Ron Kind

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an American hero, U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Reichert. Last week I attended Officer Reichert's funeral in his hometown of Chetek, Wisconsin, a small town of 2,000 people in the northern part of my congressional district. Chetek is like any small town in rural America. When a member of the community is recognized for outstanding deeds, everyone shares in the pride and joy; and when tragedy strikes, the community shares in the grief. It is unfortunate that last week the people of Chetek came together to bury a hometown hero. Kevin Reichert lost his life, along with his copilot Chief Warrant Officer David Gibbs, during an Apache flight-training mission in Albania while in support of Operation Allied Force. These two men were stationed in Illesheim, Germany, with their families and were the first American casualties of Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia. Mr. Speaker, Officer Reichert began his military career in the United States Air Force, where he served with great pride and honor. He later transferred to the U.S. Army in order to realize his lifelong dream of flying. Kevin was accepted to an Army aviation flight program. He later distinguished himself as an outstanding and decorated officer. His commitment to his country was an inspiration to those who served with him. When I attended Kevin's funeral, I had the opportunity to speak with Chief Warrant Officer Paul Clark, who lived with Kevin in Illesheim and served with him in Albania. In his eulogy, Officer Clark honored his fallen fellow soldier by saying, ``Kevin always answered the call. He always cared about everyone. He was proud of what he did and his unit was proud of him.'' Other pilots in Kevin's squadron said that he took great pride in every task that he was given. One pilot even said that Kevin was considered peacemaker of the troop. Kevin was a devoted husband to his wife Ridgeley and a loving father of their three children, daughter Carrisa, and sons Christopher and Colten. In Chetek, family, friends and teachers remember him as a young man who always contributed to his community and was never shaken by adversity. While growing up in Chetek, Kevin displayed early signs of his desire to serve his country and fly. One of his biggest hobbies in high school was flying model airplanes. Kevin was so committed to realizing his dream of flying that he enlisted in the Air Force just one year before graduating from high school. Shortly after basic training, Kevin returned to Chetek in his uniform to thank those who had helped him along his way. The teachers at Chetek High School remembered him as a young man with an incredible desire to learn and a willingness to contribute to the world in which he lived. He touched many lives, and those who had contact with him were proud to call him their friend. This young man from western Wisconsin wanted nothing more than to provide for his family, to serve his country, and to fly helicopters. He was the son every mother wants, the student every teacher dreams of, the husband and father every family needs, and the soldier every Nation must have. Mr. Speaker, this tragic accident reminds us that all men and women in our Armed Forces operate in dangerous conditions every day to carry out their mission. It reinforces our respect for the sacrifices that they and their families make in order to serve our country and protect our Nation's interests across the globe. Kevin Reichert's death is a great loss to our Nation and to our community in western Wisconsin. Our Nation owes Officer Reichert and his family a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. His service to our country and his ultimate sacrifice will not be forgotten. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they are called the sons of God. And God bless Kevin Reichert, Officer David Gibb, and their families. And God bless all our young men and women in our Armed Forces throughout the globe who are serving our Nation and protecting our freedom.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) and just add one other category of where $100 billion might come in handy for a useful down payment, and that is the $5.5 trillion national debt that still hangs over this Nation, that affects us and is definitely going to be affecting the future of our children. I do rise in strong support of the three amendments the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) is offering to kill, cut or control this fiscal irresponsibility known as the International Space Station, although I do so with a great deal of sadness, Mr. Chairman. I commend the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for the courage that he has displayed year in and year out to bring these amendments to the floor to highlight this issue, to force the Congress to have to make some tough fiscal decisions and just to remind the American people of what is going on with this program. But I do so sadly, Mr. Chairman. As a representative of western Wisconsin, the home of such outstanding astronauts such as one of the original Mercury astronauts, Deke Slayton, who hails from a small town called Leon in the Sparta area of Wisconsin, and current Shuttle astronaut Mark Lee, I have always been and will always remain a strong proponent of space exploration and our national space program. I, like many Americans, am very supportive of NASA's efforts to explore the universe and expand human knowledge, but I am not willing to support this cause at the expense of fiscal sanity. The Space Station program, initiated back in 1984 at an estimated cost of roughly $8 billion, has become a budgetary black hole. The GAO estimates, even with its scope and size reduced, it will now cost nearly $100 billion over its life span. At a time when Congress is trying to abide by the 1997 balanced budget agreement and live within the spending caps that exist, how can we support a Federal program that now is estimated over 1,000 percent over budget? With this authorization, the space program will consume one-sixth of NASA's entire budget over the next 3 years, a large amount considering the agency will essentially be level funded during that. As the Station's cost has grown, it has crowded out other scientific priorities. Any further slips in construction and schedule will only add to the pressure on other space priorities. We must know, as an institution, when to say enough. Since its inception, our national space program has represented what is best about our Nation, Mr. Chairman: our ingenuity, our technological skill, our desire for knowledge about our universe and about ourselves. When confronted with seemingly insurmountable odds, the fine men and women in our space program have risen to the occasion time and time again. Who will forget that memorable moment back in 1961 when Yuri Gagarin was the first Russian and first person to be launched in space and the shock waves that reverberated across our country from that event. And then a mere 23 days later Alan Shepard, sitting courageously on top of the Mercury Redstone rocket, not knowing whether or not when it ignited it was going to blow up from underneath him, was the first American to finally reach outer space. And then 20 days after that a young President by the name of John F. Kennedy challenged our Nation to send a man to the moon and safely return him to Earth by the end of the decade. For almost 40 years the achievements of our space program have raised the hopes and dreams of people of all ages. Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton were childhood heroes of mine. I had a model of Freedom 7 on my dresser growing up as a child during the 1960s. All who have been involved in our Nation's space program are American heroes, no question about it. I want to do what I can to extend this fine legacy but I will not do so at any price. The space program is a wonderful program, Mr. Chairman, that there is no question about. What has to be questioned is the tremendous cost that the American taxpayers are facing today to perpetuate a Space Station that many in the scientific community, outside of the NASA community, believe has limited or no value. I would encourage my colleagues to seriously consider supporting these amendments which will hopefully restore some fiscal discipline and some fiscal sanity around a program that is sucking up more and more tax dollars every year as we continue to slide down this slope. I commend my friend from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for bringing these amendments again this year.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report because it is fiscally irresponsible. While I supported the supplemental bill that passed the House last week because it provided funding for our troops, I nevertheless hoped the Conferees would keep the emergency funding for emergency reasons only. I was hopeful that in matters of war and peace, life and death, this House would play it straight and work in a bipartisan fashion to support true emergency items. This bill, however, has become a back-door loophole to increase spending for non-emergency items. While I support legitimate emergency funding items--aid to disaster victims in Central America and tornado ravaged communities in the central United States, relief for struggling family farmers, and resources to support our troops in Kosovo--this body has unfortunately resorted to old-styled pork barrel politics. Members should not load up this emergency bill with their own pet projects. This bill contains over $5 billion in excess funding, anti- environmental riders and cuts to important programs to offset a portion of the excess spending. The so-called ``emergency'' items in this Conference report include $1.3 million for a world trade conference in Seattle, over $3 million to refurbish the dorm for House pages, and a $700,000 increase for House leadership office budgets. These items may be necessary, and can be debated in the normal authorization and appropriations process, but they certainly are not emergency projects. It is fiscally irresponsible to fund non-emergency budget items using the Social Security surplus in an attempt to circumvent the budget caps. And it is just plain wrong to take advantage of our troops in the field and victims of real disasters to spend taxpayer dollars recklessly and carelessly. We should defeat this report and instead pass a true emergency funding bill.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the students of Lakeshore Elementary School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I want to recognize their true concern and compassion for the innocent children in Kosovo. The story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, by Eleanor Coerr, is a story of strength and courage of one young child diagnosed with leukemia after being exposed to radiation from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. Sadako tried to make 1,000 paper cranes, which according to legend, would bring her long life. The students of Lakeshore Elementary School gathered together on May 10, 1999, after watching a movie about Sadako and successfully made 1,000 paper cranes in honor of the children in Kosovo. Through their dedication in making these 1,000 paper cranes, the students in my district have become active participants in the international community. They have become messengers of peace and have shown the importance of supporting the children of Kosovo during this time of difficulty. I hope to visit the Balkan region in the near future and personally deliver some of these special paper cranes and inform some of the children of Kosovo that there are children in the United States who are concerned about their fate. On behalf of the students of Lakeshore Elementary School, I will be able to offer the children of Kosovo these paper cranes as symbols of courage and long life. I salute the Lakeshore Elementary School students, faculty and staff including Dr. Mary Seitz, and Lucianne Boardman for inspiring peace and understanding throughout the world.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to Jeff Lieberman, Police Chief in Fountain City, Wisconsin. Chief Lieberman was honored recently by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund as the National Police Officer of the Month. Chief Lieberman is the first and only small-town law officer ever to receive this honor. Chief Lieberman was chosen for this honor because of his dedication to children, his phenomenal 99 percent conviction rate and his close ties to his community. At Fountain City, Chief Lieberman established the Police Awareness and Learning Safety (PALS) program. The PALS program gives children at the Cochrane-Fountain City elementary school the opportunity to know and interact with a police officer. PALS is designed to provide children with knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding their personal safety, placing emphasis on decision-making and the choices they make in their lives. Chief Lieberman's commitment to his community, and especially the children, makes him a model police officer and truly deserving of this recognition. As this nation struggles with problems of violence in our schools and our communities, Chief Lieberman is pro-actively working to prevent problems from developing. We need more police officers like Chief Jeff Lieberman. The people of Fountain City are fortunate to have an outstanding public servant in Chief Lieberman. I commend Jeff, his wife Kim and daughter Paige, for their love and dedication to western Wisconsin and I congratulate Jeff on this honor.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this issue. I also rise in support of this resolution and commend my friend, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton) for bringing this at a very timely moment. I would have phrased the resolution a little bit differently however. I understand why my friend from Michigan had to file the resolution and the phraseology in the resolution the way he did. I would have phrased it a little bit differently and would have gone a little farther. I would have indicated that no issues unrelated to our troops' mission in Kosovo, the disaster relief for the victims of Hurricane Mitch or the disaster that is happening throughout rural America on our farms would be appropriate or made in order or accepted in this emergency supplemental bill. Those are the three areas that we should be dealing with and those are the three areas we should keep our eye on, rather than loading it up with extraneous, nonemergency, unrelated matters, as is happening right now in conference and jeopardizing its chances to pass. I am still relatively new in this place, just in my second term. I have experienced just a couple of emergency spending bills before. What I have seen, quite frankly, has been a joke. It is an ugly process. It is one that does not make any sense, and it is something that repeats itself time and time again. One would think that this institution, in matters of war and peace, life and death, dealing with natural disasters, we could play it straight, we could get it right and get it done efficiently, in a bipartisan fashion, with very little controversy and in an expeditious manner. One would think that that is the least that we can do for the American people, those who we are here to represent. But time and time again we fail that call, we fail that obligation, especially in emergency situations, and that is unfortunate. I will not be here if the supplemental happens to come up later tonight or sometime tomorrow. I have to go back home to western Wisconsin to help bury Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Reichert who, along with Officer David Gibbs, lost their lives during their training mission with an Apache helicopter last week in Albania. It is the hardest thing that I have had to do thus far in Congress. If this place wants to truly honor those officers who gave their lives in the call of duty, performing their mission under dangerous circumstances, then we should get this emergency supplemental right. We should be able to do this in a noncontroversial fashion by keeping our eye on the ball and by getting whatever supplies and resources that our troops need to carry out this mission in Kosovo as soon as possible. That is what we can do in honor of those two officers, in honor of their families and, perhaps most importantly, to do right by those troops who are in harm's way right now in Kosovo and their families, so they can carry out their mission effectively and as safely as possible. We are still trying to determine the cause of the Apache crash last week. There is some indication that it might have been mechanical failure. I do not know if I could or if my colleagues could live with ourselves if, because of a dispute in an emergency spending bill, that we are not able to get the supplies or the needed parts or the maintenance that is required to prevent future accidents like the one last week. That would be uncalled for. And shame on all of us if that, in fact, were to be the case. I beseech my colleagues: We still have time to do this right, to pare down the supplemental bill. Let us focus on the real issue here, and that is the troops in Kosovo, the disaster relief that is needed for both Hurricane Mitch and on the farms, and let us try to get this straight. Let us try to play it straight for the sake of war and peace, for the sake of life and death, and for the sake of Officer Reichert and Officer Gibbs, who answered their call to duty and paid the supreme sacrifice for their country.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment. I want to commend the gentlewoman from California for offering it. I think it is clear that the American people expect us to do everything possible in our power to alleviate the suffering that the Kosovar refugees are enduring right now, and I might add that our NATO allies are contributing their fair share to a bulk of the refugee assistance as well, so it is not as if we are doing this alone. I also want to rise in support of the emergency supplemental bill before us today to support our young men and women in American uniform who are being asked yet again in this century to restore the peace and stability and to bring back some humanity to Europe. But I have to be honest, I am conflicted in supporting final passage of this emergency spending bill. I am just in my second term representing western Wisconsin in this great institution, Mr. Chairman. I do not serve on the Committee on Appropriations or the Committee on Armed Services or Committee on International Relations, so I am not intimately familiar with the details of the specified purposes of the listed items in this spending bill. I am not sure whether all the listed items in this spending bill are truly for an emergency purpose. I do know, however, that our military advisers have made a request to the American people through the Administration for $6 billion to carry out the campaign in Kosovo. But once Congress got its hands on this, it suddenly became a $13 billion emergency spending bill rather than the $6 billion that our military advisers were requesting. I am not sure whether a $35 million operation and control center on Bahrain Island in the Gulf is necessary for this operation, or $4 million for barracks renewal in Bamberg, Germany, or $3 million for an indoor shooting range in Stuttgart, or $12 million for three additional fire stations in Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, if these are all emergency items; or if $3 billion for military construction projects that will take years to complete because they are not even on the Pentagon's 5-year development plan are true emergency items. But I do know that I am the representative of one of the two pilots who gave their lives two days ago in their training mission with the Apache helicopter in Albania, Chief Warrant Officer Kevin Reichert. Officer Reichert was a loving husband and father of three little kids. He and his co-pilot, Officer David Gibbs from Ohio, served their country with honor and pride, and made the ultimate sacrifice. My thoughts and prayers are with them and their family at this time. I also know that it would not be right to our troops if voting against final passage of this bill would delay for even a little bit the utilization and distribution of the resources and supplies that our men and women who are carrying out this dangerous operation need in order to perform their duties in as safe a manner as possible. I would just hope that this Congress would have the decency when it comes to issues of war and peace, life and death, to play this straight, without taking political advantage of the situation to bypass the normal authorization and appropriation process, where these items can be debated openly and thoroughly and fairly and within the context of fiscal discipline. It is a sad day in this Congress if there are some who would take advantage of this emergency situation for their own political agenda. Lieutenant General John Hendrix, commander of the Apache Task Force Hawk, stated, when asked about the loss of these two brave young men, that ``We cannot eliminate the risk from this mission.'' That is true. In cases of war, the training and the deployment of troops are inherently going to be risky, but this Congress can do our part in reducing that risk as much as possible. That starts today. That is what this bill should be all about, the troops, and ultimately the welfare of the troops. That is why I am going to give my support for final passage of this bill, so the rest of our troops who are deployed in the Balkans can carry out their mission as safely as possible, and be returned to their families as soon as possible.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Madam Chairman, I rise today as a co-chair of the upper Mississippi River congressional task force, in support of the upper Mississippi environmental management program which is part of WRDA 99. The EMP is designed to evaluate, restore and enhance river and wetland habitat along a 1200 mile stretch of the upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. It is a cooperative effort among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Service, the Army Corps of Engineers and the 5 upper Mississippi River basin States. The EMP has always had bipartisan support in Congress and the five midwestern States. I, along with Mr. Oberstar, Mr. Gutknecht and Mr. Leach co-chair the 16 member upper Mississippi River congressional task force, which strongly supports expansion of the EMP. WRDA 99 authorizes funding of $33.17 million each year for EMP. EMP was established in 1986 by my predecessor Steve Gunderson. At the time EMP was only authorized for 15 years. This WRDA bill gives EMP a permanent authorization. In the past EMP projects faced funding challenges due to the uncertain future of the program. With adequate funding and permanent authorization the EMP will be able to continue it's outstanding work protecting this great natural resource. The EMP is vital to the environmental and economic well being of the Mississippi River, and it enjoys strong bipartisan support throughout the upper Mississippi region. Navigation along the upper Mississippi River supports 400,000 full and part-time jobs, which produces over $4 billion in individual income. Recreation use totals 12 million visitors each year and 1.2 billion in direct and indirect expenditures annually. Communities along the river from St. Paul, Minnesota to St. Louis, Missouri are striving to enhance the river. The EMP helps to rehabilitate the natural areas up and down the river. I urge the Members to support WRDA and the Environmental Management Program, and I thank the chairman for the time.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I am just in my second term here in the United States and I have to state that tonight I have never been more embarrassed to be a Member of this institution based on the vote that we just cast a few minutes ago. Has partisan politics so permeated this culture that we cannot see the long-term vision of what is happening in Europe? Milosevic is the only surviving tyrant left on the continent. He is surrounded by democracies. Who amongst us 10 years ago could have predicted that some of the most repressive Communist regimes in central Europe would be flourishing democracies and members of the European Union and NATO today? That is the inevitable course of events in Europe. And we have a role. Peace and humanity will prevail in Kosovo. The refuges will go home. They will have security. They will have self-autonomy. And, Mr. Milosevic, make no mistake about this vote tonight, that is not negotiable; the U.S. and NATO will prevail, or God help us all.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I am in support of this resolution which passed the Senate last week with bipartisan support. But let us step back and take a long-term view of the Balkans. Milosevic is the only tyrant left in Europe. Who amongst us predicted 10 years ago that some of the most reprehensive Communist regimes in Central Europe would today be thriving democracies and members of the European Union and NATO. That is the trend in Europe and that is my long-term prediction for the Balkans as well. One tyrant cannot stop it for long. But in the meantime we have some short-term objectives. Peace and humanity will prevail in Kosovo. The refugees will go home. They will have security. And they will have self-autonomy. And, Mr. Milosevic, these terms are not negotiable. NATO will prevail.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, the resolution offered by the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson), and in opposition to the three other resolutions. Now is not the time to run from the atrocities being committed by the sole remaining tyrant of Europe, or to limit our military options. Quite frankly, I am proud to support the NATO mission in Kosovo. It speaks to our values and principles as a Nation, and to our role as a leader of the NATO alliance. I am proud of our young men and women in U.S. and NATO uniform who are being asked once again to restore the peace and stability in Europe. Twice in the first half of the 20th century young American soldiers were sent to Europe to restore that peace at a cost of 525,000 lives and over 900,000 casualties. After the Second World War this Nation stood up and declared, never again. Never again can we afford to disengage from the continent of Europe and hope everything will just be all right. Never again will we stand idly by while innocent men and women are forcibly removed from their homes and wiped out by military forces under a policy of genocide. Elie Wiesel, the Nazi concentration camp survivor, reminded us last week that the only miserable consolation that they had in those concentration camps had during the Second World War was the belief that if the western democracies knew what was taking place, they would do everything in their power to try to stop it. History later showed that the Western leaders did know, but did not take action. This time, he said, the democracies do know. We are acting. We are intervening. And this time we are on the right side of history. Mr. Speaker, today we face very serious votes. It is a rendezvous with history. This can be NATO's finest hour, or it may be the beginning of the end of the U.S. involvement in maintaining the peace and stability on the European continent. Let us hope that this is our and NATO's finest hour. I encourage my colleagues to support Senate Concurrent Resolution 21.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay), the ranking member, for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, first of all I want to commend my good friends, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) for the bipartisan spirit in which they approached this legislation. It is a good peace of legislation. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am proud to stand here on the floor in support of the legislation. As I travel around my district in western Wisconsin meeting with the educators and parents, one of the constant refrains they continuously tell me in regards to programs that they are in charge of implementing is to give us some flexibility so we can implement some creative and innovative ideas that work at the local level. That is what this legislation will give them. I think the other provision, important provision in this legislation, is equally as important, and that is the accountability provisions that exist. That is what we policymakers need so when we go home and face the people that we represent and look them in the eyes we can tell them that their money is being wisely spent. One of the other issues that the administrators and educators and parents continuously tell us is, yes, we like the flexibility; in fact, heap on all the accountability on us, but do not underfund the programs that we are being asked to implement. Give us the resources we need to make the changes that are necessary to improve quality education at the local level. The Committee on Education and the Workforce just this last Monday had a field hearing in Chicago with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), where we met with Paul Vallas, chief executive officer of Chicago Public schools, and others in charge of the reforms happening at the Chicago public school system. That was something that he emphasized time and time again, is that give us flexibility, give us all the accountability as well, but also make sure that the programs are funded that we need to succeed. That is going to be the true mark of whether or not we succeed in this session. The hallmark of the 106th session should not just be how much we can increase defense spending but whether or not we are going to increase the commitment of education reform and the quality of education for our children. That is the test that we face in this session of Congress. Let us hope that, working together in a bipartisan spirit, we are going to rise and meet that test and not fail it, for the sake of our children.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, like everyone in this House tonight I rise in support of this resolution and join in offering my thoughts and prayers to the young men and women in American uniform and to all those military personnel from the other 18 NATO nations who are committed to restoring the peace in Kosovo. Once again, they are called upon to carry out a dangerous military mission to bring peace and stability to Europe. I believe this is the right policy at the right time and for the right reason. The people of Kosovo are good and decent people who do not deserve to be murdered and forced from their homes by Milosevic's army. I am proud of our men and women in the military who will carry out their duties professionally, honorably and courageously. May they all return home to their families safely. If we have learned anything from the 2nd World War, it is that the United States of America cannot stand idly by while atrocities and genocidal practices are being committed against defenseless civilians. The action taken today is not unilateral. All 19 members of NATO agreed that the time has come to stop Milosevic's campaign of terror in Kosovo in order to prevent further tragedy and to stabilize the greater Balkan region. In this matter, the danger of inaction far outweighs the risk of action. If we can learn any lesson from both World War I and World War II, it is that the U.S. can and must take a leadership role to stop tyranny and atrocities that threaten innocent people and the free world. But ultimately, it is not NATO that is acting today, but individual men and women in the uniforms of the United States Armed Forces, as well those of our allies. These soldiers sailors and airmen are in harm's way, and we must support them to the fullest. We should not delude ourselves in thinking that air strikes and other military actions in the Balkans will be as safe as the actions we have taken recently in Iraq. The situation in Kosovo is far more complex, and our actions there may result in casualties and even loss of life. Let us hope the military action is successful and those men and women can return home soon.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) for giving some time this evening to talk about a very important issue in regard to the budget resolution which is coming up tomorrow, which will have an impact on the course of fiscal policy on this Nation for years to come. I just came from my office, watching on television. I am sure many people throughout the country heard the President's explanation of our involvement in Kosovo. Now that military air strikes are underway in the Balkans again, I am sure my friends from Washington State, North Carolina, my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey, would extend our thoughts and prayers to the young men and women in American uniform who are once again being called upon to restore some peace and stability in Europe, along with the military personnel of the 18 NATO nations that have joined us unanimously in this policy. It is never easy to order this type of action to place young lives in harm's way, but I believe that it is the right policy at the right time for the right reason. As a student back in 1990, I had the opportunity of visiting Yugoslavia, and spent time in Kosovo, and I had a chance to meet a lot of Kosovar students and people there. These are good, decent people. They do not deserve to be murdered and forced out of their homes by Milosevic's army. If we are to learn any lessons from the Second World War, it is that the United States of America is not going to stand idly by and watch atrocities and genocidal practices being committed against defenseless civilians. Yet, it is the young men and women who are called upon yet again to do their duty, and I am very confident they are going to be able to do it professionally, with a great deal of loyalty, and courageously. May they all return home soon to their families and safely. On to the subject at hand in regard to the budget resolution, when I came to this body a couple of years ago, I was proud to join the New Democratic Coalition, which is new but expanding after every election. It is a group that stands principally for fiscal responsibility, along with making investments to promote growth in this country, highlighting issues such as the advancement of technology and education and the work force, a heavy emphasis on education issues, but underlying all this is the need for fiscal restraint, fiscal responsibility, and fiscal discipline. I, too, am concerned, as my friends, the gentleman from Washington State and the gentleman from North Carolina, are tonight about the ramifications of what is going to hit the Floor tomorrow and what is going to be debated tomorrow; the lack of fiscal discipline, the fiscally irresponsible decisions that are being made in the course of this budget resolution, and the long-term implications that that holds throughout the country. My friend, the gentleman from North Carolina, indicated earlier that what is being proposed is over an $800 billion tax cut, most of which is backloaded. In fact, it will not kick in until those crucial years when the aging baby boomers start reaching retirement, start entering the social security and Medicare program. If there is an economic downturn, it could reap devastating consequences for that generation and that generation of leadership having to do with serious revenue shortfalls at precisely the time when these very important programs, like social security and Medicare, will be facing their greatest challenge. The gentleman from North Carolina also pointed out a very fundamental fact. I remember not so long ago when there were great knockdown, drag- out fights over budget resolutions and proposals that would extend out 3 years. Now we have entered this era that we are not just talking about a 1-year fiscal cycle or 2-year or 3-year fiscal cycle, but a 10- or 15-year fiscal cycle, and fiscal decisions being made on projections way out into the next century. We are hard-pressed with the economic experts that we have, the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, to even get the economic projections and numbers right over a 12-month period of time, let alone a 5- or 10-year period of time. So these rosy scenarios, and they are certainly very optimistic, and hopefully they will come true, of projected budget surpluses of the tune of $4 to $4.5 trillion over the next 10 to 15 years, are I think a very dangerous and irresponsible calculation. There are many warning signals, not only in our own domestic economy but in the international economic area, that could lead to a drastic downturn with the economic growth that we have fortunately been experiencing in recent years. If that downturn does happen, obviously it is going to affect revenue projections. It is going to affect other programs within the Federal budget. If these budget surpluses do not in fact materialize and we lock into huge tax cuts that are now being proposed, we could find ourselves returning to the era of annual structural deficits that we are just now turning the corner and pulling out of from the 1980s and early 1990s. I think the Democratic Party has a lot to be proud about and to talk about with regard to fiscal constraint and discipline that we have exhibited in the 1990s. Since the 1993 budget agreement, which was a very difficult vote for Democrats to take, many of them lost their seat because of it, there was not one Republican across the aisle who supported it. In fact, many of their leadership were right here on the House Floor decrying that budget agreement, claiming that if it was enacted, that it would result in the next Great Depression in this country. But in fact, it has led to six consecutive years of budget deficits and now projected budget surpluses that are outside of the social security trust fund. The truth is, and the American people and my constituents back home in western Wisconsin understand this fundamental fact, that all this talk about budget surpluses this year, next year, is really masking a social security surplus that the government is continuing to borrow from. We will not truly be running online budget surpluses until the fiscal year 2001, assuming, again, the economic projections do take place. But I think the most fiscally responsible and prudent course of action to take now is a go slow and cautious approach, wait and see if in fact these budget surpluses do materialize before we start locking in on major fiscal policy changes. One of the other things that disturbs me in regard to the budget resolution that we will be debating and voting on tomorrow is the fact that if we pass it and if it is implemented, we will be breaking a longstanding budget ruling of the 1990s called pay-as-you-go. This is, I think, a very important reason why we have been able to practice fiscal discipline, why we have been able to reduce the Federal budget deficit over the last 6 years, and why we have the potential of going into the 21st century on a much firmer fiscal note. Basically, pay-as-you-go means if you are going to offer any new spending or any new tax cuts, they have to be paid for by offsets in the already existing budget, meaning that you do not move forward on new spending or reduced taxes unless you can pay for it under the budget allocation as it exists. That rule would have to be violated in passing the budget resolution that we face tomorrow. I think that would be disastrous. I think that would be the wrong step to be taking right now, when we are starting to make this turn into an era of potentially fiscally responsible and sound footing, so we can make a serious investment in saving social security and Medicare, but most of all, start making the attempt to reduce the national debt. Right now it is at $5.5 or $6 trillion, going up, even today, and $3.7 trillion of that is publicly held, meaning that there is a government, Federal Government, obligation to pay back to individuals or corporations who are buying up Treasury notes and bonds. They have to come and they will come due. We have an obligation to pay it. With the projected budget surpluses, we are in excellent shape now to start downloading that publicly held national debt of $3.7 trillion, which is, by the way, what Chairman Greenspan is consistently begging us to do every time he comes before congressional committees to testify. We know how important the Federal Reserve has been in the economic activity we have experienced in this country. Why would paying down that national debt benefit us in regard to the Federal Reserve and monetary policy? It is very simple. The Federal Reserve Chairman Greenspan tells us that if we can reduce our national debt burden, that would mean the Federal Government would not have to go into the private sector and continue to borrow funds from the private sector in order to meet our Federal obligations and our deficit obligations. What would that mean? It would free up capital then in the private sector, and make it cheaper for individuals and companies to borrow for their own investment needs. It would enable the Federal Reserve and Chairman Greenspan to keep rates low, and to lower them even further. That really is the true economic story of the last few years, the fact that we have reduced interest rates, which has enabled individuals and corporations to borrow money cheaper, to make investments, to form capital, to create jobs, that leads to the economic growth we have had, the low unemployment and the low inflation. If there is one thing we should attempt to do, it is pass fiscal policy which will enable the Federal Reserve to keep rates low, and lower them even further. That is the big tax cut that all Americans can share in. Virtually everyone at some time has to borrow some money for some reason. Whether it is credit card payments, whether it is home or car payments, student loans, whether it is farmers in the capital-intensive occupation that they are involved with, small and large businesses, they are all having to borrow money. If we reduce the rate and the expense of borrowing it, that means more disposable money in their pockets. That is something that we should be striving for. That is where our priorities should really lie. Unfortunately, that is not always politically sexy or politically juicy to take home to our constituents that we are representing. Tax cuts have always been popular and politically appealing, but unless we change that mindset in this body, unless we start becoming more concerned about the next generation, our children, and what type of fiscal inheritance they can expect, and less concerned about the next election, I am fearful that we are going to make bad decisions today that are going to affect my two little boys, who are just 2\1/2\ and 9 months old right now. Most of what I do and the decisions that I make are done through their eyes; how is this going to affect them and their country in their century, the decisions that we make today. I think that is really what is at stake today. I think that is what the debate should be about tomorrow, how can we set the next generation up in the 21st century so that they do not have to face the burden of an exploding social security system or a Medicare system that is imploding because of the aging population in this country. That I think is the true challenge. I appreciate the leadership and the effort that my friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Smith) is making, that other Members of the New Democratic Coalition have been making, my friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews), who is at the forefront of this issue, fighting about it every day. Perhaps we can change the mindset in this body and do the right thing, starting with this budget.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I truly hope that the spirit of Hershey is not gone already. Last weekend we had the second congressional bipartisan civility retreat in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We tried, in short, to come together to find a way where we can still disagree on issues without being so disagreeable. I believe we made some progress last weekend. But to be on the safe side, we were honored to have with us Sir John Hume, the Nobel Peace prize winner of last year, due to his role in negotiating the peace agreement in Northern Ireland. We were hoping to get some wise words from him. I believe he delivered. He reminded us in attendance that, ``Differences of opinion should not be viewed as a threat. The answer to difference is not to fight about it but to respect it, for the differences are the essence of humanity, because there are no two people in the world who are the same.'' As we begin debates that seriously affect the Nation and our future, such as Kosovo, such as the budget, I would hope and pray that we remember these wise words from Sir John Hume.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, last weekend we had the second bipartisan congressional retreat in Hershey, Pennsylvania. A lot of people helped in pulling that together. I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Sawyer), the planning committee, the staff at Hershey, the Pew Charitable Trust and the Aspen Institute who all helped in bringing Members on both sides of the aisle together, but I want to especially commend my colleagues who took the time out of their busy schedules to bring the family and the children and their spouses to the retreat so that we could get to know one another a little better and talk to one another. The goal of the retreat was simple, to try to make this great institution a more civil place in which to conduct the Nation's business. The format was also simple, get out of Washington, away from the media, bring the families in and the children and the spouses so that we could have some honest conversations across the aisle of how we could improve this great institution. Because it is a fundamental rule of human nature that the better you know someone and their spouse and their little children, a lot harder it is going to be to demonize that person than during the hot debates of the day. I think we made a good, honest attempt last weekend, Mr. Speaker. I hope we can now build upon that for the sake of this great Nation.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to two local heroes from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Mary Beth Clark and Norma Stafne who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area students who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Mary Beth Clark and Norma Stafne are two of those extraordinary citizens. Mary Beth and Norma are nurses employed in the Operating Room of Luther Hospital in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. On September 29, 1998, these two women had the unfortunate chance of meeting when they both stopped to assist a man who had been in a motorcycle accident. Both women spotted the motorcycle driver lying on the side of the road. He was bleeding and not breathing well, so they rolled him onto his back and administered CPR. They remained with the driver, soothing him while they waited for help. When the paramedics arrived Mary Beth helped load him into the ambulance. She found it hard to separate herself from him but the rescue team reassured her that they would take good care of him. The calming influence of Mary Beth and Norma was crucial in this life treating situation. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Mary Beth Clark and Norma Stafne for their courage and thank them for being concerned and giving community citizens.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Julie Selchert, Lisa Strange, Jerry Ashwell and Kathy Plank who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Julie Selchert, Lisa Strange, Jerry Ashwell and Kathy Plank are a few of those extraordinary citizens. It was around 6:15 p.m. on August 24, 1998 at The Regis Hair Salon in the London Square Mall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin when there was a small explosion, seriously injuring a salon employee. The woman had gone into the dispensary room to gather products to refill the retail display shelves in the salon. She reached for a can of hair spray but missed and it fell to the floor. As it fell the nozzle broke and the contents of the bottle spilled onto the floor. The dispensary room filled with the flammable gas. As the woman bent over to pick up the bottle there was an explosion and the contents were ignited by a gas dryer that was in use. At the sudden noise Lisa Strange ran to the room followed by Kathy Plank who told Jerry Ashwell to dial 911. Julie Selchert, Kathy's client, began to tear off the woman's burning clothes. Lisa grabbed the fire extinguisher and began putting out the fire while Julie attempted to calm the woman down. With this group working together they were able to help the woman and greatly reduce her injuries. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Julie Selchert, Lisa Strange, Jerry Ashwell and Kathy Plank for their courage and thank them for being concerned and giving community citizens

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Gene Krigsvold who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Gene Krigsvold is one of those extraordinary citizens. On June 13, 1998 The Navy Blue Angels sponsored The Upward 98 Air Show at the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Thousands of people throughout Wisconsin came to participate in the festivities. Spectators were everywhere, watching the show from the streets, the air and the Chippewa River. Late in the afternoon a swimmer in the Chippewa River was struck by a boat. Gene Krigsvold, who had been boating on the river was there to assist the Eau Claire Fire and Rescue teams during the search for the missing swimmer. Without hesitation he offered his pontoon boat, which provided them with a diving platform. He was also able to provide them with knowledge of the river currents, having grown up on the lake. Gene and the rescue team members worked late into the day. Gene's efforts greatly contributed in the search for the missing swimmer. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Gene Krigsvold for his courage and thank him for being a concerned and giving community citizen.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Jefferey J. Anger who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past 3 years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Jeffery J. Anger is one of those extraordinary citizens. On June 12, 1998, Jeff was working as an assistant manager at the Perkins Family Restaurant in Eau Claire, WI. At approximately 9:20 p.m., there was a car accident in front of the restaurant. One car was struck from the rear and pushed 200 yards through an intersection. A woman involved in the accident ran into the restaurant seeking help for the woman in the other car. Jeffery called 911 and grabbed several towels and rushed outside to the scene. He found the woman in the front of the car with a severe head wound. He wrapped the towels around her head to control the bleeding until the Eau Claire fire/rescue team arrived. He was able to provide her with comfort and reassurance while they waited for an ambulance. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin, I ask that the U.S. House of Representatives recognize Jeffery J. Anger for his courage and thank him for being a concerned and giving community citizen.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Jerry and Bob Polden who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past 3 years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Jerry and Bob Polden are two of those extraordinary citizens. On October 12, 1998 Jerry and Bob were pouring a concrete garage floor on Boardwalk street in Eau Claire, WI. Their father Kenneth Polden stopped by to help his sons with the job. As they were pouring the concrete their father suddenly collapsed on the ground in cardiac arrest. The two sons rushed over to him and found him pulseless and not breathing. Without hesitation the two sons began CPR on their father. Jerry did the rescue breathing and Bob did the compressions. They continued CPR for several minutes while they waited for the fire/rescue units to arrive. CPR sustained circulation in Mr. Polden's body and continued the flow of oxygen to his vital organs. Jerry and Bob were able to keep Mr. Polden alive until the rescue team arrived. This was the second time that Jerry had done CPR on his father. Five years previously Mr. Polden had gone into cardiac arrest and a friend who knew CPR had helped Jerry administer CPR to his father for the first time. This had triggered Jerry to take a CPR class so that if he was ever in a similar situation he would be able to help, not knowing that the next person would be his father. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the U.S. House of Representatives recognize Jerry and Bob Polden for their courage and thank them for being concerned and giving community citizens.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin.I want to honor Sheri Sorenson, Theresa J. Sanders and Robert E. Kein who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Theresa J. Sanders, Robert E. Kein and Sheri Sorenson are three of those extraordinary citizens. On June 16, 1998 an Eau Claire man doing some repair work outside of Sheri Sorenson's house on Midway street in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The man had an internal defibrillator installed earlier that year that can detect a lethal heart rhythm and in response shock the heart. At approximately 4:20 p.m. the man went into cardiac arrest. Sheri notified her neighbors Theresa Sanders and Robert Kein who rushed over to assist. They moved the man to a flat surface and began two person CPR. After several minutes of CPR they were able to retrieve a pulse, and when the ambulance arrived paramedics were able to continue with advanced life support procedures. He was then transported to the hospital. Theresa and Robert provided the care that was necessary for the man to survive. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Sheri Sorenson, Theresa J. Sanders and Robert E. Kein for their courage and thank them for being concerned and giving community citizens.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Shawn Beck who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Shawn Beck is one of those extraordinary citizens. Shawn was driving down Birch Street in Eau Claire, Wisconsin when a car accident occurred. A woman emerged from one of the cars leaving her nephew alone in the car. The accident left the woman unable to attend to her four year old nephew. Shawn noticed the woman's trauma and her inability to assist the child and rushed over to help the young child. He comforted the child physically and emotionally during this very traumatic time. Shawn did such a wonderful job with the child that when the fire department arrived soon after the accident and was assisting injured occupants they believed Shawn was the boy's father and did not attempt to provide help. By helping the child Shawn allowed the firefighters to do their job and assist the injured woman. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Shawn Beck for his courage and thank him for being a concerned and giving community citizen.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Sara Holbrook who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Sara Holbrook is one of those extraordinary citizens. Sara turned fifteen on February 5, 1998. It was approximately 7 a.m. and Sara was preparing her 12 year old brother and herself for school when she heard someone pounding at the back door. When she opened up the back door she found a 16 year old boy who had been shot in the neck and side and was covered in blood. Sara without hesitation helped him onto a nearby couch and dialed 911. While they waited for the fire/rescue units she gathered towels to apply pressure to his wounds in an attempt to stop or slow the bleeding. Sara was very strong that morning. When the boy said to her ``don't leave me,'' she did not and she did everything possible to better the life-threatening situation. She was not deterred by the possibility of the boy's assailant following him into the house or by the crying and confusion of the boy's four siblings who followed him into the house. Sara's courageous act on February 5, 1998, saved this young man's life. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Sara Holbrook for her courage and thank her for being a concerned and giving community citizen.

Mr. KIND

Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a local hero from western Wisconsin. I want to honor Michael Stewart who took courageous action to aid another citizen. For the past three years the Eau Claire Fire Fighters Local Union 487, in conjunction with the Eau Claire Fire Department, have recognized area residents who acted bravely in emergency situations. The recipients of the Citizen Community Involvement Awards are citizens who put the safety and well being of their neighbors ahead of other concerns in a time of need. Michael Stewart is one of those extraordinary citizens. On June 21, 1997 at approximately 6:30 a.m. Michael was driving down the 200 block of Platt street in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Directly in front of Michael a 20 foot long, 15 foot wide sink hole appeared and trapped the car of another driver. The driver was able to climb out of the car and stand on top of it in an attempt to escape, while water was quickly filling up the sink hole. Stewart was driving behind the driver and rushed to his assistance. He risked his own life by hanging over the blacktop ledge, with no support, and reached down to lift the driver out of the hole. The stranded driver stated that the rescuers must have been God's Angels in saving his life. On behalf of all the citizens of western Wisconsin I ask that the United States House of Representatives recognize Michael Stewart for his courage and thank him for being a concerned and giving community citizen.