Pete King

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Justin Ulrich who passed away suddenly on November 10th. Justin, a twenty- three year-old senior at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, embodied the spirit of young people who participate in the political arena while serving causes greater than their own. This past summer, Justin completed an internship in my congressional office in Washington, DC where I was able to see first-hand the energy, dedication, and initiative he possessed. Justin carried a passionate appetite for politics as chair of the External Affairs Committee of the University Committee on Student Life and as a senator on the Tisch Undergraduate Student Council. Most recently, he worked for congressional candidate Jim Farrin's campaign and attended volunteer events promoting political candidates in Washington, DC. In addition, Justin was an active member of the College Republicans at NYU and served as its publicity director. Mr. Speaker, no one will forget Justin's passion and cheerful smile. I join with his friends and schoolmates in offering my condolences to his family.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, today to request that the following speeches given by Officers of the Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH) be inserted into the Congressional Record. The first speech is the welcoming remarks by John E. McInerney, the President of the District of Columbia State Board of the AOH. The second is a tribute to the work of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs by Ned McGinley, the new National President of the AOH. A Tribute to the Peacemakers (By John Edward McInerney) Ladies and gentlemen of the Congress, Mr. Ambassador, fellow Hibernians, and honored guests. Welcome. The Ancient Order of Hibernians is gathered here this evening to pay tribute and to thank a very special group of legislators. We Hibernians are here to thank the 89 women and men of the United States House of Representatives who are serving as members on the bipartisan Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs. After twenty-five years of service, the members of the committee have done so much to bring peace with justice to Ireland. For centuries before the United States was formed as a nation, Ireland struggled and fought for her freedom. Since 1921, Ireland has strived to be one nation united taking its rightful place among the family of nations. In that long struggle for the cause of an united Ireland, the Irish American community never received support by a large organized group of members of the American Congress. However, twenty-five years ago that situation changed, thanks in large part to so many people, especially Congressman Mario Biaggi. It was during this very month on September 27, 1977 that the Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs was born. Initially, it did not meet with universal acclamation on both sides of the Atlantic. But in time it became a valuable resource to all parties on both sides of the Ocean as it focused on the important issue of peace with justice in all of Ireland. From the onset, it focused on encouraging the United States to help broker peace initiatives. The progress that has been achieved so far is due in part to the tireless efforts of this bipartisan Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs. In time, this committee became the preeminent Congressional Caucus dedicated to fostering a closer relationship between the people of Ireland and the United States Congress. It was organized with the help of the national board of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and other groups. It has been an unfailing proponent of the Peace Process in the north of Ireland by hosting members from both sides of the government of the North as well as the Republic of Ireland. In doing this it has served as a valuable source of education for all the members of the United States Congress on Ireland. This ad hoc committee was there for Ireland and the Irish American community at critical moments during the past quarter century--such as persuading President Clinton to grant Gerry Adams a visa. That bold move alone set off the current peace process in the north of Ireland--a process that is still developing and unfolding today. It was a member of this ad hoc committee namely Peter King of New York--who was a liaison between President Clinton and some of the parties in helping shape the Good Friday Agreement--even to the point of waking the President of the United States up in the middle of the night to intervene at critical moments. Each member of the Ad Hoc Committee has made valuable--or should I say significant--contributions. In decades to come when the history of these uncertain times--the history of the ``troubles'' and the history of the current struggles over the Good Friday Agreement--will be written, historians will record that the Ad Hoc Committee for Irish Affairs played a critical role in achieving peace with justice in Ireland. Not only the role of Mario Biaggi will stand out, but the names of the current Co-Chairs of this bipartisan committee-- Benjamin Gilman, Peter King, Richard Neal, and Joseph Crowley--will be not be lost in the annuals of history, especially the history of Ireland. But, for each of you individually, you will know in time as you look back upon your years of service in the Congress, that your interventions and efforts--both personally and collectively--played an important role at critical times in Ireland's history today. You will have achieved the personal satisfaction of having played the role of peacemaker. And to each of you, may the promise of Scripture come true in your own lives and in exercising your responsibilities as lawmakers--``Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall inherit the earth.'' This evening, the Hibernians--the oldest Irish American fraternal organization in the United States--welcome each of you here this evening as we pay tribute and to thank the peacemakers.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to pay tribute to Captain Kathy Mazza of the Port Authority Police Department who died heroically at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. This past Monday, October 14, 2002, I was privileged to take part in a very moving ceremony which designated North Suffolk Avenue in North Massapequa as Captain Kathy Mazza Way. The ceremony, which was held directly across from the home where Captain Mazza grew up, was attended by her husband, Chris Delosh, who is a member of the New York City Police Department; her parents, Rose and John Mazza; her three brothers; and many of her countless friends. The ceremony was conducted by Hon. John Venditto, the Supervisor of the Town of Oyster Bay. There were many heroes on September 11th but no one was more heroic than Kathy Mazza. On the morning of September 11th, Captain Mazza was in New Jersey, serving as the Commanding Officer of the Port Authority Police Academy. Immediately upon learning of the attack on the Twin Towers, however, Captain Mazza raced to the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan and entered the North Tower where she proceeded to take a leadership role in the rescue effort--at one point reaching the 22nd floor. What set Captain Mazza apart from all others is that she was personally responsible for evacuating hundreds of people. She did this by having the presence of mind to use her service revolver to shoot out floor-to-ceiling glass walls on the mezzanine level of Tower 1 enabling so many trapped people to escape. Shortly after, at 10:29 a.m. Captain Mazza was killed when Tower 1 collapsed. This extraordinary heroism and dedication to duty characterized Kathy Mazza's entire life. Prior to becoming a police officer she had been a cardiothoracic operating nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Roslyn, New York. As a police officer she was instrumental in launching the Port Authority's portable heart defibiilator program at the metropolitan airports. And as Commanding Officer of the Police Academy she achieved a record of unsurpassed excellence and achievement. September 11, 2001 was a day of brutality, horror and terror. But it was also a day when brave Americans such as Captain Kathy Mazza demonstrated a bravery and courage which will be remembered throughout the history of our nation. For that and for so much more, we will always be in her debt. May she rest in peace.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Deputy Assistant Director Katherine Crowley of the United States Secret Service. After serving in a liaison capacity between Congress and the Secret Service for the last seven years, Katherine, who is known as K.C. to her friends, will be leaving Washington, D.C. to become the Special Agent in Charge of the Secret Service's Little Rock Field Office. It has been a privilege to work with K.C. these last several years. She is well known throughout the congressional community, including by her colleagues in the U.S. Capitol Police, and is widely respected and valued for her professionalism, integrity, work ethic and of course, her kind heart. She has not only ably represented the Secret Service these last seven years, but has become a friend of the United States Congress. Next year, K.C. will be celebrating her 20th year as a member of our Nation's most elite law enforcement agency. K.C. graduated from Westfield State College in her home state of Massachusetts in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice. She took a position as an officer with the Arkansas State Police, and worked in the Little Rock area for nearly four years. She then applied for a special agent position with the Secret Service through their Little Rock office, and became an agent in 1983. She worked as a field agent in Little Rock for three years before transferring to the Vice Presidential Protection Division for another three years. K.C. returned to her home state in 1989 for a four-year stint in the Boston Field Office. In 1993, K.C. was assigned to the prestigious Presidential Protection Division, with responsibility for protecting President Clinton and the First Lady. K.C. continued her rise in the Secret Service in 1996, when she was promoted to the position of Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge of the Capitol Hill and Interagency Liaison Division. It was during this time when many of us in Congress were first introduced to this exceptional individual. K.C. was again promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Congressional Affairs in 1999, and later became the Special Agent in Charge of the same division. In 2001, K.C. was named Deputy Assistant Director of the Office of Government and Public Affairs, one of the highest ranking women in the entire Secret Service. This year, in addition to being named as the Special Agent in Charge of the Little Rock Field Office, K.C. was also selected as a candidate for the Senior Executive Service. During her tenure as a liaison representative to Congress, K.C. helped steer legislation that will have a lasting impact on the future mission and role of the Secret Service. This included legislation to provide the Secret Service with jurisdiction to investigate cyber crimes, to coordinate security at National Special Security Events, to provide a nationwide expansion of the Secret Service electronic crime task force initiative, and to launch their world-renowned National Threat Assessment Center. On behalf of the House of Representatives, I want to express our gratitude and appreciation to K.C. Crowley for her many years of public service as a member of the Secret Service. She will be dearly missed, but we all join in wishing her well in her new role as the head of the Little Rock Field Office.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. I thank the chairman emeritus for yielding me this time; and, Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution. In doing so, I want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), and the bipartisan leadership of this House for coming together and forging a compromise which will give the President of the United States the power he needs in standing up to oppression and in standing up to a tyrant who has weapons of mass instruction. I also want to give special regard to President Bush for the leadership he has demonstrated in bringing this matter to this moment today, because without his leadership we would still be caught up in the double-talk and moral hypocrisy which constitutes so much of the diplomacy in the world today. So many countries choose to look the other way. So many countries just hope that somehow this problem will go away. But President Bush has brought this issue to the forefront; and because of that we are here today to take what I believe will be a very strong and manifest decision to destroy oppression, to eliminate a tyrant such as Saddam Hussein if he does not comply with the U.N. resolutions which have been passed to date. More important than that, Madam Speaker, I believe President Bush deserves credit for asserting the fact that the United States is the world leader. Yes, the United States is going to the United Nations, and we should go to the United Nations, but at the end of the day we cannot be bound by some morally opaque decisions made by countries who do not share our values. If the Security Council does stand with us, fine, and that is all to the better. Let us remember, when President Clinton was President, back in 1999, the U.N. Security Council would not give approval to attack Serbia because of what they were doing in Kosovo, but President Clinton went forward and led an attack, which I supported and which now has brought stability to Kosovo and, as the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) pointed out, has brought Milosevic to the international criminal court. So this is the type of action that must be taken. I have tried to listen carefully to those who are opposed, and I just cannot figure out really what the substance of their argument is. They say we should use more diplomacy. We have tried diplomacy for 11 years. They say that somehow the policy up to now has worked. Well, it has not worked because Saddam Hussein has more weapons of mass destruction now than he had before. He has constantly flouted and violated resolution after resolution. The fact is, we saw on September 11 what happens if we are caught unaware. We have no excuses this time. We know the weapons that Saddam Hussein has. We know that Saddam Hussein will use those weapons if given the opportunity. Another argument that is used is somehow that we should carry out the war on terrorism before we go after Iraq, before we take action against Iraq. To me, the two are intertwined and connected. You cannot have one without the other. These are people who work in collusion. They work in the same league. There is no doubt about that. We are also told that if somehow we go forward we will lose allies in the war against terrorism. I am not aware of one country, whether it be in the Arab world or whether in Europe, which is backing away from supporting us in the war against terrorism because of our policy on Iraq. The fact is, Madam Speaker, there is no alternative. We must go forward. Let me just say, in conclusion, that I respect those who have honest differences, and I acknowledge that. I would just say, though, if this resolution does pass and does pass by a large vote, that once that has been done we should stand together and speak with one voice and send the world a united message that the people of the United States and the Congress of the United States stand behind the President of the United States in taking the action that he will take pursuant to this resolution. I would also ask all those who vote for the resolution to not do so in any way grudgingly but to give it their fullest and total support. There is no such thing as an easy war. If there are tough days ahead and rough days ahead, not to use that as an opportunity to somehow back away. If we go ahead, we are in this for the long haul. We are in it until we succeed. We owe that to the men and women of our Armed Forces. We owe that to the people of the world and to the people of our country who look to us for guidance and direction and for leadership.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House of Representatives to pass H.J. Res. 6, a resolution which honors and recognizes Commodore John Barry as the first flag officer of the U.S. Navy. In recognition of his historic role and his achievements, it is fitting that Commodore Barry be properly honored as the first flat officer. An American merchant marine captain and native of County Wexford, Ireland, Barry volunteered his services to the Continental Navy. Throughout his career, from taking command as captain of the Lexington to participating in the victorious Trenton campaign, Barry's efforts to the American war effort were monumental. As a result, when the First Congress authorized the raising and construction of the U.S. Navy, President George Washington turned to Barry to build and lead the Nation's Navy. From supervising the building of the flagship USS United States to commanding the first U.S. naval squadron which included the USS Constitution (``Old Ironsides''), Barry was a commodore, with the right to fly a broad pennant, which made him a flag officer. I urge the House of Representatives to pass H.J. Res. 6 and honor Commodore John Barry as the first flag officer of the U.S. Navy.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride as an American and as a New Yorker that I commend my colleagues for taking part in this Special Joint Meeting of Congress in historic Federal Hall. By meeting in this venerable hall in lower Manhattan—just blocks from where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were destroyed less than one year ago—the United States Senate and House of Representatives have demonstrated our governments lasting commitment to the people of New York. And by fighting back and emerging stronger than ever, New Yorkers have demonstrated their grit, their courage and their determination. On September 11, 2001 New York took our enemy's best shot and never waved or faltered. The police officers, fire fighters and all the rescue workers who raced into the inferno demonstrated unsurpassed courage and set the tone and standard for our nation and the world. Just as significantly, the families of the brave men and women who were murdered that day just because they went to work in the World Trade Center have demonstrated a class and dignity that defy comprehension. None of us will ever forget where we were or what we were doing when we first heard the news of the terrorist attacks of September 11—the attack on the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon and the bringing down of Flight 93 in Pennsylvania by uncommonly heroic passengers. Nor will we forget how our nation rallied behind President Bush as he commanded the war against international terrorism. That war will be waged on many battlefields and in many ways for many years to come. But we know that America will prevail. It will prevail in large part because of the fighting spirit that rose from the flames and smoke which engulfed lower Manhattan. And it is that spirit that the United States Congress has honored and acknowledged by holding this extraordinary session in Federal Hall. God Bless America.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise today in support of this legislation. Pete Ganci was a constituent of mine. He was an individual who personified the leadership and the bravery which resulted last September 11 in the greatest rescue operation in the history of this country. Twenty-five thousand people were rescued that day, and it was done primarily through the efforts of the New York City Fire Department, and Chief Pete Ganci was the chief of the department, who was also the highest ranking uniformed officer ever to die in the line of duty, and as the gentlewoman pointed out, Chief Ganci was there that day with his men. Chief Ganci was there in the line of duty. Chief Ganci was there directing the operation against this horrific attack that was carried out against our country, and when the first tower fell, Chief Ganci barely escaped with his life, and when he saw the terrible carnage that resulted and saw the terrible danger which was still being faced by the north tower, which had not yet fallen, Chief Ganci ordered the entire operation to be moved north. As the entire operation, including the mayor and other officials, went north, Pete Ganci went south to be with his men, and that personified the type of leadership which Pete Ganci gave in the New York City Fire Department. As the gentlewoman pointed out, he had been a member of the department more than 33 years, rising to the highest office in that department, chief of the department. Prior to that, he had been a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne, and until his death, he was an active member of the Farmingdale Volunteer Fire Department in New York. Mr. Speaker, at this point also, before I digress, though, I want to pay a special debt of thanks to Sal Pontillo, the Nassau County legislator who represents the district in which Mr. Ganci lived in Nassau County, and he has come to me with this request. We have worked closely on it, and he has also served as liaison with the Ganci family and helped to bring this about. Mr. Speaker, many of us look back on the date of September 11 and we realize what a turning point it was in the history of our country. It was a turning point for many reasons. The point I would like to focus on today is that after that attack, actually as the attack was going on, as the buildings were burning, as the buildings were coming down, as people were being killed, as people were being rescued, what the eyes of the world and the eyes of the country saw was the valor of the New York City firefighters and police officers, those who were carrying out this rescue operation under the most trying circumstances, and the person who was leading that operation was Chief Ganci. Just think what would have happened if he had not done what he did, if the firefighters had not responded the way they did, instead of running into the building, Chief Ganci had run out of the building and kept going, but instead he went back right in the line of fire, the battlefield commander who died with his men, and it was that type of courage that was shown that day, that type of heroism that was shown that day, that type of spirit that was shown that day which I think has inspired our country to fight back, to come back and to win this war against international terrorism, and even just as importantly, to show that America cannot be vanquished, that we can take the best shot of the enemy and come back stronger than ever. That is what Chief Ganci personified that day. In fact, it is the type of story, that if somebody had produced a movie about it, it would not have been believed, for a person to be there when the first tower came down and somehow survive it and go back in and to be killed in the second tower, which to me is the type of courage that I cannot even begin to fathom. This was the first battle, Mr. Speaker, and the first great war of the 21st century, and Chief Ganci died as a battlefield commander in that war, and for that, this country owes him its untiring thanks and gratitude for all that he has done. I want to say a special debt of thanks to his wife, Kathy, who has shown tremendous courage throughout this entire almost now 363 days, and his son, Pete, who is a member of the New York City Fire Department, his son, Chris, and his daughter, Danielle. I also want to thank the other 30 members of the New York delegation for unanimously supporting this resolution. To me, it is just another indication of the tremendous regard that all the men and women of the New York City Fire Department had for Chief Ganci and, indeed, all of the members of the New York delegation, everyone who had the opportunity to know Chief Ganci. I can say I was at his funeral last September 15. It was one of the most moving moments I have ever been involved in, to see the tremendous outpouring of support from his community in North Massapequa and Farmingdale, all of the surrounding community, by the thousands, coming out to join in this salute to Chief Pete Ganci. So, Mr. Speaker, with that I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. I thank the House for considering this resolution today, and I extend my very best thoughts, prayers and gratitude to the Ganci family for all they have gone through.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Glenn J. Winuk, a heroic citizen who sacrificed his life on September 11th to save the lives of others. Glenn served the Jericho community for 19 years as an attorney, an EMT, and commissioner of the Jericho Fire District. Immediately after the World Trade Center Towers were attacked on September 11th, Glenn, a partner in the law firm of Holland & Knight LLP, helped evacuate tenants of his office building at 195 Broadway, about a block away from Ground Zero. He then identified himself as a rescue professional to other rescue workers on the scene, borrowed a mask, gloves, and First Response medic bag to assist others as the South Tower fell minutes later. His remains were recovered, medic bag by his side on Wednesday, March 30th, 2002. Glenn Winuk was an attorney, but his real passion was firefighting. His passion and bravery were displayed on many occasions, such as rendering aid in 1993 when terrorists bombed the World Trade Center and in 1990 at the Avianca plane crash on Long Island. On September 11th, Glenn ran to Ground Zero as a volunteer firefighter and EMT worker. He acted quickly and without regard for his own life, only for those in trouble. It was not Glenn's responsibility to put his life on the line for others that terrible day. But he had the training to help and was in the position to do so. Glenn Winuk paid the ultimate price while saving the lives of others, and his memory will serve as a testament to his bravery. Let us honor the life he gave, and the heroic legacy he left behind.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Garden City High School Girls Lacrosse Team for winning a fourth consecutive New York State Championship. The athletes, parents, and citizens of Garden City should all be very proud of this enormous accomplish. On June 8, 2002, the Garden City defeated East Rochester 8-6 at SUNY, Cortland to win their fourth consecutive Class B Small Schools State Championship. On behalf of the 3rd District of New York, I would like to recognize and honor the following students whose feat this past year will certainly be ranked among the best in New York State high school athletics:

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation, and to insert extraneous material on the bill, H.R. 4903.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4903) to amend title 31, United States Code, to specify that the reverse of the 5-cent piece shall bear an image of Monticello, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge passage of H.R. 4903, the Keep Monticello on the Nickel Act, introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) with the bipartisan sponsorship of the Virginia delegation. As the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) will describe in more detail, the bill allows for the redesign of the 5-cent coin for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005 to recognize the importance of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark expedition that began 200 years ago next year. The bill specifies that all redesigned coins shall bear the image of Thomas Jefferson on the face or obverse and that in 2006 and thereafter the coin bear the image of Jefferson on the obverse and of his home, Monticello, on the reverse. The images of Jefferson may be different and the view of Monticello that returns to the coin might differ from the current one. Mr. Speaker, the bill also contains numerous other provision which the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor) will describe. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this legislation.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Staten Island, New York (Mr. Fossella).

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me again thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney) for the tremendous cooperation she has given throughout this process. We also thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for working so closely with us and combining the two pieces of legislation. I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella) for his very moving remarks here today, and, of course, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel) for the job he has done today and for the terrific job he has done since September 11 in working with the many victims' families in his district and working closely with me with the victims' compensation fund. I would also like to say on a personal note, Mr. Speaker, in my own district there were more than 150 constituents who were killed on September 11. There were a number of friends and neighbors. I would like to point out just several in my own community. Firefighter Tim Haskell and his brother, Fire Captain Tom Haskell. Also, I would like to point out Police Lieutenant John Perry, who, ironically, was actually putting in his retirement papers at the moment that the World Trade Center was hit. He took his papers back, went across the street, took part in the rescue effort and was killed. I would also like to commend firefighters Michael Boyle and David Arce, both of whom were very active in my campaigns and worked with me for many years. They, though, are just typical of so many of the firefighters, police officers, and civilians who died that day doing what they were paid to do, to save others, to do their job, and to really symbolize the very best of America. So on that note, Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge the House to adopt this legislation as a fitting tribute to those who died that day and also as a fitting tribute to the survivors who are carrying the fight forward; and also, I think, as a symbol of the unity that our country has shown since September 11 in working with the President and both parties, in a bipartisan way, standing together to win the war against terrorism. So, again, I urge adoption of the legislation. I certainly hope that it will be passed readily in the other body so that it can be signed by the President by September 11 as a fitting tribute to what occurred on September 11 as far as those who demonstrated such bravery, and the country itself for the way it showed such resolve and unity. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. At the outset, let me commend the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), also the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns), the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema), and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Watts), all of whom are cosponsors of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, the legislation we are bringing up today is our attempt to honor those men and women who laid down their lives in the line of duty at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, and in bringing down Flight 93 on September 11. No one is ever going to forget where they were or forget what they were doing on those terrible days of September 11, when we saw the terrible attack on the World Trade Center, the attack on the Pentagon. We saw Flight 93 being brought down and then the rescue efforts that began over the subsequent days. Mr. Speaker, this legislation today will award Congressional Gold Medals to all of those Government workers who laid down their lives in the line of duty at the World Trade Center, including, of course, the 343 New York City firefighters, the Port Authority police, the New York City police, the New York State court officers who laid down their lives carrying out the greatest rescue mission in the history of this country. Twenty-five thousand people were rescued that day from the World Trade Center. In addition, it will award Congressional Gold Medals to those who died in the line of duty at the Pentagon carrying out rescue operations, and in addition to that, those who were determined by the Attorney General to have been responsible for thwarting the terrorists on Flight 93 and bringing that flight down before it could actually strike here in Washington, either at the Capitol or the White House or wherever the target was intended to be. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, there were others who were not uniform officers, who were not government employees, who also became part of the rescue operation that day. For instance, there were construction workers who were not even working in the World Trade Center who rushed into the building that day to carry out a rescue operation. One, just for the purposes of the Record, will be Charles Costello of Elevator Constructors Local 1, who again raced into the building as part of the rescue operation and was killed, not a government worker but yet a hero who laid down his life in the line of duty. In addition to that, we had a number of paramedics and six EMT, six, I believe, who were not government workers but were either hospital employees or members of volunteer ambulance corps. These men and women also laid down their lives and should be recognized. In addition to that, Mr. Speaker, the bill includes legislation initially introduced by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Stearns) which brings about coins, which they can explain in greater detail, but commemorative coins which will describe for all time the terrible tragedy of that day, but also the glory of that day, and I am sure the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) will discuss that, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), in greater detail. That is an integral part of this bill because a similar bill to this was enacted last December. It did encounter some questions in the Senate, and it is our sincere hope that by making the changes we have made today, by melding together two different pieces of legislation, uniting them as one, that it will make it easier for the bill to be passed by the Senate so that it can be presented to the President to be signed prior to September 11. Mr. Speaker, the events of September 11 were the first great battle and the first great war of the 21st century, and the American people have responded in a way that surpasses what anyone could have ever hoped for, could have ever dreamt of, but the reality is that would not have happened if there was not such tremendous courage shown on the day of September 11 itself when the rescue workers came forward, when those who worked in the buildings, all of whom were heroes in their own right, did what had to be done. This was America at its best, and by adopting this legislation, both as far as the gold medals and as far as the commemorative coins, Mr. Speaker, it will be our way as a Congress of showing the dedication that we have to those men and women who lost their lives on September 11. Also, Mr. Speaker, it will be a source of some consolation and solace to the survivors of those poor brave men and women who died that day. It is a small step. I think it will mean a lot to those families if they can see the unity that we feel, the sense of dedication that we in the Congress feel toward honoring and commemorating all those men and women. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5138) to posthumously award Congressional gold medals to government workers and others who responded to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon and perished and to people aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who helped resist the hijackers and caused the plane to crash, to require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the Spirit of America, recognizing the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. How much has the price fallen?

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, the patent issue is a separate issue from reimportation, but we are all interested in making drugs affordable and accessible to the seniors of America. The Republican Party has made that one of its top issues this year. To just review the patent situation, if you invent a computer chip like Steve Jobs, the proverbial dot.com success story, if you do that tinkering away in the midnight hours at your house, you get a patent. That patent helps you recoup the costs and all your time and pays you off for your ingenuity and genius mind. With a drug company, they are a little different. The research is subsidized by the taxpayers, so why are we giving them such a long, 17- year patent when in fact so much of the research is subsidized?

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I am proud to stand here today as the sponsor of this legislation to name the Federal courthouse in Suffolk County, New York in honor of Alfonse D'Amato. The gentleman from Arkansas and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia have detailed the specific accomplishments of Senator D'Amato from his days in Nassau County, in the town of Hempstead, to his 3 terms in the United States Senate culminating, of course, in his service as chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. But Senator D'Amato was much more than that. Senator D'Amato was the quintessential New Yorker. I had the privilege of knowing Al D'Amato and still knowing him for more than 30 years. During that time I also had the privilege of serving with him on the Hempstead Town Board when I was a Hempstead Councilman and he was the presiding Supervisor, and then during my first 6 years in the United States Congress that overlapped with Senator D'Amato's time in the United States Senate. I never knew a tougher advocate for the people of New York. I never knew a person who was more loyal to his friends. I never knew a man who was more willing to stand up and do what was right than Senator D'Amato. I think what was very interesting to me when I was going around trying to get cosponsors for this bill, it was probably the easiest job I ever had, not just Republicans, but from Democrats as well. We have 30 Members of the New York delegation that have signed on to this bill. The reason for that is that they know that whether one is Republican or Democrat, Senator D'Amato would fight for you and your behalf if what you were doing was right and if your constituents needed it. That to me is the real measure of the man, a man who is willing to cross party lines and do whatever has to be done to get the job done. It is interesting, for instance, that some of Senator D'Amato's closest friends and allies were members of the Democratic Party. Mayor Ed Koch of New York is a close personal friend and colleague of Senator D'Amato. Senator Pat Moynihan, who was Senator D'Amato's colleague in the Senate, is also a very close friend and a colleague and an advocate for Senator D'Amato. But the reality is that Senator D'Amato also had enemies, and you never know when those enemies are going to come out from the woodwork or out from under their rocks, but the reality is that they could never face up to the fact that Senator D'Amato did not fit their image of what a United States Senator should be. Senator D'Amato was a tough kid from the neighborhood who fought his way up, who was not willing to defer to his elders if that meant sacrificing the good for the common man. He fought hard for what he believed in and, in doing that, he broke some china, he crashed some furniture, but the bottom line was he got the job done. To me it is interesting to see how Senator D'Amato's enemies react against him when I see the way he reacted against his political opponents. For instance, when Senator D'Amato lost his election to Senator Schumer in 1998, I was actually with Senator D'Amato the night he lost. I can tell my colleagues that from that night until today, Senator D'Amato has had nothing but the highest praise for Senator Schumer. He never complained about the campaign, he never begrudged Senator Schumer his victory, and he works with Senator Schumer and Senator Clinton today doing what he can to help them do their job, to serve the people of New York. That really was to me the essence of Senator D'Amato, fighting for New York, putting partisanship aside, and doing what was right. I guess the best way to describe it is that like Frank Sinatra, Al D'Amato did it his way. It was not always the way that appealed to the elite or it was not always the way that appealed to the intelligentsia, but it was the way that it appealed to real people, real people who knew what he stood for, knew he stood for them, and knew that he always, always put the people of the State of New York first. So I am privileged to stand here today as an advocate for Senator D'Amato as he was an advocate for so many millions of millions of people during his years in public life. Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this resolution.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill (H.R. 2751) the Clerk be authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and make such other technical and conforming changes as may be necessary to reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. KING

Mr. KING. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2751) to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress to General Henry H. Shelton and to provide for the production of bronze duplicates of such medal for sale to the public, as amended.