Paul Kanjorski

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. No, we are not. I certainly do not want to use the death tax to share the wealth. What I am disturbed about is those people who without some way of either encouraging them to be philanthropic with their assets or taxing them, we go on in perpetuity accumulating wealth like a vacuum cleaner.

Mr. KANJORSKI. All the adjustment necessary can be made there and should be made there after an extended debate, that we think about why we have inheritance tax policy affecting the very largest accumulation of wealth down to the very minor accumulation of wealth. Certainly I agree with you.

Mr. KANJORSKI. If we intelligently debate this as we are doing tonight, there is a solution to that problem. Part of the problem of estate taxes, which I agree with, we should find a way of taking artificial inflation out of an inheritance tax. There is no reason to penalize someone who has owned a piece of property for 40 or 50 years and a portion of its present value is represented by inflation and not real growth.

Mr. KANJORSKI. I understand what you are saying. That is a very tough event, but I would say there are probably 5 or 6 million Americans listening to us, all of which would not mind inheriting three banks, an auto dealership and timberland and most Americans do not have that when they pass on. They generally pass a mortgage on the house and debt on.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much. First of all, I want to congratulate my good friend, the gentleman from Arkansas, because what it should establish to the American people is that a Republican and a Democrat can come to the House floor and engage in debate and talk about the real issues that we are involved in, and not the partisan or political issues that so often we get involved in in our debates on the floor. So I really welcome this opportunity to share this hour with the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Dickey), and what we want to do is not necessarily talk about a particular tax bill, whether it be the House version of the tax bill, the Senate version, or the President's version. I think what we really want to talk about with the American people is sort of representing the average American sitting there in the living room, trying to come to some conclusion as to what their government should be doing right now in regard to fiscal policy and tax cuts that will have great ramifications on their family, on their community, and on the future of not only this country, but indeed, the world. The proposition that I would argue tonight, if we were going to put it in debaters' terms, would be, resolved that the Congress of the United States take no action this year in regard to affecting the revenues as represented by the Tax Code adjustments, as suggested by either the House, the Senate, or the President. That proposition that I would argue is based on several things. First and foremost, anyone in economics today agrees that although we can project out what the income will be 10 years from now, 20 years from now, or 30 years from now, and sound very intelligent about it and very informed, and I am sure the gentleman from Arkansas or I could give that argument, but the fact of the matter is that there is a common parlance term for that, and I will just give the initials, it is BS. The fact of the matter is, we have a hard time in our system, and with this complex economy of the United States and of the world, to even project out what is going to happen 3 months or 6 months from now. If anyone doubts me, listening to this, if we knew what was going to happen 3 months from now, we would all immediately run down to the markets, whether it would be the stock market or the bond market, buy options, and retire 3 months from now, if we knew where it was going, because clearly it is going to be reflected in those markets. The market is a day-to-day operation. It really is an intelligent operation as a free market. It indicates what people's, in varying degrees, their analysis has made them come to a conclusion. There are winners. There are losers. Some people buy thinking a stock is going to go up. In fact, it goes down; and they lose. Some people sell when they think the stock is going to go down; and in fact, the stock goes up. That is what a free market is. That is how markets exist. To my knowledge, there is no one that I know that can tell me even what is going to happen tomorrow on these markets, no less 3 months from now, 6 months from now, and clearly not 5, 10, and 15 years from now. It almost appears to me to be the height of conceit that anyone at any office, elected or otherwise, or in any position in this country that would have the audacity to make these projections. Now, why is that important? Well, when we pass tax laws, they are not easily reversed, particularly if we pass a tax law and reduce taxes and therefore reduce revenues. We have seen over the course of the history of the last 20 years, only four major tax packages enacted in law. This will be our fifth. So the earliest life turn is about 4 years, 5 years. In 1981, we saw a tremendous tax reversal and where, in the Reagan administration, the concept of Reaganomics, supply-side economics, said that basically we can hold what we committed when we ran for office. When Mr. Reagan ran for office, he said, ``I will balance the budget. I will increase expenditures for military and defense. And I will cut taxes.'' So he cut taxes, balanced the budget, and spent more for defense. Now I argued at that time to myself, I did not see how one could do that. I did not see how one could cut revenues on the one hand, spend more money for the defense on the other hand, and balance the budget. Well, Mr. Reagan was right in two instances. The two instances were an act of this body can, in fact, cut taxes, and they did in 1981, almost $900 billion.

Mr. KANJORSKI. Every year it was out of balance. So they just recognized the right to live in deficits.

Mr. KANJORSKI. There were two fundamental things that happened. In the Reaganomics of the 1981 tax cut and the 1986 tax cut, we never got to balance the budget. The Presidents, both Reagan and Bush, never sent to the Congress a balanced budget.

Mr. KANJORSKI. No. And I appreciate that the gentleman could have heard that assertion made sufficiently long enough by some people that are trying to sell a political agenda, but it is really not correct.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I also rise in opposition to this amendment. Serving with the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) on his committee, I think he has done the country and the Congress a great service in bringing this issue to the forefront at this particular moment, for the precise reasons as the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) mentioned. If we do not do it now, we will not be able to do it successfully for another 5 years. This is not a raise for the incumbent President. It is for the next President. I have to confess to my fellow colleagues that last week I had the occasion to spend the week with the President and sort of live in his shoes, if you will. It is a 20-hour-a-day job. There are a myriad of issues, great and small, that he must deal with every day. Obviously, his full commitment has to be to the job of executing the administration of the government of the United States. I would hope that we would want our Chief Executive to dedicate himself fully to that and think of nothing materialistic in his nature because this is, without a doubt, the most important office in the world. I think we, as Americans and Members of Congress, ought to be proud to say that. I understand that there are some Members of Congress that like to put a dollar value on public service. But I remember several years ago a story told to me at a hearing by the then and present Chief Justice of the United States. We were talking about pensions and salaries at that hearing, and he remarked to me that he was a little disappointed as Chief Justice because that day when he returned to the court he was going to lose his Chief Clerk. And we all know the Chief Clerk is an excellent law student out of law school who serves with the Chief Justice for a period of a year or two. And he said it was ironic how he was losing his Chief Clerk, who in the next day who would be earning in excess of two times the salary of the Chief Justice of the United States. He threw out another important figure to me, that when we take the comparison of the entire Bar of the United States, the Chief Justice does not earn in up to the 75th percentile of the earning capacity of the Bar of the United States. And of course, the President of the United States, if we made that comparison to CEOs of corporations or, as the gentleman recently said, to other chief executive officers of what we would call minor states in the world, it is ludicrous the $200,000 that was allocated in 1969 for this President. I would just suggest one other thing. We heard value for inflation. If we took the stock market of 1969 at $200,000 and the stock market today, the President's salary would be over $2 million. I do not know what measure we should use, but clearly there are few constituents of mine, I am sure, and many constituents of my colleagues that do not consider the salary of $200,000 as extravagant for the President of the United States. There is a special thing about being President. I learned it on the trip this week. It is not necessarily the individual. It is that office. Wherever he went and whoever he talked to, those people would remember until the day they died that they had an opportunity to meet and shake hands and welcome the President of the United States. We ought to be proud of that fact and we as Congressmen should not pander to the sympathies of Populism that says no pay, nothing. I know people who would accept the presidency for zero. The power is extraordinary, and if you were wealthy, you could afford it. But this is a country of average, common people and let us hope that common men can aspire to be President, and if they ever do, the salary of $400,000 a year at the end of this millennium will not sound like very much. I urge my colleagues on both sides to put aside our foolishness and stay with this bill and set the salary of the President of the United States at $400,000 a year.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to the attention of my colleagues the Centennial Anniversary of Swoyersville Borough in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Borough will celebrate at a banquet on July 3. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this event. Originally part of Kingston Township, Swoyersville first sought incorporation as a borough in 1888, but the action was challenged in court. Eleven years later, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania sustained the incorporation and the Borough was officially born. Named for coal baron John Henry Swoyer, mining was the major industry in the Borough at the time. Swoyersville was broken up into sections, such as Shomemaker's Patch and Maltby, with several smaller sub- divisions within the sections. The patches were groups of company homes owned by the coal companies. Today, coal mining is just a part of Swoyersville's history, as are the garment and clothing factories which replaced that industry. In 1972, when Tropical Storm Agnes caused the Susquehanna River to overflow her banks, eighty percent of the town was inundated. Like all residents of the Wyoming Valley, the townspeople pulled together during the summer of 1972, shoveled mud out of their homes, and began to rebuild. Today, Swoyersville flourishes as a beautiful residential area. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with the community in recognizing this milestone anniversary of the Borough Charter. I send my sincere best wishes to the people of Swoyersville as they gather for their Centennial Celebration.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Madam Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time. Madam Chairman, I will take just one second to congratulate the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), the ranking member, on a job well done, a number of years that everybody slaved over this. It is not a perfect bill, but I think we should support the bill and move it on to conference. Now, I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker). Madam Chairman, I rise to engage in a colloquy with him about the Federal Home Loan Bank provisions contained in H.R. 10. As he will note, and as we have worked over the years, will there be an understanding that he and I will work in conference together to address issues to appropriately revise the REFCorp payments, put a cap on the class B stock that can be counted toward meeting the risk-based capital requirement, and that we should determine who should issue debt for the system, and finally to work on the issue advanced base stock purchase requirements for non-QTL members? Madam Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker).

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to John A. McAndrews on the occasion of his retirement following 41 years in government service. Jack has served as the Personnel Officer of Tobyhanna Army Depot for more than 37 years. The largest employer in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Tobyhanna Army Depot's existence was threatened by the 1995 round of base closures. Jack was an integral part of the team of legislators, community leaders, and thousands of Depot employees who succeeded in convincing the base-closing commission to keep the Depot open. Jack's presentation outlining the high quality of the workforce was extremely persuasive and was noted by at least one commissioner who talked to me about it. After it was determined that Tobyhanna would not be closed, Jack traveled to Sacramento, California to offer Air Force civilian personnel the opportunity to continue their careers at Tobyhanna. Jack has been a distinguished representative of the Depot, addressing personnel and labor relations issues throughout the region. His progressive approach to labor-management relations earned him recognition by President Clinton's National Partnership Council. He has been commended by every depot commander he has served throughout his long career. He has been honored by area educators and businesses and has received commendations from the Secretary of the Army, the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, General Colin Powell, and Vice President Albert Gore. Under his able leadership, Tobyhanna developed a workers compensation program that has saved the Depot million of dollars and now serves as a model for the entire federal government. Jack has traveled across the country sharing this program with other agencies. A native of Northeastern Pennsylvania, Jack personifies family values and exemplary character. He is the proud father of two and grandfather of one. Jack's devotion to his beloved wife as her caregiver during her long struggle with Multiple Sclerosis was recognized nationally when Oprah Winfrey named him ``Husband of the Year'' on her show in 1989. Lamentably, Jack's high school sweetheart and beloved wife died on New Year's Day of this year. Mr. Speaker, Jack has been a credit to his profession and to the United States Army for all of his adult life. His devotion to his family, community, and career has set an example to his colleagues and all those whose lives he has touched as the Depot and the surrounding community. I am pleased and proud to join in this salute of an outstanding leader and public servant. I send my very best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive retirement to Jack McAndrews.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of what the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), our ranking member, has stated and what the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento) has stated. But I want to give a different perspective. I am sure that the people that are observing this discussion tonight may be asking some very fundamental questions, like what is the responsibility of government to get involved in the banking business and tell them what they have to do with their money? I want to give just some concrete examples as to why we derive that authority and why it is important. Banking institutions are licensed in the United States, and they derive two great measures of support from the American people. That is, one, that the deposits made in national and insured banks in America are insured by the full faith and credit of the United States, so that every individual who makes a deposit in an American bank up to $100,000 is absolutely certain that regardless of the economic circumstances that may occur in this country their money is secure and receivable by them on demand. So the insured deposit feature is unique. In no other instance that I am aware of does government insure the private sector's potential losses so that their customer, the bank, can be satisfied that their money is not at risk. The second factor and special opportunity that is offered to banks that is not offered to other private businesses in America is the fact that they have the right to use the open window at the Federal Reserve for drawing down funds to maintain solvency. No other institution that I am aware of can draw funds at Federal Treasury rates in order to see that their liquidity remains constant and sufficient to carry on the success of their business, particularly at those times when the economy gets out of whack and there may be a run on a bank or there may be an unusual demand or a need for funds. The bank knows that it can go to the open window and derive those funds and that the open window issues those funds because the United States Treasury stands behind them. Now, that is the reason why we have a unique set of circumstances that allows the Congress to work with the private sector, the banking institutions, as to how they can better serve the community. Quite frankly, it was my opinion that Community Reinvestment Act provisions were not working very well in the beginning. And as I traveled around my district and traveled around the State of Pennsylvania and the Nation and I talked to bankers, there was a great deal of discomfort with CRA. And their discomfort was that there was a great deal of documentation required in order to satisfy the process and that performance or the process of documentation was extremely expensive to the banks. I remember on one occasion being asked to come by a small bank run by a friend of mine, Paul Reichart, at Columbia County Farmers National Bank in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, and he led me in to meet with his counsel and some members of his board and himself, and a table much like the size of the table I am speaking from now was piled about a foot high with material. What he expressed to me was the little bank in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, had to go through all this documentation in order to comply with CRA. I believe, if I recall correctly, it was 1991. And the cost of that compliance was about $55,000. They were disturbed. And the argument, made very simply, was that as a small community bank, why do we have to spend all this money that is directly off the bottom line to document compliance with an act of Congress when, in fact, we could not survive if we were not making loans, primarily to the community and to the participants that surround us within a very small radius, maybe 30 miles. I thought they had a strong logical argument. As a matter of fact, based on their argument, I came back to Washington and prepared an amendment in 1991 that I offered to some of the banking acts that were going through at that time which would have exempted small institutions of less than $100 million in assets from CRA documentation requirements. At that time, the amendment did not go through, and no progress was made and frustration continued to exist for at least another year. But, luckily, the new administration of President Bill Clinton recognized that problem and, primarily as it applied to small banks, and it directed a reform of the situation. The President directed the then-Comptroller of the Treasury, Gene Ludwig, who did a comprehensive interagency review and reform of CRA. And what he did basically reinvent and streamline the entire process of documentation and performance and, as a matter of fact, laid down the condition that it was no longer the documentation that was important it was, instead, the performance that was important. And on the basis of that, now banks with little documentation and little expense, regardless of their size, can comport with the standards in the Community Reinvestment Act to be assured that there is satisfaction and compliance. And as my friend, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce) just stated, 98 percent of the banks in the United States today are in satisfactory compliance at much less cost because of the reforms made under Ludwig's administration as Comptroller of the Currency. Today, as I travel around banks in Pennsylvania and the Nation, I do not hear the horrendous stories or complaints. As a matter of fact, I find now a new partnership has arisen between community banks and larger banks and the communities they serve. They are reaching out in ways they have never reached out before and are performing in ways they have never performed before. Now, I have to be thorough in my disclosure, because before I came to Congress I had the opportunity to serve on a small community bank board of directors, and I know that it was extremely difficult at that time for small banks and small boards of that nature to answer to big government in Washington as to what could get done. But with the reforms that Mr. Ludwig put into place, that very bank today is operating, and when I talked to the President not more than a month ago, he is very satisfied and actually seeking out community reinvestment loans wherever they can happen. So from the smallest community bank to the largest regional banks to the largest national banks the process has been changed, focusing away from documentation and focusing more on performance and ease and speed and less cost and less conflict in arriving at the standards to satisfy these requirements. I think, now, in 1999, there is really not a sane, logical argument that can be made that in any way do Community Reinvestment Act requirements prohibit the private banking system or cause it any great cost or exposure, but in fact has made them address that return; that banks are private businesses but also the holders of great benefits from the licensing of their bank by the insurance they have in deposits and by access to the open window. They now know that they can perform even something better for their community by being a good citizen. And quite frankly, I would like to take the time to congratulate these banks, the community banks, the regional banks and the large banks. Over the last 8 years, since I drafted that amendment, I think they have made major strides, proving that smart reinvented government, as instituted under President Clinton and Gene Ludwig, when he was Comptroller of the Currency, have really established a program, cleaned away the problem areas, and have led to real participation. Let me mention some of that participation. In 1997, banks and thrifts subject to CRA reporting requirements made $2.6 million small business loans totaling $159 billion. And they also made $18.6 billion in community development loans and investments. This is an incredible record of the private sector of America recognizing that in conjunction with a cooperative regulator and with a policy established and enunciated by this Congress that the public's interest can be well served to the benefit of not only the government and the regulators but to the communities across America. Thousands of new jobs have been created all over America and in distressed communities. And I happen to look at CRA now from an entirely different viewpoint. This is one of the arrows in our quiver to meet the distressed areas of America in offering opportunities for community development and economic development in the place that really counts and with the private sector participation in market forces to make better judgments of economic development money than the government could ever make on its own. This is not a panacea. This does not solve all our problems, but it certainly does show that a government program, properly administered, properly defined and judged on performance and not documentation alone, can in fact, change the opportunities, both economic and community opportunities, of many millions of American citizens. So tonight, I come to the Congress to join my friend from Minnesota (Mr. Vento).

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my long time friend, Monsignor John C. Masakowski, who celebrated the 50th anniversary of his Ordination on June 4, 1999. It is my pleasure to have been invited to participate in this milestone celebration. Monsignor Masakowski, or Father John as he is affectionately known to his parishioners, is the son of the late John and Stasia Gorney Masakowski. He was born in my hometown of Nanticoke in 1924 and educated in our local schools. Father John left the area to receive his degree in philosophy at St. Mary's College in Orchard Lake, Michigan and his degree in theology from SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, also in Orchard Lake. He was ordained at St. Peter's Cathedral of Scranton by the late Bishop William Hafey. Father's first assignment was at St. Mary's parish in Swoyersville, where he served for ten years. Father John, along with the help of Judge Bernard Brominski, established the Assumpta Council of the Knights of Columbus and served as the Council's chaplain. Father John served as secretary to Bishop Henry Klonowski at Scranton's Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary parish for the next several years before serving at St. Mary's Church in Wilkes-Barre. He was assigned as the administrator of St. Mary's Church in Wanamie and later as administrator of St. Joseph's Church in Hanover, where he oversaw the extensive remodeling and repairs of the church building. In 1971, Father John became the twelfth pastor of his present church, Larksville's St. John the Baptist Church. Father John has had the church remodeled and refurbished during his tenure at St. John's and built a chapel in the parish cemetery in 1985. He reorganized the parish societies and reinstated the locally-famous parish picnic. Not long after he came to St. John's, he organized the construction of a grotto to Our Lady of the Pines. In 1983, he organized the Fourth Degree Assembly in honor of Our Lady of Czestochowa. Mr. Speaker, the beautiful St. John's Church is a landmark in Larksville due to the labors of the church's dedicated parish leader. His church and parish have always remained his top priority. On July 10, 1990, Father John was rewarded for his dedication with his designation as Monsignor Masakowski. I have always considered Monsignor Masakowski to be a close family friend and have appreciated the warm welcome I always receive when visiting. Father John's extraordinary sensitivity was demonstrated to me when he offered me great comfort by participating in my mother's funeral mass. I will always be grateful for the warmth and kindness of that gesture. As St. John the Baptist Church celebrates its Centennial Celebration his year, I am pleased and proud to join with all of my friends at the parish in congratulating Monsignor Masakowski on his milestone anniversary. I send my very best wishes to this beloved and respected man.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a close friend and a community and spiritual leader in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Monsignor Andrew J. McGowan. A community-wide celebration will honor Monsignor McGowan in June for his Golden Jubilee of Ordination. I am extremely pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this significant milestone for a man who is a true treasure in our community. A native of the area, Monsignor McGowan is fond of saying that his claim to fame is his famous brother, William McGowan, the founder of MCI. But those of us who know Monsignor McGowan know that he has made his own legacy in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He helped found Leadership Wilkes-Barre. He served as Community Affairs director for all the hospitals and colleges in the diocese of Scranton. He served as the vice-chair of Allied Services Hospital Foundation, the Commission on Economic Opportunity, and the Heinz Institute of Rehab medicine. He has served on so many community Boards of Directors that the list is too long for me to recount today. He has been a strong supporter of the new Luzerne County Arena since its inception and he currently sits on the Arena's Board of Directors. Mr. Speaker, Monsignor McGowan is most renowned for his skill in public speaking and is the most sought-after speaker in Northeastern Pennsylvania, sharing his famous humor and insight with his audiences. Politicians such as myself who regularly attend the countless community events emceed by Monsignor McGowan look forward to his trenchant observations on life in Northeastern Pennsylvania, even though we know we are fair game for his good-natured, but barbed, wit. Even nationally-known humorist Regis Philbin once found himself upstaged by this deceptively-gentle man of the cloth. This is not the first time Monsignor McGowan has been honored in this chamber, nor in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Among the many honors that have been awarded to him are the Distinguished Service Award of the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the B'nai Brith Americanism award, and the 1994 Award of Excellence of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania. I have been privileged to work with this fine and distinguished individual many times before and after my election to Congress. His leadership, compassion, and understanding have always been an inspiration to me. Mr. Speaker, in addition to being among Monsignor McGowan's legion of admirers, I am very proud to call him a good friend. I send my most sincere best wishes for his continued good health and success, and join with the community in thanking him for his dedication to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Russ Morgan Orchestra as it celebrates more than sixty years in the entertainment business. I am pleased and proud to bring this worthy milestone to the attention of my colleagues. Born in Scranton, Russ Morgan grew up in my hometown of Nanticoke. After working in the coal mines to earn money for his music education, he began playing the piano at a Scranton theater for extra money at the age of 14. Morgan went on to play trombone with a local band called the ``Scranton Sirens,'' with notable colleagues like Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey, and Billy Lustig. When he was 18, Russ left Pennsylvania for New York City to find his fortune in the music business. By the time he was 25, he was arranging music for John Phillip Sousa and Victor Herbert. After playing for Paul Specht and touring Europe with Specht's orchestra, Morgan went to Detroit to work with Jean Goldkette on forming a new band. There, he was reunited with the Dorsey brothers and some of his other associates from his early career. Eventually, Morgan became Musical Director of WXYZ in Detroit with his own very popular show. He also showcased his classical talent by arranging for the Detroit Symphony. At about this time in his career, Morgan was sidelined by a serious automobile accident that forced him to spend months in the hospital. Upon his recovery, he returned to New York City to restart his career by arranging music for all the famous night clubs of the time and many Broadway shows. In 1934, he worked at Brunswick Records, where he met his wife and became friends with the famous Rudy Vallee. Morgan was encouraged to form his own orchestra and Vallee got him his first engagement at the famous Biltmore Hotel. Following an impressive 4 years at the Biltmore, Morgan played on television and at most of the famous hotels and resorts of the era. On one recording he made during that period, he used a quartet that would later become the famous Ames Brothers. In 1965, with sons Jack and David in the ensemble, Russ Morgan began a long engagement in Las Vegas that was cut short only by his death in 1969. Mr. Speaker, the Russ Morgan Orchestra, now in the able hands of his son Jack, has been bringing us wonderful music for over six decades. The ensemble's founder never forgot his roots as a young coal miner in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I extend my best wishes for continued success to Jack and the Morgan family as they carry on the legacy of the great Russ Morgan on this milestone anniversary. What greater tribute could his beloved son pay him, than to carry on his music to new generations.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a distinguished community leader and my good friend, Mr. Stephen M. Barrouk. In June, Leadership Wilkes-Barre will honor Steve with the group's 1999 Distinguished Leadership Award. I am pleased and proud to have been asked to participate in this richly-deserved tribute. A native of Wilkes-Barre, Steve graduated from E.L. Meyers High School. He earned a B.A. degree in Urban Studies/Economics and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Steve went on to serve in the Department of City Development in Pittsburgh and later as the Deputy Director of the Allegheny County Department of Development. He also served as Executive Director of the Allegheny County Industrial, Hospital and Higher Education Authorities. Steve returned to Northeastern Pennsylvania to become the President/ CEO of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry and its affiliates, the Greater Wilkes-Barre Industrial Fund and the Greater Wilke-Barre Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority, the Pennsylvania Economic Development Association, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, and the Industrial Development Research Council. Steve serves on the board of the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, the United Way of Wyoming Valley, the Ethics Institute, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and the Downtown Task Force of Wilkes-Barre. Steve also serves on the board of the Earth Conservancy, a non-profit, charitable organization that is restoring, preserving, and developing more than 17,000 acres of land throughout Luzerne County previously owned by a bankrupt coal company. He also played an important role in helping to win an American Heritage River designation for the Upper Susquehanna-Lackawanna Watershed. I have worked closely with Steve on countless projects to improve the quality of life for Northeastern Pennsylvania. Despite the enormity of the challenges he has faced on complex projects such as restoring the former Pomeroy's building in downtown Wilkes-Barre, creating a new sports area/convention center, and the day-to-day work of attracting new industries to our area, Steve has always shown the utmost devotion to the community. He leads his organization with the highest level of professionalism. Over the past several years, I have enjoyed working with Steve Barrouk to promote economic development in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Steve's efforts have literally helped create thousands of jobs in the Wyoming Valley. I am pleased to join Leadership Wilkes-Barre in thanking Steve Barrouk for his efforts. Luzerne County will undoubtedly benefit from his further labors in the years ahead.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an extremely well-respected community leader, educator, and close personal friend, Reverend James R. Lackenmier. On May 20th, Father Lackenmier will step down as President of King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania after twenty-five years of distinguished service to this fine institution. Father Lackenmier combines the rare traits of having the executive acumen of a Fortune 500 CEO, the devotion to young people of a lifelong educator, and the warmth of community spirit of a man who has truly embraced ``The Valley with a heart.'' I am pleased and proud to join in a community-wide salute as Father Lackenmier leaves Northeastern Pennsylvania for new pursuits. The eldest son of Harold and Margaret Murphy Lackenmier, Father Lackenmier was born in Lackawanna, New York. He graduated from Canisius High School in Buffalo, New York in 1956, entered the congregation of Holy Cross in 1957, and was ordained in Rome in 1964. Father Lackenmier earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stonehill College in Massachusetts and his S.T.L. from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Father Lackenmier went on to receive a master's degree in English from the University of North Carolina in 1968 and a master's degree in Religion and Literature from the University of Chicago in 1970. He has subsequently been awarded six honorary degrees from Our Lady of Holy Cross College in New Orleans, University of Portland, Wilkes University, College Misericordia, Luzerne County Community College, and the University of Scranton. Education has been Father Lackenmier's focus; he served first as an English teacher in Notre Dame High School in Connecticut and later as the chair of the English department at St. Peter's High School in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Father Lackenmier served as the chaplin at St. Xavier College in Chicago and later as the director of the Collegiate Formation program at Notre Dame's Moreau Seminary in Indiana. In 1974, Father Lackenmier arrived at King's College in Wilkes-Barre to serve first as the Director of Campus Ministry, then later as Director of Development, and finally as President. Mr. Speaker, Father Lackenmier has had a distinguished career while here with us in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He serves on a long list of Boards and belongs to the prestigious Pennsylvania Society, the Knights of Columbus, and the Rotary Club, where he is a Paul Harris Fellow. He has been awarded the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award and the Wyoming Valley Interfaith Council Citation for Devoted Service to the Cause of Human Welfare and the Boy Scouts named him their Distinguished Citizen for 1994. Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Father Lackenmier during my tenure in Congress on various projects, including the Earth Conservancy, an ambitious community effort to clean up thousands of acres of mine-scarred land in the Wyoming Valley. Father Lackenmier, along with his academic colleague Dr. Christopher Breiseth of Wilkes University, provided great leadership and courage in guiding what is now an award-winning organization, especially during its tumultuous early days. I will be forever grateful for his steadfast devotion to making this dream a reality. I will also be forever grateful for the many thoughtful gestures he provided to me personally over the years, especially his kindness to me and my family during the period following the loss of my mother. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have had the opportunity to bring the accomplishments of this fine community leader to the attention of my colleagues. In August, Father Lackenmier will go to Salsburg, Austria to direct the University of Portland's foreign studies center. He will carry with him my sincere gratitude for a job well done and my very best wishes for continued success and fulfillment.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bob Stone, who is retiring after more than thirty years in the federal government representing the highest ideals of government service. For the past six years, Bob has been Vice President Al Gore's right hand man in leading the reinvention of the federal bureaucracy. Reinventing government is often referred to colloquially as ``REGO'' and Bob has been commonly called ``Mr. REGO'' for his dedication and commitment to creating a government that works better, costs less, and gets the results Americans desire. I first met Bob during the 1980s when he was a deputy assistant secretary in the Defense Department. He helped resolve a complex situation that ended up benefiting both the Defense Department and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Although I had dealt with hundreds of federal employees, Bob stood out as a creative and thoughtful public servant who was absolutely committed to making government work. His dedication to improving the functioning of the Defense Department during Republican Administrations was brought to the attention of Vice President Gore, who deserves a great deal of credit for recognizing Bob's talents and allowing him to run the National Performance Review in a competent and non-partisan manner. In leading hundreds of career civil servants in the reinventing government initiative, Bob has helped produce some remarkable results: more than $136 billion in savings, a workforce that is smaller than when John F. Kennedy was President, 640,000 fewer pages of internal rules, and the creation of more than 3,000 customer service standards that citizens can use to judge how well agencies are serving their customers. I was struck by Bob's undying belief that government can work if front-line employees are empowered with the ability to exercise common sense. Bob's inspirational mantra was, ``Federal workers know what's not working in government and--if empowered--can make government work better and cost less.'' Beyond creating a government that was smaller and worked better, Bob wanted to create a movement. As Vice President Gore said at Bob's retirement ceremony, ``Bob's goal was to `fan the flames of reinvention' among front line employees, to empower them to reinvent their workplaces and how they deal with their customers--to bring common sense to government. He did this, and more.'' Bob Stone is the epitome of the hardworking, unrecognized public servant who is dedicated to doing whatever it takes to accomplish his mission in a thoughtful and creative way. I speak for many in this Congress when I express my gratitude to Bob for the key role he has played in restoring Americans' belief that government can do the right thing. I wish him and his wife, Roxanne, a happy retirement when they join their children and grandchildren in California. We will miss you, Mr. REGO, but hope your spirit of service and reinvention will live long in the federal government.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Saint Francis of Assisi Church, in my hometown of Nanticoke, Pennsylvania, on the occasion of its 125th Anniversary Celebration. I am pleased and proud to bring the history of this fine parish to the attention of my colleagues. The church's origins go back to the early settlers along the Susquehanna River near what is now Nanticoke. The City was named for the Nanticoke Indians, who had emigrated from the Chesapeake Bay area in the 1770's. By 1825, Nanticoke was a coal mining town and most of the settlers were of English, Irish, and Welsh descent. As mining operations expanded, the need for labor increased and the area saw a wave of immigrants from Ireland and Central Europe. The need for a place of worship for these miners became apparent. In September of 1874, Bishop O'Hara laid the Cornerstone of St. Francis Church with several hundred faithful in attendance. The parishioners built a wooden structure which served their needs until a larger more elaborate building was finished in 1879. A succession of dedicated Pastors expanded the church and its services over the years. By 1888, a school and a convent had been added. By early 1900, the church had a choir under the leadership of Father James Martin. Father Moylan succeeded him and was an outstanding community leader, organizing temperance societies, the Boy's Cadets, the men's association, and the Holy Name Society. He remodeled the church during his tenure, adding its beautiful stained glass windows. Mr. Speaker, this proud church withstood the storm of the Depression and two world wars. Its parishioners married there, baptized their children, and buried their loved ones there. This Church, St. Francis of Assisi, has been an integral thread in the fabric of life in Nanticoke for 125 years. It has been a place of spiritual comfort to the community it faithfully serves. I am extremely proud to congratulate St. Francis on this milestone in its proud history. I send my sincere best wishes as this historic parish celebrates 125 years of service to the faithful and prepares to enter a new century and new millenium.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to my good friend Marino Simonetti, who will be honored by the Italian American Veterans of Luzerne County at their Past Commanders Ball on April 24. I am pleased to have been asked to participate in this tribute. A 1948 graduate of Wilkes-Barre Township High School, Marino served in the U.S. Navy from 1948 to 1952, a period that included the Korean Conflict. Marino returned to the Wyoming Valley following his discharge and worked as an electrical inspector. He also operated Simonetti's Pizzeria. Marino is active in all local veterans organizations. He is a member of the Korean War Vets, the Catholic War Vets, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He is the Bersagliere for the Italian American Vets, overseeing the color guard. He is best known for his dedicated volunteer activities at the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center, each year portraying Santa Claus and entertaining hospitalized vets on Saturday mornings at his own expense. His Halloween costumes are now a tradition in the halls of the Medical Center each October. Marino is a member of the Korean War Vets Memorial Committee, the Committee to Preserve the Memorial at Letterkenny Army Depot, and the Committee to Restore the Italian-American Honor Roll Memorial in the Italian Cemetery. He was a guard at the ``Moving Wall'' Vietnam Vets memorial when it came to our area and he carried the American Flag on a march with the Canadian Legion on two occasions. In 1992, Marino received the Humanitarian Service Award from the United Cerebral Palsy Association and in 1993, he was named ``Man of the Year'' by the Italian-American Veterans of Luzerne County. Mr. Speaker, Marino Simonetti is a proud example of the strong tradition of patriotic volunteerism of our area veterans. Our veterans rise to any occasion to assist and support each other and are an integral part of our community in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I send my very best wishes to Marino on this special occasion and to all of my good friends in the Italian-American Veterans of Luzerne County.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Thomas J. Ward of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Tom is retiring as President and CEO of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am pleased to have been asked to join in honoring his long career. Tom began his career in New York in a variety of health care-related positions. In 1967, he was a research assistant for a special environmental project of the New York Department of Health. He taught at the State University of New York and later served as a research consultant there until 1969. Tom also held several positions at the Albany Medical College until he arrived in Northeastern Pennsylvania in 1973. He began as Director of Planning and Research for the Health and Hospital Planning Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and later became the Deputy Director of the entire Council. In 1976, Tom became Special Assistant of Health Care Planning at Blue Cross. He went on to hold the posts of Director of Professional Affairs, Vice-President of Professional and Public Affairs, and Executive Vice-President before being appointed President and CEO in October 1990. Since 1990, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania has soared in membership. Tom helped shift Blue Cross from an indemnity company to a managed care company by establishing six divisions in 1992, each under the supervision of a vice-president. Tom also instituted a quality management approach to review all the processes in the company and establish specific improvement goals. Tom is very active in our community, sitting on the Board of Keystone Junior College, the Lackawanna County Association of Retarded Citizens, the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania, the Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the United Way, and the Boy Scouts of America. Tom and his wife Priscilla have five grown children and reside in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania. Through his able leadership and broad vision of health insurance needs of the future, Tom Ward has skillfully led Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with his family, friends, and colleagues in thanking him for ``a job well done'' and wishing him a happy, healthy, and productive retirement.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Saint Aloysius Church, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on the occasion of its Centennial Celebration. I am pleased and proud to bring the history of this fine parish to the attention of my colleagues. Thirty-four families came to Father Richard McAndrew in 1899 with the request for their own church in South Wilkes-Barre. Father McAndrew petitioned Bishop Hoban for a new parish and on April 29, 1900, the Bishop came to lay the cornerstone for the new church building. As founding pastor, Father McAndrew helped in the first months until the parish's first official pastor was named, Father Thomas Brehony. Father Griffin, who was named as Father Brehony's assistant, later became the church's second pastor. In 1913, Father McCarthy was installed as the church's third pastor and would serve the parish for thirty-two years. By the end of World War I, the church had outgrown its original building, so a beautiful new gothic church was constructed and dedicated by the Archbishop of Philadelphia in 1927. Father McCarthy continued the expansion with a new rectory in 1938. When Father McCarthy died and Father Monahan took over St. Aloysius, he undertook the huge task of founding a school for the parishioners of St. Aloysius. Beginning with just a kindergarten, each year the school expanded a grade until there were eight grades. With the new school staffed by the Sisters of Mercy, the expansion of the school necessitated the expansion of the convent, so a new convent was dedicated in 1963. Tragically, Tropical Storm Agnes swelled the Susquehanna River in June of 1972 until it spilled its banks and flooded all of Wyoming Valley, including St. Aloysius Church and its parish buildings. The interior of the church was totally ruined and the parish was devastated. The Pastor at that time, Father Padden, undertook the task of restorting the buildings after the disaster. Over a million dollars were spent on restoration, using loans from the disaster relief programs in place at the time. The last payment on that money was made in 1992. In 1982, with Father Padden's retirement, Msgr. Donald A. McAndrews, the Director of Catholic Social Services, was appointed as sixth Pastor of St. Aloysius. Throughout his tenure, Msgr. McAndrews has continued the expansion and modernization of the parish. The parish's school, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998, now has an all-lay faculty and provides a quality education to 265 students. Mr. Speaker, St. Aloysius Church is part of a tradition of strong religious faith which is synonymous with the Wyoming Valley. Founded by thirty-four families, the church serves eighteen hundred families today. Its proud history is a testament to the importance of faith in our daily lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I am proud to join with the parishioners and with the community in wishing St. Aloysius Church the very best as it enters a new century and a new millenium.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Thomas M. Loughney from Pennsylvania's Eleventh Congressional District. The Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will bestow the W. Francis Swingle award upon Mr. Loughney at their annual banquet this year. I am proud to have been asked to participate in this event. The Swingle award is named for Professor Frank Swingle and is given each year to the member who most honors his memory in career and personal achievement. Tom Loughney is an excellent choice for this year's honor. Tom is a graduate of St. John's High School and the University of Scranton. He completed his graduate work at Drexel University and George Washington University. Tom served with the Department of Defense for thirty-two years as an electronic engineer. One of the highlights of his distinguished career was his participation in the Mallard Project, a joint, cooperative communications development program, sponsored by the United States, Australia, Canada, and England. Since his retirement, Tom has been a consultant for Logistics Engineering. Tom has been an active member of the Society of Logistics Engineers throughout his career, at one time serving on the Society's Board of Directors and on the Board of Governors of the Logistics Education Foundation. He is also a Certified Professional Logistician. Tom combined an active career, community, and family life with a love for his ancestral country. He first visited Ireland on his honeymoon with his wife, Maureen, and has returned more than twenty-five times. He is active in the Knights of Columbus and was Home Association President for two years during the purchasing and renovation of its building in the late 1950s. He is also a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick of the Jersey Shore and the Irish Federation of Monmouth County, New Jersey. He was founder and General Chairman of the ``Afternoon in Ireland'' event held each year in Monmouth County. Although born and raised in Pittston, Pennsylvania, he now lives with his wife in Middletown, New Jersey. Tom and Maureen have four grown children, Tom, Jr., Mike, Dan, and Maureen, all pursuing careers around the country. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join with the Friendly Sons in congratulating Tom on this prestigious honor and send my very best wishes for continued health and happiness.

Mr. KANJORSKI

Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring the achievements of Mr. Terry McGinty to the attention of my colleagues. The Greater Pittston Friendly Sons of St. Patrick will honor Terry as their ``Man of the Year'' at this year's annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet. I am pleased to have been asked to participate in this event. Terry is the son of Terry McGinty, Sr. and Mary Catherine McGinty of Inkerman, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Pittston Area High School and Mansfield University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education. Terry worked for the Luzerne Intermediate Unit for seventeen years, then moved to the Pittston Area School District to teach in the special education department. Currently, he teaches special needs students at the Martin L. Mattei Middle School. In 1990, Mr. McGinty was awarded the Annie Sullivan Award for Excellence in Teaching by the Luzerne County Intermediate Unit for his years of dedication to his special students. Terry's love of sports has continued throughout his life. He has been a volunteer coach in several different youth sports programs including soccer and t-ball. He jointly volunteered his time with Luzerne County Commons Pleas Court Judge Mark Ciavarella at the Catholic Youth Center as coach of the girl's swim team. Terry was honored by the Center in 1997 after leading the team to seven consecutive, undefeated championship seasons. He has assisted coaching at the high school level in both swimming and track and has organized and coached summer programs in swimming. Terry is an avid runner and has completed two marathons and participated in triathlons and numerous other local races. Terry and his wife, Lynn, have been hosts for Project Children which brings children from Northern Ireland to America for the summer. In 1987, the McGintys visited the family of one of their visitors in Ireland. Terry has been an active member of the Friendly Sons for many years, serving as its President in 1986 and as Program Chairman for the annual banquet for seventeen years. Terry is a member of the American Federation of Teachers, the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of Hibernians, and the Laflin Homeowners Association. He and Lynn reside in Laflin and are the parents of two high school age children: Kelly and Terry, III. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join with the Friendly Sons in honoring this fine educator and community volunteer as its ``Man of the Year.'' I send my very best wishes to Terry and his family as he accepts this prestigious award.