Patrick Kennedy

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Cardin substitute and against the leave-the-millions-of-children-behind act that is currently before the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the substitute legislation. We have done a good job with welfare reform in Rhode Island. Our program, one I would have supported implementing nationally, has promoted a steady decrease in our welfare caseload. Today, while other states' caseloads are growing, Rhode Island's continues to drop. Our steady progress can be attributed to the policy decisions we made to invest in families to help them gain the skills to obtain and retain jobs. It also provides the resources for child care which enables people to work. But the biggest problem with this bill is that while increasing work requirements for recipients, it only provides a modest increase for child care, barely enough to keep up with inflation. Let's examine the logic here. Increase work requirements for mothers with children under six years old, yet not provide enough money to pay for care for their children while they're out working. Since 1996, there have been tremendous advances in how we understand early childhood development. We know that the preschool years are critical to children's long term success, because that's where they learn the cognitive and social skills needed to succeed in life. Not only does this bill not improve accessibility to quality early childhood programs, it's going to add to the millions of children already on waiting lists who, as a result, are falling behind before kindergarten even starts. I urge my colleagues to defeat this misguided legislation and support the substitute.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to associate myself with the remarks that the gentleman just made. I believe that the best way to protect our U.S. servicemen is to become part of the International Criminal Court and thereby retain our complementarity which allows us to try our own soldiers before they would ever be tried by an International Criminal Court, thus protecting our own soldiers. Whereas if we do not sign and do not go ahead with the criminal court, we really subject our soldiers to this court without the protections that our signing would allow us to have.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert into the Record a study published by Health Policy R&D. The study investigates the promise of the use of brachytherapy as a treatment for prostate cancer. Study Summary--Brachytherapy: A Desirable and Cost Effective Option for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer Brachytherapy (pronounced ``brake-e-therapy'') is a cancer therapy that offers individuals with prostate cancer an effective treatment with lower risks of potentially devastating side effects than the leading clinical alternatives. Brachytherapy is a form of radiation treatment in which a radioactive isotope--or ``seed''--is inserted directly into a patient's prostate. Nearly 200,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. This study has been prepared to educate individuals about brachytherapy with hard data and facts. It provides an overview of the science behind brachytherapy, its clinical impact, the relative cost advantages it offers and the improved quality of life it offers to prostate cancer survivors. This study reveals that if just one in eight men diagnosed with prostate cancer chose brachytherapy over radical prostatectomy, our health care system would save nearly $93 million annually in direct treatment costs, based on Medicare data. Society would save an additional $46 million by avoiding expensive complications and lost work time. Clinical Advantages of Brachytherapy--Lower Rates of Serious Side Effects: Typically a 45-minute outpatient procedure, brachytherapy treats early-stage prostate cancer as well as or better than the alternatives of radical prostatectomy (surgical excision of the prostate) and external beam radiation. In addition, complications occur less frequently in brachytherapy than with radical prostatectomy (still the most common treatment), including-- lower risks of erectile dysfunction (also known as impotence), lower risks of urinary incontinence, lower risks of other significant complications, including surgical mortality. Cost-Effectiveness of Brachytherapy: Brachytherapy offers not only clinically effective treatment, but also cost- effective treatment. Specifically, brachytherapy offers two tiers of cost savings: lower direct treatment costs than radical prostatectomy and lower indirect costs for treatment and mitigation of serious complications. This study considers the costs that could be avoided annually if just one in eight men of the nearly 200,000 men annually diagnosed with prostate cancer chose brachytherapy over the most common alternative: surgical removal of the prostate. The resulting savings breaks down as follows: $93 million in direct savings for direct treatment costs, $21.3 million in treatment costs for erectile dysfunction, $14.6 million in costs to address urinary incontinence, $25 million for lost productivity. The assumptions in this study are conservative. The estimate of savings due to brachytherapy would be even higher if additional considerations were quantified, such as loss of life from surgical mortality or deteriorations in quality of life from various complications due to radical prostatectomy.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, we recognize today, one of the most tragic atrocities that the twenty-first century has witnessed, occurring eighty-seven years ago. The Armenian Genocide, which began on April 24th, 1915 began with the systematic killings of 200 intellectual and spiritual Armenian leaders, and ended with a count of over 1.5 million dead and another half million deported. It was an attempt on ethnic cleansing that has marred the pasts of native Armenians, now living in their native country or residing in America. As members of the international community, it is important for our nation to acknowledge this terrible act on the Armenian people. We must make sure that the voices of the Armenian people do not go unheard. Although the Republic of Turkey has continued to deny that the Genocide took place on its soil, those of us here today are aware of the truth. We cannot allow the truth of the Armenian Genocide to linger in the shadows of this world's history. With information and education our world will be better equipped to tackle equally disturbing human rights atrocities that occur around the globe. Through education, commemoration and remembrance, we send a signal out that the United States does not condone human rights atrocities and we will not forget those that have occurred in the past. We must continue to recognize that the events of 1915-1923 in Armenia were indeed a genocide and in this recognition process, we may prevent incidents like this from occurring ever again. The special orders today on the House floor are testaments to that message and I hope that this annual effort will continue.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, twenty-three years ago on this date, President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA). Since the passage of that historic bill, the TRA has been very successful in providing our friend and ally, Taiwan, with a legal mechanism to ensure that Taiwan would be ``protected'' if attacked. At the same time it has brought a level of stability and peace to that island nation and given the Taiwanese people an opportunity to become an economic leader in the Asian, and in the global, marketplace. President George W. Bush, reiterated our national commitment to the TRA while visiting China earlier this year. At that time he stressed our commitment to Taiwan security under the Taiwan Relations Act. I also support Taiwan's entrance into the World Health Organization. As we celebrate this 23rd anniversary of the TRA, it is my hope that peace and stability will continue in the Taiwan Strait and that we can continue to work with the ally we have in Taiwan.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for the International Criminal Court as it comes into existence at a United Nations ceremony in New York City. As my colleagues are aware, since coming to Congress I have been highly supportive of an I.C.C., and I strongly believe in its principal, that human rights abusers who commit crimes against humanity or genocide should be brought to justice. Several years ago, I visited the Hague, and was deeply moved by the intense law enforcement and criminal justice efforts there to bring abusers to justice. A permanent international criminal court which can bring future perpetrators of war crimes to full and complete justice is in our national interests. Support for the International Criminal Court is nearly universal among our allies, among those ratifying the Rome Treaty are our closest friends in the war against terrorism, such as the United Kingdom. The European Union has a common position supporting the court and the list of ratifying countries includes so many of our closest allies that many commentators have referred to the ICC as the Court of the Democracies. I feel strongly that if we are not to ratify the Rome Treaty at this time, at a minimum, adopt a policy of constructive engagement with the Court. We must be engaged to ensure that we use our Security Council referral power in a responsible manner to both deter war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to ensure that those who commit such crimes are brought to justice. As leaders of the free world, we must recognize that the only way to achieve a court that we can live with, is to stay engaged in the continuing negotiations over the scope, purpose, and construction of it. Again, I commend the nations who have taken the leadership and effort to become members of the Court and look forward to its role in international justice.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today celebrating introduction of the Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act with my good friend from New Jersey, Mrs. Roukema. Too many Americans have been waiting too long for equal access to the health care they need. I hope by introducing this compromise mental health parity bill we can make it happen this year. I could give you statistics about the prevalence of mental illnesses and cost of insurance discrimination, but the bottom line is that parity is about people's lives. Tracy Mixson of Asheville, North Carolina watched the downward spiral of her friend, Jeff. He exhausted his health insurance and ran out of medication. He tried to see another doctor, but couldn't afford the costs and had to stop going. In her words, ``I watched him suffer for a little while, and then it was over. He ended his life.'' This issue is not complicated. Our bill is a civil rights bill. It recognizes that prejudice distorts the markets and requires intervention. It reflects the best values on which this country was built, principles of inclusion and opportunity for all Americans. Discrimination in any form is a stain on the equality that makes this nation great. And make no mistake, discrimination is at the heart of this issue. The question for Congress to decide is whether we continue to indulge our old, deep-seated prejudices against the mentally ill or whether policy catches up with science. We will hear that parity is too expensive. I am confident that nobody in this Congress would countenance rationing health care for cancer or asthma. Like mental illnesses, these are potentially fatal, frequently treatable, chronic diseases. Unlike cancer and asthma patients, however, most Americans suffering from mental illnesses find that their health plans hinder access to necessary medical treatment. If we would not tell asthma or cancer patients that their coverage is too expensive, why would we say that to the mentally ill? Essentially, we are asking our constituents with mental illness to sacrifice potentially life-saving treatment in order to keep health care costs down for everybody else. The unfairness of that request is manifest. We don't ask cancer patients to bear that burden. We don't ask any other patients to bear that burden. And that's why this debate is not about cost. It's about prejudice. We will hear that if we pass parity, mental health care will be abused. This argument is a red herring. It is an invocation of the stereotypes that good people rely on to justify looking the other way in the face of injustice. We should not fall for it. We have a strong science base and the authority of the Surgeon General, NIH, AMA, and Nobel Laureates saying mental illnesses are diseases on par with physical ailments. We have experience in dozens of states and the federal employees' health program showing that parity results in a more efficient use of mental health resources. So I ask you, as you consider the merits of this bill, don't let the issue get muddied. I believe the choice is simple. On the one hand is the status quo. It's the denial of medically necessary care because of stereotypes and prejudice. It's suicide and lost jobs and broken lives. It's stories like that of Molly Close from Louisville, Kentucky, who wrote: In 1998 1 was hospitalized 3 times for depression with suicidal intent. Each hospitalization was terminated, not because my doctor felt I was ready to leave, but because my insurance company refused to pay for further treatment. When I left the hospital the last time, I was still severely depressed. I was not healthy enough to return to my teaching career of 24 years. Since I had exhausted all my leave days, I was forced to resign my job. . . . It is time to end the discrimination that the Molly Closes of this country face. Our earlier parity bill, H.R. 162, has 203 cosponsors. We have heard the concerns of employers about cost and the need for flexibility and that's why we are here today introducing this compromise bill. This new legislation makes a major concession in dropping substance abuse. It contains explicit guarantees that plans can manage benefits. It protects the rights of health plans to set medical necessity criteria. A majority of the House supported these parity provisions last year during the appropriations process and I'm hopeful that we will have a chance to see whether a majority will support it on the Floor this year. Let's give the 54 million Americans with mental disorders full access to the American Dream. This bill is the right thing for them and the right thing for our nation. I look forward to working with my friends on both sides of the aisle to give all Americans the health care they need and deserve.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 24, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I wish to insert into the Congressional Record letters that attest to the true spirit of competition in addition to the sportsmanship of Mr. Bill Belisle of the Mount Saint Charles Academy of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. As these letters show, Mr. Belisle has had astonishing success as head coach of the Mount Saint Charles Mounties, the school's phenomenally successful hockey team. On January 5th, 2002, Coach Belisle earned his 696th career victory, and set a new national high school hockey record for all-time coaching victories. From his 24 consecutive state championships to the multitude of talented hockey players he has developed, Coach Belisle demonstrates the fact that hard work, dedication and commitment to a goal do pay off. I hope that, with this placement in the Congressional Record, my colleagues here in the Congress can look to him as a model of the type of success that all Americans should aspire to. National Hockey League, New York, NY, January 22, 2002. Mr. Bill Belisle, Hockey Coach, Mount St. Charles Academy, Logee Street, Woonsocket, RI. Dear Coach Belisle: I am writing to offer my most sincere congratulations on a remarkable achievement. On January 5, 2002, you earned your 696th victory with the hockey team from Mount St. Charles Academy. The win over Toll Gate High School set a national high school hockey record for all-time career coaching victories. It is even more impressive that you reached this milestone in only your 27th season, while the previous record was set over a career which spanned 49 seasons. The National Hockey League is pleased to recognize accomplishments, which recently have been highlighted by stories in Parade Magazine and USA Today. The fact that your team has won 24 straight Rhode Island Interscholastic League championships is a credit to your coaching abilities and a testament to you as a motivator and role model. Your record of winning 88 percent of all your games is a mark that any coach at any level would love to emulate. That six of your former players--Bryan Berard, Brian Boucher, Garth Snow, Mathieu Schneider, Keith Carney and Jeff Jillson--have skated this season in the NHL is a tribute to you and your program. All these players are outstanding individuals who obviously received great training. On behalf of the NHL, please accept my best wishes on this most impressive accomplishment. I look forward to learning about what I am certain will be even more milestones ahead for you and the Mount St. Charles Academy program. Sincerely, Gary B. Bettman, Commissioner.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3005, the Trade Promotion Authority Act. I believe in free trade that is also fair trade, and this bill does not ensure that our future trade agreements will fit that description. I strongly feel that we have to learn from the experience of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has been a failure. Since NAFTA our trade deficit with Mexico has increased, the environment along the US/Mexico border has gravely suffered, consumer safety has been put at risk due to the importation of goods that are poorly inspected, and manufacturing jobs in states like Rhode Island have been put at risk as employers leave for Mexico and other countries. I also am concerned about the role that international organizations such as the World Trade Organization have on our national sovereignty. Our hard-fought federal, state, and local regulations that protect our consumers and environment will be put at risk by H.R. 3005. The bill would allow our environmental agreements that safeguard biodiversity, control the use of particular pollutants, and preserve our most endangered species, to be challenged as unacceptable barriers to trade. Another major problem with the bill is its failure to learn from NAFTA's mistakes when it comes to corporate investment. Foreign corporations are using NAFTA's Chapter 11 on investment to challenge core governmental functions. Rhode Islanders need to be particularly concerned about this. We need to learn from the experience of the State of California which has been sued by the Canadian company, Methanex, because of California's ban on MTBE, a gasoline additive. This example is particularly pertinent to Rhode Island, because the Pascoag water district of Burrillville, Rhode Island has a contaminated water supply from MTBE. If we pass The Trade Promotion Authority Act, we need to be aware that we open the door to place Rhode Island laws and regulations at the mercy of foreign firms. For all of these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 3005 and in support of the Levin-Rangel substitute.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Steve Hyman, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at NIH, recently left NIMH to become Provost of Harvard University. While I am very happy that he has chosen to take this important step, I very much regret that public service is losing such a significant figure working on behalf of patients and families affected by mental illness. Steve is a very well known neuroscientist, and also a gifted communicator. We have worked together on several issues and events, most recently a briefing for Members and staff on the mental health effects of terrorism in the wake of the awful events of September 11, 2001. Steve has a remarkable ability to leave his audience--whether it is lay or scientific--with a more complete understanding of whatever complex issue he is addressing. This is critical to those of us who work to reduce and eliminate the entrenched stigma about mental illness that so unfairly plagues patients and families. As a scientist, Steve has many times asserted that science shows us absolutely no reason to treat those with mental illnesses as anything other than respected individuals affected by treatable illnesses who deserve health insurance coverage completely commensurate with the coverage provided for physical ailments. In fact, NIMH recently held a meeting in which I participated, focusing on the very real relationship between depression and physical disorders--something that is critical to understand. For too long, those suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or any of the other diseases that affect our brain and behavior, have faced discrimination, shame, and even scorn. Leaders like Steve have given us the tools we need to argue forcefully and credibly for equal treatment and equal justice. I believe that his leadership, scientific expertise, and his active participation in trying to educate policymakers like us, as well as our constituents--the American public--have moved us far down the path to eliminating stigma. Steve and NIMH were very much involved in the development of the unprecedented Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, a groundbreaking document that has had a major impact in this country. He also was a key participant in the equally groundbreaking White House Conference on Mental Health held in June of 1999, a public event that featured the President and First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Gore, and many, many Members of Congress. While we will miss Steve Hyman, I am confident that the course he has set for NIMH, and the people he has left to steer it, will enable it to continue to move steadily forward. I know that Steve has left a strong institution, but he has also left a major challenge for his successor-- to continue the momentum that he has built up over the five and one- half years he served us as NIMH Director. I haven't known him for a long number of years, but I do know Steve Hyman well enough to know that he will continue his role as champion of patients and their families, and that we are all better off for it.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, Dr. Steve Hyman, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health at NIH, will soon be leaving NIMH to become Provost of Harvard University. While I am very happy that he has chosen to take this important step, I very much regret that public service is losing such a significant figure working on behalf of patients and families affected by mental illness. Steve is a very well known neuroscientist, and also a gifted communicator. We have worked together on several issues and events, most recently a briefing for Members and staff on the mental health effects of terrorism in the wake of the awful events of September 11, 2001. Steve has a remarkable ability to leave his audience--whether it is lay or scientific--with a more complete understanding of whatever complex issue he is addressing. This is critical to those of us who work to reduce and eliminate the entrenched stigma about mental illness that so unfairly plagues patients and families. As a scientist, Steve has many times asserted that science shows us absolutely no reason to treat those with mental illnesses as anything other than respected individuals affected by treatable illnesses who deserve health insurance coverage completely commensurate with the coverage provided for physical ailments. In fact, NIMH recently held a meeting in which I participated, focusing on the very real relationship between depression and physical disorders--something that is critical to understand. For too long, those suffering from depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, or any of the other diseases that affect our brain and behavior, have faced discrimination, shame, and even scorn. Leaders like Steve have given us the tools we need to argue forcefully and credibly for equal treatment and equal justice. I believe that his leadership, scientific expertise, and his active participation in trying to educate policymakers like us, as well as our constituents--the American public--have moved us far down the path to eliminating stigma. Steve and NIMH were very much involved in the development of the unprecedented Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, a groundbreaking document that has had a major impact in this country. He also was a key participant in the equally groundbreaking White House Conference on Mental Health held in June of 1999, a public event that featured the President and First Lady, the Vice President and Mrs. Gore, and many, many Members of Congress. While we will miss Steve Hyman, I am confident that the course he has set for NIMH, and the people he has left to steer it, will enable it to continue to move steadily forward. I know that Steve has left a strong institution, but he has also left a major challenge for his successor-- to continue the momentum that he has built up over the five and one- half years he served us as NIMH Director. I haven't known him for a long number of years, but I do know Steve Hyman well enough to know that he will continue his role as champion of patients and their families, and that we are all better off for it.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I rise to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar). I am proud to rise today in support of the Oberstar substitute to the Aviation Security Bill and urge all of my colleagues to support this sensible amendment. A everyone in this chamber knows, three weeks ago, the other body passed sensible bill to strengthen airline security by unanimous vote. It is our turn in the House of Representatives to do the same. The horrific events of September 11th changed our would forever. Today we have a chance to address the aviation security issues that were so tragically brought to our attention that day. We cannot wait any longer to act. My colleague from Minnesota has crafted a substitute that will address our most critical aviation needs in a thorough and prudent fashion. It places responsibility for aviation security with the Federal Government so that we have guaranteed that professional law enforcement agents are in charge of securing our airplanes. It strengthens baggage screening, background checks, cockpit security, and flight school training checks, as well as several other important provisions. I strongly support this substitute, and hope that my colleagues will pass this bill, so that we may expeditiously send it to President's desk. I urge all my colleagues to support the Oberstar amendment.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, would the leader give us some indication as to why we would adjourn after 3 o'clock? If there is a risk of possible exposure by staying around, then I would ask the leader why is it we are staying in for another 3 hours and continuing to possibly expose employees of this building? There is a line that is about 100 long around the Physician's Office right now waiting to be tested. It seems to me we have responsibility at this time to know what the facts are and to be able to operate in a way that is consistent with whatever clinical judgment the Physician's Office gives us.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I would like to first associate myself with the remarks of the gentlewoman from New Jersey whose leadership in the area of mental health parity has been well known and whose work in this area is something I applaud greatly. It is also a great pleasure for me, Mr. Chairman, to rise in strong support of this bipartisan bill. Before I get into the substance of this legislation, I would like to commend both our chairman, Chairman Regula, as well as our ranking member, our Democratic leader on this committee, our ace-in-the-hole, David Obey, for the fantastic work that he has done to make this a very open and inclusive process. Also, Mr. Chairman, as a new member of the committee, I would like to acknowledge the work of the staff who have managed to put a very difficult piece of legislation into proper order. I especially want to thank Cheryl Smith and David Reich and Christina Hamilton all for their good work as well as to acknowledge my own staff member, Matt Braunstein, for the great work he has done in offering his enthusiasm and dedication to this effort. On the issues, Mr. Chairman, I would like to be noted for speaking up as the gentlewoman from New Jersey has just done in the area of mental health. Right now, according to the World Health Organization, mental illnesses are the second most disabling family of diseases in industrialized nations, trailing only cardiovascular diseases. According to the Surgeon General, more than 54 million Americans, about 20 percent, have a mental disorder in any given year, although fewer than 8 million even seek treatment. This is obviously because of insurance barriers as well as the overwhelming stigma that continues to exist when it comes to diseases of the brain, which are somehow not equated to diseases of the rest of the body for some strange reason. Mr. Chairman, it is my opinion that the mental health and emotional stability of our country represents the next big public health challenge that we have as a Nation, especially in the wake of the September 11 attack. It is for these reasons that I have been so honored to work with our colleagues on this bill to see that we had a $20 million increase in the mental health block grant. This is especially important, because it is consistent with President Bush's New Freedom Initiative as well as the Supreme Court's Olmsted decision which talks about community-based services for those in need. There is also, Mr. Chairman, an initiative which I cosponsored with Ranking Member Obey to have a $5 million set-aside for the seniors mental health initiative. Senior citizens are growing in this country as a percentage of our overall population. Yet our country is not prepared to meet the unique challenges of our senior citizen population as it grows. As it was said, 20 percent of our population experiences mental disorders and it is not surprising that much of this occurs within our senior population, given the enormous depression that they face with loss of loved ones and with loss of their own health. They need the assistance and support to cope with these challenges, and I hope this initiative will begin the way towards this problem. Mr. Chairman, in addition to these initiatives in the area of mental health, I want to acknowledge a few other areas in the bill that I strongly support. Among them is the area of family literacy. Mr. Chairman, we know with the 21st Century Learning Centers that we are able to address the needs of as many as 8 million ``latchkey'' children who are left alone unsupervised. The 21st Century Learning Centers give them a place to go as well as a place to grow, and that is why I am so pleased that we are able to increase the funding for this program, thereby allowing school districts like mine in Rhode Island, like Pawtucket, Providence and Central Falls, to all be able to continue their after-school programming. In addition to family literacy, the Even Start program, which is also about family literacy, is being well funded in this program. Even Start is about making sure that parents are able to read and write, because if the parent is able to read and write, their children have a much better crack at being able to read and write themselves. That is why adult literacy should really be viewed as family literacy, because when you help the parents, you certainly help the children as well. That is why I am so supportive of this committee's work to increase this funding by $10 million. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I think that we did a great job increasing funds for IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, particularly part C. This is the toddler's program. This is the area where if we invest early, we gain a great deal of return for our investment down the road. For all these reasons, I support this important bill and ask that its adoption be supported unanimously by this House of Representatives.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California, and I salute him for his leadership on this issue, as I do my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. I rise in strong support of this resolution and I thank our congressional leaders for bringing it to the floor today. The images that we have witnessed on television over the past 2 days defy comprehension. As we struggle to come to grips with the devastation we have seen, we must come together in support of those who have experienced this national tragedy on a personal level. Those who have lost their loved ones have my and all of our deepest sympathies. American life as we know it was tragically changed yesterday; and yet we will not find the cowardly perpetrators of this violence if we do not take the necessary steps to make sure of it. America is not a Nation that flinches when struck, that backs down when threatened, that blinks in the face of evil. As my uncle, President Kennedy, once said, ``We stand for freedom. That is our conviction for ourselves and that is our only commitment to others. No friend, no neutral, no adversary should think otherwise.'' Our Nation will take every and all appropriate steps against those responsible for taking the lives of innocent Americans, and we will show America's enemies that they may damage our buildings and attack our citizens, but they cannot undermine our spirit. Our armed forces and our intelligence community will hunt down and root out this terrorism. The whole Federal Government is behind this, and we are united in our efforts. We will find these perpetrators, regardless of where they are and wherever they attempt to hide. America will not rest until we bring them to justice.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague from Florida, Mr. Bilirakis, for organizing this special event to commemorate the 27th anniversary of the Turkish occupation of the island of Cyprus. In 1960, the Republic of Cyprus was formed after the island was granted independence by Great Britain. However, the people of Cyprus enjoyed this freedom for only fourteen short years. On July 20th 1974, sixteen days after our own independence day, Turkish troops invaded and took control of one third of the island nation. The Republic of Cyprus was then divided into two parts--Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus--by a 113 mile barbed wire fence. This present day equivalent of a Berlin Wall remains standing even now. As a result, over 200,000 Greek Cypriots were displaced and forced to flee their homes. To this day, they are not permitted to return. The Turkish government has made little progress in normalizing any sort of relations with Cyprus. The Turkish government still maintains 35,000 troops on the island, making it one of the most militarized areas in the world. Most recently, the Turkish Cypriot leader refused to take part in talks with the U.N. Security Council about the issue of Cyprus unless his own preconditions were met. Most disturbing though, the Turkish government is guilty of countless human rights violations against the island of Cyprus, including continued inhuman treatment, harassment, and intimidation. Because of this deplorable human rights record, no other nation besides Turkey itself recognizes the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. It is a cruel irony that Cyprus, a nation so rich in history and culture, has been subdued by the most barbaric of methods-unlawful military occupation. There is a glimmer of hope, though, despite the bleak outlook. The Republic of Cyprus is expected to be brought into the European Union. I hope that with their acceptance into the European Union, Cyprus will once again be able to become a free and united nation. And as a free and united nation, Cyprus will grant stability to a violate area of the world where the United States has crucial interests. Mr. Speaker, during my years in congress, I have worked diligently on behalf of the Greek and Cypriot community to help locate family members lost during the Turkish invasion and advocated for the removal of the barbed wire which prevents the restoration of a independent and united Cyprus. This Congress has let the issue of Cyprus remain quiet for too long. I ask my colleagues to show their strong support for a united Cyprus.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I would like to begin by thanking our chairman, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf), for the excellent leadership he provided in this subcommittee, and also my ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), for his work in this important piece of legislation and all that this legislation is going to do to fund important projects. As a member of the subcommittee, and a new Member, I know very difficult decisions had to be made. While I was pleased with many of the decisions that were made, I would like to take this opportunity to raise a few of the issues that I believe deserve even greater attention. First and foremost is the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, which was funded at the same level as last year's request. In particular, I want to bring this House's attention to title V of OJJTP, which was also held at last year's level. There are few areas in government where programs work more effectively and we get more of a return on our dollar than in the area of title V, which funds critically successful initiatives such as the Safe Schools and Healthy Students Program. This helps keep kids out of trouble, and it also helps provide flexible resources to our districts. Mr. Chairman, I requested a greater allocation in this area. In other areas, let me briefly touch upon the area of economic development. I think we should not have reduced funding for the EDA, the Economic Development Administration, or eliminated funding for the New Markets Initiative. In addition, I think we should also have pushed more for trade agreements and globalization adjustment assistance through the EDA that I think will be even more important as we move into a global economy. I pointed that out to Secretary Evans and Ambassador Zoellick. For our efforts in Native American country, let me say that with even modest increases, I believe we could have accomplished much more, particularly on Native American reservations where the alcoholism rate occurs at 950 percent times the non-native communities . With violent crime on the rise on native reservations, and with 90 percent of it attributed to alcohol-related crime, I think we should be putting more resources in this effort. Finally, as a Representative of the ``Ocean State,'' Rhode Island, I would like to support all those initiatives that go into the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration. The administration's request in the committee's bill offers funding for programs like Sea Grant and Coastal Zone Management, but does not offer enough funding for those critical areas like nonpoint source pollution. This is the runoff from our highways every time it rains a great deal, and all the runoff pollutes our bays. It also affects our fishing stock. Let me conclude by once again congratulating the chairman for his important leadership, thank the ranking member for his great leadership, and say that I look forward to working with both of them on continued funding for these priorities that I have just outlined, as well as many others that I have not had time to delineate.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 212, H. Con. Res. 168, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak today about a distinguished member of my district who is being honored by an organization which has had an immeasurable impact on America. Jeannine Howard, a retired Bell Atlantic Pioneer from Rumford, Rhode Island, is Junior Achievement's National Elementary School Classroom Volunteer of the Year. She has volunteered for Junior Achievement for four years and taught 25 classes in that time. Ms. Howard always goes above and beyond her classroom duties, as she works to gradually increase the amount of programs Junior Achievement offers in Rhode Island. She even serves as the volunteer for those new programs herself, always with great enthusiasm and energy. The history of Junior Achievement is a true testament to the indelible human spirit and American ingenuity. Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 by Horace Moses, Theodore Vail, and Senator Murray Crane of Massachusetts, as a collection of small, after-school business clubs for students in Springfield, Massachusetts. As the rural-to-city exodus of the populace accelerated in the early 1900s, so too did the demand for workforce preparation and entrepreneurship. Junior Achievement students were taught how to think and plan for a business, acquire supplies and talent, build their own products, advertise, and sell. With the financial support of companies and individuals, Junior Achievement recruited numerous sponsoring agencies such as the New England Rotarians, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA, local churches, playground associations and schools to provide meeting places for its growing ranks of interested students. In a few short years JA students were competing in regional expositions and trade fairs and rubbing elbows with top business leaders. In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge hosted a reception on the White House lawn to kick off a national fundraising drive for Junior Achievement's expansion. By the late 1920s, there were nearly 800 JA Clubs with some 9,000 Achievers in 13 cities in Massachusetts, New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. During World War II, enterprising students in JA business clubs used their ingenuity to find new and different products for the war effort. In Chicago, JA students won a contract to manufacture 10,000 pants hangers for the U.S. Army. In Pittsburgh, JA students developed made a specially lined box to carry off incendiary devices, which was approved by the Civil Defense and sold locally. Elsewhere, JA students made baby incubators and used acetylene torches in abandoned locomotive yards to obtain badly needed scrap iron. In the 1940s, leading executives of the day such as S. Bayard Colgate, James Cash Penney, Joseph Sprang of Gillette and others helped the organization grow rapidly. Stories of Junior Achievement's accomplishments and of its students soon appeared in national magazines of the day such as TIME, Young America, Colliers, LIFE, the Ladies Home Journal and Liberty. In the 1950s, Junior Achievement began working more closely with schools and saw its growth increase five-fold. In 1955, President Eisenhower declared the week of January 30 to February 5 as ``National Junior Achievement Week.'' At this point, Junior Achievement was operating in 139 cities and in most of the 50 states. During its first 45 years of existence, Junior Achievement enjoyed an average annual growth rate of 45 percent. To further connect students to influential figures in business, economics, and history, Junior Achievement started the Junior Achievement National Business Hall of Fame in 1975 to recognize outstanding leaders. Each year, a number of business leaders are recognized for their contribution to the business industry and for their dedication to the Junior Achievement experience. Today,there are 200 laureates from a variety of businesses and industries that grace the Hall of Fame. By 1982, Junior Achievement's formal curricula offering had expanded to Applied Economics (now called JA Economics), Project Business, and Business Basics. In 1988, more than one million students per year were estimated to take part in Junior Achievement programs. In the early 1990s, a sequential curriculum for grades K-6 was launched, catapulting the organization into the classrooms of another one million elementary school students. Today, through the efforts of more than 100,000 volunteers in the classrooms of America, Junior Achievement reaches more than four million students in grades K-12 per year. JA International takes the free enterprise message of hope and opportunity even further . . . to more than 1.5 million students in 111 countries. Junior Achievement has been an influential part of many of today's successful entrepreneurs and business leaders. Junior Achievement's success is truly the story of America--the fact that one idea can influence and benefit many lives. Mr. Speaker, I wish to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Jeannine Howard of Rumford for her outstanding service to Junior Achievement and the students of Rhode Island. I am proud to have her as a constituent and congratulate her on her accomplishment.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member and the subcommittee chairman.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. I rise to enter into a colloquy with the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen), the chairman of the subcommittee, as well as the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks), the ranking member. Mr. Chairman, it was my initial intention to offer an amendment to increase funding for the Indian Health Services Loan Repayment Program by $17 million. The Indian Loan Repayment Program is designed as a recruitment and retention tool for health care professionals who are willing to serve in the American Indian and Alaskan Native communities in exchange for relief from their substantial loan burdens. As my colleagues from New Mexico and Washington know, the state of health care in Indian country is far from ideal. American Indians and Alaskan Natives have incidences that are 950 percent higher for diabetes, 630 percent higher with respect to tuberculosis, and 350 percent higher when it comes to diabetes when compared to their non- Native counterparts. In the area of mental health, the incidence of suicide among Native Americans is 72 percent higher, and greater than the rate for all other races in the United States. As a new member of the Committee on Appropriations, let me commend the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen) and the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) for increasing the overall Indian Health Services budget by $124 million, for a total of almost $2.4 billion. I have been witness to the difficult budget decisions that the gentlemen must have made; and given the accounts in this bill, I appreciate their consideration on this issue. I think we all can agree that historical funding levels for IHS have represented only a fraction of the resources necessary to equalize the health care between Native and non- Native communities. I believe that the subcommittee has approached the pressing need of Indian health with the utmost sincerity, and to this point has made the most of what has been allocated. For this reason I have decided not to offer my amendment, instead opting to ask that the gentleman from New Mexico and the gentleman from Washington proceed to conference with the United States Senate so they can consider increasing the allocation for the loan repayment program.

Mr. KENNEDY of Rhode Island. I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.