Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I could not hear the gentleman. Could he please repeat his objection to including China under the eligible programs for communities in America that will be excluded from coverage?

Ms. KAPTUR. I thank the Chair for reminding me of that. I would like to ask the Chair, does this mean, then, that if a community loses jobs to China, 2,000 people in Salina, Ohio, out of work because Huffy Bicycle moved to China, that that community would not be eligible for Economic Development Administration assistance? Is that the effect of the gentleman's rejection of my request to include this amendment in the bill?

Ms. KAPTUR. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time, and I rise in support of the resolution to withdraw the United States from the World Trade Organization. It had not been my intent to do that today, since I do believe in a world trading regime with strict, enforceable rules that are inclusive of not just capitalists' rights but laborers' rights, environmental protection, and the standards of democracy building that all of us would hope we could aspire to. But today I rise in protest, my vote against WTO will be a protest vote. Because in Ottawa, Ohio, right next door to where I live, Netherlands-based Philips Components also has announced that it will move 1,500 more area jobs to Mexico. The firm is going to take the production lines that exist at this Ottawa plant and transfer it to Mexico over a 3-year period starting now. Work will be moved on making the 25- and 27-inch picture tubes. And the spokesman for Philips, which is based somewhere in the Netherlands, no one seems to be able to find it, we cannot even get a phone call returned, we get a recording when we call the firm in Ohio, a spokesman for Philips declined to give any specifics on the Mexican facility, even what city these goods will be moved to or what the factory is making now. Yesterday's announcement had been dreaded in this Putnam County, Ohio, community. Now, David Thompson, the Philips' spokesman, said, the company maintained that moving production to Mexico was the best alternative for the long-term health of the business, so any counter- proposal for the company to stay had to come from Local 1654, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. But as the newspaper reports this morning, when John Benjamin of that local contacted company representatives several times trying to find what areas they felt needed to be addressed in the contract, they received no response. So today my vote against the U.S. involvement in WTO is a protest vote, and it is standing with the workers of our country who have no rights in this regime. I have tried to get the head of another group of workers in Ohio whose jobs had been moved to China to come and meet with these workers to help these 1,500 people adjust to the world that they are about to face now, and the leader from the other company said he was going through a divorce because life has been so hard for them. They have lost over 2,000 jobs to China. I stand in protest to this regime, which turns its back on the working people of our country. It is absolutely wrong. I rise in support of this resolution.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) for his openness and willingness to work hand and hand with us on this and also express my appreciation on behalf of all of those who suffer. Mr. Chairman, I also want to thank the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) for allowing me this time early on in this particular title. I genuinely appreciate the acceptance of this amendment.

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

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The amendment I am offering today would require the Department of Veterans Affairs by March 30 of next year to report to the Congress on the establishment and operation of their mental illness research, education and clinical centers. In addition, the report would include an accounting of the funds allocated by the Department for these centers and a description of the research activities carried out by these facilities. Let me say that serious mental illness remains one of the most debilitating and costly scourges facing individuals who suffer, their families and friends and our Nation's communities. Among those who suffer are thousands and thousands of veterans. Nearly 2 years ago right outside these doors, Officers Gibson and Chestnut were gunned down just inside this Capitol by a man who suffered from serious mental illness. I asked myself then when would we as a Nation look this set of illnesses squarely in the eye and do what is required to unlock the mysteries that shroud medical understanding and treatment. Importantly, at the direction of this Congress, the Department of Veterans Affairs has now opened eight mental illness research, education and clinical centers across our country. The Department is noted for so many scientific breakthroughs. I just want to also state for the record that three of the centers that currently operate were opened in 1997, three more in 1998, and the last two in 1999. In the 1999 selection process, there were eight applicants and of these, five merited site visits and two were considered outstanding and were approved. But it is estimated that even with the opening of these centers, the Veterans Affairs budget for mental health research has remained flat for a decade and a half. VA mental health research remains disproportionate to the utilization of mental illness treatment services by veterans. In fact, in 1988 only 11 percent of all VA research was dedicated to chronic mental illness, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress syndrome, despite the fact that nearly 25 percent of patients in the system receive mental illness treatment. That is one system where people are actually being treated. The problem is we do not have answers to so many of these serious illnesses, illnesses like schizophrenia, illnesses like bipolar disorder, illnesses that do not go away but are in fact chemical imbalances of the central nervous system. My amendment is an attempt to get the Department of Veterans Affairs to carefully focus on what they are doing to provide this Congress with a better understanding on the mission of each of the centers, their funding as well as their achievements so we can work hand in hand with the Department to help not just find answers for America's veterans but indeed to use the Department of Veterans Affairs to find answers for all those who suffer from these horrendous diseases here in our country. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. My impression, Mr. Chairman, is that the disabled are currently underserved by section 811, and I am sure that the gentleman from New York would agree with me that we are not currently meeting the housing needs of the disabled. I further ask the gentleman from New York (Chairman Walsh) to work with me as we go to conference to improve the overall level funding for section 811.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I will ask for a colloquy with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the distinguished chair of our subcommittee. Mr. Chairman, as the chairman knows, I have an ongoing concern regarding the adequacy of HUD's programs for providing housing for the mentally ill. This year the committee is recommending level funding at $201 million for the Section 8-11 disabled housing program, and this is $9 million below the administration's request. These funds provide housing for both mentally and physically disabled people. The administration's request estimated that 5,454 new housing units for the disabled would be available with this increase in funds. Would the chairman kindly tell me how many new units of housing for the disabled would be available under the committee bill?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman Walsh) very much for his leadership on this issue and so many others.

Ms. KAPTUR. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, as I know the gentleman from New York (Chairman Walsh) is aware, appropriate housing and services for the disabled can vary widely. In the case of some mentally disabled individuals, their needs may simply be a home where they can feel safe without any special physical adaptations. But for those with severe physical disabilities, a home might require significant physical accommodations. The administration's justification for section 811 funds is unfortunately silent on how this continuum of care for the disabled is and will be met. Will the gentleman from New York (Chairman Walsh) agree to assist me in assessing how well HUD is progressing in achieving the goal of providing adequate and appropriate housing for all of America's disabled populations?

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, during debate on this bill, it had been my fervent hope to offer an amendment to help America address her primary strategic vulnerability, and that is our over dependence on imported foreign oil. Nearly two-thirds of the energy that the U.S. uses is imported, most from the Middle Eastern monarchies that comprise OPEC. They yank a chain around our necks at whim. Headlines in my local Ohio newspapers tell the story of gas prices soaring; the New York Times this week reported on rising prices coast to coast, some price hikes among the highest in U.S. history. Yet this bill, which has within its authority the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, does absolutely nothing to remedy the current situation, nor put America on a saner path to the future. I have been urging the Clinton Administration and the leadership of this Congress to release some of the Reserve to help dampen price hikes here at home. At the same time, my amendment would place more emphasis on promoting renewable biofuels by directing the Departments of Interior and Energy to swap some of the current oil reserves and purchase 300,000,000 gallons of ethanol and 100,000,000 million gallons of biodiesel as a boost to a more self-sufficient future for America. [Amendment] Biofuels are competitively priced and hold significant promise as one major solution to move America toward energy self sufficiency. Properly administered, swaps of crude oil from the Reserve can yield funds that can then be directed toward biofuels purchases. Further, with the involvement of the Department of Agriculture the biofuels alternative can be shaped to benefit on-farm storage of biofuel inputs and yield income to rural America at a time when it is in deep recession. Yet, I am being told I cannot offer this amendment Thurs. It has not been made in order. The basic attitude here is more of the same; more of the same. That inertia is not what made America great. Boldness made America great. Using biofuels to plot a path for cleaner and more renewable energy sources is right for America's energy future. It is right for rural America. It is right for the environment. And it is right for America's national security. Sadly, this amendment and others have been muzzled by the leadership of this great institution. But the American people will not stand for inertia. At some point, those who block progress will pay the price. Rising gas prices here at home matter a great deal to the American people. Our efforts to plot a more secure energy future will not be diminished by this blocking tactic on this bill. For this primary reason, it is my intention to oppose the legislation, and use every opportunity on succeeding bills to draw the American people's attention to the do-nothing decisions this bill represents. Amendment Offered by Representative Marcy Kaptur to H.R. 4578, Making Appropriations for the Department of Interior and Related Agencies for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2001 Page 69, Line 10: After ``until expended.'' Add ``Provided, That the Secretary of Energy shall annually acquire and store as part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve 300,000,000 gallons of ethanol and 100,000,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel. Such fuels shall be obtained in exchange for, or purchased with funds realized from the sale of, crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.''

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Well, that was not my understanding, Mr. Chairman, but I would move to strike the last word and would like to submit for the Record articles in The New York Times today and in the Toledo Blade concerning gas prices and enter into a colloquy with the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee. Mr. Chairman, I believe there is a critical need for a comprehensive report on how biofuels, including ethanol and biodiesel, can be more fully incorporated into the strategic fuel reserves of our country. Alternatives such as swaps or sales of a portion of current crude reserves for biofuels should be evaluated with estimates of funds realized to be directed toward biofuels purchase and storage costs. Also, options to encourage on-farm storage of biofuel inputs and related biofuel processing and storage capacity as a ready reserve should be evaluated. Therefore, I would ask the chair and ranking member if they could consider the need for such a report and possibly include language in the conference report on this bill to request such a report from the Departments of Interior, Agriculture and Energy?

Ms. KAPTUR. Yes, Mr. Chairman. What I wanted to do was to introduce the amendment, withdraw it, and then enter into the colloquy as a part of that whole package.

Ms. KAPTUR. Page 69, line 10.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word and, Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. KAPTUR. Reclaiming my time, Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman very much for his openness and leadership on this, and also the chairman of the subcommittee for his fine work on clean coal and other alternative fuels over the past years. Mr. Chairman, the articles I referred to above are as follows: [From the New York Times, June 14, 2000] In Gas Prices, Misery and Mystery costs in midwest exceed $2 a gallon (By Pam Belluck) Chicago, June 13.--Gasoline is so expensive in the Midwest that a retired railroad worker in Cleveland says he had to cancel his annual summer drive to visit his daughter in San Francisco. A volunteer agency that delivers meals to shut-ins in Milwaukee cannot afford to pay its drivers enough to fill their tanks. A florist in Urbana, Ill., is talking about raising what he charges to deliver roses and carnations. And in suburban Chicago, Kathy Stachnik says she now considers putting gas in her blue 1997 Honda Accord an ``evil necessity.'' ``Whenever I stand at the pumps these days, I'm just furious,'' said Ms. Stachnik, 38, as she bought 10 gallons of gas at an Amoco in Arlington Heights for $2.25 a gallon. ``I know that something fishy is going on with these prices.'' Gasoline prices in the Midwest have risen sharply in recent weeks, jumping as much as 50 cents a gallon and far outstripping increases in the rest of the country. In Chicago and Milwaukee, drivers are paying more than $2 a gallon, the first time prices have ever soared that high in the United States, analysts says. In recent days, the federal government has been trying to determine why the prices in the Midwest have risen so steeply. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department met with oil refiners on Monday in Washington. And the Clinton administration and the House Judiciary Committee have asked the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether the increases involve price gouging or collusion. ``We don't have good explanations,'' said Robert Perciasepe, the environmental agency's assistant administrator for air and pollution programs. ``We're not seeing this anywhere else in the country.'' Gas prices increased across the country in the last few weeks as the summer driving season began. Gasoline inventories are being depleted, and new requirements for cleaner burning gasoline became effective on June 1. But the spikes in the Midwest are especially steep. On Friday, the most recent day for which figures are available, the average prices of self-serve regular gasoline in Chicago was $2.13 a gallon, up from $1.37 a gallon in January, according to Trilby Lundberg, an analyst who compiles the Lundberg Survey of gas station prices. By comparison, prices on Long Island averaged $1.67 a gallon last week, up from $1.39 in January. And prices in Los Angeles averaged $1.56 a gallon in June, up from $1.29 in January. Industry representatives say the price increases in the Midwest are a result of several factors. The most significant, they say, is the new federal requirement for cleaner-burning gasoline, known as RFG-2. In the Midwest, unlike in other regions, the additive oil refiners use to make their gasoline comply with the regulations is ethanol. Because ethanol evaporates quickly it requires a special formulation of gasoline, said Edward H. Murphy, general manager for downstream operations at the American Petroleum Institute an industry group. ``It's more difficult to produce that gasoline,'' Mr. Murphy said, ``As a result, production is significantly lower,'' Another factor, industry officials say, was the rupture in March of a Texas pipeline that Midwest refineries depended on for their supply. The pipeline was repaired two weeks later, but it is still operating at only 80 percent capacity. A third factor is a court ruling that the Unocal Corporation can collect royalties on a particular type of cleaner-burning fuel. That has prompted smaller refineries to curtail RFG-2 production to avoid paying royalties to Unocal, industry analysts say. ``In a situation where supplies are tight, and you have relatively inelastic demand for gasoline, the price increase you need that occurs in the market is disproportionately large,'' said Mr. Murphy, who said some refineries are carting in the fuel they need by barge from Nova Scotia or the Gulf states. ``If the price of lemons goes up, you move to limes. If the price of coffee goes up, you move to tea. But with gasoline, consumers don't adjust very quickly in a very short term. Obviously you don't go out and trade in your brand new Ford Excursion for a Toyota Camry.'' Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department acknowledge that all these factors play a role in increasing gas prices somewhat. But they say none is sufficient to account for the precipitous price jumps in cities like Chicago and Milwaukee. ``All of these may have some impact but they don't seem to explain the size of the disparity,'' Mr. Perciasepe said. For example, he said the cost of producing cleaner gasoline with ethanol should lead to only about a 5 cent to 8 cent increase in gas prices. ``Whether people are taking advantage of some of these situations is something that we hope to be able to understand better.'' A senior official at the Energy Department said that although the supply of oil was tight in the Midwest, ``we weren't persuaded by the arguments of the refiners. Generally speaking, all of the large suppliers say they have adequate supplies to serve the demand.'' The official added, ``It has the administration very concerned, obviously,'' Sam Stratman, a spokesman for the House Judiciary Committee and its chairman, Representative Henry J. Hyde, Republican of Illinois, said that oil companies had years to prepare for the increased costs of the RFG-2 regulations. ``This is a complicated issue,'' Mr. Stratman said. ``It deals with issues of supply and demand and regulatory changes mandated by E.P.A., and you wonder, have these changes given oil companies a chance to gouge consumers?'' Of course, Americans still have the lowest gas prices in the world. The Organization of petroleum Exporting Countries, which controls nearly half of the global oil supply, will meet next week to decide on whether to increase production. Although the prices in Chicago and Milwaukee are the highest on record, they are still lower than gas prices were at their peak in March 1981, when the national average price of a gallon of gasoline was $2.67, if adjusted for inflation, Ms. Lundberg said. That is hardly comforting to beleaguered drivers across the Midwest these days. ``It's outrageous,'' said Colleen Posinger, 44, of Streamwood, Ill. ``I'm really upset about the gas prices, because we told our 1-year-old daughter that we'd drive to South Dakota this summer. The vacation was already planned, so I guess we'll just have to take the crunch.'' Others, like Adam Matavovszky, the retired railroad worker in Cleveland, decided they could not afford their vacations. In Milwaukee, Goodwill industries which delivers meals to the elderly and also takes disabled people to workshops and training programs, has been hit by $23,000 in extra fuel costs this year, said Roger Sherman, vice president for human services. He said the organization had asked for emergency assistance from the Milwaukee County Department of Aging and might have to cut back on transportation. ``We are running 150 percent over budget,'' Mr. Sherman said, ``We have not kept up with the rising gasoline prices.''

Ms. KAPTUR. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Ms. KAPTUR. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. I would like to hear the ruling of the Chair.

Ms. KAPTUR. Just so I understand it, if the point of order is upheld, then our amendment could not be offered; is that correct?

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, as I understand the point of order, if at the end of our brief period of discussion the point of order is called, then that means our amendment cannot be offered; is that correct, will not be voted on?

Ms. KAPTUR. I just wanted to make that very clear in the beginning.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, parliamentary inquiry.