Sue Kelly

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite).

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, does the gentleman have any further speakers on this issue?

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I believe this is an important work that I think we need to address before any conference report is finished. I think with an agreement with our chairman and with an agreement, hopefully, that was just stated by our ranking member, I think that I am willing to hopefully work with him in the spirit of cooperativeness here on the floor today.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, the week of August 10 through August 15, 2003, is ``Health Center Week'' in Peekskill, New York. Let me urge our citizens to recognize the important contributions of the Hudson River Community Health Centers in safeguarding health and improving the quality of life for the people of Peekskill. Hudson River Community Health is a private, nonprofit corporation that provides high-quality, comprehensive primary health care to uninsured and medically underserved people in Peekskill, New York. Hudson River Community Health has made great strides in expanding access to affordable health disparities while empowering the community to address special needs and decrease the cost of illness through preventative strategies. Hudson River Community Health has improved the health status of Peekskill promoting health awareness and providing primary care and preventive health services of the highest quality to reduce preventable deaths, costly disabilities, and communicable diseases. Hudson River Community Health serves as a vital safety net delivering care to Peekskill patients annually, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay, and contributes to the health and overall economy of the community with health services, jobs, leadership and investment. Hudson River Community Health promotes 100 percent access and zero health disparities to help achieve primary care for all people. The people of Peekskill are right to recognize this wonderful asset to our community. Let us applaud their fine work. Our citizens look forward to a better future because of the Hudson River Community Health Centers.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 452, due to a technical difficulty with my voting card, my vote was not recorded. I would have voted ``aye.'' Stated against:

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, Rabbi Milton Balkany, Dean of Bais Yaakov in Brooklyn, New York, is an acquaintance of mine. He has been an active participant and leader in the Jewish community in New York City for many, many years. Rabbi Balkany has worked hard to bring the community together in order to continue traditional religious and cultural values. Not only does he help younger generations understand the intrinsic and extraordinary Jewish culture to which they belong, but he also welcomes others of all religions to engage in prayer, meditation and community. I applaud you, Rabbi, on this special occasion and welcome you as the guest chaplain of the House of Representatives.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 658, the Accountant, Compliance and Enforcement Staffing Act of 2003. This legislation will help streamline the hiring process at the SEC, and it will allow the Commission to employ additional, much-needed securities industry accountants, compliance examiners and economists in an expedited manner. Believe me, they need it. As we work to improve investor confidence, I think it is very important that we work to strengthen the SEC and send a clear message to the American people that we are not going to tolerate corporate misconduct. Last year, Congress increased the funding for the SEC by more than $270 million. It was a 62 percent increase. We did that because we want to help America understand that we are not going to tolerate corporate misconduct. This monumental increase will help the SEC to enhance their overall operations which are crucial to implementing and enforcing new corporate governance requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley bill, but the Commission is still severely hamstrung by current hiring practices. Now the need for this legislation is more urgent than ever. With the hiring of accountant positions lagging far behind other professionals in the SEC, it is imperative that Congress give the Commission direct hiring authority for these critical positions. What we must do is enable the agency to fill them in a timely manner, the quicker the better, and that is what this legislation does. I commend the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Baker) for introducing this important legislation and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) for moving it through the committee and working with the House leadership to get it on the floor. They have continued to work tirelessly on these issue and they are to be commended. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and help the SEC protect America's investors and restore integrity in the market.

Mrs. KELLY. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to control the remainder of the time for consideration of H.R. 658.

Mrs. KELLY. Madam Speaker, we have no further requests for time, and we yield back the balance of our time.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, my purpose in rising is to express my strong support for the passage of H.R. 2115, Flight 100. Three years ago, we passed landmark legislation under the chairmanship of Chairman Shuster, which increased dramatically Federal investment in our aviation system. As we all know, the country has undergone fundamental changes since the enactment of AIR 21; and few, if any, industries have been so directly affected by our new circumstances. The legislation we have on the floor today is important because it builds on the accomplishments of AIR 21 and helps our aviation system adapt to new changes. Air transport is a large and very important part of the U.S. economy, and safety is a focus of not only the industry itself but of this bill. The central feature of this bill is that it continues protections for the aviation trust fund that we achieved with AIR 21. These procedural protections which ensure the revenue generated by aviation taxes will be dedicated solely to aviation improvements have had a substantial and positive effect on Federal investment levels in aviation. In the first year of AIR 21 alone, funding for the Airport Improvement Program increased by $1.3 billion. Funding for the Facilities and Equipment Program increased by $700 million in the first year. This bill maintains a strong focus on safety. It sets us on a path that will allow us to accommodate the continued growth of the system that we expect and we desire. So I thank the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) for their efforts in getting this bill to the floor. And I would like to take note of my appreciation for their inclusion of a provision affecting our air traffic controllers and flight attendants. Once again, I urge a positive vote on this measure.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I would like to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from Alabama. Mr. Chairman, I would like to clarify the intention of this legislation. Section 4, subsection 2(E)(ix), exempts transactions with a business licensed or authorized by a State from the definition of ``bets or wagers'' under the bill. Some parties have raised concerns that this could be read broadly to allow the transmission of casino or lottery games in interstate commerce, for example, over the Internet, simply because one State authorizes its businesses to do so. I want to make clear that this exemption will not expand the reach of gambling in any way. It is intended to recognize current law that allows States jurisdiction over wholly intrastate activity, where bets or wagers, or information assisting bets or wagers, do not cross State lines or enter into interstate commerce. The exemption would leave intact the current interstate gambling prohibition such as the Wire Act, Federal prohibitions on lotteries, and the Gambling Ship Act, so that casino and lottery games could not be placed on the Internet. Is that correct?

Mrs. KELLY. I yield to the gentleman from Alabama.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for that clarification. I strongly support this legislation and urge my colleagues to join us in standing against illegal Internet gambling. These Web sites are extremely destructive, and it is time we put them out of business. We all know that illegal money transfer has funded terrorism in this Nation. We need to dry up terrorism's money. Anyone who cares about their personal safety and the safety of the people in this Nation needs to vote for this bill. This legislation will bar Internet gambling access to the U.S. financial services network by preventing the use of credit cards, wire transfers, or any other bank instrument to fund gaming associations. Representatives of the offshore casino industry have tried to make the case that Internet gambling is a harmless activity that can easily be brought under control by Federal regulation; but, unfortunately, that is not true on many fronts. It is technologically impossible to create safeguards that will regulate Internet gambling. That means anyone with access to a credit card, including children, can access these sites. Anyone who is a terrorist with a credit card can transfer money this way. As the FBI closes down on other money-laundering schemes, more illicit funds are expected to move through Internet gambling sites. To stop terrorism, we must dry up their access to funding. This legislation will help that. The bottom line is, Internet gambling is illegal, and according to the Department of Justice and the FBI there is no effective way to regulate it. The only way to stop it is to cut off the financial flow to the illegal Internet casino industry, which is precisely what this legislation before us does. Finally, there has been a lot of misinformation spread about this legislation in the past few weeks. Let me be very clear, this legislation does not change current law by defining what is legal or illegal; it simply ensures that we have a mechanism to enforce illegal activity under the Federal law. Reasonable people can disagree on offering a separate amendment to the committee which makes it absolutely crystal clear that we are not changing anybody's law regarding Internet gambling. I believe that the base text speaks for itself. But if it needs to be clarified, my amendment makes it absolutely clear: The legislation does not change any law currently in place, Federal, State, or tribal, governing gambling in the United States. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation that will give law enforcement an important new tool to fight crime and protect our families in the United States.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I strongly support the Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act, which seeks to cut off the lifeblood of illegal Internet gambling. As we consider this important legislation, I am offering an amendment to clarify the intent of the legislation and to specifically address concerns raised by those who oppose the bill. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of inaccurate and misleading information spread about H.R. 2143. Let us be clear about that, though. This legislation does not change current law by defining what is legal or illegal. It simply ensures that we have a mechanism to enforce illegal activity under the Federal law; but because reasonable minds can disagree, I offer this amendment in an abundance of caution to put concerns to rest that this legislation changes existing law. It does not. My amendment adds a straightforward section to the bill entitled ``Common Sense Rule of Construction'' to ensure that there are no carve-outs, no loopholes, no new powers created by any section of H.R. 2143. The amendment clearly states in one sentence that this legislation does not change any law, Federal law, State law or tribal law, governing gambling in the United States. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying legislation that will give law enforcement an important new tool to fight crime, stop terrorism, and to protect families across America. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In closing, this is one of the simplest amendments I have ever offered on the floor of this Chamber. In one sentence this amendment says the legislation does not change any law governing gambling in the United States of America. It makes clear that the legislation simply seeks to cut off the financial flow to the unlawful Internet casino industry. It guarantees there are no carve-outs in the bill, no loopholes, no new powers created by any section. I cannot understand why anyone would oppose this amendment unless they want to change current law to open up loopholes for themselves. Mr. Chairman, it is time we put the crooks out of business. We have got to stop the drain of the money-laundering system that terrorists can access. I ask for an emphatic ``yes'' vote on this amendment and an emphatic ``yes'' vote on the final passage of this bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, I would like to spend a moment discussing the Economic Growth Package and the work that was done by Chairman Thomas, other members of the Ways and Means Committee, the Republican Leadership and, of course, the White House. The subcommittee I chair was very interested in several aspects of the legislation and we conducted a hearing earlier this year to determine the extent of the impact of the dividend exclusion. The final product that has passed the House of Representatives will go a long way towards giving sectors of our economy the shot in the arm so necessary. Numerous business groups have been part of the process and I want to acknowledge the testimony of the National Association of Home Builders before my subcommittee on the president's package and their contribution in supporting the overall effort. I am also aware and want to acknowledge the effort of the home builders in working with the administration in the same manner, particularly the Department of Treasury. I very much appreciate their expertise, economic research and analysis to ensure that no part of the legislation had any unintended consequences for low income housing. As a result, we are now able to pursue an economic stimulus plan that is good for all segments of the housing industry and all segments of the economy of these United States. For the past two years, home building has been a leader in moving America's economy forward. Where many sectors of the economy have faltered, housing has remained a source of strength. Enactment of the economic stimulus package that is about to emerge from this Congress will ensure that housing continues to create the jobs and stimulate the economic growth that are needed to restore full prosperity for our nation's families and businesses.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment. It took me 5 years at one point in my life to try to help us in New York get some Federal funding to help us build some safe bikeways. We got that funding, and we have safe bikeways now in portions of New York, and people ride on them all of the time. I see them in the rain. They even ride in the snow. But one of the joys I see is that I see people there, families, teaching their little ones how to ride a tricycle. Do the Members remember when they got on a bike and realized that they could actually ride a two-wheel bike? What a proud moment that is for children. America likes to ride bikes and from the time we are young we get on these bikes and we ride. It is a terrific way of transportation. It is fun and it leads to a healthy life-style. Many gyms in America have set up spin classes, which is essentially bike riding, to help people stay fit. We spend $1.2 billion annually on bike-related facilities like bike paths and other things, but there are really no useful studies on the effect of bike use in the United States. Biking is used as a primary way or an alternate way to get to work by many people around the world; unlike automobiles, a bike is emissions free and a healthy way to enjoy our beautiful country. I urge my colleagues, Mr. Chairman, to support this amendment. I am glad it will be accepted by the committee.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama for both yielding me this time and for his work to move this legislation forward. In addition, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley) for his support, as well as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Toomey) for the contribution that he has made to this legislation with his bill H.R. 859, which was merged into this bill during committee consideration. My bill addresses an issue which has been pending before Congress for some time now. This body actually passed a similar measure by voice vote not once but twice during the 107th Congress, but the job is still not done. So we come to the floor once again with a strong hope that the enactment of this bill will finally be realized this Congress. The legislation will go a long way in helping our Main Street banks and small businesses which are so essential to our communities. The Business Checking Freedom Act contains a number of important provisions. First, it repeals the 70-year-old law prohibiting banks from paying interest on business checking accounts after a transition period. While I believe it should be repealed, I believe a proper transition period is critical. The 2-year transition period contained in the bill is certainly better than the 1-year transition period which was in the original bill, although my preference is for an even longer period to allow the banks and businesses to disengage from each other. Nevertheless, I believe it is time to move forward with this legislation. The legislation also allows banks to increase money market deposits and savings account sweeps from the current 6 to 24 times a month. This gives the banks an increase in their sweep activities, enabling them to sweep every night, increasing the interest which businesses can make on their accounts. The bill also gives the Federal Reserve the opportunity to pay interest on reserves that the banks keep with the Federal Reserve System, and gives the Federal Reserve the additional flexibility to lower reserve requirements. This will give the Federal Reserve greater control at maintaining reserves at a specific and consistent level. That will help foster healthy reserve balances, thereby reducing the potential for volatility within the Federal funds rate and protecting the Federal Reserve's ability to conduct monetary policy. Quite simply, this legislation is about creating new and broader market options. We allow banks to pay interest on business checking accounts, we allow banks to increase sweep activities, and we allow the Fed to pay interest on the sterile reserves that all banks are required to keep with them. We also allow the Fed to lower reserve requirements. We do not require or mandate anything. This way we can allow the market to create change and not the government. I again thank the gentleman from Ohio for his strong leadership on this issue and for the swift consideration of this legislation, and I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in strong support for this commonsense bipartisan legislation.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to report to the House the strong sense of patriotism sweeping through a small town in the heart of New York's 19th Congressional District. The Cornwall Town Board has passed a resolution in support of all of our troops that are deployed overseas to protect our freedom and liberties. The Resolution states that the Board supports of those brave men and women of Cornwall currently ``serving in the armed forces and of our great country and their families and support the armed services for the great sacrifices they must make in the service of our country in the name of freedom.'' I commend the Cornwall Town Board for their patriotic actions and ask that the entire text of the Resolution be placed in the Congressional Record. Resolution by the Town Board of the Town of Cornwall in Support of our Town Residents who are Serving our Country in the Armed Forces, in Support of our Armed Forces in General and for World Peace Whereas, heretofore the Town Board of the Town of Cornwall recognizes the great freedoms and liberties that this great nation of our's provides, and Whereas, the Town Board recognizes that to insure that these great freedoms and liberties exist it is necessary to provide for a national defense, and Whereas, the Town Board recognizes that the United States Armed Forces protect and defend our country from all enemies foreign and domestic and thereby serve with great dedication, personal risk and sacrifice in the risking of their lives and sacrificing the comfort of being with their loved ones when serving on distant shores, and Whereas, the Town Board supports our own brave men and women and all members of the armed forces currently serving and preparing to defend our liberties and freedoms and protect us from our enemies and also supports their families in these times of heightened security alert, and Whereas, the Town Board recognizes that world peace and security is paramount and we support and pray that all diplomatic efforts to secure world peace and security will succeed, now, therefore, be it Resolved as follows: 1. That the Town Board of the Town of Cornwall supports our residents who are serving in the armed forces of our great country and their families and support the armed services for the great sacrifices they must make in the service of our country in the name of freedom and democracy. 2. That the Town Board of the Town of Cornwall call upon our leaders and other world leaders to bring about world peace as quickly and with firm resolve as possible by whatever means necessary. 3. That the Town Clerk forward a copy of this resolution signed by all members voting herein to our congressional representative Sue W. Kelly and ask that it be read into the Congressional Record at her earliest convenience.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, legislation which will strengthen our health care system and improve patient care. Today we are considering a bill that creates a structured process for reporting errors made during the course of medical treatment. Voluntary and confidential disclosure can help reduce injuries and death due to medical errors. What we have here is the creation of patient safety organizations that are created to conduct comprehensive analyses of what went wrong following a medical mistake. The people who provide health care are given feedback that way so that they can make changes and prevent future occurrences. Compiling this information in a central database will allow providers nationwide to benefit from lessons learned. The simple message is that we need to learn from our mistakes. For this legislation to be effective, it is essential that practitioners feel comfortable in coming forward with information. I met with a group of doctors and providers in my district and they suggested strongly that we encourage some kind of indemnification so that they could report accurate figures. I am glad to report that this bill contains strong legal protections and provisions to ensure that information reported is treated as confidential, such as whistleblower-type protections. I think that is a very good piece in this bill. Creating a culture of safety surrounding the reporting of medical errors will encourage health care practitioners to report these mistakes. The Institute of Medicine reported in 1999 that medical errors are the eighth leading cause of death among Americans. I believe this bill will go a long way toward preventing many of these tragic deaths and injuries. Mr. Speaker, the bill makes great sense for patients and for health care providers. I applaud the committee for putting this bill forward, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 13.

Mrs. KELLY

Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 13, the sole Federal agency devoted exclusively to museums and libraries which partners with schools to educate America's young. Museums and libraries have traditionally served us as lifelong centers of learning creating centralized locations for the dissemination of information that provides equal access for Americans of all ages. As the availability of information increases through the use of computer technologies, it is only logical that museums and libraries expand their services in order to fully maximize their mission as reference centers, as well as to fill the public's need to acquire the necessary skills to utilize such technology and reap the benefits of this expansion of cultural and historical knowledge. The money in this bill will be used to bring projects and resources that would not otherwise be available in our communities to our local libraries and to this Nation's fine museums. In my district, libraries provide paid mentors that help kids and families with homework in the library, especially they try to include parents whose first language is not English. In addition to the establishment of the centers, the grant has provided for the addition of several important learning resources to participating libraries' collections. The authorization of the MLSA is an important step to helping students and other museums and library patrons find the resources and materials that they need to successfully come together and share information about history and culture. Passing this legislation will ensure that libraries and museums across the country continue to provide accessible, safe, dynamic places of learning for all Americans. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.