keep Christ in Christmas'' program, sponsoring the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship and hosting the District 29 competition, raising funds for ARC, honoring the members' spouses with Ladies' Appreciation ``Knight,'' celebrating the family by naming a ``Family of the Month'' and ``Family of the Year'' and presenting awards and altar server certificates to graduating eighth-grade students. Damien Council has seen two of its members rise to statewide leadership over the years. Both Thomas P. (Patsy) Milan and William F. (Bill) Carroll served as state treasurers. Damien Council is currently led by Grand Knight Michael A. Heery. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the good works of the Knights of Columbus Damien Council No. 598 on the occasion of their 100th anniversary, 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 hard work and achievements of my very good friend, Attorney John J. Terrana of Kingston, Pennsylvania, who will be honored on August 24, 2001, as Past President of the Wilkes- Barre Chapter of U.N.I.C.O. John's deep love of his Italian heritage makes it especially fitting that he is being honored by this fine organization of Italian-Americans. Attorney Terrana is a 1970 graduate of St. John the Evangelist School in Pittston and earned his bachelor of arts degree in government and politics from King's College in 1974. In 1981, he served as a legislative assistant to former Congressman Ray Musto and was admitted to practice before the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals. John earned his doctor of jurisprudence degree from the George Mason University School of Law in 1982 and established his private practice of law in Luzerne County. He was inducted into membership in the Wilkes-Barre Chapter of U.N.I.C.O. in 1988 and has served at various times on the chapter board of directors, in addition to serving as co- chairman of the Miss U.N.I.C.O. pageant for 10 years. Last year, when the chapter elected him its president, he also attained the honor of being inducted the Million Dollar Advocates' Forum, an organization whose membership is restricted to trial lawyers who have successfully tried a case which resulted in a verdict or award in excess of one million dollars. John's sense of humor and warm personality have made him a popular toastmaster and speaker at many events throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania. Everyone who knows John is well-familiar with his devotion to his family. Attorney Terrana is the son of Dolores Terrana and the late Angelo Terrana and the brother of my former district director, Attorney Joe Terrana, as well as Attorney Angelo Terrana and Rosemary Dessoye, executive vice president of the Pittston Chamber of Commerce. John and his wife, the former Antoinette Farano, have three children, Katie, Julie and John Charles. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the hard work and achievements of Attorney John Terrana, 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 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 ninth consecutive year. Of GM's 30,000 suppliers, Magee Rieter Automotive Systems is the only nine-time winner in North America and one of only six suppliers globally to be honored every year since the award was established. Magee Rieter, the leading supplier of carpets to General Motors in America, will celebrate this accomplishment on August 28, 2001. 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 or Fisher Body carriages, through today's production of fully molded carpet floors and integrated acoustical systems. Through the past 112 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 rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the long history of service to the community by Joseph G. Rudawski, President of MMI Preparatory School, Freeland, Pennsylvania, who will be honored August 4 on the occasion of his retirement after more than 36 years of service to the school. I have known Joe Rudawski for many years and can attest to his dedication to improving the lives of his students. He has been an extraordinary educator, and the entire MMI Prep community will miss his optimism, tenacity and leadership. Born in Nanticoke, he is a 1959 graduate of Marymount High School in Wilkes-Barre and a 1963 graduate of King's College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics, minors in education and English. He earned a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Scranton in 1967. Mr. Rudawski began his service at MMI in September 1964 as a mathematics and psychology instructor and progressed to the positions of guidance director and dean of faculty before becoming president in 1973. During his time as president, he continued to directly serve the students as guidance director and later as college counselor. During his tenure, thousands of students have passed through the white doors on Centre Street in Freeland and have gone on to achieve tremendous success. The school has undergone a remarkable transformation under his leadership. The small preparatory school expanded greatly, with a $1 million addition built in 1979, and a $1.1 million capital campaign in 1990-91. He also oversaw The Campaign for MMI, which raised more than $9 million for the school's endowment fund and the construction of a new science and technology wing and an athletics and drama complex. Over the years, he has served the community in many capacities, including director of the Freeland YMCA, former division chairman of the United Way, director and member of the Freeland Rotary Club, a board member of Lutheran Welfare Services, a member of the PCTN-TV Community Advisory Board, director of the Eckley Miner's Village Association, and chairman and member of several committees at St. Casimir's Church and the Roman Catholic Community of Freeland. He is also a past president of the Luzerne County Counselor's Association. He has received numerous awards for his academic and community achievements, including the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International, the Citizen of the Year award from the Freeland Sons of Erin, a Declaration of Achievement from the Pennsylvania Senate, the Community Award sponsored by the Freeland Veterans of Foreign Wars, and an Appreciation Award from the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. In May 2001, he announced his intentions to retire from the school so he could spend more time with his wife of 34 years, Jean, his four children--Joe Jr., Tamra Ann, Valerie, and Jeanne, all MMI graduates-- and his grandchildren. He expects to continue volunteering in the community. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the long and distinguished service of Joseph Rudawski to MMI Preparatory School and the community, 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 history of service to the community by my good friend, Joseph ``Red'' Jones of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. Red will be honored with a tribute on August 17, 2001, the 50th anniversary of his calling square dances, which he has done exclusively for charity for the past 20 years. Red first started calling square dances at the age of 13, and is considered to be among the best callers in eastern Pennsylvania. As befits his spirit of service, the event being held to honor him will raise money for several local charities supported by the Volunteers of America, including the Caring Alternatives Pantry, The Hartman Home and Dial-A-Driver. Red has used this talent to benefit countless community organizations, school groups and booster clubs, church organizations, volunteer fire companies, little leagues and youth clubs, Habitat for Humanity, Valley Santa and terminally ill individuals. He has donated numerous hours of his time so that these organizations and good causes could generate more revenue and build their capacity to serve others. In addition to helping countless community causes by calling square dances for them, Red has been a weekly volunteer for the past 17 years at Mercy Center, a Sisters of Mercy sponsored nursing home in Dallas, Pennsylvania, where he spends a great deal of time comforting and helping the residents. Red's charitable works are only part of his long history of service to the community. He has served the nation as a Marine in the late 1950s and for most of the 1960s. He also served his neighbors for four years as a Luzerne County Commissioner and for 14 years as a member of the Lake-Lehman School Board. He served twice as president of the school board, and during his tenure the district showed tremendous improvement in academic performance and participation in athletic and extracurricular programs. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you from personal experience that he worked well as a county commissioner with citizens and community leaders from both parties. His nonpartisan approach to government was instrumental in improving flood protection throughout the Wyoming Valley, expanding Luzerne County Community College, paving the way for the Luzerne County Arena, creating a countywide 911 emergency response system and boosting key initiatives for economic development. Last but certainly not least, under Red's leadership as basketball coach at St. Vincent's High School in Pittston, the school was honored with four consecutive Wyoming Valley Basketball Officials Sportsmanship awards for sportsmanship, conduct and respect of the game, the officials and opposing teams. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the long and distinguished service of Joseph ``Red'' Jones to his neighbors and the nation, 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 50th anniversary of the ordination to the priesthood of Bishop James C. Timlin of the Catholic Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, which includes much of my Congressional District. Bishop Timlin is an institution in Northeastern Pennsylvania, known not only for his spiritual guidance but also for his leadership in a broad range of social issues. Bishop Timlin, the eighth bishop of Scranton and the first native- born son of the diocese to become its bishop, celebrated his 50th anniversary on July 16. On September 21, he will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his elevation to the rank of bishop. He was born in 1927 in the High Works section of Scranton to the late James C. and Helen Norton Timlin. He attended St. John the Evangelist and Holy Rosary schools in Scranton and graduated from Holy Rosary High School and St. Charles College in Catonsville, Md. Those who knew him in childhood sensed he was on the path to the priesthood, as his face bore a radiant expression while he served Mass and he had already joined the Future Priest Club by the time he entered eighth grade at Holy Rosary. He attended St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore before completing his studies for the priesthood at the North American College in Rome. Bishop Timlin was ordained in 1951 in Rome by the Most Rev. Martin J. O'Connor, D.D., then-Rector of North American College, who ordained him a year early because of the speed with which he managed his studies. He continued studies in Theology there before returning to the diocese where in 1952 he was appointed assistant pastor at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Pittston. On June 12, 1953, he became assistant pastor of St. Peter's Cathedral Parish, Scranton, where he served until September 12, 1966, when he was named assistant chancellor of the diocese and secretary to Bishop J. Carroll McCormick, D.D., the sixth Bishop of Scranton. Other papal honors and diocesan appointments followed as he was named Chaplain to His Holiness, Pope Paul VI, on August 3, 1967, Chancellor of the diocese on December 15, 1971, and Prelate of Honor of His Holiness on April 23, 1972. Earlier in his ministry, Bishop Timlin served as chairman of the Diocesan Liturgical Commission and the Priests' Education Committee, as well as librarian and secretary at St. Pius X Seminary, Dalton. In 1972, he was appointed to the Diocesan Board of Consultors, and three years later, was elected President of the Board of Directors of The Catholic Light. He was named Auxiliary Bishop of Scranton on August 3, 1976. He was ordained in St. Peter's Cathedral on September 21, when he also became Vicar General of the diocese. In September, 1979, he became pastor of the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord, Scranton. In the summer of 1983, Cardinal John J. O'Connor, the seventh Bishop of Scranton, appointed him chairman of the Board of Advisors for St. Pius X Seminary, and chairman of the Preparatory Commission for the Diocesan Synod. Following the Cardinal's transfer to the Archdiocese of New York in March, 1984, Bishop Timlin was elected Diocesan Administrator by the Diocesan Board of Consultors. His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, appointed him the eighth Bishop of Scranton on April 24, 1984, and his installation followed on June 7. Bishop Timlin has served two terms as a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Board and the National Advisory Council. He also served as a member of the Board of the North American College, as well as a consultor on the Liturgy Committee. He is presently a consultant to the NCCB's Ecumenical and Migration committees. He is well known for his commitment to ecumenism. To give just two examples, he led the Jewish Federation United Jewish Campaign's Super Sunday Telethon in 1984 and accepted an invitation to the Polish National Catholic Church's 100th anniversary banquet in 1997, where he addressed the crowd, sharing their joy and seeking to restore unity between them. He has also served a five-year term as Episcopal Moderator of the National Association of Holy Name Societies. A long-time licensed pilot, the bishop is the Episcopal Moderator of the National Association of Catholic Airport Chaplains. When he was appointed bishop, he chose the motto ``Fides Spes Caritas,'' faith, hope, love. I think also serves as a fine summary of Bishop Timlin's life and work. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives the long and dedicated service of Bishop James C. Timlin and to wish him all the best as he continues to serve Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the 150th anniversary of the founding of Wright Township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. I am honored to have been asked to participate in the township's Independence Day parade, which will double as a celebration of the sesquicentennial. Wright Township was established by the Court of Quarter General Sessions on April 12, 1851. It is named for Hendrick Bradley Wright, a resident of Luzerne County who served four terms in this House between 1853 and 1881 and also served as speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and Luzerne County district attorney. In commemoration of the 150th anniversary, the National Archives and Records Administration recently donated to the township a framed photograph of Hendrick Wright taken in the 1860s. The community was carved from Hanover Township, and has seen its population grow despite seeing part of its territory become incorporated into the new communities of Fairview Township, Rice Township and Nuangola Borough over the years. The township encompasses 13.9 square miles of land. At its founding, Wright Township had just 152 inhabitants, and its character remained primarily rural until the 1950s. In 1950, the population was 948, which has more than quintupled to 5,593 in 2000. A major reason for the increase in population was the opening of the Crestwood Industrial Park in 1952. This 1,050-acre facility is home to more than 20 businesses that employ more than 3,000 people. Wright Township continues to work with the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry and businesses located or considering location in the industrial park. To help preserve the quality of life the residents enjoy and provide for orderly community and economic development, the township adopted a comprehensive plan and subdivision and land development and zoning ordinances in the late 1960s and early 1970s. As the township grew, it upgraded its public services to meet the citizens' increasing needs. In 1972, the police, the public works department and the supervisors' office moved into the newly constructed municipal building. Previously, the police operated out of the firehouse, the road department operated out of a developer's garage and the supervisors' office was in the home of the secretary. In the 1970s, the Wright Township Recreation Park was completed, and the township is currently in the process of a major expansion of the park to include a regulation soccer field, loop trail and a plaza with additional parking. Another service to residents is the drop-off recycling program that was begun in 1991 for the Mountain Top area. The community has planned an extensive celebration of its 150th anniversary and America's independence that includes a concert, fireworks and a festival with food, entertainment, games and crafts. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of Wright Township, and I am pleased to call their community and patriotic spirit to the attention of the House of Representatives on the occasion of the township's 150th anniversary.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the House of Representatives to the 75h anniversary of the formal beginning of one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's primary tourist destinations, the Knoebels Amusement Park near Elysburg, which is also Pennsylvania's largest free admission amusement park. In those 75 years, Knoebels has grown from a small local park to hosting more than a million guests each year. At the same time, the Knoebel family maintains a strong sense of tradition and family. The land has been owned by the Knoebel family since 1828, when it was purchased by the Reverend Henry Hartman Knoebel. His grandson and namesake was the one who first envisioned the land's recreational potential. The younger Henry, better known as H.H. or ``Ole Hen,'' farmed the land and pursued a lumbering business operating saw mills at several locations on the property. Around the start of the 20th century, the Knoebel farm began to be visited by ``tally-hos,'' Sunday afternoon rides with a destination, in this case people who came to sit by the creek banks, picnic in the woods and jump from the covered bridge to the swimming hole below. As the site became more popular, the family installed picnic tables and benches, hired a lifeguard to protect the swimmers, and began selling food and soft drinks. The formal beginning of the amusement park was July 4, 1926, the opening of a concrete swimming pool. That same year, the family opened the first ride, a steam-powered merry-go- round, and the first restaurant. Since that time, Knoebels has grown tremendously. Today, in addition to 50 rides and great food, the park offers the award-winning Alamo Restaurant, unique gift shops, numerous games, a miniature golf course, two campgrounds, picnic pavilions and the large Crystal Pool with its 900,000 gallons of mountain spring water. Knoebels is a major contributor to the economy of the region, employing 1,400 seasonal workers. Voted ``America's Best Park for Families'' two years in a row by the National Amusement Park Historical Association, Knoebels is also known as ``Pennsylvania's Hometown Park.'' The park is managed by the third generation of the Knoebel family, and members of the fourth generation are coming on board and taking their places. Brothers Dick and Ron Knoebel serve as co-general managers of the park. Mr. Speaker, the Knoebel family continues to do a fine job of carrying on their trademark tradition of ``fun, food and fantasy,'' and I wish them all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my friend Leonard Carlin, who is retiring after 28 years with the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Len will be honored with a retirement dinner on June 27. Len is a graduate of Coughlin High School and attended Wilkes College, Penn State University and the Scranton branch of Temple University. In addition to his work at EDCNP, his varied and broad experience includes service with the U.S. Geological Survey, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission. Since joining EDCNP, Len has worked in many capacities, including regional planner and cartographic supervisor and duties including environmental planning and programs, land use planning, comprehensive planning, flood mitigation, assistance to local governments, and other duties too numerous to list here. He is a member of several community and professional organizations, including the Pennsylvania Planning Association, the Sierra Club, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Rails-to-Trails. For his dedicated work, he was named the Pennsylvania Planning Association's Planner of the Year in 2000. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives Len's distinguished career because his hard work was very helpful in securing the American Heritage River designation for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed in 1998. Working closely with my office, Len was an invaluable assistant in compiling a great deal of information and working with local elected officials and other interested parties. I wish him all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the bill and in favor of the substitute. The reason for that is very simple. I hear my friends on the other side, and I do not delude myself, this is going to pass overwhelmingly. Maybe the 107th Congress will get the reputation of being the corporate Congress because, of all the funds that are out there for special use purposes, the first to come before the Congress is the securities industry fund; not the other funds that we collect and use for other purposes, but this fund. That being beside the point, I think my friends on the other side are disingenuous. The intention of the act that created the user fee for this fund was not for the purposes of funding alone the SEC, it was created for the purposes of funding the cost of the security industry in this country to the United States government. The SEC is just a part, and a small part, of that cost. For instance, take the FBI, a major investigative agency involved in stock fraud cases all the time. I think, to the best of my recollection, the FBI's budget is around $12 billion a year. Could we imagine maybe 10 percent of the investigative time of the FBI is involved in business fraud and stock fraud situations? That would be $1.2 billion. We receive nothing back from this user's fee to the general fund to fund that. No, the taxpayer, the man who delivers milk, the farmer that grows farm products, everybody in America pays for that special protection for the securities industry of the Federal government. Let us look at some of the other side expenses. The Justice Department, how much time and how many Federal attorneys are used, and what are their costs involved with security transactions in this country? Certainly they have to be far greater than zero. Nothing is allotted in the user fee scale to cover these costs. We could go on and on. The judicial branch, how much of the court system is devoted to trying cases and litigating issues and securities? The intention of the original act was that the Federal Treasury would be compensated by this user fee for that purpose. But my friends on the other side, and I daresay most of my colleagues on the Democratic side, they are going to be so happy to reduce the very small portion of the fee on security transactions and in fact underfund the cost to the United States government of the security industry, because we do not know the real costs. The full intent of my original amendment and the substitute is to provide sufficient time and study to allocate the real cost of the security industry to all of the United States government, and make sure the fee is sufficient to compensate that cost. Instead of doing that, we are only going to cover the cost of the SEC. We are sending all the money back, and the additional cost of the FBI, the Justice Department, the court system, and every other element of government involved in security industry transactions in this country is going to be borne by that 50 percent of the American people through their income taxes and other taxes, and they have no participation in the benefit of the securities industry. It is a shifting of burden, and the shifting is to the ones that could least afford it. Our substitute wants to reduce the user fee to reasonable amounts, but it says, very basically, let us find out what the real cost is. Instead, the first order of business of the majority of this House is to run forward and see how we can affect and get the appreciation of the securities industry of the United States; a tremendous victory, $14 billion over 10 years. Unfortunately, what my friends on the other side are not telling the rest of the American people is that they are going to be paying taxes in other forms to fund some of the cost of government that directly pertains to the securities industry. I urge my colleagues on our side to stand up for reason and rightfulness. Vote for the substitute and vote down this bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, it is a very interesting question that the substitute suggests that we fund all other elements of government. Why do we not look at the special funds that are being collected that are not being used for the purposes that they are being collected for? I think some of my colleagues on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure would say we have airport funds, taxes that are being charged and levied against every traveler at every airport with funds of billions of dollars that are not being used to build airports and to solve the transportation problem, but are going to fund other areas of the Federal Government. I can tell you a perfect example. I come from an area that involves coal mining. We have the abandoned mine land charge on coal companies in this country with more than $1.5 billion in that fund, and this Congress has not allocated those funds for 7 or 8 years. We are not even putting out the interest on those funds to correct a grievous error on the environment of air and water pollution in this country. The idea that suddenly within 5-6 months since the beginning of the 107th Congress, this bill is here on the floor already, moved through the committees, I think even paved in the United States Senate. There is no need to conference this bill. It has been preconferenced. I ask the question: Why? Why can the majority party legislate in 165 days from its beginning this buildup in the securities area of taxation and fund-raising, and they cannot attend to the other problems. They cannot attend to the fact that we have needs in hospitals from the Medicare fund; and needs of education and educational funds to raise. Nobody ever looks at that. I just have to believe, and I do not like to believe it, but when the telephone rings and our Congress listens, there seems to be direct and very loud communications from Wall Street. I do not like to say that because I just came from a hearing, otherwise I would have spent my whole day arguing this bill. But over there we were trying to discover whether we have independent analysts. Millions of investors lose a portion or all of their life-savings with bad advice, with partial advice. Mr. Speaker, have we said any of these funds should be made available to establish standards to provide ethical conduct and enforcement of those standards to see that investors in America sometimes do not lose trillions of their dollars? I raised the question when one of the witnesses talked about every investor on Wall Street should not rely on an analyst, he should read the prospectus, the balance statement of the firm and the profit and loss statement. I asked the question: Why is the majority party heading down this railroad so quickly? The other side of the aisle wants to even privatize Social Security and allow 130 million Americans to take a percentage of their Social Security and invest it in the stock market, all on the advice of analysts that to some indication have not been forthright with even the more sophisticated investors. I asked the question: What are you going to do when all of these people come into the market? We know 23 percent of the American people are functionally illiterate. We are not going to have a program and we are not going to have the funds to make sure there are protections for this, whether they are done by private industry or government. I prefer private industry to do it. What you are doing right now is taking the funding mechanism away for any further protection and information systems that may have to be established, intrastate, interstate on stock security transactions, on payments back on fraud cases from the protection fund. You are taking all this money away. In the future if we discover we need more FBI investigations, more prosecutions, more studies or more information, we are going to come back and take it out of the pot of the average taxpayer, Joe Blow, who has to go to work every day, maybe makes a little bit above minimum wage, and he is going to pick up the tab for the Wall Street investor. I think it is wrong. I do not think this legislation is wrong. I think the issue of not using user fees for purposes they are not intended to be used is a correct issue. I stand by it. I just say it is premature. Why did you pick the securities industry first? Why did you not think of American transportation? Why did you not think of American medical and health needs and use those funds first? I urge my colleagues to support the substitute and oppose the bill.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my very good friends Gene and Connie Roth, who will receive the Shofar Award on June 14 from the United Hebrew Institute of Kingston, Pennsylvania. The shofar, or ram's horn is a religious musical instrument having profound significance in the Jewish religion. It constitutes an important part of the Jewish prayers in the synagogue during the festivals of Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The name of this award is certainly fitting. Just as the shofar plays an integral role in the Jewish faith, so too have Gene and Connie been an integral part of the United Hebrew Institute family for more than 40 years. All of their children, Joan, Steven, Jeffery and Larry, are graduates of LJHI. Both Gene and Connie have served and still serve on the Board of Trustees, including Gene's service as chairman from 1967 to 1969. In addition, Connie served as president of the PTA from 1971 to 1973 and still serves as president of the Ladies Auxiliary of Talmud Torah. But UHI is far from the only Wyoming Valley institution to benefit from the services and talents of this dedicated couple. Among the organizations which have benefited from their expertise and commitment are the Gelsinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center, Wilkes University, the Jewish Community Center, Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund, Congregation Ohav Zedek and its Sisterhood, the Jewish Federation, United Jewish Appeal, the United Way, the Osterhout Library, the Jewish Home, Queen Esther Hebrew Ladies Aid Society, Jewish Family Service, Martin Luther King Committee for Social Justice and Hospice St. John. Mr. Speaker, both Gene and Connie are pillars of the community. Gene has been honored many times by groups including B'nai B'rith, the Boy Scouts of America, and Who's Who, among several outstanding organizations. For her part, Connie was named the Woman of Valor by Congregation Ohav Zedek and was honored by the Women's Division of the Jewish Campaign and by B'nai B'rith Lodge. The primary focus for Gene and Connie has always been their family, their community and the preservation of Jewish heritage. Their longstanding efforts on behalf of the school, their synagogue and the community are truly inspirational. I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives this well-deserved award being presented to Gene and Connie Roth as well as their many good works, and I wish them all the best.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend the law enforcement officers of Luzerne County and other members of the community, including the Hazleton Standard-Speaker, who have worked to establish a memorial to the late Luzerne County Deputy Sheriff Eugene Boyarski and his family. Deputy Sheriff Boyarski faced threats for doing his job, and when he refused to give in, he and his family were murdered by a firebomb thrown into their home in the middle of the night on February 14, 1976. The stone memorial will be dedicated next week outside the Luzerne County Courthouse Annex in Hazleton. It will read: ``Deputy Sheriff Eugene Boyarski, his wife Lorraine and his family who tragically died in the intentional fire bombing of their home on Feb. 14, 1976, and all the deputy sheriffs from the Greater Hazleton area and Luzerne County who serve their community and elected sheriff with pride and honor.'' The ceremony will also include the presentation of the Boyarski Memorial Award, which will be given each year to a law enforcement officer. The first recipient of this award will be State Trooper Thomas McAndrew of Troop N in Hazleton ``for his dedication, resourcefulness and tenacity above and beyond the call of duty during the recent Algar/ Molina homicide investigation.'' Trooper McAndrew certainly deserves this award for his efforts as the lead investigator, spearheading the intensive probe that led to two arrests and convictions. I am honored to have been asked to participate in this solemn ceremony. Deputy Sheriff Boyarski's memory will also be perpetuated at the county courthouse in Wilkes-Barre with a plaque and a display of photographs and news clippings. In addition to these memorials and the award, a scholarship in his name will help students to pay for the six- month course at Lackawanna Junior College's branch campus in Hazleton that certifies them to become deputies or police officers. Every day, our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. Too often we take their service for granted, and I am pleased that Deputy Sheriff Boyarski's courage will continue to be remembered and honored in Luzerne County. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to call to the attention of the House of Representatives these efforts to honor the memory of the Boyarski family, and I commend all those who worked to created this lasting memorial.