Joe Knollenberg

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Ryun).

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Tom Davis).

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler). (Mr. HOSTETTLER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts).

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes and 15 seconds to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon).

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), the chairman of the authorizing committee and a person I have worked with on a number of problems and situations.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) who is a valuable member of this committee. He has been involved in the environmental arena and the education arena.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the Committee on Appropriations who does extraordinary work in so many ways.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to bring before the House the Fiscal Year 2002 District of Columbia Appropriations Act. Before I present the details of this legislation, I want to remind my colleagues of the context in which we consider the bill. A little more than 6 years ago, this Congress took a drastic, but necessary, action in response to the completely unacceptable financial condition of our Nation's Capital by creating the District of Columbia Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, or better known as the Control Board. We gave the Control Board authority over virtually every function of District governance. We asked it to help the city recover after years of mismanagement and accumulated budget deficits. Back in 1995 that looked like no small task, and only starry-eyed dreamers would have said that just 6 years later the District would have had 4 consecutive years of budget surpluses leading to the sunset of the Control Board. That is exactly what happened. Today is September 25, and in 5 days the Control Board will disband. This I believe is a tremendous credit to the steady hand of Mayor Anthony Williams and his policies as well as the efforts of Chief Financial Officer Nat Gandhi. City Council Chair Linda Cropp also deserves recognition, and all of her colleagues on the city council are to be commended for their efforts as well. Along with the Control Board and the District's delegate to Congress, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton), these leaders have turned yesterday's starry-eyed dreams into reality. When I became chairman of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia, I had the benefit of working with a city on the rise. From the outset, I said that I wanted to be a partner with the District of Columbia and we jointly developed an agenda that promotes the continued renaissance of the city. My focus was on economic development, education and public safety; and this budget reflects those priorities. Mr. Chairman, the package before my colleagues is the product of the very hard work of every member of the Subcommittee on D.C. Appropriations. Each member contributed extensively, and this bill reflects our commitment to helping the city. I would like to acknowledge the work of two of my colleagues in particular. First, I recognize the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah). He brought his experience in city politics to us and has been an invaluable guide. I believe we formed a solid working relationship, and that is what has brought us to where we are today. I also want to express my appreciation for all that the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) has done to help me find my way through this city and to keep me up to date on local issues. She is a tireless advocate for the District of Columbia, and Washington, D.C.'s residents are fortunate to have her. I would also like to recognize a former colleague of ours who is no longer here. Julian Dixon, the long-time chairman of this subcommittee, passed away late last year; and this is the first D.C. bill that has come before this committee since then. A native Washingtonian, he chaired the subcommittee for 14 years and was truly a friend of the District if there ever was one. He recognized the District's fiscal instability and helped get Washington's house in order. His expertise, his advice and his counsel are missed. The fiscal year 2002 District of Columbia Appropriations Act totals slightly more than $7.14 billion, of which approximately $5 billion is from local funds, and $2.1 billion is from Federal funds, including Federal grants. I will not go into the portion of the bill dealing with the local funds except to say that we fully funded every penny of the city's budget. What the city asked for, we provided. The Federal funds portion of the bill, excluding Federal grants, totals $398 million, which my colleagues will note is slightly more than the $359 million that the President requested, but $66 million less than what was enacted in fiscal year 2001. The difference between this bill and the President's budget is due primarily to two items: first, the bill provides $23.3 million above the President's request to the District of Columbia courts for the reform of the D.C. Family Court. Just last Thursday this House passed the District of Columbia Family Courts Act, which provides for the first major overhaul of the District of Columbia courts' Family Division in some 30 years. The additional funds in this legislation will pay for the transition. Second, the bill provides a $16 million Federal payment for security planning. The funding was originally intended to offset the cost of police protection at the World Bank-IMF meetings, which were supposed to occur at the end of this month. Those meetings have been canceled; but in light of recent events, we have decided to shift the purpose of this funding to the development and implementation of an emergency security plan for the District. Beyond these two items, this bill fully funds the Federal Government's responsibilities in the District of Columbia, including, among other things, $17 million in resident college tuition support, $5.5 million for the Children's National Medical Center, $585,000 for the chief medical examiner to clear a backlog of autopsies, and $1 million for the St. Colletta of Greater Washington Expansion project. In addition, this legislation eliminates 35 of the 69 general provisions contained in last year's bill. Let me repeat that. The bill deletes over half of the general provisions that were in last year's bill. I conducted a thorough review of each and every general provision and removed the ones that are now permanent law, not requested by the President, or had been rendered obsolete. I know that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) have expressed reservations about certain parts of this bill. As the managers' amendment that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) and I offered at the Committee on Rules will attest, I am committed to working with them and will continue to do so as the bill winds its way through the legislative process. I am hopeful that we can reach a solution that is satisfactory to all. Before I close, I would like to thank the many staff members who make it possible to bring this bill to the floor today. Migo Miconi and Mary Porter of the subcommittee staff and Jeff Onizuk and Candra Symonds from my staff have been invaluable in this whole process. Let me also say that Tom Forhan of the minority staff has been of great help. We reasoned together and talked things through, and I appreciate his support; and also Williams Miles from the personal staff of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah). They all deserve great applause. Mr. Chairman, the District of Columbia is a city full of treasures and rich history and should be the crown jewel of all American cities. After all, the leading Nation in the world deserves a world-class capital. Make no mistake, the District of Columbia is on its way back, and this legislation is another important step. This is a good bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman, I am submitting at this point for the Record a chart comparing the amounts recommended in H.R. 2499 with the appropriations for fiscal year 2001 and the request for fiscal year 2002: [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH25SE01.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH25SE01.002 Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent that the remainder of the bill through page 43, line 15 be considered as read, printed in the Record and open to any amendment at this point.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order on the amendment.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, it would be appropriate, I think, for the amendment to be read so that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) can, in fact, present it.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah) yield.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I say to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Traficant), we have examined his amendment and we have no objection to it.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the underlying amendment for two good reasons. On June 28, 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court said that the Boy Scouts of America have the constitutional right to block gays from becoming troop leaders. That is what they said. They are the law of the land. The Court ruled 5 to 4 that the New Jersey Supreme Court was wrong in forcing the Boy Scouts to accept James Dale, who was fired from the organization when the organization learned of his sexual orientation. The Boy Scouts of America is a private organization which does not receive public funds. They have consistently won court judgments; and they have won, in part, because they do not receive taxpayer money. Last September, September 13, 2000, this House voted 362 to 12 to reject an effort to revoke the 80-year-old Federal charter of the Boy Scouts of America because the group excludes gays. I believe it would be inconsistent to challenge the decision of the Supreme Court of this land.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the bill (H.R. 2944) making appropriation for the government of the District of Columbia and other activities chargeable in whole or in part against the revenues of said District for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2002, and for other purposes, and that I be permitted to include tabular and extraneous material on the bill.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections and other conforming changes in the engrossment of H.R. 2944 to reflect the actions of the House.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Armenia's independence from the Soviet Union. This anniversary marks an important turning point for Armenia and an opportunity to highlight the U.S.-Armenia relationship. As our country continues to mourn the victims of last Tuesday's tragic attacks, so too do the Armenian people. Armenian President Robert Kocharian expressed his condolences to President Bush along with an offer to send experienced rescue workers to help the relief efforts in New York and at the Pentagon. The government of Armenia also pledged to support America's anti-terrorist campaign. Since the dawn of history, Armenians have held to their land despite repeated occupations, oppression and genocide. They have retained their distinct heritage, language, culture and religion. In fact, this year Armenia--the first Christian nation--celebrates its 1700th anniversary of Christianity and as part of the celebration, the Pope will visit Armenia. On September 21, 1991, with the fall of the Soviet Union, the long awaited dream of an independent Armenia became a reality as the Armenian people held a referendum to decide their future. An extraordinary 94 percent of Armenia's eligible voters turned out to support independence. I might note that one of our colleagues, the gentleman from Wisconsin, Mr. Sensenbrenner, was in Armenia on this historic occasion. Although the Republic of Armenia struggles against the impact of an ongoing blockade by its neighbors to the east and west, which has devastated the economy, Armenia continues to make economic strides. Armenia also continues to reach out to its neighbors without preconditions. Unfortunately, Armenia's numerous proposals--from opening borders, restoration of rail and road links in the Caucasus, energy swaps, agreeing to the U.S. proposal to open mutual information centers in Turkey and Armenia among others--have all been rejected. I am pleased to note that some progress has been made in promoting improved Armenian-Turkish relations with the recent establishment of the Turkish-Armenian Reconciliation Commission (TARC). The commission is an important step toward fostering a new era of mutual understanding and good will between Armenians and Turks. This commission provides a forum for direct dialogue to address issues that continue to divide the people of Armenia and Turkey. Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, ``the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.'' Armenia, like many other countries of the former Soviet Union, is still struggling to overcome many obstacles, but I believe it is headed in the right direction. And with the ongoing support of the United States, we can ensure that Armenia's young democracy will flourish. I am confident that the strong and natural bonds that exist between our two countries and peoples will continue to grow and become stronger in the years to come. God bless America and God Bless Armenia.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of this joint resolution authorizing the use of military force against those responsible for the September 11, 2001 terrorist acts against our country. We are about to make what, for most of us, will be the most important vote in our time as Members of Congress. Authorizing the use of force is a monumental event, and its significance should not be minimized. This resolution is not about vengeance; it is about victory, it is about winning a war against an enemy that is actively seeking to kill American citizens and destroy our way of life. We are not naive. The use of force has many risks, but we risk more by doing nothing. This resolution acknowledges that the world is a different place today, but we have the ability and the will to win a war against terrorism. The security of American lives requires us to succeed. I urge adoption of this resolution.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer on behalf of the people of the 11th Congressional District of Michigan our thoughts and prayers for each and every one affected by the tragedy. Words alone cannot express the sorrow that America feels. Nor can words express the anger America feels. These attacks were a cowardly assault on innocent Americans, and this will not stand. Make no mistake, these attacks were an act of war. All of us stand firmly behind the President in his efforts to identify and punish the perpetrators of these evil deeds. No one will rest until justice is done on those who committed these heinous crimes and on those who provided aid and comfort to those criminals. Let me be clear. America's relationships with our allies and those who would be our allies will be defined by their reactions to these events and their support for our efforts to bring these terrorists and their accomplices to justice. Our Nation's capital has suffered as well. I have been in touch with the city's leadership to assess their needs. As chairman of the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia of the Committee on Appropriations, I will do what I can to ensure that it has the resources it needs to be as safe as possible. Yesterday, we saw the worst of humanity. But it is the better angels of our nature that will prevail. Terrorism tries to defeat us with fear. Judging by the response of all Americans, fear is not winning. I returned to work today, as did all Americans, confident that the United States of America is as strong as ever. We are bloodied, but unbowed. Now is the time for us as a Nation to stand together and prove that the principles for which we stand are stronger than the forces that would destroy them.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Chairman, I rise to remind my colleagues of a critical provision of H.R. 4, the Securing America's Future Energy Act, which passed this House yesterday. The provision authorizes critical funds for our nation's nuclear engineering education programs, and is identical to a bill introduced by Congresswoman Judy Biggert. For over 50 years, the United States has been the leader in nuclear science and engineering. However, the energy crisis in California has awakened our nation to energy supply constraints. Nuclear power accounts for 20% of our energy supply and is the key to solving our energy supply needs. This bill authorizes $240 million over five years for university nuclear science and engineering programs at the Department of Energy. The supply of bachelor degree nuclear scientists and engineers is at a 35 year low, and the number of universities offering nuclear engineering degrees is half of what it was 20 years ago. Mr. Chairman, the provision we passed yesterday is a critical foundation for tomorrow's energy supply.

Mr. KNOLLENBERG

Mr. KNOLLENBERG. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider an amendment to the energy bill that will raise CAFE standards. Let us be clear, this amendment will be doing nothing more than punishing the auto industry for the sin of making cars that people want to buy. If this amendment becomes law, Americans will be forced to drive smaller cars that are less safe than what we drive now, and we will see more traffic fatalities. But do not take my word for it. The recent report by the National Academy of Sciences confirms that the downsizing of vehicles in order to comply with current CAFE standards costs American lives. There is a clear correlation between size and risk. Mr. Speaker, are we ready to sacrifice safety to reduce consumption? I hope not. I urge my colleagues to oppose any increase in CAFE standards beyond what is already in the bill, and support the American people's right to drive safe cars.