Marcy Kaptur

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. KAPTUR asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, it's spring, and that means the gypsy moths are back, hatching by the millions, causing severe damage to trees and our environment, and leaving much debris in their paths. Lucas County is the first urban community in our State to be affected in such a major way by these insects that all migrate down here from Michigan. We must act expeditiously, and neighborhoods must work together to apply safe biological controls in order to protect our trees, homes, businesses, yards, and parks. A local task force has been set up to coordinate help for our region. The gypsy moths will never be eliminated completely, but it can be controlled. Its life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult moth. The female moth lays egg masses in July and August in clusters of up to 1,000. While most eggs are laid on the bark of trees, females also will lay clusters in any sheltered location, including homes, vehicles, firewood, playground equipment, and stones. Egg masses are beige and about the size of a quarter. Larvae (in the form of caterpillars) emerge the following April and May and begin devouring leaves. The caterpillar stage lasts for 10 to 12 weeks. Caterpillars are 1\1/2\ to 2\1/2\ inches long when full grown, with hairlike structures along their length of their body. They are grayish with five pairs of blue spots and six pairs of red spots along their backs. They also have yellow markings on their heads. Oak trees are the favorite food of the gypsy moths, but they also feed on 500 different species of trees and shrubs. And because northwest Ohio is known for its hardwood forests, we are the targets of hungry gypsy moth larvae. The answer is not for individuals to spray their own trees and yards with harmful toxic pesticides. In fact, toxics could do more harm then good when thousands of citizens act independently. Call the Lucus County Agricultural Extension Office at 245-4254 or the Agriculture Business Enhancement Center at 1-800-358-4678 to learn what you can do to control these destructive insects. You can help by getting your local Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops or other community groups to collect signatures to give the State of Ohio permission to spray affected areas with safe biological control agents. This approach can save you money. If you decide to spray your property on your own--which can be expensive--then use only licensed, certified professional firms that have been trained to handle the proper control agents safely and responsibly.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, at a later point I will have something to say about our distinguished colleague, Mr. Hayes of Illinois, with whom I had the great pleasure of serving for many years. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to inquire of families in America that if they this past week bought strawberries in the grocery store and then one of their children became ill from eating those berries, would they be able to find out, as a U.S. consumer, where those berries had been produced and who had processed them? The answer is no, they would not be able to find that information out, when in fact consumers in our country have a right to know where their food is coming from. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a country-of-origin labeling bill on imported fresh fruits and vegetables. I also rise in support of labeling for frozen fruits and vegetables. Our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California, Mr. Sonny Bono, has introduced the Imported Produce Labeling Act of 1997. I am pleased to join him as an original sponsor on that bill, to require all fresh fruits and vegetables to be clearly identified as to their country of origin. With all the pesticides used in other places and the difficulties with border inspection, this is the least we can do for our people. Also, we have written this week to the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Rubin. The Treasury Department has been dragging its feet for well over a year on the labeling of imported frozen items, which of course these particular strawberries, on which hundreds of our people have become ill, were imported berries that were processed and frozen. There is absolutely no reason that as we approach the year 2000 we cannot take better care of the American people. A recent poll showed that nearly 70 percent of our people want to know and favor country-of-origin labeling for both fresh and frozen commodities. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Smith] for giving me the opportunity to place this on the Record. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of country of origin labeling on imported fruits and vegetables--both frozen and fresh. Nearly every consumer product has origin labeling except the produce we eat. Consumers have a right to know where their food is coming from. The use of pesticides in other countries and border inspection practices raise even more questions in the minds of consumers about the quality and health risks of imported fruits and vegetables. I am pleased to be a sponsor of the Imported Produce Labeling Act introduced by our colleague from across the aisle Representative Sonny Bono. This bill strengthens existing law to require all fresh fruits and vegetables to be clearly identified as to their country of origin. This bill simply closes existing loopholes that allow fresh fruits and vegetables to be exempt from country of origin labeling requirements, by requiring that the products themselves--or the bins, display cases or containers holding the commodity--be labeled at the retail level with their country of origin. It is critical that we clearly define the country of origin on all fruits and vegetables coming in this country so that we can effectively trace back bad lots. The press has been full of reports about frozen strawberries with misleading country of origin information which were associated with an outbreak of hepatitis among school children participating in the National School Lunch Program. Commodities purchased for the lunch and breakfast programs are required by statute to be grown in America, unless no domestic product is available. Based on news reports, it appears that the processor may have falsified documentation to make Mexican strawberries appear to be American produce. As a result of this deception, thousands of children are threatened with disease. On April 3, I wrote the Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin to urge him to proceed with the enactment of a final Customs Service Regulation which would clarify the requirements for country of origin labeling for frozen imported produce. Last July, Customs published a proposed regulation clarifying that frozen imported produce be clearly labeled as to country of origin on the front panel of packages, in permanent ink. In its Federal Register notice regarding the proposal, Customs declared that the clarification in policy was necessary because current standards allow variations in labeling which could create confusion or be misleading. Current law requires imported frozen produce to be clearly labeled as to country of origin. But it appears to be a common occurrence for frozen produce that is brought into the United States to be repackaged without the required labeling. In other instances in which packages are labeled, the size of type, or poor quality of ink, make it impossible for consumers or Customs inspectors to verify compliance with the law. Customs has warned that their responsibility in verifying that all packages sold in this country comply with the law is made extremely difficult in the absence of clear standards for where the country of origin label is to be displayed. Despite the importance of this issue and the right of all Americans to be informed about where the produce they buy for their families is from, Customs' proposed regulation received little public attention and few public comments during the comment period last summer. In fact, only about 50 individual comments were received: the majority of these were from food growers and processors in other countries. However, American consumers and American food growers and processors appear to feel strongly about this issue. In fact, a recent national poll conducted after the comment period closed found that nearly 70 percent of American consumers would favor a Government regulation requiring country of origin labeling, and 73 percent stated that they would most likely notice the label if it appeared on the front panel of package. Perhaps most importantly, the survey found that 83 percent of consumers had never noticed a country of origin label on a package of frozen vegetables. These facts would seem to make the case for enactment of the Customs proposal crystal clear. The recent news reports of thousands of American school children put at risk of hepatitis from frozen strawberries, imported from Mexico but misidentified as being product of the United States, serves as a dramatic reminder of how important it is for all American consumers to know where the food they eat comes from. The Customs Service must enactment country of origin labeling on frozen fruits and vegetables immediately.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Colleen Smith of Bowling Green, OH, who has retired as the city's administrator. Throughout her distinguished tenure, she was a model of a dedicated public servant. Colleen began working for the city of Bowling Green in 1967 as a bookkeeper, monitoring maintenance costs of city vehicles. Working her way up through the municipal structure, she became the city's municipal administrator in 1989. As a testament to her talent and commitment to fiscal responsibility, the city's books held no operating debt upon her retirement. In addition to leaving Bowling Green on sound financial grounds, Colleen may take pride in her retirement in knowing she played a key leadership role in the development and promotion of her community. As assistant municipal administrator and later as municipal administrator, she helped revitalize the downtown area and aggressively assisted in economic development. She was involved in recruiting commercial and industrial business and in negotiating an enterprise zone agreement between business, industry, and government. Ever mindful that a community is more than simply a collection of business enterprises, Colleen worked to ensure Bowling Green remained the warm and pleasant place to live and visit it has always been. Her efforts have grown trees, parks, and playgrounds which people have enjoyed and will for generations to come. She helped make Bowling Green a true slice of Middle America. More than a municipal employee, Colleen expanded the boundaries of public servant by committing her time and talent to various volunteer groups and charities: the American Cancer Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Arthritis Foundation to name a few. For her selfless efforts, Colleen was honored and recognized by many civic and community organizations. The recognition culminated in 1996, when she received an honorary alumnus degree from Bowling Green State University for a lifetime of achievement and civic-mindedness. The English poet/philosopher John Donne wrote that ``no man is an island, entire of itself'' by which he meant that every person touches every other living being. Colleen Smith is an example of this sentiment. Although retiring from public service, I am certain she will carry on in the ideal of Donne's philosophy for many years to come. I know my colleagues join me in thanking Colleen Smith for 30 years of dedicated service, and wish her an enriching retirement.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the passing of an outstanding citizen, optimist, business leader, and family man from Toledo, OH. Virgil Gladieux died on February 27, 1997. Beginning with a small business selling boxed lunches out of the trunk of his car, Mr. Gladieux developed a food service empire, with operations in 35 States, in airports and on airlines, in schools, colleges, factories, hotels, and turnpike restaurants nationwide. He also founded and developed the Toledo Sports Arena and the Toledo Beach Marina and North Cape Yacht Club. With a keen eye for opportunity, Virgil Gladieux came to symbolize a man of humble beginnings who rose to become a civic-minded entrepreneur. Ever mindful of his responsibilities to others, Virgil Gladieux was very active in civic affairs and philanthropic efforts. Throughout his lifetime, he served in various capacities on over 70 area boards, committees, and clubs. Extensively honored for his service, his most recent recognition came last fall, when he was given the annual volunteer award from the Alexis de Tocqueville Society, an organization he helped to inspire in 1984 for those who have made significant contributions to the United Way. Virgil Gladieux, a devoted family man, leaves behind a legacy of dynamism, unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit, and community service. With gratitude and admiration for his efforts, we extend our deepest sympathy to his wife of 67 years, Beatrice, his children, Therese and Timothy, his sister and sister-in-law, his nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Our entire community shall miss his effervescence and spirited presence that made us all better for knowing him.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, several months ago I was pleased to cosponsor a congressional briefing addressing the important health issue of heart disease. Those who attended this event had the privilege to listen to four distinguished specialists in the area of heart disease discuss the important benefits of psychological intervention in the care of patients with heart disease. The speakers were: Dorothy W. Cantor, Psy.D., president, the American Psychological Association; Ernest H. Johnson, Ph.D., director, behavioral medicine research, Morehouse School of Medicine; Wayne M. Sotile, Ph.D., director, psychological services, cardiac rehabilitation program, Wake Forest University; and Redford B. Williams, M.D., director, Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Duke University. Each day in America, 4,000 people suffer a heart attack--one in five before age 60. Five million Americans have coronary heart disease [CHD], and approximately 400,000 of these individuals each year suffer heart failure. Some 70 percent of the victims of an initial heart attack and 50 percent of individuals who suffer a recurrent heart attack survive. As medical treatment for heart patients improves, a growing number of heart attack survivors are younger than age 65. Nearly 2.5 million Americans have some degree of vocational disability or limitation caused by heart illness. CHD is the leading problem for which patients receive premature disability benefits. Between 50 and 60 percent of all caridac patients who enter the hospital experience elevated levels of depression, anxiety, and fear. Depression is one of the factors which predicts mortality from heart illness and recurrence of a heart attack. Over 50 percent of spouses and children of caridac patients experience elevated stress, anxiety, and somatic preoccupation for up to 10 years following a loved one's heart illness. Family tensions and social isolation have been shown to be significant risk factors for recovering heart patients. Research shows that psychological intervention leads to shorter hospital stays, reduced rehospitalization, and reduced rates of recurring heart attacks and death. In fact, as little as 30 minutes of psychological counseling per day for 5-6 days has been shown to lead to discharge from the hospital 2.5 days sooner and from the intensive care unit 1 day sooner, as well as lessening morbidity. The Clinical Practice Guideline for Caridac Rehabilitation recently published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasized that education alone is not effective in helping heart patients cope. Effective intervention combines education, counseling- providing advice, support and consultation-and behavioral interventions--systematic instruction in techniques to modify health related behavior. Unfortunately only 12 percent of formal cardiac care programs utilize consultation from a psychologist. Summary information on the briefing follows: Information Sheet Each day in America, 4,000 people suffer a heart attack-- one in five before age 60. Five million Americans have coronary heart disease (CHD). Of these, approximately 400,000 suffer heart failure each year in the United States. Seventy percent of victims of an initial heart attack and 50 percent of individuals who suffer a recurrent heart attack survive. As medical treatment for heart patients improves, a growing number of heart attack survivors are younger than age 65. But nearly 2.5 million Americans have some degree of vocational disability or limitation caused by heart illness and in the United States, CHD is the leading problem for which patients receive premature disability benefits. Why Is Psychological Care Important For Heart Patients? Immediately following heart surgery there is a window of opportunity in which to educate recovering heart patients about adaptive coping skills. The Information patients are given in this time period shapes their thinking about life after heart surgery for up to five years. For instance, if patients believe they cannot have sexual relations, or cannot exercise, and are not told differently, they may hamper their recovery. Incorporating psychological intervention into the care of recovering heart patients is important because: Between 50 and 60 percent of all cardiac patients who enter the hospital experience elevated levels of depression, anxiety or fear. Over 50 percent of spouses and children of cardiac patients elevate on measures of stress, anxiety and somatic preoccupation for up to ten years following a loved one's heart illness. A significant percentage of recovering cardiopulmonary patients and their families experience frustration about feeling ill-prepared for the long-range course of rehabilitation. Family tensions and social isolation have been shown to be significant risk factors for recovering heart patients. Depresssion, social isolation and hostility predict mortality from heart illness and recurrence of a heart attack. Psychological Interventions Make a Proven Difference Reserach shows that: As little as 30 minutes of psychological counseling per day for 5-6 days has been shown to lead to discharge from the hospital 2.5 days sooner and from the Intensive Care Unit one day sooner, as well as lessening morbidity. Group therapy with recovering heart attack patients has consistently been found to improve measures of psychological well-being and lessen indicators of morbidity throughout the first three years of recovery. Two hours of psychological counseling per week for seven weeks has been shown to reduce incidence of re- hospitalization for recovering heart attack patients by 60 percent. Treatment of depression has been shown to reduce rates of re-occurring heart attacks and death over three years of follow-up. A single supportive interview delivered on the evening before surgery has shown to lessen post-operative psychosis. Brief psychological counseling prior to medical or surgical intervention has been found to produce shorter stays in the Critical Care Unit, less emotional distress, fewer arrhythmias and shorter hospital stays when compared to routine CCU care. Three sessions of psychological counseling in two days prior to catheterization can significantly improve patient management of the stress of the procedure. Relaxation training diminishes post-surgical incidence of delirium, medical complications and lengths of hospital stay. Education is Not Enough! The Clinical Practice Guideline for Cardiac Rehabilitation recently published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes that education alone is not effective in helping heart patients cope. Effective intervention combines education, counseling (providing advice, support and consultation), and behavioral interventions (systematic instruction in techniques to modify health related behaviors). Such combination treatments have been shown to: Reduce symptoms of angina in recovering CHD populations; promote stress management and overall psychological well- being in recovering cardiac populations; increase the rate of smoking cessation in recovering cardiac patients by approximately 18 percent compared to rates of spontaneous smoking cessation; significantly enhance modification of diet to lower lipids and lower body weight; lower blood pressure, when added to a comprehensive rehabilitation program. Research has shown that education, counseling and behavioral intervention designed to encourage heart patients to adhere to therapies have been associated with: Reduction in recurrent coronary event rates; regression of atherosclerosis; reduction in cardiac and overall mortality rates. What Do Psychologists Do To Help Heart Patients? Enhance self-management skills and self-efficacy. Reduce psychophysiological arousal with relaxation training and biofeedback. Alter specific behavior patterns through stress management. Enhance social support. Identify patients who are at high risk. Diminish resistance to healthy lifestyles. Develop effective conflict resolution strategies. What Is Currently Being Done to Help Heart Patients Cope? Unfortunately only 12 percent of formal cardiac care programs utilize consultation from a psychologist.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I also thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman], the chairman of the committee. I rise in support of the committee resolution and do not wish to question whether or not this is the perfect vehicle. It is the only vehicle that we have. And though the certification-decertification process may not please any one of us completely, at least it provides us with a way of ending the denial by both Governments, the United States and Mexico, of what is going on with our respective countries. In fact, I think we should hold a session of Congress at the border. As a member of the Committee on Agriculture, I have traveled along that border and have had our own border agents tell us, ``Well, Congresswoman, you know if you really want to move drugs, you don't do it through this checkpoint. You just drive an over-the-road vehicle a mile away where there aren't any inspectors. And, by the way, hear that airplane up there? We know where that's headed.'' Our own Government knows that the border is a sieve. We know of the corruption throughout Mexico related to the drug trade. And today this is the only vehicle that we have to express our displeasure at this administration's actions and prior administrations' actions that continue denial. I ask myself, why the denial, what are we afraid of as a country? We know we only inspect maybe 1 of every 100 to 200 trucks and vehicles that now come over the border. We have a $40 billion trade deficit over the last 2 years with Mexico and it is growing. We cannot possibly inspect all of the vehicles that come over that border, and the drug traders know it. They are even picking which vegetable crates to put the stuff in and whether they put it in steel drums or auto rims. It is that cleverly done. The GAO tells us that Mexico is the primary transit route for cocaine coming in from Colombia. So we decertify Colombia and the administration sort of closes its eyes with Mexico. What sense does that make? Mr. Speaker, I support the resolution, but I hope that we would move in more expeditious ways, beginning with a session at the border. I would urge the chairman's consideration of that alternative. Mr. Speaker, I include the following newspaper article for the Record: [From the San Diego Union-Tribune, Aug. 4, 1996] The Drug Trade Climbs Aboard Shipments of Goods from Mexico (By Peter Andreas) Mexico has long been enmeshed in the drug trade, but its involvement has been transformed in the last decade. Primarily, Mexico has emerged as the primary shipping point for Colombian cocaine into the United States. The State Department estimates that the percentage of the cocaine bound for the U.S. market entering through Mexico was negligible during the mid-1980s but increased to as much as 70 percent by 1995. Mexico also supplies up to 30 percent of the heroin consumed in the United States and up to 80 percent of the imported marijuana, according to a March 1996 State Department report. Mexico earns more than $7 billion a year from the illegal drug trade, Drug Enforcement Administration estimates. Some Mexican estimates place the figure much higher. The prosecutor general's office estimates that drug traffickers operating in Mexico accumulated revenues of approximately $30 billion in 1994. Mexico's growing role in the drug trade has significantly increased the power and wealth of Mexico's trafficking organizations and that has, in turn, exacerbated well- entrenched political corruption. Corrupt officials sell an essential service to drug traffickers: the nonenforcement of the law. Not surprisingly, as Mexico's role in the illicit drug trade has grown, so too has the buying off of law enforcement--not only within Mexico, but on the U.S. side as well. Not coincidentally, Mexico's expanding role in the drug trade parallels the opening of the Mexican economy and the deepening of U.S.-Mexican economic integration. Colombian cocaine traffickers began turning to Mexico as a major entry point to the U.S. market in the early 1980s after the United States cracked down on cocaine shipping through the Caribbean. By now a strategic alliance exists between Colombian and Mexican traffickers. The Colombians process the cocaine and ship it to Mexico, the Mexicans smuggle it into the United States. Mexican imports of legal goods from Colombia increased from $17 million in 1980 to $121 million in 1985. At the same time, Mexican imports from the rest of Latin America decreased from $768 million to $630 million. Legal exports from Mexico to the United States doubled between 1986 and 1993. Hiding drug shipments within the growing volume of goods exported from Mexico to the United States has become an increasingly favored method of smuggling cocaine. These trends thrive under the North American Free Trade Agreement. A report written by an intelligence officer at the U.S. embassy in Mexico City claims that cocaine traffickers established factories, warehouses and trucking companies as fronts in Mexico in anticipation of the cross-border commerce boom under NAFTA. ``If NAFTA provides opportunity for legitimate businesses, it may clearly provide opportunities for illegitimate businessmen,'' Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn MacTaggart has said. Trucking provides the most concrete illustration of this trend. According to one senior customs official, to inspect every truck coming across the border would create a traffic jam as far as Mexico City. So only a small percentage of trucks are fully inspected. Under the NAFTA agreement, trucking into the United States from Mexico is increasing rapidly. In 1994, 2.8 million trucks crossed over from Mexico. In 1993, on the eve of NAFTA, the number was 1.9 million. The U.S. Southwest Border Capital Improvement Program will upgrade the road network so that it will be able to handle more than double today's traffic level--as many as 8.4 million trucks annually. Mexican truckers will soon be allowed to operate throughout the border states of Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. They will eventually be able to travel anywhere in the United States and Canada. Trucks can carry illegal goods as easily as legal goods. One truck that was stopped near San Diego carried 8 tons of cocaine stuffed into cans of jalapeno peppers. Law enforcement officials believe that the cocaine belonged to a businessman who owns one of the biggest trucking companies in Mexico. As part of an effort to hide drugs within trans-border shipments of legal goods, some Mexican traffickers have reportedly hired trade consultants to determine which products move most quickly through border inspection under NAFTA guidelines. ``They have very specific issues,'' notes Craig Chretien, the special agent in charge of the DEA's San Diego office. ``Does a perishable get through quicker than a load of steel? What kind of cargoes go through faster than others?'' Concerns about drug control were not discussed during the negotiations over NAFTA. ``This was in the too hot to handle' category,'' says Gary Hufbauer, an economist at the Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C. Reportedly, U.S. customs and drug enforcement personnel openly call NAFTA the ``North American Drug Trade Agreement.'' Meanwhile, the privatization of state-owned enterprises and the deregulation of the Mexican banking system facilitate the laundering of drug profits. And the cutting of government subsidies in Mexico's rural areas are increasing the incentive for peasant farmers to produce illegal crops such as marijuana. An internal DEA report--obtained by the National Security Archive through the Freedom of Information Act--concludes that ``increased illicit drug production will probably be a direct result of the discontinuation of subsistence crop subsidies.'' Drug production is expanding in Mexico's more remote rural regions. Efforts to cut the foreign drug supply into the United States have a long history of failure. And the likelihood of success diminishes further as market liberalization and economic integration propel ever more extensive cross-border exchange. Evaluations of free market reform are largely divorced and insulated from evaluations of drug market prohibition. Thus, congressional committees and government agencies endlessly debate how to attack the drug supply and gain greater cooperation from Mexico and other Latin America countries. Meanwhile, those concerned with the implementation of market-based reforms carefully monitor an assortment of economic indicators. The reports they publish rarely even mention the drug trade, let alone discuss its ties to the formal economy. It is as if drug trafficking were not an economic matter at all. But while such institutionalized denial may be politically convenient, it perpetuates both a fundamental misreading of the problem and unworkable strategies for dealing with it.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Jacqueline Alex of Oregon, OH, in my district. Mrs. Alex is the National Catholic War Veterans Auxiliary president, and is being honored for her work with a testimonial dinner on March 8, 1997. Jackie and her husband, John, were married in 1947. Together they raised two sons, James and John. Her husband passed away only 10 years later, in 1957. A year later, Jackie joined the Toledo Logsdon--Walla Catholic War Veterans Post 639 Auxiliary, serving the auxiliary in every capacity. She was elected auxiliary president several times through those years, and in 1971 Jackie was named president of the Department of Ohio's Auxiliary. She began her service with the National Department in 1985, and served as the president of the 1995 Auxiliary National Convention. Her tireless efforts have been recognized by the organization, and Mrs. Alex has been awarded numerous honors: the National Auxiliary President's Gold Medal Award For Outstanding Service; the Ohio Auxiliary President's Award; the Ann Senft Award For Meritorious Service to the Auxiliary; the National Auxiliary's St. Agnes Medal; Department of Ohio Auxiliary 1988 Woman of the Year; and a citation for meritorious service from the Chapel of Four Chaplains in Gettysburg. Our Nation pays tribute to its veterans in various ways, but often overlooked in such recognition is the role of women, wives, and families who served here on the homefront. For whether they bought war bonds, planted a victory garden, worked in a munitions factory, went to work to support a family, or played both mother and father to a family growing up, they kept our Nation running in times of war. Their contributions created a strong backup system to those engaged in combat and in service to our Nation. Their ideals of service are upheld through their auxiliaries, which are the sinew that binds a veterans post together. For nearly 40 years, Jacqueline Alex has served our Nation and its veterans honorably. I am pleased to join with her sons, grandchildren, colleagues, and friends in a deep and heartfelt salute of gratitude.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize G. Ray Medlin of my district, on his receipt of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation's Humanitarian Award. Ray will be honored in Toledo, OH on February 25, 1997. Ray has served our community, our State, and our Nation in many capacities. He is a dedicated and diligent trade union leader, having served as the executive secretary-treasurer of the Northwest Ohio District Council of Carpenters and president of the Northwest Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council. He currently is the executive director of the Carpenters Health and Safety Fund of North America. Extending his commitment outside his profession, Ray serves as a key member on several northwest Ohio boards including the Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees which he currently chairs, the Toledo-Lucus County Port Authority Board, the Toledo Regional Growth Committee, the Riverside Hospital Board, and the Rossford, OH Economic Growth Committee. Ray Medlin directs his energies to those ventures which will reap economic rewards for our region, thereby assisting our entire community in achieving economic security. In that sense, he is a classic humanitarian: Focusing his volunteer efforts on bettering the lives of his fellow citizens. He is a worthy recipient of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation's 1997 Humanitarian Award. I am pleased to join the organization in congratulating him and acknowledging his service and commitment to us all.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, news stories about fundraising during the 1996 Presidential campaign focused increasing national attention on the overwhelming need for campaign finance reform, and particularly the role of foreign money in U.S. campaigns. The problem indeed is money. During the 1996 election, candidates for all Federal offices spent approximately $1.6 billion. That's ``B,'' as in billion. The pressure to raise huge sums of money is so intense that some candidates from both parties, apparently have started looking abroad for new sources of campaign contributions. Since 1990, no matter which party controlled Congress, I have sponsored legislation that would ban foreign contributions to candidates for Federal office. Today, I'm reintroducing the Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 1997. My bill has three major points: First, only U.S. citizens could contribute to Federal campaigns. Federal law already purports to prohibit direct or indirect contributions by foreign nationals in U.S. elections. In fact, section 441e of the Federal Election Campaign Act [FECA] states: It shall be unlawful for a foreign national directly or through any other person to make any contributions of money or any other thing of value, or to promise expressly or impliedly to make any such contribution, in connection with an election to any political office or in connection with any primary election, convention or caucus held to select candidates for any political office; or for any person to solicit, accept, or receive any such contribution from a foreign national. This provision was enacted in response to longstanding congressional concern over foreign influence in American elections. Though this language appears to be locktight, many loopholes permit foreign influence on U.S. elections, many foreign entities are not covered by the statute, and there is a lack of enforcement of the law. Congress must strengthen and make sure the law is fully enforced. Second, foreign-controlled companies would be prohibited from contributing to Federal elections through the PAC's of their U.S. subsidiaries. My bill would prohibit contributions from PAC's sponsored by corporations that are more than 50-percent foreign owned, as well as contributions from PAC's sponsored by trade associations that derive 50 percent or more of their operating funds from foreign corporations. Foreign citizens are already prohibited from contributing to U.S. political campaigns. Yet, every year foreign interests spend millions of dollars to influence the American political process. This money often comes in the form of political action committee contributions from foreign-controlled corporations or their trade associations. Just as foreign individuals are prohibited from contributing to U.S. campaigns, so should be PAC's that are controlled by foreign corporations and trade associations, for, in fact, under U.S. law, corporations are considered persons. Due to a loophole in the FECA, American subsidiaries of foreign-owned companies may operate PAC's--the only restriction being that the PAC cannot solicit funds from foreign nationals or permit them to be involved in the policymaking decisions of the PAC. Consequently, many of the world's largest foreign multinational corporations and financial institutions contribute to U.S. campaigns through their U.S.-based subsidiaries. Through the creation of these foreign-sponsored PAC's, foreign companies can thus assert their influence on the U.S. election process--and on U.S. policy. Consequently, administration of the FECA law has created a confusing system whereby it is illegal for individual foreign nationals to make political contributions, yet legal for foreign-controlled or foreign- owned corporations, subsidiaries, and trade associations to contribute, expend funds, and influence U.S. elections. The Federal Election Commission [FEC] through its advisory opinions has twice voted to exempt PAC's representing U.S. subsidiaries of foreign-owned or controlled corporations, as long as the PAC's are funded and operated by Americans. The FEC has asked Congress to enact legislation clarifying this issue, but Congress, to date, has refused to do so. Third, contributors would be required to disclose the percentage of foreign ownership. The data collection and clearinghouse responsibilities section of my bill is one of its most important aspects, because of the current difficulty in identifying the activities of foreign nationals and corporations. The FEC has no coherent system for tracking the millions of dollars spent by foreign interests and their PAC's on lobbying the U.S. Government. The current, disjointed data collection system provides a veil of secrecy over how and where foreign interests spend their money. My bill would make this mysterious and inadequate process both more transparent and more accountable--without requiring new reporting. My bill would merely add an extra line to the statement of organization that is currently required by the FEC. PAC's controlled by corporations would be required to state the percentage that the corporations are foreign-owned, and PAC's sponsored by trade associations would be required to state the percentage of their operating fund that is derived from foreign-owned corporations. In addition, it would require that all data collected by Federal agencies on foreign campaign contributions and foreign agents, as well as any testimony before the Congress regarding the interests of a foreign principal, be sent to the FEC. Most important, my bill would make the disclosure of related expenditures available and visible at a central source by creating a clearinghouse for data that is currently collected, but is scattered among various Government agencies, including the FEC and the Department of Justice. In establishing a clearinghouse, we would create a greatly needed central point for collecting information. Most of the information is already available, but it is housed in a myriad of Federal agencies and offices. Bringing the information together under one roof will provide the Government, the Congress, and the public with improved access to the data. The timing requirement for reporting conforms with the quarterly reports required in the 1946 Foreign Lobbying Act. The reporting requirements place the burden of reporting the percent of foreign ownership on the PAC's themselves, with penalties for noncompliance. The United States is one of very few countries that allows foreign interests to contribute to its campaigns. Most of our major trading competitors--for example, China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and Mexico--all strictly forbid foreign campaign contributions. There is no reason why the United States should be any different. In the interest of protecting our sovereignty and maintaining a political system that reflects the will of the American people, the United States since 1938 has attempted to restrain the ability of foreign governments, individuals, organizations, and corporate entities to influence our domestic political system. By amendment, first to the FARA and later to the Federal Election Campaign Act [FECA], the United States has sought to prevent campaign contributions and expenditures by foreign interests. There is no reason to allow foreign money to influence our elections or permit foreign interests to buy access to our elected lawmakers and thereby put their imprint on public policy in this country. Mr. Speaker, clearly the time for campaign finance reform has come. Our system needs to be fixed. We must eliminate foreign money from our political system once and for all and regain sovereignty in our election system, which is the cornerstone of our democracy. This time Congress must act and must get it right.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, one key reform essential to assure strong economic growth in our U.S. marketplace as well as to reduce the chronic U.S. trade deficit, is to upgrade the skill level of our U.S. trade negotiators. America must move our products into foreign markets, and assure that our trade negotiators are trustworthy. The bill, the Professional Trade Service Corps, would achieve these goals by creating an accomplished professional body of American trade negotiators. Just like diplomats in our Foreign Service, our trade representatives are America's conveyors of our Nation's economic and political interests. Specifically, the act authorizes the creation of the Professional Trade Service Corps to fill key trade positions in the six Federal agencies with major trade-related functions or offices. It will insure better coordination and continuity of service among the Office of the United States Trade Representative, the State Department, the Commerce Department, the Agriculture Department, the Labor Department, and the Treasury Department in their trade-related functions. We would not allow graduates of West Point to lead foreign armies against our country. We should not allow trade negotiators trained at taxpayer expense to leave Government service and represent foreign interests against the best interests of our Government. We must treat this situation as seriously as any international proceeding. There is a revolving door at the highest levels of government service that foreign interests use to manipulate our trade policies and destroy U.S. industries and jobs. This bill will go a long way to establishing standards to remedy this egregious problem. The Professional Trade Service Corps Act will create a cadre of career trade professionals similar to the Foreign Service, identify key trade-related positions, and staff these positions with broadly trained experts in this highly specialized area. Just as importantly, it establishes a career path for continued government service and advancement, encourages continuity of staffing with the carrot of incentives, and the stick of postemployment restrictions. This corps of trade professionals will be constituted of applicants chosen through a rigorous selection process. They will be carefully trained to establish a high level of excellence in these key trade positions. To meet these objectives, this act establishes a Trade Service Corps Institute to provide specialized training which will include: the history of U.S. trade negotiations; trade negotiating strategies; the economics and politics of trade; the cultural and business practices of countries with which the United States has significant trade relations; foreign language instruction; and instruction in the operations within and the interrelationships among the various trade-related agencies. This act will require the Professional Trade Service Corps members to remain in government service for a period of time at least three times the length of their training, and subject them, as well as the legislative branch, to postemployment restrictions in their representation of foreign interests in trade-related matters. It is time to stop the revolving door which threatens our trade interests and jobs. This bill is an important step in that direction. The Professional Trade Service Corps Act presents a comprehensive strategy for improving the quality and integrity of our trade negotiators. We must protect our economic and trade interests; to do otherwise is to compromise our national security. Mr. Speaker, I urge the support of all of my distinguished colleagues and ask that they join me in cosponsoring the Professional Trade Services Corps Act of 1997.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, we must dedicate our efforts within the first 100 days of the 105th Congress to passing comprehensive campaign finance and foreign lobbying reform legislation. The events of the last election, with the worsening situation of foreign influence and the continuing flood of campaign contributions and expenditures, compel us to act. Now is the time. Just as in past Congresses, I am once again introducing legislation calling for a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the States to set reasonable expenditure limits for elections to Federal and State office. It is simply wrong to equate campaign money with free speech. The only way to limit the exorbitant levels of money being spent on campaigns is through a constitutional amendment. In addition, I'm proposing once again legislation to stop foreign contributions and influence, as was witnessed in the closing weeks of the elections. My bill creates a clearinghouse of political activities information within the F.E.C. Finally, we must end the revolving door between Government service and lobbying for foreign interests. My ``Foreign Agents Compulsory Ethics in Trade Act'' measure will impose a lifetime ban on high-level Government officials from representing, aiding or advising foreign governments and foreign political parties. The act also imposes a 5- year prohibition on representing, aiding or advising foreign interests--including commercial interests--before the Government of the United States. Mr. Speaker, we should make it our goal to adopt these reforms within the first 100 days of the 105th Congress.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 50th anniversary of American Legion Post 642--the Przybylski Post--in Toledo OH. The post is celebrating the occasion on Sunday, October 6, 1996. As part of this golden anniversary celebration, the post's adjutant has announced that the members and families of American Legion Post 642 will ``honor the founding and present members for the American endeavor and patriotism which have sustained the post for so long.'' To mark this auspicious occasion, we recall the ``American Creed,'' penned by William Tyler Page. I believe in the United States of America as a Government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic, a sovereign Nation of many sovereign States; a perfect Union one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its Constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. The men and women of American Legion Post 642 have vigilantly upheld the tenets of the ``American Creed'' to a superior degree. For remaining true to these precious beliefs in times of battle and in times in peace, we thank them, and we honor their strength.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the retirement of a dedicated community leader in our district, Susan LeCron. She is retiring after 20 years of service to the Toledo Botanical Gardens. Under her leadership as executive director, the Toledo Botanical Gardens has truly flourished. Her able hand has guided the gardens from 20 acres and a groundskeeper to a 60-acre nationally designated botanical garden, a staff of more than 30, and a budget which is 20 times greater than at the beginning of her tenure. Although she is proudest of the gardens' children's programs, Susan's leadership has brought lustre to the Toledo Botanical Gardens: the creation of a master plan, a successful $2.2 million capital campaign, the construction of a pond system, shade and perennial gardens, a new maintenance facility, a greenhouse, the addition of 19-resident organizations, and the planting of the grand allee which leads to the doors of the future visitors center. Her dedicated perseverance and commitment to the growth of the Toledo Botanical Gardens has made it a premiere attraction of northwest Ohio. Susan LeCron is a true community advocate and horticulturist. Her work and her vision are preserving a gift for our future. We thank her, wish her well, and know nature always will shower her legacy with splendor.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the recent retirement from the Blade newspaper of Toledoan William Brower, a well-known veteran journalist of more than 50 years. He became one of the first African-Americans to work for a daily Ohio newspaper. He was officially recognized this year by the National Association of Black Journalists for its Lifetime Achievement Award. A Wilberforce University graduate, Bill began his journalism career writing for African-American newspapers in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Richmond, VA. Hired by Toledo's newspaper, the Blade, in 1947, Bill began as a general assignment reporter. Throughout his years with the paper, he held positions covering the police, courthouse, and education beats, and served as an assistant city editor, news editor, and associate editor. His thrice weekly editorial columns covering politics, sports, and topics of interest to African-Americans became a staple of Toledo area news. In 1951 he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a series of stories written after a tour of 20 States on the conditions experienced by black Americans. In 1971, he followed that story with a series, ``Black America--20 Years Later,'' which won him a Robert F. Kennedy Foundation Award. The National Association of Black Journalists paid tribute to Bill for his ``pioneering spirit'' and ``outstanding leadership in the media industry.'' The same can be said of his role in our community. Bill Brower and his wife Edna have been groundbreakers, trailblazers, and voices of strength and wisdom, in Toledo. Their dedication to one another continues to be a source of inspiration to us all. His writings have often required us to look at a reflection of ourselves, and in doing so, have moved us to become better people. No commendation could sum up fully half a century of journalistic achievement. But in honoring his life, the Blade has endorsed independent thought and the advancement of our common heritage as a free people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man of true faith--longtime servant of the church and our larger community in the greater Toledo area, the dear and beloved Rev. Edward O. Hug. He generously bestowed upon our community, particularly in the Catholic parishes throughout northwest Ohio to which he devoted his life for 47 years gentleness, dedication, and spiritual depth. A man of God, Father Hug ministered to thousands, providing counsel, direction, and solace. His final parish was my own, Little Flower Catholic Church in Toledo. As we remember Father Hug, his life, and his work and reflect upon his passing, I would like to quote from what has been regarded as one of Father Hug's finest sermons. In discussing life's passages, Father Hug told his congregation, ``we should never be afraid of dying. When a baby comes into this world, the baby says `I'm afraid to be born.' Then he comes out into the world and sees all the friendly faces and realizes the world is a wonderful place.'' It's the same with death. We're all afraid of dying, but when we die, we are entering a new life. And it's the most wonderful place to be.'' Upon his own death, to which he professed to look forward, Father Hug's words echo. We know that he is at peace after a long and heroic struggle, and he is happy. Our entire community expresses heartfelt gratitude for the life and beneficence of Father Edward Hug. No man could have given others more. We extend our prayers to his family, his brothers Father Fritz and Father Relmond Hug, also men of the church, and Eldred Hug, his devoted sisters Virginia Kunisch and Marlene Alter, and the entire Hug family. Godspeed.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I recall Speaker Gingrich's initiative this evening called Correction Days. The idea was to do away with congressional business as usual and make government more responsive to our people. Mr. Speaker, I fear today and tomorrow may be the opposite of Corrections Day. They could be renamed Special Interest Days. Maybe we will need another Corrections Day to undo the damage we think is being done as the House completes its regular business, passes its respective appropriations bills, and finally recesses. I am speaking in particular of the continuing resolution about to emerge from behind closed doors and being worked on by the leaders of one side of this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, the special interests know full well that Members of Congress are eager to wrap up and get back home and prepare for the upcoming election. So they have lined up, it appears, so they can speak their special provisions into law at the last minute in the continuing resolution, because they know we have to pass that in order to keep the Government running. We used to have Howard Metzenbaum as the watchdog over on the other side, but we have heard rumors, in fact, that patent law protections might be undermined by some provisions being inserted by one of the Members in the other body. This afternoon, and I am going to insert this in the Record for our colleagues, the Associated Press reported that certain companies are trying to skirt ``Made in the U.S.A.'' laws by sneaking special provisions into the continuing resolution. Let me read the first sentence, the lead sentence, in fact, to a story written by AP congressional writer Jim Drinkard. He writes: Lobbyists for one of America's largest toolmakers are seeking a last-minute congressional deal that would allow them to continue marketing wrenches and other tools forged in foreign countries as made in the U.S.A. Let me repeat. This is from the Associated Press. It says that this particular toolmaker is seeking to put language in this bill that would allow them to continue marketing wrenches and other tools made in other countries under the ``Made in the U.S.A.'' label. That is not what is supposed to be in this bill. Not only is it nongermane to the continuing resolution, it is also false advertising. It is not only an abuse of the legislative process, sneaking through special interest provisions in the closing hours of the session, it is unfair to American workers, because skirting ``Made in America'' laws kills American jobs. Mr. Speaker, we have many skilled workers in our country whose future depends on strong and competitive machine tool industries. We do not want to be undercutting them just to cut a special deal for a special interest. But according to the AP, Stanley Works, headquartered in New Britain, CT, sells tools that were cast or forged in foreign plants. Federal courts have required that tools made in foreign countries had to bear markings showing where they came from, so someone from Toledo, or any other community who wants to buy some tools, will know whether those tools were made in our country by American workers or whether they were made in a foreign country. That was not good enough for Stanley Works, it appears. They want to sell their tools to the consumer without revealing the true origin of those tools. That is misleading to the American consumer, it is unfair to American workers, and special interests appear to be lined up to do an end run around our ``Made in America'' laws right in the continuing resolution. Mr. Speaker, ``Made in America'' laws help keep American workers employed. They help keep the orders coming in and jobs alive. They should not be eviscerated in a last-minute congressional deal to placate a special interest. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the article by Mr. Drinkard. The article referred to is as follows: Endgame of a Congress: Tightening the Screws on Federal Regulators (By Jim Drinkard) Washington (AP) Lobbyists for one of America's largest toolmakers are seeking a last-minute congressional deal that would allow them to continue marketing wrenches and other tools forged in foreign countries as ``Made in the U.S.A.'' It's an example of how in the frenzied endgame of a congressional session, special-interest provisions that have lain dormant for months suddenly take on new life as their backers seek to attach them to any bill that moves. In this case, there is ``only one train leaving the station,'' in congressional parlance the omnibus money bill needed to keep the government running once the new fiscal year begins Tuesday. That bill has become a magnet for pet amendments ranging from gun control to banking regulatory changes. The Stanley Works, based in New Britain, Conn., sells tools that in many cases were cast or forged in overseas plants. Customs rules for years have allowed them to be imported and finished in the U.S., then sold without markings showing the country where the parts originated. But a Federal court ruling four years ago upset that arrangement. It required that some foreign-origin tools had to bear markings showing where they came from, because the final product was substantially the same as the imported items. That triggered the current lobbying scramble. Lobbyists for Stanley began angling to attach their provision to the money measure, and lobbyists for their competitors laid trip wires around Capitol Hill to head them off. ``This reflects an intra-industry war,'' said Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn, who has gone to bat for Stanley, a large home-state employer. A lawyer for the company, Stave Weddle, said Customs is ``particularly unwise to be making a change when the whole area of country-of-origin labeling is being addressed by the World Trade Association,'' which may reach a different conclusion. The saga began several years ago, when National Hand Tool Corp., a Stanley division, sought to import socket wrenches made in Taiwan without stamping them with the name of the country. The company argued that the tools were heat-tempered and further machined in the United States, so they were primarily U.S. made. But the Customs Service ruled otherwise, saying that the tools had not been ``substantially transformed'' in the United States. That meant they were required to be marked as made in Taiwan. The tool company appealed, but lost in federal court. Against that backdrop, Customs announced last year that it planned to update its rules to codify the court's ruling and make clearer which imported tools had to be marked with the country where they originated. For Stanley, the announcement was like a hammer blow; it had built a network of suppliers in several foreign countries, relying in part on a series of Customs rulings that permitted it to label the final tools as made in the United States. Any change would threaten its marketing, which emphasizes quality homegrown products. In the first six months of the year, Stanley paid a Washington law and lobbying firm about $120,000 to advocate its position on Capitol Hill, and paid another lobbyist $12,100, according to lobbying disclosure reports. In May, Sen. Phil Gramm, R-Texas, introduced a bill that would have let toolmakers market their goods as made in the United States, even if the metal parts were made abroad. It amounted to a blanket exemption from the foreign-marking requirement. Johnson inserted a similar provision into a catchall trade ``technical corrections'' bill that passed the House. That language would simply have barred Customs from issuing any new regulations for at least a year while the entire spectrum of regulations on labeling of imports is studied. ``If you change it for one product, it has enormous implications for other products,'' Johnson said. ``Customs is overreaching.'' But Danaher Corp., a competing toolmaker with plants across the United States, countered by hiring the law firm Hogan & Hartson for $100,000, and the lobbying firm WinCapitol for $220,000, both to help torpedo the provision. To strengthen its hand Hogan & Hartson formed the American Hand Tool Coalition, which says it represents 10 companies with manufacturing plants in 13 states. Johnson said she had enlisted high-powered help from Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and from the two lawmakers with the most say on trade policy: House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer, R-Texas, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman William Roth, R-Del. Using the threat of a legislative mandate as pressure, the issue may well be resolved ``in a side discussion with Customs,'' she said.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the special order time of the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Gibbons] and speak in his stead for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR

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

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding, albeit very briefly. I did want to follow up on one of the gentleman's comments regarding the gentlewoman from Illinois [Mrs. Collins] and her long service here in this institution and the tremendous contributions that she has made, not just on this legislation, but on important areas of airline safety, of sports equity, workers' rights, and humanitarian causes that have benefited people in our country and across the globe. As the gentlewoman finishes her service here in the Congress, it is important for the record and for the history books to note that she is the longest serving woman of African-American descent to have served in this body, and done so in such a distinguished manner for so many years. I wanted to call our colleagues' special attention to her and to thank her on behalf of the people of this institution and our country. I thank you, Mrs. Collins. It has been an honor to serve with you.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I wish to join my colleagues in strong support of this measure designating the Carl B. Stokes Courthouse in the great city of Cleveland. As a young girl growing up in Ohio, it was rather interesting to me to first learn of Carl Stokes through television from a city 2\1/2\ hours east of Toledo, and to frame a lot of my own views of America through what we learned from him. Without a doubt, his successes as an elected official helped shape the views not just of the Buckeyes of Ohio but, in fact, of all of America because what he did was, in fact, so precedent setting. Looking back, for this generation of Americans now growing up, on his life, it may seem all so simple and it may seem as if all the pieces just fit into place. But having watched those times and lived through those times, his ability to retain composure under enormous pressures from those who probably did not understand what he was trying to accomplish, and trying to maintain a demeanor that would continue to build bridges across differences and points of view, and then looking at where he went with what he had makes him such a renaissance man to me. It is interesting to me not just where he went but where he came from. I know in this Chamber joining us tonight is his very distinguished brother, also of Cleveland, Congressman Lou Stokes. I remember once going on a trip with Lou through Cleveland where he showed us where they grew up. To see that and then to understand the family, two brothers, a very devoted mother, understanding where they came form and how far they have gone and how they have influenced the mindset of a Nation is truly, truly profound. So in helping to honor the mother and the family and certainly Carl Stokes in the naming of this courthouse, I lend my support to this measure to a man who was not just a mayor and not just a judge and not just an attorney's attorney, and not just an ambassador, but a true leader for us all. Those of us from the Buckeye State are very, very proud of Carl B. Stokes, very proud of the Stokes family and how they helped lead America into a new day. I thank the gentleman very much for yielding me the time and again lend my strong support to this very necessary measure.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to note the recent retirement from the Blade newspaper of Toledoan, William Brower, a well-known veteran journalist of more than 50 years. He became one of the first African-Americans to work for a daily Ohio newspaper. He was officially recognized this year by the National Association of Black Journalists for its Lifetime Achievement Award. A Wilberforce University graduate, Bill began his journalism career writing for African-American newspapers in Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Richmond, VA. Hired by Toledo's newspaper, the Blade, in 1947, Bill began as a general assignment reporter. Throughout his years with the paper, he held positions covering the police, courthouse, and education beats, and served as an assistant city editor, news editor, and associate editor. His thrice weekly editorial columns covering politics, sports, and topics of interest to African-Americans became a staple of Toledo area news. In 1951, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a series of stories written after a tour of 20 States on the conditions experienced by black Americans. In 1971, he followed that story with a series, ``Black America--20 Years Later,'' which won him a Robert F. Kennedy Foundation Award. The National Association of Black Journalists paid tribute to Bill for his ``pioneering spirit'' and ``outstanding leadership in the media industry.'' The same can be said of his role in our community. Bill Brower and his wife Edna have been groundbreakers, trailblazers, and voices of strength and wisdom in Toledo. Their dedication to one another continues to be a source of inspiration to us all. His writings have often required us to look at a reflection of ourselves, and in doing so, have moved us to become better people. No commendation could sum up fully half a century of journalistic achievement. But in honoring his life, the Blade has endorsed independent thought and the advancement of our common heritage as a free people.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, there is an economic wind blowing across our Nation that has thus far failed to capture the attention of the leading Presidential candidates, and I am specifically referring to lost U.S. jobs and sinking wages eroded by rising imports dwarfing U.S. exports. The latest Commerce Department figures show that for midsummer we had the highest trade deficits in over a decade. Over $11.7 billion for the last month. The trade deficit with Japan, up 33 percent. Car parts, imported cars from Japan far dwarfing our exports. Trade deficit with China, up 15 percent. Imported clothing, imported shoes, imported textiles, meaning more lost jobs in this country. Our dependence on oil continues to grow as we see U.S. troops being sent to Kuwait rather than energy resources developed here at home. I am glad somebody notices. The Philadelphia Inquirer from September 8 through 22 is running an incredible series: ``America: Who Stole the Dream?'' Please read it. People in America somewhere are noticing, even if the Presidential candidates are not.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Toledo area business and political leader Stewart Cochrane. Stu passed away in August, after a valiant struggle against illness. A World War II veteran, Stu returned home to Toledo and established his own business. He gave his services to many civic and community groups, including Inverness and Belmont Country Clubs, Huntington Bank, the Toledo Club, the Reynolds Corners Rotary, and the Lincolnshire Association. He served as a village councilman for 20 years in Ottawa Hills, a suburb of Toledo, eventually serving as the village's police commissioner. He completed his public service as the village's mayor for 3 years. Throughout his long career of public service, he strove to put the needs of the community first, always doing so with an enthusiasm, gusto, and sense of humor that filled entire rooms with energy. Committed to his community, Stu's presence will be missed by us all. We extend our sympathy to his wife, Sally; daughter, Paula; son, John; and sister, Bette; and his extended family and friends. Stu made a difference and made us better by believing in us. Godspeed.

Ms. KAPTUR

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man of rare vision who has devoted his life to the labor movement and to improving the lives and working conditions of America's working men and women. Eugene H. Kolkman joined the Retail Clerks International Union in 1953 in Fort Wayne, IN. This month he retires as secretary-treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 911 after 35 years of outstanding leadership as a union official. His intelligence and persevering spirit carried Gene to higher and higher responsibilities. In fact, Gene Kolkman has done virtually every job a union man can do-- from field organizer, business agent, and local union president. In 1970, Gene rose to the position of executive assistant to then-UFCW Vice President Bill Wynn, having responsibility for the union's Central Division covering Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Michigan. Gene has also served the broader labor movement holding positions as recording secretary of the Toledo area AFL-CIO; executive secretary of the Toledo Port Council; and vice president of the Ohio State AFL-CIO. Gene's career representing his fellow workers is an inspiration to all concerned about the welfare of working families. In 1956, Gene married Judy Fenstermacker, and they have raised two children, Jennifer and Christopher. On September 1, Judy and Gene will celebrate 39 years together, another source of inspiration. Mr. Speaker, this Congress should celebrate the lives of labor leaders such as Gene Kolkman, who dedicate their careers to helping others help themselves. Let us wish Godspeed to Gene and Judy in their retirement and a resounding thank you from our entire community for a job done with excellence always.