Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, we would like to rise in support of the Hyde amendment renaming the Farmer-to-Farmer program so that that program includes the name of our dear colleague, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), and I want to thank the chairman for offering this important amendment to our bill this year. We rise to accept the amendment and again thank and compliment the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for his cooperation in not only championing this amendment but working to be sure that Mr. Bereuter's contributions are recognized, along with those of John Ogonowski, the pilot of American Airlines flight 11 that tragically crashed into the World Trade Tower on 9/11, for whom the program was named 3 years ago. Mr. Ogonowski had worked so diligently with farmers and others in Massachusetts, and so to have his name and Mr. Bereuter's name associated in perpetuity on this program I think really elevates it to a level that more fully expresses the real goodness of our country. We share the appreciation of the work that the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) has done to support and expand the Farmer-to-Farmer program. I know that the best way to combat terrorism and misunderstanding is to have programs like Farmer-to-Farmer that link our producers to those of other nations, forming lifelong friendships and understandings. If we look at so many of the societies in which we currently are confronting difficulty, whether it is Pakistan or Afghanistan, other - stan countries that had been part of the former Soviet Union, whether we talk about Africa and the starving people of so many of those nations, this Farmer-to-Farmer program is extraordinarily important. It puts the best face of America forward. So in taking this time today, again, I want to compliment the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde). Let me also thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter) for his enormous contributions to agriculture while a Member of this House but also the future work he will be doing with the Asia Foundation. The needs of the Pacific and the islands of the Pacific and so many of the issues that he will confront in that new capacity will be enlightened by the accomplishment he demonstrated here. We are very pleased to support this amendment and thank the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) for his leadership on this, along with so many other issues important to our Nation. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. As we close this evening, I just want to say that the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth) and I intend to offer a biofuels amendment tomorrow to the bill with great hope that we can help push America into a new energy age, a new renewable energy age, starting right in rural America; and I wanted to acknowledge that while she is still on the floor with us tonight. I did also want to, for the record, thank deeply Roger Szemraj of our own staff for the tremendous work that he does and for the time he takes away from his own family to be with us even tonight on this floor as we move this important bill for fiscal year 2005 agriculture appropriations. Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from South Dakota (Ms. Herseth), a new Congresswoman, who will provide to this Congress a much-needed, strong voice for agriculture and rural area.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr), a very respected and extraordinarily hard-working member of our subcommittee.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I wish to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bonilla), for a very good working relationship this year and the type of hearings that help us all build a better Nation. This fiscal 2005 agriculture appropriation bill has been put together under some of the most trying budget circumstances that we have ever seen. And even though this is an appropriation bill, and I guess people refer to it as one of those green-eyeshade bills, it is important for the American people to know that what this bill is really all about is that no child in our country should go hungry; that American agriculture begins to regain some global market edge internationally; and that we keep winning more markets rather than losing markets, and taking actions that can help that. This bill affects every American consumer in whether or not the meat that we eat is safe. It involves new research into the new plants, many of them undergirding new medicines of the future. Really, the best agriculture and food and drug research in the world. This bill touches every single person in our country and so many people around the world. So I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Bonilla) for all his efforts, as well as the majority staff, under the direction of our new majority clerk, Martin Delgado, who is joined by Maureen Holohan, Leslie Barrack, Joanne Perdue, and our detailees Tom O'Brien and Mike Gregoire. I also want to thank our minority clerk, who is with us here tonight, Martha Foley, for her efforts not only on behalf of our membership but of our entire country, for her very, very hard and largely unrecognized work. Last year, I described this bill as a size 7 shoe for a size 10 foot. Well, it is a new year now. We have 293 million Americans in our country, more than last year. But, unfortunately, the bill this year has an even smaller shoe size but a bigger foot. Our needs are increasing as a country, but our resources are increasing. So we now have a size 6 shoe for a size 11 foot. And if you think the bunions are starting to pinch now, new stories regarding the early steps in preparing for next year's bill suggests matters will only be getting worse. Much more difficult. The bill before us today provides a total of slightly more than $83 billion, that is no small change, with nearly $66 billion, or 80 percent, four-fifths of the bill, that we are mandated to spend. That means that programs, such as our Food Stamp program, we must spend those dollars to meet growing needs in the country. And in this year's bill that totals about $33 billion. If you think the economy is improving, you will not find evidence of that claim in this bill. In fact, this bill contains $16.772 billion in what we call discretionary spending. That is the part of the bill where we can really try to direct resources to very important needs in the country, but this year we have a $67 million reduction over the prior year. And, in fact, it is a 6 percent reduction compared to 2 years ago for the fiscal 2003 budget. In fact, it is $1.100 billion below that. So this bill is not going up by any measure. And with more mandatory spending necessary to meet unmet economic needs, that cuts into the discretionary spending that we have so many draws upon all over this country. The people who live in agricultural America and our small towns have the same needs and concerns as their friends in big cities. They need jobs, and more often than not are experiencing plant shutdowns. There are huge job washouts in many small towns in this country. And, in fact, there are no new employers that are readily seen on the horizon. We have offshoring of so much of our work and higher unemployment in many, many corners of rural America. People there need health care, but often have fewer hospitals, or much longer distances to travel to secure care. And the accounts in this bill dealing with telemedicine for rural America are severely underfunded. People in rural America want economic development, but they find the services available to them are so oversubscribed or heavily weighted towards loan, that they often cannot get the assistance they need. People in rural America want community services, but they find that their smaller population base and smaller economic base make it even harder to finance the water and sewer systems, clean water systems, the power utility systems, and the telecommunication systems that so many other Americans, frankly, take for granted. So the fiscal 2005 agriculture appropriation bill is a classic exercise in the futility of a budget process that has effectively obligated the bulk of Federal funds before we have really had a fair opportunity to address all the needs of our Nation here at home. Decisions made in recent years by some in this Congress on taxes and on foreign policy are sapping our ability to meet real domestic obligations. To date, our country has spent over $100 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that number grows every day. Imagine if we could take that money and divide it, $2 billion for each of our 50 States to share with their local towns and cities, what an incredible difference that would make. But that is not the choice that we will make tonight. I know that while the gentleman from Texas worked to provide funding within our restrictive allocation, there are a number of shortcomings that we need to recognize. Because of these budget limitations, the bill before us will cut the community facilities program by $36 million, so all the Members that asked us for more help for their particular communities, we could not do that. In the rural water and sewer grant program, we are $86 million underfunded. That is just to meet where we were last year, because the needs are so much greater. It looks as though we are going to be at least $150 million short in the women, infants and children's food program, WIC, and nearly $15 million short in the commodity supplemental food program under this bill, despite appreciated increases. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his efforts there. At the same time, we are also in this bill forced to debate tomorrow cutting renewable energy programs. We are also not funding needed market development tools. And we have a Department of Agriculture that may be preparing to extend additional credits to Iraq, but meanwhile forgiving $4 billion in accumulated principal and interest owed by the Rafidain Bank of Iraq. We want to make sure that whatever is done relative to Iraq upholds existing law and does not permit the type of fraud that occurred during the 1980s and 1990s and the misuse of the Commodity Credit Corporation programs in arming Saddam Hussein and strengthening his power. That was done during the Reagan-Bush administrations and the Bush-Quayle administrations, over the strong objections of this Congress. They say that we cannot expand the senior farmers market program to all States so that needy seniors can purchase locally grown fruit and vegetables from farmers who earn from the market, not transfer payments. Yet we know that over half the States in the Union still do not even have beginning funds to bring that important program on-line to really help farmers who are diversified close to our cities. In international trade, there continues a downward trend as the U.S. moves for the first time in its history toward becoming a net food importer. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture cannot give us effective solutions for controlling and assessing liability for invasive species that are a huge and rising cost to the American taxpayer due to misapplied free trade policies, mismanaged, misapplied, misguided. In this bill, there are hundreds of millions of dollars of tax money that has to be diverted to take care of the Asian longhorn beetle in New York, Chicago and many other places and the emerald ash borer in places like Michigan and Ohio. Those bills should not come to rest at the foot of the American taxpayer. They should be paid for by the commercial interests that bring those critters into this country, and they should not be getting off Scott free for the damage that they are causing. Nonetheless, we have to fund those remediation programs in this bill. Those costs have been rising exponentially during this decade of the 1990s and into this new millennium. Officials that are charged with ensuring the safety of our food supply cannot answer basic questions about how many cattle have been tested to ensure public health and safety or tell us when procedures for dealing with this national need will at long last be satisfied. It is amazing that the Department of Agriculture cannot do that. What a shame. Meanwhile, export markets remain closed even to producers who are willing to pay themselves for the testing so that our export customers can reopen their markets. America's family farmers and ranchers have always had a vision for America's future. They daily demonstrate a willingness to work harder and smarter than their competitors. They possess a keen appreciation for the fact that their accomplishments provide a safe and bountiful food supply which allows most Americans to expend their energies in other industries and business endeavors. We need to support the efforts of these productive Americans by providing them with the tools for continued success, fair prices, fair trade policies, fair access to new technologies, and fair and consistent standards imposed on imported products that do not place economic burdens on domestic producers. Mr. Chairman, in closing my more formal remarks this evening, let me just say that it has been a great pleasure to work on both sides of the aisle to complete the bill that we will bring to the floor tomorrow for amendment. We look forward to working with our colleagues on completing it tomorrow. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) for yielding me time and for all the attention that he, in particular, pays to this important bill on agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration. I also wanted to thank the representative of the Committee on Rules, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder), today for this consideration under an open rule. We, therefore, support the rule. And to my good friend, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham), from the committee for as hard as he has worked along with all of us on both sides of the aisle in trying to bring this measure before the full House. This bill obviously has been put together under some of the most trying budget circumstances that we have ever seen. When last year's bill came before us, I said we were trying to stuff a size 10 foot into a shoe that was actually size 7. This in our country that needed more than we could provide in that bill. This year we have a size 6 shoe, and we have a size 11 foot. And so we have many more needs than we can accommodate in this bill. We literally had requests from Members from across our country, hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of requests that we could simply not address. They are not addressed in this bill at all. The discretionary portion of this bill totals $16.772 billion, which is a reduction of $67 million over this year, and compared to fiscal year 2003, a reduction of over $1.1 billion. That is nearly a 6 percent reduction compared to 2 years ago. That means that all the Members who came to us for water and sewer projects, rural water and sewer projects, we just simply could not meet the requests. The Women, Infant and Children's food program, though, we have raised it from last year, is probably $150 million short in view of the rising need around our country, the unevenness, of the economy and lackluster job creation. We just simply do not have adequate money in these bills to meet all needs. At the same time, our country is now spending over $100 billion in Iraq and Afghanistan. Imagine if we were able to take and divide that up and give every State in our Union an additional $2 billion, $2 billion that they could share with our localities that are short on funds. We seem to be able to find money for some things around the world. But then we do not find money for very other worthy needs across this Nation. For example, in our Commodity Supplemental Food Program, we want to take surplus food commodities and give them to our food banks and to people who need them. We are about $15 million short in that account, despite all the need across this country and the greater and greater numbers of people coming into our soup kitchens and our feeding kitchens all over this Nation. Meanwhile, in this budget, we have been forced to put money into accounts to take care of what we call invasive species, that is, all these little critters that are coming into our country for which there is no known biological control. The cost of this now totals hundreds of millions of dollars compared to 10 years ago. Whether it is the Asian Longhorned Beetle eating all those trees in Chicago and New York City or whether it is the Emerald Ash Borer in States like Michigan and Ohio, those invasive species are just eating their way through all the forest lands, with those cost burdens now being put on the taxpayer. We basically take this money from a very inadequate allocation and divert it in order to try to prevent additional damage, and really these costs should not be the responsibility of the localities and of the Federal Government but those commercial interests that caused the damage in the first place. I just want to say that agricultural America, and rural small towns, are trying as hard as they can. They have always demonstrated a real vision toward the future. We hope that as this bill moves towards the Senate we will be able to fix some of the inadequacies that currently exist in this bill. I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Bonilla), the chairman of our subcommittee, for his willingness to work across the aisle and to do the best we could, again with a size eleven foot bill when, in fact, we only have a shoe about size six. We just cannot meet all the needs that are being asked of us. But we have done the best we can. I rise in support of the rule and ask the Members to vote for the rule and ultimately for the bill. I will also say that when the bill comes to the floor for full consideration tomorrow we will be offering amendments in the area of biofuels, trying to help to generate new industry across this country, a renewable fuels industry in ethanol and biodiesel and some of the new alcohol based fuels we have not even invented yet. We will have an amendment on Iraq and will bring to the attention of the country the misuse of the Commodity Credit Corporation back during the 1980s and 1990s which has led us to have to bail out banks in the Middle East as a result of what was done back then and potentially what could happen again by what is being proposed in this bill now. We will have an amendment dealing with outsourcing of call centers by the Food Stamp Program, trying to bring those call centers back to the United States, to our own people who need work. Finally, we may have amendments dealing with the reimportation of prescription drugs, and we want to keep the base amendment that we were able to insert at the subcommittee level, which is to allow the reimportation of drugs from nations like Canada so that our people can buy them at affordable prices. We want to be able to keep that in the bill. We will have an amendment on the Farmers Market Promotion Program, trying to bring it to a level where it can serve a majority of our people. So, again, I ask for the support of the membership on the rule, and I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, more than 85 million Americans are familiar with the benefits offered by credit unions of a safe place to save, a place to get a good deal on a consumer or home mortgage loan and solid advice on how to manage their families' financial affairs. However, not everyone in the world has the same advantage of being able to choose to save and borrow at a credit union as we do here in the U.S. The World Council of Credit Unions is working on USAID-funded projects on six continents to develop and strengthen credit unions in ten countries. Current development projects have already resulted in nearly three million credit union members who have saved $1.6 billion and received affordable loans up to $1.3 billion in a number of developing countries such as the Philippines, Romania, Ecuador, Guatemala, Poland, Uganda, Rwanda, Uzbekistan and Mexico. I met recently with representatives from Mexico's two largest credit unions, Caja Popular Mexicana and Caja Libertad, men who spoke with me about how the World Council of Credit Unions, with funds from USAID and U.S. credit unions, has helped more than a million of Mexico's poorest citizens through access to the benefits of credit unions. The World Council of Credit Unions, as part of the credit union system that includes the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) in the U.S. and its affiliated state credit union leagues, is working in partnership to close the gap between people of the world that ``have more'' with those who ``have less.'' Today, 1.1 billion people on the planet ``have more'' and 5.2 billion ``have less.'' By 2050, projections indicate that while the ``have more'' number will remain constant, those ``having less'' will rise to 7.8 billion people. This widening gap represents a security risk to the U.S. Credit unions can help alleviate this crisis. The World Council of Credit Unions' Caja Popular Mexicana project is a $3.5 million four-year project funded by USAID's Office of Microenterprise Development. Since the project began in late 2001, membership in Caja Popular Mexicana has increased by more than 60 percent and loan delinquency decreased by nearly 70 percent, enabling more of Mexico's citizens to access the services of a safer credit union. The World Council of Credit Unions provides Caja Libertad in- house technical assistance to support the credit union's efforts to strengthen its operations, increase its outreach and better compete in the evolving Mexican financial market. Last year, Caja Libertad opened four rural microfinance branches to serve very poor women and strengthened its financial structure with increased provisions for delinquent loans. Both of these credit unions are involved with the International Remittance Network (IRnet), an international remittance product developed by the World Council of Credit Unions. Caja Popular Mexicana began distributing remittances in August 2003 on a pilot basis and increased distribution to three hundred branches by November of last year. As of May 2004, more than fifteen thousand remittances totaling $6.6 million were distributed. The overwhelming majority of receivers are women, and most receivers are credit union members. Non-members are encouraged to consider taking advantage of the benefits of membership, and are joining at a rate of 5 percent per month. Caja Libertad is on target to begin distributing remittances through IRnet later this year. Through IRnet, money is sent safely and affordably to friends and family members who use the remittances to pay for food, housing, education, to start new businesses and to save for the future. It is this last part that makes receiving international remittances at a safe and sound credit union so important. Receivers can safely and easily deposit a portion of the remittances into their credit union accounts. A new product being launched by one of these Mexican credit unions will mean a consistent remittance history is even basis for loan approval. Remittance distribution, through credit unions, is enabling the Mexican people to improve their financial standing exponentially. I congratulate Caja Popular Mexicana and Caja Libertad for their successes in becoming safer credit unions reaching out to more of Mexico's poorest people, and thank them for traveling to the U.S. to share with my colleagues and me the importance of U.S. support of their projects. I encourage Congress, through USAID and other avenues, to continue to fund international credit union development projects that promote the credit union ideal of ``people helping people to help themselves,'' and encourage the World Council of Credit Unions to continue its important work of making credit union membership available throughout the world, especially to those in underdeveloped countries.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, this is a very simple amendment that would allow the Secretary of Energy the opportunity, but without requirement, to purchase ethanol and biodiesel as part of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve. I even hate to use the word ``petroleum'' because, in fact, it is not a very strategic reserve since over 92 percent of it is imported. America has to become energy independent here at home. Every single one of us, including the instrumentalities of this government, have to be part of this great transformation inside this country to become energy independent again. There is no cost to this amendment because any of these new fuels that would be obtained would be obtained through funds realized from the sale of crude from the strategic reserve or in exchange for that material that would be sold from the existing reserve. Let me say, 3 years ago I offered this amendment to reduce America's severe dependency on foreign oil, and it is a small step. At that time the Congress did not have the political will to do it. So today America again is in the throes of even a greater fuel shortage with prices rising. While we let the opportunity of 3 years ago slip away from us, today the price of crude oil is nearly 50 percent higher than it was when this amendment was first offered. In fact, oil has been hovering around $40 a barrel compared with about $24.90 a barrel when I first offered it. Meanwhile, the retail price of 85 percent ethanol fuel, called E-85, is about $1.40 a gallon, now well under what we are paying for refined fuels off of crude petroleum. This government subsidizes the petroleum-based industry, over 60 percent of which is imported, to the tune of $100 billion a year. Had we adopted this amendment when I first offered it, the American people might have saved billions of dollars in these new fuel costs they are paying. We would have helped a real, new domestic industry gain a firmer foothold here at home. Real jobs would have been created, and our strategic vulnerability which grows greater every day of addiction to imported oil would have begun its journey to finally ending. Today in this amendment I am not even proposing that we mandate the acquisition of these fuels, but merely allow the Secretary of Energy to use authority to figure out a way to purchase it and store it, not in existing sites, but however the Secretary may designate. We do not prescribe that. Again, I ask the question, How strategic a reserve is it when 92.5 percent of it is imported? It is really not a lifeline at all. We are dealing with a tourniquet that actually has with each passing day less and less value to us. Every single person in this country should be thinking about how we can change our habits in order to become independent again. We should be encouraging the development of new fuels here at home, and we already have technology that can be brought up all over this Nation. We simply do not have the will and, sometimes I fear, the imagination to do this. The benefits of transforming this reserve as well as others over time would provide us with energy security again. Certainly we can manufacture ethanol and biodiesel. Certainly we can bring renewable fuels online. Certainly we can use even existing petroleum infrastructure that can be transformed. We are not talking about a new probe to Mars. We are talking about doing something that we know how to do, but becoming energy independent as a national priority, and to do so immediately. It would bring us great economic security. Every year we are running over $60 billion in trade deficit in greater amounts of imported petroleum. In fact, the current reserve, 92.2 percent from foreign sources, includes nearly half from Mexico, a fifth from the OPEC nations like Saudi Arabia, look how stable that is, and about a fifth from the United Kingdom. It is not even U.S. oil in the reserve, so what kind of a strategic reserve is it? It is fool's gold. Mr. Chairman, I would ask that perhaps the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member could find a way for us to allow this discretionary authority to the Secretary of Energy and help America find her way forward. Point of Order

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Taras Shevchenko has become one of the most influential figures in Ukrainian culture. His most famous compilation of poetic works, the Kobzar, became and continues to be the voice of liberty and national pride for generations of Ukrainians. Throughout his life, in his poetry and art, Shevchenko celebrated the unique beauty of his land and called for its liberation from the Russian Empire. He fought for the restoration of the democratic Kozak state and denounced the russification of the Ukrainian people. Because of his strong and vocal anti-Russian sentiment, Shevchenko was imprisoned numerous times and denied the right to create his genius. His spirit, however, remained unbroken; the hardships he endured only served to fuel his devotion and determination. He exhibited his passion for freedom in his poetry and fueled the hearts of Ukrainians toward the goal of independence. During today's commemoration let us honor the memory of Taras Shevchenko, and his unparalleled contribution to a strong, stable, democratic Ukraine. The June 1964 unveiling of the Shevchenko monument in Washington DC was a major victory for Ukrainians residing in the United States. Despite incredible resistance from the Soviet Union, a united Ukrainian community in America was able to enlist the help of prominent American politicians, academicians and artists to build this monument and establish it as a forum for truth, unveiling the injustices of the Soviet regime. Forty years later, Ukraine faces very different, albeit equally difficult times. Since the fall of the Soviet Union and the reestablishment of Ukrainian independence, Ukraine has stabilized its economy and taken great strides toward democracy, however, there is still much to be accomplished. The people of Ukraine need support and encouragement. The Ukrainian community in the U.S. has been a very vocal advocate of Ukraine and continues to promote its democratic development. As a longtime supporter of the Ukrainian American community I am pleased to see a renewed effort to unite the Ukrainians in the United States and amplify the power of their voice in Washington as well as in Kyiv. I commend the initiative of the Ukrainian community in the United States in an effort to help Ukraine reclaim its proper place among the developed democratic European states. I congratulate the Ukrainian American community on this remarkable anniversary and wish them success in their future endeavors.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding me this time and am pleased to rise as a member of the Women's Caucus and a cosponsor of House Resolution 413 to honor Rosie the Riveter, the millions of Rosie the Riveters, who helped the United States of America to win that great victory of liberty over tyranny a half century ago. It is very rewarding to be able to stand here today and to say that the Veterans History Project that is a part of what our Library of Congress is assembling will allow all people in our country who either served in the military or here on the home front, including women in our war industries, factories, as air-raid wardens, as cadet nurses, to tell their story on audio and video, and that as a part of this resolution I want to encourage all women or their families and loved ones to begin to put this down, and through your Member of Congress get the application blank so that your story can become part of America's permanent history, because, in fact, Rosie the Riveters changed America forever. Today, nearly two-thirds of the women in this country work outside the home. At the time the war started, less than 25 percent did. This happens to be a photo of Willys-Overland in Toledo, Ohio, that still makes the Jeep. Nowadays they call it Daimler Chrysler. But that particular company in 1940 received a $25 million contract from the Department of Defense, and in all our community received nearly $1 billion, pushing employment figures at that plant alone to the highest levels that they had been since the Great Depression. Other plants, like Acklin, went on 24-hour, 7-day-a-week production. Our own mother, Cherie Rogowski Kaptur, worked at the Champion Spark Plug factory making spark plugs that she knew went into airplanes. She became a union leader, a member of the United Auto Workers local in that plant, so that they could make perfect plugs, so that no pilot would lose a life because a spark plug did not fire. I can remember her talking about that, even until her golden years. Women were very responsible, just as they are in the home. When men began going to war, women began to work outside the home by the millions. So today we honor those woman. Through their service, America changed forever as unprecedented numbers of women worked not just inside the home, but outside the home, and in many ways helped to educate the generation that now serves our Nation inside this Congress of the United States. The character of Rosie first appeared in the 1942 song ``Rose the Riveter,'' written by Redd Evans and John Jacob Loeb and recorded by big-band leader Kay Kyser. ``All the day long, Whether rain or shine, She's a part of the assembly line. She's making history, Working for victory, Rosie the Riveter The number of women in the American workforce increased by more than 50 percent over the war years. Some six million women joined the war effort on the homefront. In about July 1940, Toledo's Willys-Overland Jeep factory announced a $25 million dollar contract. In all, Toledo received over $900 million dollars in defense orders, enough to put employment figures at the highest they'd been since 1929. Many plants, including Acklin, went to 24 hour, 7 day a week production. With many men going to war, women began going to work outside the home by the thousands. In 1942 the first nursery opened in Toledo in order to meet the demands of mothers working in the factories. These women didn't only work in factories however. In fact, they filled a variety of positions from auto-mechanics and bus drivers to freight handlers for the Railway Express Agency.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, as we approach Father's Day, 2004, it is a great privilege today to offer respectful words of tribute on behalf of the entire Kaptur family--loving wife Rita, children and spouses Stephen, Christopher/Renee, James/Christine, Kenneth, Regina/Jeff. Sisters Virginia, Lillian, Christine, and the grandchildren, Nicole, Michael, Cassandra, Ashley, Brittany, Jacob, and Lucas--as we honor the beautiful life of John Conrad Kaptur. Surely, he is loved. His children observe: ``Dad has a smile that would immediately tell all that he was happy to be in company with you. He enjoyed a good joke and always enjoyed a brewed cup of tea. `Refreshing', he would say. John was a gentleman, also a strongman, a man who exemplified the motto by which he lived `always faithful'. Our beloved father, Steve, his uncle, said of John, `He knew how to be a man'.'' Born in 1925, John was a devoted son of Szepan and Mary, an American of Polish heritage. He was his parents first and only born son. His father was the eldest of 16 children. John grew up attending St. Stanislaus Church and Libbey High School during tough economic times. He knew struggle. He worked hard. He possessed the drive, inventiveness and skill for which Kaptur men are known. His kindness was rooted deeply in his early years when people survived by holding onto one another. He valued family--to celebrate life and to weather the rough times. At 79, he was the patriarch of the Kaptur family. John was a tot when Wall Street crashed in 1929 ushering in the Great Depression of the 1930's. No jobs were to be had. For people today, it is hard to describe how hard life was back then--before America had a minimum wage, before there was enough to eat for so many families, before there was Social Security and Medicare. That was the world into which John was born. He never forgot. But he always kept moving forward. He was so talented. He possessed the Kaptur man's physique-- sturdy, square jawed, full of wanderlust, but steady, with a heart of gold so big his body could hardly contain it. At 17, following in his father's footsteps, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps--the elite, special branch of the US Armed Forces especially trained for amphibious assault. He served in the Pacific Theater during WWII--first training at Camp Le Jeune in New River, North Carolina. In September 1942, he departed on a troop ship out of San Diego as a member of the 3rd Marine Division for the Bouganville invasion of American Samoa. He contracted a mosquito borne illness in late 1943 after the Guadalcanal invasion. A natural leader, he rose in rank in the Corps and later in the Reserves from Private First Class, to Lance Corporal, to Corporal, to Sergeant, and Staff Sergeant. He served honorably 12 years in the Corps and Reserves. He was a Patriot. When I look at his beautiful family, I repeat the Marine Corps saying: ``The marines have landed, and the situation is well in hand.'' John maintained a keen interest in world events and helped shape them. In his mid 30s, John married Rita Mominee. What a match this has been! Smiles, a house full of activity-travel-joy. Together, they raised a magnificent family--4 boys--Stephen, Christopher, James, Kenneth and finally a girl! Regina. What a blessing he was able to watch them grow up and flower into adulthood. He enjoyed every minute. During his long life, he also experienced the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, Sputnik and ``the landing of the first man on the moon, the collapse of the Soviet Union, where his own father had served in Marine Corps in Vladivostok, and he ushered in the 21st century. All the while, John kept steady with his family and garden blooming, a man of quiet strength, a gentleman, good, and kind. To ease the sorrow, we should think about what each of us can do in his name, as a living prayer. For he will come to us now in a new way, not on our time but on his time. His children, through Regina, say about him: ``Dad was proud to be Catholic and to have served in the United States Marine Corps. His talents were many.'' After working nearly four decades in industrial production planning at Dura Corp and later, retiring from Chrysler-Jeep as a planner in the engineering division, he quickly went out to do plumbing. ``The love of people and good conversation made me want to do it,'' he said. He always worked a hard day supporting his large family. He most loved his family. He celebrated his 45th Wedding Anniversary not long ago with his wife, Rita, along with their family. What a strong and devoted spouse Rita has been. Jim and Christine shared their home to make that happen, just as they will for the wake today after the Christian burial. Dad was very proud of Jim's accomplishments as a Paramedic/Toledo Firefighter and the perseverance he has to move up. He found great comfort in his knowledge. He would always take a nap in the afternoon so he could stay up to welcome Ken home from a hard day's work, and talk about the Lottery. When the day came to around 3 o'clock he would look for Chris to come by and have some good conversation. For Steve, he was very thankful for the skills it took to fix his car or use his trailer. As he was fathering all these boys, he became so very proud of their hard work and perseverance on a job. Regina knows her dad is proud of her accomplishments and the love, care, and comfort she had for him in his time of need. ``Dad taught me respect, compassion, diplomacy, perseverance, and the ability to know people and to have the psychology of life. Most of all, he taught me to love a human being, no matter if they were challenged or not.'' Then there are the grandchildren: He loved each and every one of them--Nicole, Michael, Cassandra, Ashley, Brittany, Jacob, and Lucas. Whether John wanted to play hockey in the driveway, or bump the tree with the tire swing, or pick up sticks in the yard, or take a walk to the grapes, or even around the block. He may have just wanted a conversation with you, he loved you all. And I might add, our last conversation, just a few days ago, was about getting together with the grandchildren for dinner when he was feeling better. And the grandchildren couldn't have come without the loving daughters-in-law and son-in-law he gained--Renee, Christine and Jeff. Regina writes: ``I was very glad to have spent the time with Dad these few months and through all his surgeries. I would not have wanted it any other way. So much value was built in the quality time we had. He recalled everyone in the present and in the past. Never was a cross word said. His words were always very kind. Dad had the best doctors and they always took our phone calls without hesitation and went beyond to meet our needs. Dad was always open to their suggestions that would help him. He had told the doctors: ``Let's do it''--``I am a patient man.'' With tears in my eyes, I watched as God wrapped his arms around Dad and said to him, ``My precious child, come with me. You surely were a treasure on this earth, but now I need you in Heaven.'' So God reached out and showed him the bright light, and said, ``I will reunite you all again some day.'' With tears in all of our eyes we will meet him again in heaven where he will greet each one of us with a smile and say, ``It's great to see you.'' ``Thank you for coming.'' ``Can I get you a cup of tea, or perhaps a Coop e'Kava and cookie.'' Poem Because you went first and I remain, To walk the road alone. I live in memories garden, Dear, With happy days we've known. In Spring I wait for roses red, When faded, the lilacs blue. In early Fall when brown leaves fall I'll catch a glimpse of you. Because you went first and I remain, For battles to be fought. Each thing you touched along the way Is now a hallowed spot. I hear your voice, I see your smile, Tho blindly I now grope. The memory of your helping hand Now buoys me on with hope. Because you went first and I remain, One thing I'll have to do: Walk slowly down that long long path, For soon I'll follow you, I want to know each step you took, So I may take the same, For some day down that lonely road, You'll hear me call your name.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for yielding me this time, and I thank our dear colleague from Nevada (Mr. Porter) for allowing us this time on the floor. Also, to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), I would like to thank him personally and to his able assistant, Ted Van Der Meid, for helping us move this legislation. I also want to thank the gentleman from the great State of Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for making this moment a reality. I want to say, Mr. Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to bring to the floor H. Con. Res. 423, which authorizes the use of these Capitol grounds for activities associated with the dedication of the World War II Memorial on May 29, Memorial Day weekend, just a week from this Saturday. Mr. Speaker, the dedication ceremony for the World War II Memorial will mark the beginning of the end of a 20-year journey. It will mark the recognition by this Nation that a grateful Nation does remember the most unselfish generation America has ever known. And when that memorial is dedicated between the Washington Monument, which marks the founding of our Republic in the 18th century, and the Lincoln Memorial, which acknowledges the preservation of this Union during the 19th century, this memorial will represent the fulcrum of the 20th century, that is the victory of liberty over tyranny in a just war. The ceremony that will occur, including here on the Capitol grounds, will mark the culmination of a process that took form here in the people's House some 17 years ago when the original authorizing legislation that the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) referred to was first introduced by me. Many, many Members were a part of making this possible. It has taken 10 Congresses and three Presidents. And I want to place in the Record, if I might, the wonderful Members of this House who made this ceremony and this Memorial Day possible: Congressman Sonny Montgomery, Mississippi, now retired; Congressman Bob Stump, Arizona, now passed; the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), currently the ranking member on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs; Congressman Henry Gonzalez of Texas, now passed; Congressman Bill Clay of Missouri, retired; Congressman Esteban Torres of California, now retired; Congressman John Grotberg, the Speaker's predecessor of the great State of Illinois, now passed; and from the other body, in particular, Senator John Glenn, retired; and Senator Strom Thurmond, now passed. I think people tend to forget that the World War II Memorial which opened to the public approximately 3 weeks ago to rave reviews was a House idea, a House initiative, a House effort that the House kept alive for 2 decades. On Thursday we will have a ceremony here in Statuary Hall to honor the six World War II veterans who currently serve in our people's House. We will present at that time to them the two flags that were handmade in the Buckeye State, in the State of Ohio, as we give them over to the Nation. And I would like to say a special thank you to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis). The legislative history behind the World War II Memorial is replete with struggle and controversy and occasional disappointment, but in the end a great victory and a magnificent tribute. There were stops and starts along the way, and no one knows this better than I; but in the end nothing could stop this powerful idea that came from the Heartland of America, from the Buckeye State, from the heart of one veteran named Roger Durbin from Berkey, Ohio, population 265, Lucas County; It is and idea that came from the grassroots of America. It was so meritorious that it eventually arrived here in our Nation's Capital and now has full expression on our Mall of democracy. As we prepare to formally dedicate the memorial on May 29, this resolution will facilitate the use of the Capitol grounds and facilities to honor the hundreds of thousands of World War II- generation members and their families and their children and their grandchildren, as we dedicate that sacred soil on the Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. In our district, as in other districts around the country, plans are already under way by many veterans organizations including the American Legion for local celebrations to coincide with the May 29 dedication here in our Nation's Capital. There will be satellite uplinks from all of the celebrations here. In our home town of Toledo, Ohio, local organizers will hold a ceremony in Fifth Third Field, the city that is home to the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team. Plans are already underway. Our community will hold the largest parade our citizenry has ever seen. In Vermilion, Ohio, the local funeral director, Judy Riddle, has helped organize an event for the World War II veterans in that community. And it is an understatement to say that the funeral directors in Ohio raised more money than any other State to help build this memorial. In Wellington, Ohio, a local school teacher, Calvin Woods, has organized a group of students and parents to visit the memorial next week. They will be honoring local World War II veterans on the 29th as well. I can say this, that when Roger Durbin first walked up to me 17 years ago--God rest his soul, he passed in the year of 2000--this was his last dying wish that this memorial be completed. He did not ask for himself. His statement was, Congresswoman Kaptur, why is there no World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. where I can bring my grandchildren so they can understand the causes to which my life was dedicated? So his desire was that our grandchildren, his grandchildren, America's grandchildren understand. It was rather coincidental, and some would say divine providence, that on the day that the plaza opened to the general public a few weeks ago, the very first group through that site was from Jones Junior High School from the county of Lucas, his home county; and that was not planned. In fact, when Tim Russert was down there from NBC News, the children were all excited that they could see such a famous reporter. It was totally unplanned. I know Roger Durbin's hand was in that because he intended to be there for that dedication, and he always was dedicated to the future generations. Thousands of veterans and their families are making their way already to Washington, D.C. to attend this ceremony here on our Nation's Mall. The logistical challenge is daunting. And of the hundreds of thousands of people on the National Mall, over half of them will be World War II veterans and their spouses, and almost all of them will be over 80 years of age. We are planning a variety of events here in our congressional offices for that weekend. And we are very grateful that the Speaker has permitted the Capitol and its grounds to be open. Along with most Members' offices, our office in Washington will be open to our constituents. We are also working with the office of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Strickland) to host Ohio's veterans at the American Legion Post 8 here on Capitol Hill, both on Saturday evening and Sunday morning. We are expecting several busloads of veterans just from northwest Ohio, and those are the ones that we actually know about. We know some of them, well, they are just going to drive with their grandkids in campers and show up, and we are ready for them. This concurrent resolution is essentially a formality. But it is the precursor to Congress rolling out the red carpet for the greatest generation America has ever known--our World War II veterans and their families, and other members of the World War II generation who served on the home front, their friends and family members, and other Americans who will be in town for the Memorial Day weekend. It is going to be a very heart-rending weekend. We are looking forward to it with great anticipation. If my colleagues have been down to the site already, they cannot come away with a dry eye. As veterans and their families, some in wheelchairs, some walking with canes, some just there to reflect, come and touch the marble stone where perhaps where they fought is engraved. I watched one man go up, just touch the words Okinawa and he just stood there. I met a Purple Heart standing there on the plaza , and he thanked me. I said, sir, I was not even born. This is for you, thank you, because America does remember. I again want to deeply thank the office of the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert); the minority leader's office, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi); and both sides of the aisle of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for their help with this concurrent resolution; and I urge its adoption. God bless our veterans and God bless America. I thank the gentlewoman for the time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, let me say what a rare privilege it is to come to the floor this evening to talk about this coming Memorial Day weekend, particularly on May 29 when we as a Nation will not only celebrate Memorial Day, but the dedication of the World War II Memorial on our Nation's Mall of Democracy. This evening, I would like to talk a little bit about the history of that memorial, how it happened, and refer in particular to a brand new book that has just come out called ``Their Last Battle,'' by Dr. Nicolaus Mills from Sarah Lawrence College, which so well documents the history of this memorial's construction. When we think about the memorial, obviously it is to the most unselfish generation America has ever known. And if we think back to our own history, the location of this memorial at the center of our Mall of Democracy, between the Washington Monument, which represents the founding of our Republic and George Washington as our first President in the 18th century, and then on the other side, close to the Potomac River, the Lincoln Memorial, representing the preservation of our union in the 19th century and President Abraham Lincoln, and then this memorial, representing the most important achievement of the 20th century, the victory of liberty over tyranny in a just war. The World War II generation is one that never asked for anything for itself. There are those that asked, well, why was a memorial not built before? It was simply because they would never ask anything for themselves. It was up to the baby-boom generation, people like myself, who were not even born during that period of time, to say, thank you, a grateful Nation remembers. The sad part of this memorial's unveiling and formal dedication in about a week-and-a-half is that of the 16 million Americans who served, but 4 million are living. We have tried for so very long, 17 years, to make this memorial a reality, and this book describes the long legislative battle which began in this House for the memorial's construction. Indeed, the first 20 pages of ``Their Last Battle'' would be excellent reading for any history, civics or government class in our country, to understand how hard it is to do something so meritorious. I would like to tell some of the true story tonight of what actually happened in achieving this great national monument. In Mr. Mills' book he says at the beginning of the preface, ``For centuries to come, the National World War II Memorial, like the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial, will be viewed as a symbol for who we are as a people.'' Yes, it will help future generations place the 20th century in proper perspective, with the fulcrum of the 20th century being World War II, what preceded it and what followed it. The United States, in experiencing the bombing of Pearl Harbor, was really unprepared for war. Our machine tool and steel industries at that point had been deteriorating, and America was not a country that sought to engage itself internationally during that period. But coming out of World War I and a peace treaty that was flawed, with no assistance for the vanquished nations that fell into economic chaos, World War II came slowly, but it resulted from extreme governments rising in places like Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. America preferred to remain isolated from the world, and received a rude awakening December 7, 1941. The mobilization that occurred during the last century was something the Nation had never experienced. Sixteen million Americans were called to duty, and that does not count those who served on the home front in war industries, in factories, like our own mother, Sherry Kaptur, who served at Champion Spark Plug making spark plugs that went up into the airplanes, and making sure that the workers in that plant made no mistakes, so that plug did not sputter and a plane would not come down unnecessarily in some far remote place around the world; like our father, Stephen, in the Willys Overland plant, making the Jeep that became known throughout the world during that war. They were representative of the millions and millions of people that came together in this country, who helped to achieve an allied victory. I remember growing up as a child and our uncles, Anthony Rogowski, who was a member of the Office of Strategic Services, the OSS, and the Army, flying behind and parachuting behind enemy lines in Burma, in India, in China, the war wounds he brought home with him, the malaria that he experienced throughout his life, being knifed in a fox hole. I remember as a little girl how much his hands would shake when he would get those attacks. And he would tell me, and I was so young and I did not really understand everything he said to me. I remember when he gave me his expert rifleman's pin and tried to understand what his stripes meant and what his promotion rank patches meant. After his untimely death at age 57, I can remember looking at his flight jacket as an adult, and I thought how small it looks, because when I was a little girl he looked so big to me. And I remembered his valor and his patriotism. And our uncle Stanley Rogowski, I can remember him not talking about the war very much. I can remember him saying in December of 1944 how he ate frozen K rations in northern Europe after the Battle of the Bulge, having gone through that, climbing over the dead bodies over the cliffs of Dover and then moving into the campaign across northern Europe into Belgium, and ultimately moving down in the Push to Paris to free France. It was not until a few months before his death in the early 1990s that he came to me in our kitchen at our family home in Ohio. He handed me a religious medallion, a scapular, and he said, Marcy, if anything happens to me, this has always been with me, just make sure I have it. I kind of looked at him quizzically. I was in the Congress then. He seemed to be okay. He seemed to be doing well, but six months later he died. That was the Sacred Heart Medal he kept with him from the time he left the States as an infantry man in the U.S. Army until he died. I mention those stories because back in 1987 when another Army veteran, Roger Durbin from the Buckeye State of Ohio, shouted across the room at me in a placed called Jerusalem Township, Ohio, where the annual Lucas County Township Trustees banquet was being held, their annual dinner. I was walking across the room, and I heard a voice say, Congresswoman Kaptur, why is there no World War II memorial in Washington where I can take my grandchildren? I remember turning around saying, Who is talking to me? And I saw this man way across the room, and he had a grin on his face. His eyes were twinkling and he had gray hair, and he was standing very sturdily there. There were hundreds of people at this banquet, and they were all paying attention. And I said, Well, sir, I think there is a memorial. He goes, Oh, yeah, what is it? And I said, Well, sir, I think it is Iwo Jima. And he said to me, Wrong. That is to one service in one campaign. Congresswoman, there is no World War II memorial in Washington where I can bring my grandchildren. I walked up to him and then began a very long friendship with Roger Durbin of Berkey, Ohio, population, I think it is about 265. And we began an effort over many, many years to build this memorial. I thought it would be easy. I am told by the historians at the Smithsonian that actually we have achieved the construction of this major memorial in much shorter time than the other memorials, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, and many of the other monuments in this city. This one is particularly significant in its placement and its meaning. I felt we could have gotten it completed by the 50th anniversary of allied victory, which would have been 1995. But by 1995 we had only achieved the passage of two related bills to create the memorial and to fund the first several million dollars of architectural and engineering plans through the sale of memorial coins. And I want to thank President George Herbert Walker Bush who signed the first bill for the memorial and President Bill Clinton who signed the second bill after three separate Congresses had labored to pass those pieces of legislation, and it was not easy. There were many delays. There were many questions during that early period. And I want to place on the record this evening my deep appreciation to Congressman Sonny Montgomery of Mississippi who is retired now, but who helped us so much; Congressman Bob Stump of Arizona, who unfortunately passed recently. I also want to thank Congressman Bill Clay of Missouri, who has retired now; Congressman Henry Gonzales of Texas, who has passed. His son serves here from Texas, San Antonio. I want to thank Congressman Esteban Torres, who helped us a great deal on the banking committee in those days, helped pass those coin bills. And also from the other body, I want to thank Senator John Glenn, now retired; and Senator Strom Thurmond, who has passed. There were so many people, so many people who helped us, as we struggled up hill to get the 218 signatures on both sides of the aisle; and we did try to make it a bipartisan effort. And I also want to thank all of those people in the agencies, in the American Battle Monuments Commission, the Department of Interior, Park Service, those who helped us move the idea to the point where we can now present to the Nation. Being a Buckeye from the State of Ohio, we are particularly proud that this idea was Buckeye-born and Buckeye-led. And in about a week and a half it will be turned to the Nation for history. Now, Mr. Durbin never said to me, I want this for our generation. He only said, he said he wanted it for his grandchildren so he could bring them to a place and show them the causes for which he had fought, and what he and his wife, Mary, and what their lives had been about. I thought it was very coincidental, and I said a little bit earlier today, somewhat providential that when the plaza at the memorial was opened a few weeks ago, the very first group through was an Ohio group of students from Jones Junior High School in Toledo, Ohio. They were there early in the morning, and the NBC camera crew with Tim Russert was down there on the site. That was totally unplanned. And I felt Roger's hand in all of that because he would always go out to the children as we were trying to raise money for the memorial, and we would talk to them at the schools, and they would collect pennies, and they would help contribute dollars to this memorial. It has been so heartwarming to see the children of America appreciate what their great grandparents did; and that the real strength of this country is in our families, in our memories and what we bring here and we try to have into the fabric of America for the present and for the future; and surely this memorial does that. There is a section of this book by Mr. Mills that says the following: ``At the graveside of Roger Durbin that he had chosen for himself and his wife at Wolfinger Cemetery just a few miles from their home, Mr. Durbin would however leave behind a reminder of how he wanted to be remembered and how so much of what he did in the last decade of his life depended on memories that nothing could change. There at the Durbin graveside chiseled on a blue granite tombstone would be list rank, Tech 4 U.S. Army, his birth and death dates, April 18, 1920 to February 2, 2000; and the distinct lightening bolt and tank tread insignia of the Tenth Armored Tiger Division.'' I can remember back in 1995, Veterans Day, when Roger and I stood on the site where the memorial will be dedicated and we broke ground. And we literally dedicated that site initially, and soil was brought from 16 U.S. cemeteries around the world plus Arlington and placed there. And a flag at that the time was hoisted and was ultimately folded, and President Clinton then presented the flag to Roger Durbin. And Roger turned from the crowd and he began to weep. And he said to his wife, Marion, Marion, I want to be buried with this flag. And I can tell you for history's sake that Roger was buried with that flag in the year 2000. He had wanted nothing more than to be with us this coming Memorial Day weekend to see this actually happen and to see this dream come true for all of America's grandchildren. But he somehow knew at the end that he would not make it until this point. He called me over to his house about 2 weeks before his death in the year of 2000, and he had a rendition of the memorial above his fireplace. He said, Marcy, come here. I want to show you something. He took me to another room, and he was suffering from pancreatic cancer at that time. And he took me into his private room and he showed me all the furniture that he and his wife, Marion, had inherited from their parents and grandparents, beautiful cherry furniture. Then he pulled from under the bed a big box. It was kind of like a foot locker, and he opened it up and he took out this scrapbook. He said, Marcy, I want you to know about this in case something happens. And I said, Roger, what is that exactly? I started paging through a carefully kept diary, page by page in see-through pages, plastic pages where each letter, each bill, each news story, each letter was catalogued and documented. He was a letter carrier after coming home from the service, and it was meticulously kept. And I know what a treasury those scrapbooks are to the Nation. They really belong in the National Archives. But Roger did not want them to go astray or be misfiled or mishandled in any way. But what a patriot. And what a citizen. He understood the importance of history and of marking history and of explaining history. And he is someone whose education was stolen from him. He could have had a Ph.D., yet he was called off to war and he had to interrupt his life when he came back. Obviously, there were adjustment issues as any battle- scarred veteran well knows, but he did all of this. This construction of the memorial became a last calling for him in the last years of his life. And I just feel so privileged as a member of the baby boom generation, knowing the history of our family and all of the people from our country knowing the sacrifices that they have made, to have been a part of this, to have been able to be a real representative which is the way that our government should work, to take this idea from the people, to bring it here, and to make it happen and to give it to the future. When we think about the World War II generation and that war, its causes, a world that politically could no longer hold, an extremism rising from the chaos that World War I had bequeathed to the future, and no group of political leaders internationally able enough to put the pieces back together. And then this horrendous war in which 70 million military participated from all of the allied nations and 17 million people died, 17 million; 406,000 people from our country died. At this memorial there is a wall of remembrance with gold stars representing each 100 that died. And when you look at the wall, those stars are then reflected in the fountain and pool. In essence, you see a reflection so each star really represents every 50 that died. And over 800,000 injured just in this country. Then when you think of those that perished globally, over 50 million people died. Historians are just beginning to tell us that inside the Soviet Union under the horrendous dictatorship of Joseph Stalin, 50 million people died just there. So I think that the numbers will increase as history begins to accurately count as well as it can what happened. But any member of the World War II generation coming from that carnage tried to create a world different than the one that they had lived. And I guess it is not surprising then that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was set up, NATO, and became the most important military and strategic alliance globally, where the allied nations bound together in a real partnership and tried to keep the peace. And the major challenge that they faced after World War II was the Soviet Union under a very communist regime for many decades, which at the end of 50 years finally collapsed without a shot being fired because of the strength of NATO and their understanding of containment and of allied unity. That was something that Mr. Durbin's generation gave to us; and then following World War II, unlike World War I, the Marshall Plan and George Marshall coming before a university audience and in a 12-minute speech, not a 25-minute or hour speech, a 12-minute speech declaring that there would be a Marshall Plan to rebuild the vanquished nations, unlike after World War I when the vanquished nations were left to fall and, from within that chaos, these extremist governments rising. So the Marshall Plan. Then the importance of allied unity, a real alliance, a transatlantic alliance that has held until the present day, our great friends in Germany, in France, in all of Western Europe and the broadened alliance with the new nations, newly freed nations, Hungary, Poland and so forth. Then the United Nations. Not a perfect creation, but a place where dialogue could occur in order that the carnage that Mr. Durbin and the World War II generation faced just might not happen again, trying to build the creation of the World Bank, world institutions to handle currency exchanges. They tried so hard to shape institutions so that what they had suffered would not be foisted on the world again. We have so much to learn from them. So a week and a half from now, when we dedicate this memorial to the World War II generation and to all they built abroad and at home, we have so much to learn. We think about the post-World War II era when they came back home and the GI bill created the financing for home ownership, and ordinary families were able to, for the first time, really own a piece of the rock; and in 1952, President Harry Truman integrating the military in deep appreciation to those citizens of color who had fought two wars during those World War II war years. They fought the military battle, but then they fought the social battle, the civil rights battle, to gain full recognition and full appreciation for their service to our country, which President Truman then finally acknowledged. Women's rights growing out of the victory of World War II, women working in the plants, displacing those men who had been called to service, and women working outside the home becoming nationally accepted behavior, very different from before World War II. Women in the service, as well as women in the nursing corps, helping to establish a platform for themselves and be accepted in the world of employment in the way that they had never been before. In Mr. Mills' book, in the very last chapter, and I would just like to end by reading this this evening, he says: ``For an America that in the wake of the September 11 attacks has felt threatened to a degree unknown in this country since the bombing of Pearl Harbor, such homage is more than just a final tribute to a parting generation. It is also an act of self-preservation, a way of reminding ourselves of our ability as a Nation to come together in a crisis and, by extension, a way of linking ourselves with a generation that dealt successfully with years of crisis. `Earn it,' says a dying John Miller, the Army captain played by Tom Hanks in ``Saving Private Ryan,'' to the young Private Ryan, whom he and his squad have found at great cost to themselves so that Ryan may leave the war and return to his mother, who has already lost three sons in battle.'' ``Earn it,'' he says. Fifty-nine years later, the National World War II Memorial has become one more way of ``earning it,'' of acknowledging all that has been made possible by the sacrifices of the World War II generation. And on Memorial Day and the May 29 weekend, and in a ceremony to be held this Thursday here in the Capitol in Statuary Hall, there will be two handmade United States flags that have been made in the State of Ohio in our home district, the 9th Congressional District, and the headers on those flags read as follows: Made in Lucas County, Ohio, U.S.A. A grateful Nation remembers. We have the letters of the two public laws that were passed in order to make the memorial a reality, and then there is the ruptured duck logo that every World War II veteran received upon discharge. The threads in the 17th star on that flag include threads from the sewing basket of Marian Durbin, the wife of Roger Durbin, as well as from our family, as well as from the home post of Roger Durbin, the Dean Post in Lucas County, Ohio, as well as from many of the women in the Embroidery Club of Northwest Ohio, whose parents participated in the war. That 17th star, because it is the Ohio star, is embossed just a bit, all according to regulation. One of the flags, upon completion and having been flown over every county in the 9th District, was flown around the world to every cemetery where we have U.S. troops buried or commemorated as missing in action. The very last stop was Manila, Philippines, before it was brought back home here to Arlington and flown, and it will be here in the Capitol for this Thursday's ceremony. The other flag remained stateside and worked its way to the Ohio State capitol and was flown over the capitol, and now has been brought here to the Nation's Capitol for official hoisting this Thursday. When we do this, one of the flags will be flown in honor of our World War II veterans who are still serving in this Congress, including the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), whose seniority numbers one here in the House; the gentleman from New York (Mr. Houghton); the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde); the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall); the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula); and I believe the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis). So we pay tribute to those among us, as well as to those who have passed in service to our Nation. We remember them all, and we thank all the World War II veterans. We thank Senator Bob Dole who has chaired the fund-raising committee for this memorial, for championing these efforts so that the funds were raised privately. It is so important to remember that of all of the contributions, nearly $190 million has been raised mainly from private contributions, from individuals, from school children, from fraternal organizations, from veterans organizations. Our States have contributed dollars to the construction of the memorial, many private companies, many small businesses. I think in the State of Ohio the largest association that made a contribution were funeral directors, the Funeral Directors Association of the State of Ohio. Across our country, including school children, thousands and thousands and thousands of children have made this memorial possible, and there can be no finer tribute to America's most unselfish and greatest generation than the love and remembrance of those grandchildren.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, today the United States Department of Commerce announced a record U.S. trade deficit of over $46 billion for just the month of March as imports coming into our country swamped our exports going out. That means more good U.S. jobs are being off-shored to China, to India, to Latin America, jobs everywhere but here in the United States. Since this President took office, 2,740,000 more people in this country have lost their jobs; and we have record trade deficits, as these numbers indicate today, record budget deficits, unemployment, people who cannot get unemployment benefits, and soaring gas prices at the pump. It sounds to me like we are trading away America's economic independence. This chart describes the trade deficits keep growing year after year after year as we keep losing our good jobs. This year it is projected over one-half trillion dollars in trade deficit. The numbers today confirm this. One of the interesting aspects of the numbers today is the trade deficit related to petroleum, imported petroleum, which has grown by $1.3 billion more imports into our country since February, with rising prices. In fact, the new record trade deficit increased by one-third due to our trade deficit related to petroleum. Every time an American goes to the gas pump and spends one dollar, 54.5 cents goes out of this country. Saudi Arabia gets 7.5 cents, Mexico gets about 6.5 cents, Canada gets 6.5 cents, Venezuela 6.25 cents, Iraq gets nearly 5 cents, and a penny goes to Kuwait. Over years and months, this totals billions of dollars of wealth draining out of this economy. Today, our trade deficit for petroleum is over $12.5 billion a month. Imagine if we were investing those dollars in ourselves here at home in new energy industries, which we are not. Becoming energy independent at home could yield the strongest impetus to job creation that this Nation has seen since we began to move to launch a Moon shot nearly 40 years ago. This evening, I would like to insert into the Record an excellent editorial done by Paul Craig Roberts entitled ``Disaster Lurks in April Jobs Numbers.'' He says there is no good news in the April payroll data because disaster lurks in the job numbers. The U.S. Labor Department is becoming Third World in character. He says the troubling pattern is that despite a massive trade deficit that pours $500 billion of our money into foreign pockets, the U.S. economy cannot create jobs in the export or import competitive sectors. The U.S. economy is creating domestic service jobs only, and that cannot create real wealth. The 280,000 private sector jobs created in April break out as follows: over half were in temporary work. As the prior Special Order had to do with health insurance, believe me, there are no health benefits associated with temporary work. There were 34,000 American hired, but as waitresses and bartenders, lucky to make the minimum wage and lucky if they have any health insurance at all. Since January 2001, the United States has lost nearly 3 million jobs. We can tick them off, and we will submit them for the record: in wood products, 50,000 lost jobs; in computer and electronic products, which was supposed to save us, over 536,000 jobs; in transportation equipment, similar losses; in petroleum and coal products, another 10,000 more lost jobs. And the service jobs that are partly trying to replace them simply cannot replace the hundreds and hundreds of thousands of jobs lost in tradeable services, including telecommunications, computer services, bookkeeping, architecture, and engineering. This leaves the U.S. economy with 2.2 million fewer private sector jobs at the end of April, this year than existed 3 years ago. Once free trade was a reasoned policy, hopefully based on sound analysis. But today it is an ideology that hides labor arbitrage. Because of the low cost of foreign labor, U.S. firms produce offshore for U.S. customers, bring their products in here, and then wipe out U.S. jobs. Where does this leave Americans? It leaves them in the lowest paid domestic service jobs. Mr. Speaker, these types of trade deficits are sapping America's wealth and our strength. It is time to change the policies, starting here in Washington, D.C., and begin to move free trade into fair trade, or the American people are going to continue to suffer the hemorrhage of wealth and jobs out of this society. So, here we go again. Sometimes it feels like a broken record. The administration touts trade deals. The president negotiates more deals in secret. The Congress gets an up or down vote. The agreement goes into effect. Trade surpluses turn to deficits. More good jobs are lost. Small deficits reach record deficits. When are we going to learn? The American people have learned and, unfortunately, they are paying the price. Since this President took office, 2.74 million people have lost their jobs. Not many of those are corporate executives. When THEY go, they go with massive severance packages. What are we giving to America's working families? Record trade deficits, budget deficits, unemployment and soaring prices at the gas pumps. That does not sound like a fair trade. Sounds like we are trading away our economic independence. Let's just take a look at three of our trading partners. Before NAFTA we had a trade surplus with Mexico and a small deficit with Canada. After the signing of NAFTA, companies skipped town from U.S. cities to exploit the workers across the border. Who wins? Not the working families of the U.S. with little hope for the future. Not the families forced off their land in Mexico only to crowd into the cities and maquiladora zone. In fact, companies are skipping right over the Mexican workshops for the next lowest common denominator--China. Boy did we hear great promises about the Chinese marketplace and its one billion consumers. Strangely enough, the most recent trade statistics put China's trade deficit for one month at over $10 billion. That is just for one month. What is the administration doing to shore up our economic security? Are they pursuing limits on China's manipulation of currency? No. Are they willing to stand up for workers in the U.S. and China by officially pressing the government of China to address atrocious workplace conditions? No. They have grand plans of talking to the Chinese. All of that talking has taken us to record setting deficits. That is not what most Americans would call a plan for economic independence. When it comes to oil, there is not much of a difference--unless you count the media reports that the Saudis have promised to lower the price of oil in time for the elections. Are we going to stake our energy independence on the whims of the Saudis? Does not sound like a good idea to me. The Department of Commerce today issued a release that announced ``The deficit increased $3.8 billion from February to $46 billion in March as imports increased more than exports.'' Fairly typical jargon from this Administration. What they fail, and I repeat fail to mention is that the trade deficit related to petroleum has grown by $1.3 billion since February. The new record trade deficit increased by one third due to our trade deficit related to petroleum. Let me repeat myself because this is the key, the new record trade deficit increased by one third due to our trade deficit related to petroleum. That is $1.3 billion more that was drained out of our nation and sent to the nations of OPEC. The $5.6 billion trade deficit with oil-producing countries, including Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, is the highest on record. For every dollar that an American spends at the gas pump 54.49 cents goes out of the country, Saudi Arabia gets 7.35 cents of that dollar, Mexico 6.57 cents, Canada 6.52 cents, Venezuela 6.26 cents, Iraq 4.96 cents, and 1.03 cents go to Kuwait. Today our trade deficit for petroleum is over $12.5 billion a month. That is an increase of over $1.3 billion from the previous month. The average price of imported crude oil rose to $30.64 a barrel in March, the highest since February 1983, today the price of crude peaked at $40.92, this is only 23 cents less than the all time record. The United States annually consumes roughly 7,171,885,000 barrels of petroleum. (164 billion gallons of vehicle fuels and 5.6 billion gallons of heating oil) In 2001, 55.4 percent of these fuels were imported, part of a total $358.2 billion trade deficit with the rest of the world. Since 1983, the United States importation of petroleum and its derivatives has nearly quadrupled, rising from 1.21 billion barrels in 1983 to 4.65 billion barrels in 2003. In 2003 the total deficit for trade of petroleum between the United States and the rest of the world totaled $120.5 billion. Our total trade deficit for 2003 was only $489.9 billion. That means if we as a nation were energy independent we would cut our trade deficit by one quarter annually. If we were truly energy independent it would mean we would have the creation of jobs, be a step closer to a trade surplus, real urban revitalization and rural development, and wealth being generated right here at home as opposed to increasingly exporting our jobs, capital and wealth. Becoming energy independent here at home would yield the strongest job creation this Nation has experienced since we landed a man on the moon. Just focusing more effort in agricultural fuels production would produce growing economic security here at home. Continued dependence upon imported sources of oil means our Nation is strategically vulnerable to disruptions in our oil supply. Renewable biofuels domestically produced directly replace imported oil. Increased use of renewable biofuels would result in significant economic benefits to rural and urban areas and also reduce the trade deficit. According to the Department of Agriculture, a sustained annual market of 100 million gallons of biodiesel alone would result in $170 million in increased income to farmers. Farmer-owned biofuels production has already resulted in improved income for farmers, as evidenced by the experience with State-supported rural development efforts in Minnesota where prices to corn producers have been increased by $1.00 per bushel. Biofuels hold the potential to address our dependence on foreign energy sources immediately. With agricultural surpluses, commodity prices have reached record lows; concurrently world petroleum prices have reached record highs and are expected to continue rising as global petroleum reserves are drawn down over the next 25 years. It also is clear that economic conditions are favorable to utilize domestic surpluses of biobased oils to enhance the Nation's energy security. In the short term, biofuels can supply at least one-fifth of current United States fuel demand using existing technologies and capabilities. Additional plant research, newer processing and distribution technologies, and placing additional acres under cultivation can yield even greater results. Biofuels can be used with existing petroleum infrastructure and conventional equipment. The use of grain-based ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions from 35 to 46 percent compared with conventional gasoline. Biomass ethanol provides an even greater reduction. The American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago credits ethanol-blended reformulated gasoline with reducing smog-forming emissions by 25 percent since 1990. Ethanol reduces tailpipe carbon monoxide emissions by as much as 30 percent. Ethanol reduces exhaust volatile organic compounds emissions by 12 percent. Ethanol reduces toxic emissions by 30 percent. Ethanol reduces particulate emissions, especially fine-particulates that pose a health threat to children, senior citizens, and those with respiratory ailments. Biodiesel contains no sulfur of aromatics associated with air pollution. The use of biodiesel provides a 78.5 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to petroleum diesel and when burned in a conventional engine provides a substantial reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter. Mr. Speaker, I submit herewith for the Record the article I referred to earlier: Disaster Lurks In April Jobs Numbers (By Paul Craig Roberts) There is no good news in the April payroll data released last Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Disaster lurks in the jobs numbers: the U.S. labor market is becoming Third World in character. The April jobs data show a continuation of the troubling pattern established in recent years. Despite a massive trade deficit that pours $500 billion annually into foreign hands, the U.S. economy cannot create jobs in the export or import- competitive sectors of the economy. The U.S. economy can only create jobs in non-tradable domestic services-jobs that cannot be located offshore or performed by foreigners via the Internet. The 280,000 private sector jobs created in April break out as follows: 104,000 were hired as temps and in administrative and waste services, 34,000 were hired as waitresses and bartenders, 30,000 were hired in health care and social assistance, 29,000 in wholesale and retail trade, 21,000 in manufacturing (half of which are in fabricated metal products), 20,000 plumbers, electricians and specialty contractors, 10,000 hired by membership associations, 10,000 in legal, architectural and engineering services, 8,000 in management and technical consulting, and 4,000 in real estate. The vast majority of these jobs do not require a college degree. One can only wonder what will become of the June graduating class. Since January 2001, the U.S. has lost 2.7 million manufacturing jobs. Job loss by sector: wood products 50,000, nonmetallic mineral products, 61,000, primary metals, 145,000, fabricated metal products, 272,000, machinery 300,000, computer and electronic products, 536,000, electrical equipment and appliances 136,000, transportation equipment 209,000, furniture and related products 97,000, misc. manufacturing 79,000, food manufacturing 53,000, beverages and tobacco products 13,000, textile mills 128,000, textile product mills 33,000, apparel 172,000, leather and allied products 18,000, paper and paper products 90,000, printing and related support activities 137,000, petroleum and coal products 10,000, chemicals 79,000, plastics and rubber products 125,000. Since January 2001, financial activities created 247,000 jobs, and nontradable domestic services (education services, healthcare and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, and membership associations) created 2,026,000 jobs. These service jobs were offset by 302,000 lost jobs in retail, 261,000 lost jobs in transport and warehousing, 124,000 lost jobs in management of enterprises, and 1,222,000 lost jobs in tradable services such as telecommunications, ISPs, search portals, and data processing, accounting and bookkeeping, architecture and engineering, computer systems design, and business support services. That leaves a net increase of 488,000 jobs in domestic services created during the past 3 and one quarter years. Offsetting these jobs with 2.7 million lost manufacturing jobs, leaves the U.S. economy with 2.2 million fewer private sector jobs at the end of April 2004 than existed in January 2001. Once free trade was a reasoned policy based in sound analysis. Today it is an ideology that hides labor arbitrage. Because of the low cost of foreign labor, U.S. firms product offshore for their U.S. customers. The high speed Internet permits people from all over the world to compete against Americans for knowledge jobs in the U.S. Consequently, the ``New Economy'' is being outsourced even faster than the old manufacturing economy. Where does this leave Americans? It leaves them in low-pay domestic services. As the BLS 10-year job forecast made clear, 7 of the 10 areas that are forecast to create the most jobs do not require any university education--definitely not the picture of a high-tech economy. Why then will Americans attend universities? Will Wal-Mart require an MBA to stock its shelves? Will nursing homes want their patients bathed by engineers? Obviously, education and retraining are not answers to job loss from US employers substituting foreign labor for American labor. One does not have to be an economic genius to understand what is happening. Capital is most productive where labor is most abundant, and labor is most productive where capital is most abundant. Thus, we see US capital flowing to Asia where labor is cheapest, and Asian labor flowing via the Internet to the US where capital is abundant. US labor loses both ways. Products Americans used to make are now made offshore, and the Internet lets foreigners compete against Americans in the US labor market. An engineer in Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, or Los Angeles cannot compete with an Internet hire in India, China, or Eastern Europe, because the cost of living in the US is much higher. The Boston engineer cannot work for the Indian salary, because his mortgage debt and grocery prices will not adjust downward with the salary. The man in the street has no difficulty comprehending this simple fact, but for ideologues, free trade is a virtue-- regardless of the harm done to American labor and the US economy.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, let me just say that the gentleman from Illinois is a combat veteran. I am not. I have many in my family who have been, including those who served in World War II. I have the highest respect for the gentleman from Illinois. If anyone represents perseverance and honesty and integrity in this institution, it is he. It is my privilege to serve with him.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio very much for yielding time and am pleased to join with him, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) and all the other Members of this body who have sponsored this wonderful resolution to officially now recognize the contributions of the American people to the victory of liberty over tyranny in World War II. Of course, there will be major Memorial Day celebrations in our country on May 29, indeed the entire week prior, and during that weekend to especially commemorate this Memorial's dedication. I come to the floor this evening to pay honor and tribute to the 16 million Americans who literally bequeathed freedom to us, as well as to all those who served on the home front. If you go down to the memorial today, which has taken 17 years to complete, it is really very poignant to talk to family members who are strolling through the plaza. I met a family last week, a son pushing his father, a World War II veteran, in a wheelchair. All the memories and all of the history come rushing at us. This idea began in 1987 in a place called Jerusalem Township, in the Trustees hall, at the Annual Lucas Township Trustees' fish fry when a wonderful veteran by the name of Roger Durbin approached me. Actually, he shouted at me across the room and said, ``Congresswoman Kaptur, Why is there no World War II memorial in Washington, D.C. where I can bring my grandchildren so they understand the reasons that we fought and how the world was changed? From that moment until May 29, now nearly two decades later, every effort was put forward to properly represent the enormous contribution of the 20th century in bequeathing freedom to the next generation. This memorial will sit between the Washington Monument, representing the founding of our Republic in the 18th century, and the Lincoln Memorial, representing the preservation of the Union in the 19th. This sits between them is a beautiful, reflective, peaceful expression, including waterfalls and 4,000 stars, each representing 100 of those who lost their lives for us and for the cause of freedom. As the tourists have begun coming through, now they tell me at the rate of 5,000 per day, it will be one of the most visited memorials. It is also the most important memorial in our nation's Capital representing the 20th century's most profound achievement. It is located where it belongs, right there on our Mall of Democracy. And so we prepare for these great patriotic celebrations. Our deepest regret as we celebrate this moment is that so many of those who fought and those who served on the homefront will not be there with us. I also know that every single veteran or their family members who will come here on May 29 will first think not of themselves but of their comrades and their family members and their friends who are not here, and who will not be able to be here. I just want the American people to know that as we pass this resolution today, I want to acknowledge the presence in our Chamber today of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), both involved in the Committee on Veterans' Affairs from the very beginning of our service here. I want to acknowledge Congressman Sonny Montgomery and Congressman Bob Stump. Bob has passed. Sonny I know will be with us. Both were key chairs of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs when we passed the two key parts of legislation that made this memorial possible. It took 10 Congresses to get this job done, two decades to get this job done right. Other members who helped in their capacities as committee chairs were Bill Clay of Missouri who is retired, Henry Gonzalez of Texas who has passed, and Esteban Torres of California, who assisted us on the bill related to the coinage, that is, the minting of three coins that raised the initial $7 million to help us begin the architectural and engineering studies. Speaker Jim Wright and Congressman Jack Brooks, both war veterans themselves when we first introduced this legislation back during the 1980s. And in the other body Senators John Glenn, now retired, and Senator Strom Thurmond who has passed, and of course Senators Bob Dole and John Warner. All of these individuals were a part of those early years. Let me mention also Congressman John Grotberg of Illinois, who preceded the current Speaker in this institution, and was so important in helping us bridge the partisan line here to expedite these bills' passage. To his wife and to his family, I wish to assure that he is mentioned respectfully in our proceedings here today. I also wanted to mention to all veterans who may be listening, and to their families, that as part of this memorial, in fact right adjacent to it, there is going to be in perpetuity, run by our Department of Interior, a veterans' legacy section where you can place the name of your loved one, whether they served in battle or here on the home front. So families can take that information and help record for history of what their loved one did doing World War II. When you enter the site, there is a facility being operated by the Department of Interior with three computer terminals now where families of our country can tell the whole story of America's participation. This has taken a long time. But we look forward to the moment on May 29 when this entire Nation will say ``Our thank you to the most unselfish generation in American history . . . a grateful Nation remembers.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the achievements of a woman of our community as she prepares to retire from professional life. Jan McBride has spent a career in the service of health care delivery, and her imprimatur is throughout our region of Northwest Ohio. Starting as a pediatric nurse, Jan McBride rose through the ranks of Toledo Hospital and its parent ProMedica Health System, and has been the President of Toledo Children's Hospital since 1998. A balance of compassion and business acumen has marked her tenure in the corporate structure. An engaging leader, Jan McBride has developed many people while moving the Toledo Hospital and ProMedica Health System forward. Even while pursuing an extensive corporate schedule, Jan McBride has never neglected her civic responsibilities as a community citizen. She has gone ``above and beyond'' in her commitment to a variety of health, community, and business concerns, serving as an active officer of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's NW Ohio Chapter, the Hospital Council of NW Ohio, Junior Achievement of NW Ohio, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Lucas County ARC (Association of Retarded Citizens), the National Youth Sports Program, the Neighborhood Health Association, Ohio Children's Hospital Association, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Rotary Club of Toledo, United Way of Greater Toledo, the University of Toledo Alumni Association, and the Zonta Club of Toledo. Her efforts have earned her awards of recognition including the Tribute to Women in Industry, Women in Communication, Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity, and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation honoree. For forty years, Jan McBride has given of herself to her career and the causes in which she believes. She leaves our community richer, stronger, healthier, and kinder. I know my colleagues join me in wishing Jan McBride well as she writes new chapters in her book of life. Onward!

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, Jerusalem Baptist Church in Toledo, Ohio will bid a fond farewell to its revered patriarch, Reverend Harry Crenshaw. With the coming of spring, Reverend Crenshaw retires as pastor of the church after a lifetime of service to his flock and that of the larger Toledo community. Truly a community leader, long recognized as the voice of the church, Reverend Crenshaw has been a mainstay of the Jerusalem congregation and its neighborhood for decades. He is a man for others. ``Blessed is the may that walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits at the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the Law of the Lord; and in His law does he meditate both day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of the water, that brings forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he does shall prosper.'' (Psalms, 1:1-3) Within the words of this passage lies Reverend Dr. Harry Crenshaw. A man of God, he lives the Word in thought and deed, and has imparted his love of that Word to generations. Through his strength and wisdom he has provided counsel to thousands. The esteem with which he is held is testament to his prominent role in the lifeblood of the community and the personal lives of the people to whom he ministers. While no one can build a church alone, Jerusalem Baptist Church and its ministry, the Jerusalem Outreach Center, are attributable to the passion and perseverance of Reverend Dr. Crenshaw. His guidance and leadership have been a primary force in the growth of the church and its neighborhood mission, particularly its embrace of our youth. He has come to embody faith and hope for the next generation of our community. Reverend Dr. Crenshaw has earned his rest as he takes his leave from the day-to-day operations of the Jerusalem congregation. Yet, his abiding goodness lives strong in each of us whose lives he has touched. We know he will remain involved in its activities for the church and its works are a part of him. Reverend Dr. Harry Crenshaw's soul will echo on in the buildings' walls and the congregation's hearts for many years to come. He came this far by faith with his beautiful wife, Frances, and he led us all to a more humane and compassionate community and world.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to request that the following letter be inserted in the Record. Congressional Ukrainian Caucus, Washington, DC, March 26, 2004. Hon. Viktor Yanukovych, Prime Minister of Ukraine. Dear Prime Minister Yanukovych: As members of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus and long time supporters of Ukraine's independence and economic growth, we are writing to express our concern regarding an investment issue that involves U.S. taxpayer funds. The Congress established the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) as a private equity fund to invest in small- and medium-sized private enterprises in Ukraine (Moldova and Belarus) in 1994. WNISEF was capitalized initially with $150 million by the U.S. Government, with the key aspect of spurring foreign investment in Ukraine. Since its foundation, the Fund has fulfilled its mission as envisioned by Congress, making cumulative investment commitments of more than $73 million in 22 companies in Ukraine, as well as $3.8 small business loans to 67 Ukrainian small businesses. The Fund has attracted additional capital to these businesses of well over the amount it has invested itself. However, these accomplishments are now at risk of being overshadowed by an investment dispute that threatens Ukraine's foreign investment reputation and U.S.-Ukrainian economic relations. WNISEF recently filed an arbitration case against Ukraine arising out of Ukraine's violation of the Fund's rights under the U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). it is a disturbing investment issue implicating the fundamental value of rule of law, contract and treaty obligation enforcement. The case involves a WNISEF loan to the Ukrainian company, Sonola JSC (Kirovohrad). After Sonola defaulted on payments of the loan, WNISEF sought to collect the loan and, as in accordance with the dispute settlement language of the loan agreement, filed a claim for arbitration with the American Arbitration Association, New York, USA. The arbitrator, and subsequently the New York courts, upheld WNISEF's claim against Sonola of $3.8 million. Unfortunately, WNISEF has been unable to enforce the international arbitration award in Ukraine's courts--twice filing a petition for recognition and enforcement of the award to the Kirovohrad Oblast Court of Appeal during 2001-2002. The Supreme Court of Ukraine has refused the Fund's appeal, casting doubts as to the fulfillment by Ukraine of its obligations under international agreements. WNISEF has now been forced to file an action against Ukraine to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (Washington, D.C.), alleging that the actions of the Ukrainian judiciary have violated international law, including Ukraine's obligations under two important international agreements to which Ukraine is party. We would like to ensure that the Fund is treated fairly under the terms of the U.S.-Ukraine Bilateral Investment Treaty. If WNISEF is not provided basic protection under Ukrainian law, how can other potential foreign investors have any confidence in Ukraine's foreign investment climate? The Fund has repeatedly expressed its willingness to resolve the dispute by way of negotiations and reaching an amicable agreement. In order to prevent the potential negative effects for Ukraine due to a hearing of this case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, we urge you to facilitate a prompt resolution of this dispute. Reducing investor risk and increasing investor confidence are the keys to attracting additional foreign capital to Ukraine, which will in turn create jobs, modernize factories and bring numerous other benefits to the Ukrainian people. It is our hope that American companies doing business in Ukraine maintain full confidence in the Ukrainian system and continue to contribute to its economic development. A prompt resolution of the WNISEF investment dispute will enhance U.S. confidence in Ukraine's commitment to foreign investment protection. Sincerely, Marcy Kaptur, Co-Chair. Curt Weldon, Co-Chair.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember those who lost their lives and those who are suffering the aftereffects of the world's worst nuclear accident--Chernobyl, April 26, 1986. The suffering extends outside Ukraine's borders to Russia, Belarus and beyond. I ask my colleagues to take a moment to honor those innocent lives that will be forever changed by such a horrific event. I applaud the efforts of the United States Department of Energy, the International Atomic Energy Association, and other donor nations in remediation and containment efforts in Ukraine. Estimates indicate that these projects may last at least 100 years. Our commitment must remain firm. I am including for the Record an article highlighting some of the challenges ahead and devastation many have already faced. [From CBS News, Apr. 26, 2004] Remembering Chernobyl Across the former Soviet Union, people lit candles, laid flowers and held demonstrations Monday to mark the 18th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which spread radiation over much of northern Europe. In all, 7 million people in the former Soviet republics of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine are estimated to suffer physical or psychological effects of radiation related to the April 26, 1986, catastrophe, when reactor No. 4 exploded and caught fire. An area half the size of Italy was contaminated, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to be resettled and ruining some of Europe's most fertile agricultural land, the United Nations said. Hundreds of Ukrainians filled the small Chernobyl victims' chapel in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, at 1:23 a.m. Monday (6:23 p.m. Sunday ET), the exact time of the explosion. Later, they laid flowers and lit candles at a small hill where marble plates are inscribed with the names of hundreds of victims. Nearly 1,000 mourners gathered Monday afternoon at Kiev's memorial to Chernobyl victims, a soaring statue of five falling metallic swans. Some placed flowers and photos of deceased relatives at its base. ``Nothing can be compared with a mother's sorrow,'' said Praskoviya Nezhyvova, an elderly retiree clutching a black- framed photograph of her son, Viktor. She said he died of Chernobyl-related stomach cancer in 1990 at age 44. Volodymyr Diunych, a driver who took members of the hastily recruited and inadequately equipped cleanup crews to the site, recalled watching as residents were evacuated ``in an awful rush'' days after the disaster. Meanwhile, the Soviet Union's traditional May Day celebrations went ahead in Kiev, 80 miles south of Chernobyl, only five days after the accident. Soviet authorities had withheld much information on the world's worst nuclear accident, both from its own people and from the rest of the world. Only last year, Ukraine's security service declassified secret files documenting malfunctions and safety violations at the plant that caused the release of small doses of radiation from time to time long before the explosion. Ukraine shuttered Chernobyl's last working reactor in December 2000, but many problems remain. Ukrainian experts say that the concrete-and-steel shelter that was hastily constructed over the damaged reactor needs urgent repairs, but authorities claim that there are no serious safety threats. Meanwhile, many people injured or displaced because of the explosion complain about inadequate government support. Sergei Shchvetsov, the head of Russia's Chernobyl Union, said that 40,000 people disabled in operations to clean up the blast live in Russia and the ``volume of benefits to which (they) are eligible is narrowing every year,'' the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Greenpeace activists held a small protest outside Russia's Department for the Inspection of Radiation Security, carrying signs that read ``No more Chernobyls.'' Meanwhile, in the Ukrainian town of Slavutych--built to house Chernobyl workers displaced by the accident--people held a solemn memorial meeting early Monday to honor the memory of their relatives, friends and colleagues. The accident occurred after officials put the reactor through a test in which power was reduced and some safety devices were disabled. More than 2.32 million people have been hospitalized in Ukraine as of early 2004 with illnesses blamed on the disaster, including 452,000 children, according to Ukraine's Health Ministry. Ukraine has registered some 4,400 deaths. The most frequently noted Chernobyl-related diseases include thyroid and blood cancer, mental disorders and cancerous growths. The United Nations said in a statement that in some areas of Belarus, thyroid cancer among children has increased more than 100-fold when compared with the period before the accident. Two years ago, the U.N. reported that 200,000 people still live in highly contaminated areas and 4.5 million residents in three countries are receiving financial help--draining national budgets. The explosion and fire at Chernobyl's No. 4 reactor contaminated 23 percent of Belarus, 5 percent of Ukraine and 1.5 percent of Russia, according to the report. It also spewed a radioactive cloud across Europe.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a truly remarkable man, the wonderful and kind Jerry Hynes. Soon to retire after 32 years protecting Capitol Hill, Jerry has graciously served our Capitol Hill Congressional Family. Jerry Hynes was born in 1946 in Furth, Germany, to an American military family. During his childhood, he lived and traveled with his parents to several military bases from Alaska to Germany, finally settling in the Washington, DC area. He served the U.S. Army bravely in Vietnam from 1966 to 1968. He endured some of the fiercest fighting in the conflict, and when he was injured in battle, the U.S. Army awarded him the Purple Heart. In 14 months of military service, he attained the rank of Sergeant and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his heroism. Jerry spent the last 6 months of his service assigned to the Honor Guard at Fort Meade, MD. After his tour of duty ended, he went to college under the Montgomery G.I. Bill studying law enforcement and eventually came to the U.S. Capitol Police in 1972. During his distinguished 32-year career with the Capitol Police, he served many U.S. Presidents and over 3,000 Members of Congress and their staffs. While for most of his career he was assigned to traffic control at the intersection of Washington and C Streets, he has served in many capacities on the Hill. He was selected to be a member of the U.S. Capitol Police Hostage Negotiations Team, studying at the FBI Academy and Prince George's County Police Departments. He was also instrumental in creating and serving on the Capitol Honor Guard. He was elected chairman of the Grievance Advisory Committee to the 1,170 member department, and facilitated the purchase of K-9 dogs from Germany. Jerry has also remained involved in his law enforcement community by being a member of the International Police Association, a friendship organization that promotes cultural exchanges between police officers in various nations. A single parent to 3 children, Jerry was elected PTA President at 3 different schools for 6 consecutive years. In 1999, he married Dr. Alla Hynes. On September 11, while Jerry was at the Capitol protecting Members of Congress and their staffs, his wife, a physician at Washington Hospital Center, took care of the burning and wounded victims of the Pentagon attack while being 8 and 1/2 months pregnant. Two weeks after 911, Alla gave birth to a baby daughter, Stephanie. I am pleased to pay the highest tribute to my friend, and highly respected officer, for his patriotism, accomplishments, and efforts on behalf of all people who work on Capitol Hill. He is retiring at the mandatory age of 57, and we wish him an enjoyable journey on his new path in life. He will be missed greatly by the thousands of Members of Congress, staff, issue advocates and military personnel that he has befriended over his 32-year career with the Capitol Police. Our country has been bettered immeasurably by his dedication and good cheer. Onward!

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, this evening I want to talk about the economy and America's way forward. How do we grow this economy in order that we create the wealth so that our families and our communities can become self-sustaining again, so our cities and our counties are not in debt and our States do not have to pass rising taxes on the citizenry of this Nation because the wealth production in their States is not sufficient to meet all the public needs that our citizenry is requesting? I want to begin with an image. I am fortunate to represent a Great Lakes community that spans the entire southern rim of Lake Erie from Toledo, Ohio through Lorain County on the eastern end. I like to call it the emerald and sapphire district of Ohio, the crown jewels of Ohio. In this region of Ohio because of our work on the environment, we have seen the restoration of our American eagle population. It is a majestic bird. When I first was elected to this Congress we had about two nesting pairs of eagles and now we are over 100. I had the opportunity this weekend to observe some of these magnificent animals and to watch them fly over the lake and to think about America's heritage as an independent Nation. I stood there on the shore and I thought a long while. I come here to the floor this evening because I have a deep concern that America indeed is losing her birthright as an independent nation, as a self-sustaining nation here at home and that we are becoming too wed, as our Founding Fathers warned us, to entangling alliances and relationships abroad that affect our ability to see clearly here at home. I am not an isolationist by any means. I have worked more with foreign nations, almost more than I think any Member of this body. But I am concerned about the innards of this economy and it is as though those beautiful eagles that I watched this weekend had two lead weights on each claw, holding them down, not permitting them to fly and to reach their God-given potential. I want to talk a little bit about that tonight. I want to talk about the trade deficit that is a huge drag on economic growth in our Nation and also our budget deficit and talk a little bit about what this Congress, Republicans and Democrats working together, and the next President of the United States are going to have to do in order that that eagle can fly again and that America can restore the independence that she is losing every day. I have a chart here that shows the crisis we are in that started, oh, back in the mid-1970s, actually. It was not so bad back then because we still had large numbers of jobs in our country producing the kind of wealth that is necessary to lift family wealth and lift the national wealth. But with every succeeding year and every trade agreement that America signed, our trade deficit, the amount of imports coming in here versus what we export abroad, grew worse, until we are now at a level of half a trillion dollars more imports coming in here every year than our exports going out. With every billion dollars of trade deficit, we lose 20,000 more jobs. This hemorrhage has continued and has exponentially grown to a point where we almost wonder how do we get off this downward spiral. During this administration, we literally have had historic job losses totaling nearly 3 million more just in the manufacturing sector, and we see no clear plan on the part of this administration and the leaders of this Congress today to help reverse these trends so that America begins to export more than she imports. In fact, every year the situation has gotten worse. We look at where our trade deficits are growing. They are growing with China, they are growing with Japan, they are growing with Mexico, they are growing with India. In fact, with almost every country in the world, and that economic lifeblood that is being transferred from us elsewhere has not been replaced here at home. The crisis in manufacturing is particularly bad, because manufacturing has long been the key to our economy, whether it was steel and metals or composite materials or automotive or rail cars. In the airline industry, we still have some marginal lead but international competition there, closed markets and managed market strategies are fast pushing our producers to the sidelines. Important industries like electricity, electrical parts, even light bulbs and lighting fixtures. We look at polymers, the automotive industry. So much of the productive abilities of this country have been off-shored. And we see no plan in the President's economic report to try to begin to reverse these trends. Indeed, the jobs and so-called growth package that was passed here a couple of years ago had one major flaw, it did not require investment in this country. And so with the huge tax benefits going to certain investors on Wall Street, they have no obligation to invest those dollars here at home. In fact, there are many, many provisions in the Tax Code today that work against investment in this country. With no manufacturing jobs plan in place, this administration and the leaders of this Congress are working to provide more tax breaks for multinational corporations that ship our jobs abroad. That is hard to believe but it is going on. In fact, their plan includes a large loophole that allows foreign corporations to have foreign workers do most of the work to make a product and still reap a benefit from what is called domestic production in the Tax Code. It includes billions of dollars in new tax breaks for offshore operations of multinational corporations. What are we doing? We may be making certain investors on Wall Street happy because they do not have to invest in the United States. Why do we not reward those small businesses, family businesses, businesses committed to this country, businesses that help support not just jobs but baseball teams in our hometowns? They go to the Rotary, they really form the basis for what we created in the 20th century, the greatest industrial Nation in the world. Rather, what we see happening by this administration is the lack of appointment of a manufacturing job czar for the majority of this first term. Then when they finally came up with somebody that they were going to put over there, an Assistant Commerce Secretary For Manufacturing, they picked someone whose name had to be withdrawn because, in fact, he had announced through his firm not building a major plant in America but building one in Beijing, China. Why does someone not think about what should be done to move dollars toward investment here inside the United States of America? We take a look at the moves by the administration to reclassify jobs in fast food restaurants as manufacturing jobs. Since we cannot reverse these trends with the current economic program on the table, what they are doing is saying, well, if you have a service job and you work in a restaurant, we will classify that as a manufacturing job. It is not really going to change these numbers. America is not going to export more because of that decision. And so we have a real serious situation here where so much of our lifeblood, our national wealth is being drawn off and put in other places. The other big lead weight on the independent eagle that I talked about, the eagle that should be independent, is the growing budget deficit. The economy really cannot take off when you have this kind of overhang of trade deficit but also the other deficit of the budget deficit. During the decade of the 1990s, we had finally moved America to a surplus budget position in every fiscal year. It took a long time to get there but through the decade of the 1990s, this Congress and then the Clinton administration actually did it. But now what has happened? We see both in the unified budget and the on-budget numbers as of August 2002, we had moved to $111 billion in deficit; in the on- budget deficit nearly $300 billion; and in 2003, the number got worse. This year, 2004, they anticipate over a half trillion dollars of deficit. You cannot have an economy grow and maintain this kind of lead weight inside. You say, well, Congresswoman, we could borrow. That is a good thing. My question is, but who are we borrowing from and to whom do we owe this interest? Folks, we do not owe it to ourselves anymore. Indeed, the largest exporter to us, China, is now the largest holder of the U.S. debt. Nearly half of the United States debt that is reaccumulating, we are now at a level of about $7 trillion, we have to borrow from others. Saudi Arabia is one of our biggest lenders. But there is a price, and the price is the interest that we pay those who lend to us. What happened to the old system of postal savings stamps that we had during the Second World War? What happened to real U.S. savings bond drives? They have almost diminished to nothing as we have become more dependent on foreign borrowing. Our American eagle cannot fly without a balanced budget and without balanced trade accounts. Those two lead weights are holding her down. If you take a look what is happening, and this is an interesting chart, this just goes to show how quickly we moved from an annual surplus position, where our accounts were balanced, back in the late nineties. We came out of a huge deficit, and then we moved now into a huge deficit again. This is not what we should be giving to our children and grandchildren. We should be wiser than this. The last chart I would like to show relates to prospects for the future as the per-barrel price of oil rises globally. One of the other drags that made it difficult for the eagle to fly is the increase in oil prices globally, because America is dependent. We are not independent in the use of energy inside this country. Two-thirds of what we use is imported, primarily oil, and those supplies are becoming more expensive, as every American knows when you go to the gas pump. If you look at the current price of $31.39, and it is hovering a little bit over that now, unemployment always follows a rise in fuel prices. If we look historically, going back, you can go back to the early nineties when the per-barrel price was about $37 a barrel and you saw U.S. unemployment rise about half a year later. The same thing happened every single time. Here is back in the late eighties. Oil prices then went up to $21.76 and unemployment ticked up to 7.5 percent. My point is, we now face rising prices at the pump. We know that means more unemployment down the road. So the indicators are that we need to be thinking about how do we as Americans become energy independent here at home? Why should we let these dollars flow offshore? If we put those dollars in our own pocket and created new energy industries here in the United States of America, which our Tax Code could also incentivize, we could begin to move to new biofuels. Rather than $60 billion of our wealth going abroad to other countries, where prices are rising, we could be investing in ethanol, we could be investing in biodiesel; not just a little pittance, but major national programs. We could be investing in photovoltaics, capturing the energy of the sun. NASA and the Department of Energy have wonderful technologies. All of the incentives we had in the Tax Code back in the eighties in order to further the development of those were removed as America became more and more beholden to foreign fuel. We need to think hard about how to help that eagle fly again. Energy independence is not a tangential issue, it is fundamental to this economy recovering. I was thus disappointed to read, and I will include this article for the Record, that the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, Alan Greenspan, said that because America has been experiencing this rise in prices, we have to begin importing more natural gas. He did not say we need to create more jobs here at home through the investment in energy technologies in the United States of America. Quoting the Washington Post, it said, ``Greenspan said a dramatic rise in the recent years in the price of both oil and gas for delivery six years into the future was almost certain to have an impact on the U.S. economy.'' So he is admitting that the job situation is not going to get better, that this will be a drag on economic growth. But then he said the impact was likely to be greater for users of natural gas, because they had no global supply to cushion price increases. He said, ``If North American gas markets are to function with the flexibility exhibited by oil,'' but what flexibility, Mr. Greenspan? We are totally dependent. Saudi Arabia tells us what to do, the OPEC nations tell us what to do. Our eagle cannot fly. She is not independent any more. But he says, ``more extensive access to the vast world reserves of gas is required.'' I disagree. I think we need an administration in place that will make America energy independent in less than 10 years. We have the ability to do it. Right now, we have over $100 billion in oil subsidies largely going to multinational corporations operating far afield from North America. Why do we not turn some of those dollars back to investments here at home? Does any person not believe that if those dollars were brought back here and repatriated, we would not have a vast booming new industry across rural America, across Sun Valley, across Energy Valley, USA, our coal reserves that run from Pennsylvania all the way through Illinois? Do you mean to tell me we cannot figure this out, that we cannot figure out how to make clean fuels in the United States? No, we just became wed to a system that can no longer last. Let somebody else take those oil reserves. The eagle cannot fly, because we are totally dependent on somebody else. So my message this evening is that for America's economy to grow, we need a different set of leaders in this country. We need a set of leaders that will balance America's trade accounts; that will help us export products again, not American jobs; who will amend our trade agreements, whether it is NAFTA, whether it is our agreements with China, so that we begin to have balanced trade; so where markets are closed, we had best open them, or America will remain the dump market of the world. We need to have trade agreements that allow us to create jobs in this country again, not move our jobs offshore. We need balanced trade accounts. Number two, we need to balance the budget. We cannot continue to borrow from foreign interests to move this economy forward, because you have to pay the piper at the end of the road, and that piper is no longer U.S. savings bond holders in this country. That piper is now foreign interests. We are paying hundreds of billions of dollars every year to those very interests, and over half of our deficit is now financed by them. That eagle cannot fly. We have to become self- financing here at home. Thirdly, in terms of energy, it is the major drag on this economy. We need here in Washington leaders who will commit to making America energy independent again, investing in photovoltaics, investing in hydrogen, investing in biofuels, biodiesel, ethanol and new fuels off our farms and fields that we have not even dreamed about yet. We need fuel cells. We need in the coal belt clean coal, far beyond what people have invented in the past. This is all within America's capability. I once read an expression that the greatest room in the world was room for improvement, and that the greatest force in the world is inertia. I hope that in this presidential year we will get to the point where, rather than cutting one another up, the candidates will stand up there in front of the American people and say this is what we intend to do in our first 100 days, this is what we intend to do in the first 6 months and the first year to get this economy moving again. Every American should vote for the candidate, for this body, for the presidency, for the other body, who has the best ideas, because, Mr. Speaker, that eagle, she cannot make it alone. We have to help her. Right now, the burden is too heavy, and this economy cannot take leaps forward without greater vision and greater commitment by the top leaders of this country. Mr. Speaker, I include for the record the two articles I referenced this evening. U.S. Deficit, Rates Could Hurt Globally Uncontrolled U.S. budget deficits would pose a serious threat to global prosperity in the coming years as rising interest rates depress economic growth in the United States and around the world, the International Monetary Fund warned yesterday. The IMF released an analysis that predicted if nothing is done to get control of the soaring U.S. deficits, it would shave global economic output by 4.2 percent by 2020 and reduce U.S. economic growth by 3.7 percent during the same period. IMF economists said much of the adverse impact would occur because of increased borrowing demands in the United States to finance the budget deficit. This would drive up U.S. interest rates and interest rates in other countries as the global supply of available capital is reduced, they said. ``The rest of the world is affected seriously by the U.S. fiscal deficit,'' IMF chief economist Raghuram Rajan told reporters. The IMF's forecast that the U.S. budget deficit will be a significant drag on growth reflected what will occur if there is no improvement in the deficit, which the Bush administration projects will hit $521 billion this year, a record in dollar terms, and show little improvement in coming years. President Bush submitted a budget to Congress this year that projects that he will be able to cut the deficit in half over the next five years, reducing it to a shortfall of $237 billion in 2009. The IMF said if Mr. Bush is able to accomplish such a reduction in the budget deficit, it would significantly lower, but not eliminate the adverse effects from the deficit on U.S. and global economies. It saw a long-run impact from such a budget reduction as reducing global economic output by 2.55 percent, compared with a reduction of 4.2 percent under the worst-case scenario in which the deficit remains at the current record levels. Under the Bush program to reduce the deficit, U.S. economic growth will be depressed by 1.88 percent in the long term, compared with 3.68 percent under the more adverse deficit path. However, the IMF said if the United States decided to pursue more rapid deficit reduction, the adverse drag on growth would be greatly reduced to 1.03 percent in the long term in the United States and 1.47 percent worldwide. ``It would be good if there were stronger measures put in place to contain the deficit and that is what we are looking for,'' Mr. Rajan said. The IMF analysis of the economic impact of the U.S. budget deficits represented the latest in a series of reports in which the 184-nation international lending agency has urged stronger measures to get control of the deficit. The IMF report conceded that the U.S. deficit, which reflected in part the impact of Mr. Bush's tax cuts, was useful in helping the United States and the global economy recover from the adverse effects of a number of shocks such as the 2001 recession, the terrorist attacks and the bursting of the stock market bubble. Interest rates have yet to show significant increases in spite of the large budget deficits. But the IMF said it was only a matter of time before rates did start to rise, reflecting an improving economy, increased demand for credit by businesses and actions by the Federal Reserve to start raising interest rates to keep inflation under control.