Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I think a national civics lesson is in order here. First of all, as a former mayor of the city of Cleveland, I think that I understand what all mayors understand, and that is that people in our cities pay taxes to city, State, and to the Nation. So people in cities across this country give their tax dollars to the Federal Government. They are Federal taxpayers. That does not give them any less rights, it actually gives them more rights. It gives them something to say at all levels. I am very concerned, as a former mayor and as a former city councilman, that the Riggs amendment would usurp the right of a local community, and by reference, all local communities, to make their own laws. The principle of home rule is something that every one of us in the Congress of the United States ought to support. We ought to support the principle of home rule. People make laws at a local level to promote their own safety, to provide for their own services, to make sure that people have their waste collected, have their streets plowed in the winter, the streets clean, to make sure that the people have good recreation and health care. People establish local governments specifically to do that, and they also establish laws which relate to the concerns of people in the community. People elect local officials because there are some decisions that are made at a local level, the decision of which ought to be made by the people of that locality. The history of the Federal Government does not provide for preemption of State or civil rights laws where State or civil rights laws of a locality have gone further than the Federal Government. There is no place like home, and there is no government institution like home rule. How precious is this right of self-government? How precious is this right of home rule? People together, coming together at a local level, they elect their members of council to address local issues which are of importance to the people in their neighborhood, their community, and their city. City councils meet as legislative bodies to make the laws for a city. It has been said before, we are not a plenipotentiary legislative body that seeks to make laws at every level of this government. We make Federal laws. We do not make laws for city councils and the city of San Francisco or Cleveland or Chicago or New York. All across this land, mayors and councils meet daily, meet weekly, to do what they feel is in the best interests of their community. Local government exists for local matters, and the Federal Government exists for Federal matters, and we should not try to usurp the job and the duty of local government. But when an amendment is created and aimed specifically at one city, in this case, San Francisco, California, I submit that it attacks home rule not only in San Francisco, but it attacks home rule in every city in the United States of America. As a former mayor, I can tell the Members that that ought not to happen, because that is not what the founders or the framers meant when they created a United States. It attacks home rule in New York, in Cleveland, in Chicago and Los Angeles, in every city and in every suburb and in every town. Local government means power to the people in its finest. Aside from this attempt to dictate to San Francisco, there is an undercurrent here which is not worthy of this Congress. I ask the Members, whatever happened to keeping government out of people's private lives? Whatever happened to live and let live? Whatever happened to do onto others as you would have them do unto you? Whatever happened to judge not, that ye be not judged? Mr. Chairman, I yield back, but I do not yield back anybody's constitutional rights.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel. Over the course of its history, this democracy has built a thriving economic and political system and a unique culture, in spite of internal and external challenges and hardships. Today, Israel shares a common goal of advancing the cause of humanity, seeking a stable and genuine peace in the Middle East, and generously shares its collective gifts with the rest of the world. Israel and the United States share a common background based on pioneering and a united people's determination for political independence. Both countries were built on democratic principles which have withstood the test of time, serving as beacons of freedom, hope and opportunity. Although situated across an entire ocean, thousands of miles apart, Israel and the United States have many similarities. An open exchange of ideas has cultivated the special relationship between the two countries. Over its fifty years in existence, Israel has become a State that has achieved considerable advancements. In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the State of Israel's establishment, many organizations in the Cleveland area, such as the Jewish Community Federation of Cleveland, will host commemorative celebrations. My fellow colleagues, please join me in recognizing this exciting and momentous occasion.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman) is right. Report language does state that the EPA not issue any regulatory determination for mercury emissions from utilities until more studies are done. But studies have already been done. It is a fact that coal-burning utilities emit mercury from their smokestacks. It is a fact that mercury gets deposited in our soil and water. It is a fact that mercury accumulates in fish. It is a fact that mercury works its way up the food chain to people. Coal-fired utilities emit 52 tons of mercury each year nationwide. Mercury contamination is a serious problem in Ohio. The National Wildlife Federation has determined that coal-burning utilities are responsible for 55 percent of the State's total mercury emissions. These utilities are responsible for more than 9,000 pounds per year of mercury released into the air. The Ohio Department of Health has issued a statewide fishing advisory for every river, lake and stream in Ohio due to mercury contamination in Ohio's waterways. Ohio affects New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Canada as well with mercury contamination. These emissions are damaging our quality of life, the areas where we live, where we work and where we play. Yet the committee language will prevent the EPA from acting now. We cannot accept and we do not have to accept the logic that jobs depend on pollution because everyone knows that in the next millennium we can have both jobs and a clean environment and that pollution represents wasted resources. Mr. Chairman, one of the most disconcerting aspects of the environmental debate is that it demonstrates a kind of thinking that man has disconnected himself from his natural environment. We speak of the air as if it is out there. We speak of water as if it is a wet abstraction. We speak of global warming as if the globe is somewhere other than that upon which we stand, where we live. Human life depends on the life of the planet. Our children's life depends on the life of the planet. A famous Indian chieftain once said, I think it was Chief Seattle, ``The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth.'' The Earth and the environment which contains it are the fundamental preconditions of life. Now, if you believe that life is sacred, and I do, then you believe that it is a seamless web. That if life is sacred, the Earth is sacred. If life is sacred, the air is sacred. If life is sacred, water is sacred. If life is sacred, the globe is sacred and all who live upon it are sacred. Now, this is not a mere rhetorical or philosophical proposition. This is not about the intricacies of environmental politics. This is a spiritual imperative. Without a place for us to work out our fate, there is no physical life for us to do the work of the spirit. This is a matter of life. The God on which our Nation trusts is the same God whose work is all creation. Creation is the work of God and if we are created in God's image, then we ought to have more respect for God's creation. The mere possibility, the mere hint that greenhouse gases may be changing our global climate, that PCBs are contaminating our waters, that mercury is poisoning people should cause Members of this House to leap to the defense of our common home. It is time to reconcile with the Earth, it is time for us to remember where we came from, and to remember that all life is precious and that life depends on us.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, the stars which emblazon our flag, which ring this chamber and which surround that eagle that looks down on us every day, those stars could also represent the stars that we reach for. Our future as a Nation is certainly about what we do on this earth, but it is also about the sky above. It is also about the human heart exploring the unknown. Americans know this. That is why they support the space program, and that is why they are hoping this Congress is going to support the International Space Station.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, over the last several months, I have participated in more than 20 hours of discussion during five hearings on the global warming issue. I am well aware of the impacts which the Kyoto Protocol may have on this country, but I am also aware of the possible consequences of global climate change. When we look at this weather map from CNN of July 20, 1998, we can start to see the dimensions of the problem where we have had some of the most unusual weather in this country that people have experienced ever. All across this country, people are aware as they are sweating at home how different the weather is this year than any other year. And as scientists have looked at it, they have seen that indeed this weather has been unusually severe this summer. We have had fires in Florida, floods in the Midwest, tornadoes destroying entire communities. And we look back at the temperature, last Wednesday the high temperature was 117 degrees in Phoenix. Today marks the 17th day in a row the temperatures are over 100 in Dallas. Does anyone remember last winter? Not even a snowflake fell here in Washington. From January to June, average temperatures were the warmest on record. Temperatures in 1997 were the highest on record, and in 1998, so far it is even warmer. Scientists predict that even more severe storms and unusual weather patterns will occur if we continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. I want to repeat: Scientists predict that more severe storms and unusual weather patterns will occur if we continue to pour greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and we are no doubt seeing evidence of this right now. Let us look again at some of the headlines. 1998, ``Twister Death Toll Already 121.'' That is from USA Today last month. Chicago Tribune, ``Tornado's Fury Nearly Wipes Town Off Map.'' June 17, San Antonio Texas Express, ``Heat Melts Sections of I-35 in Laredo.'' From Greensboro, the Greensboro News and Record, July 9, 1998, ``Drought, Fires Ravage State Economies.'' When we look at just the news, what we have is evidence of rapid breaking warming trends. The 1990s have been the warmest years, according to scientists. It is not a political statement. The 1990s have been the warmest years in six centuries. 1997 is the warmest year ever recorded. This June, or this past June has been the hottest June since recordkeeping began over a century ago. July is on track to beat these records. This is a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These are not politicians debating issues. These are scientists who have experience records that cannot be contested. But for the moment let us set all of that aside. The American people know that the climate is changing. The American people can tell us that it is hotter than ever in some parts of this country; that the weather has been crazier in some parts of this country. People know this. And yet there are those who would not let the government of the United States even study why this is happening in relationship to global warming. Language in the VA-HUD bill does not allow contemplation of implementation of the Kyoto Treaty. It does not allow the relevant agencies to prepare to develop rules or regulations. Basic public education on the science and implications of climate change would be prohibited under the language of this bill. This language puts a gag order on the relevant agencies and stifles informed debate on global warming, which is why the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) is relevant. This practice of not letting the public know the debate, this surely is not the way, this cannot be the way to assure the future of this planet. We have to prepare for all possible eventualities in order to protect the planet for future generations. We cannot be here in this Congress just for ourselves. We have to remember the next generation, and the next generation, and the next generation. It is very clear that global warming is a fact of life and it is hurting this country and the world.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. This is a bittersweet moment for me, because as someone who is relatively new to this Congress, I have had the pleasure of knowing Lou Stokes for 30 years, but this is the first time I have had a chance to serve with him in the Congress. And I have to tell you, Lou, that I am so grateful that I have had this opportunity, even though I have only been here for a term with you. Lou Stokes has shown that America's progress as a Nation is measured not by what we do for the strong, but what we do for the weak; not by what we do for the the haves, but what we do for the have-nots. Lou Stokes has shown that America's progress as a Nation is measured in how we as a Nation have stood up for the rights of minorities, how we have met the test. And throughout his career, we know that Lou Stokes has met the test in fighting for voting rights, civil rights, education rights, and housing rights. Lou, in doing that, you have helped lift up not only minorities, but you have helped to lift up majorities as well because you, Lou Stokes, have ennobled this Congress and this Nation with your public spirited consciousness, with your fight for the right, with your style and with your grace. I am so fortunate to call you my friend and to be able to call you my colleague. Lou Stokes helped me get elected mayor of Cleveland 21 years ago and gave me the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his dear brother, also my dear friend, Carl. And together you and I, Lou, were able to prove that in the big cities, and it has to be true in State and Federal Government as well, political power can, should and must be shared. It is essential in a democracy that political power be shared with minorities. Rudyard Kipling once wrote about someone who could walk with kings and never lose the common touch. We see in Lou Stokes' career that he has had that ability. People in Cleveland just love him. All across our city people are looking for ways to honor his career, and all across our city, people who are aware of this moment, understand why Members of Congress from East to West, from North to South are standing up to sing Lou Stokes' praises because we know Lou Stokes in Cleveland, and we love Lou Stokes because of what he has done for our city and what he has done for our country. You know, Lou, there is a test that a lot of us from the inner city make not only of public officials but everybody we meet, and it is a test that is a spiritual test, and we have often heard it. It goes something like this: When I was hungry, did you feed me? Lou Stokes has stood up for hungry people in this country. When I was naked, did you clothe me? Lou Stokes has stood up for the dispossessed in this country. When I was homeless, did you shelter me? Lou Stokes has stood up for people when they needed housing. We love you, Lou Stokes, for the work that you have done for our people. Somewhere in Cleveland today, you can bet on this, not only in Cleveland but in cities across this country, there will be a child living in adverse circumstance, maybe not even having a home. Maybe they are just sitting on a stoop marking the time, wondering if things are ever going to get better in their life, because things are pretty tough right now. Now, that person in America today could be black, could be brown, could be yellow, could be white. And when he or she is sitting there and feeling low, feeling down, wondering what is going to come and if things could ever get better with their life, they could think about two young African American children who were born in poverty, who lived in public housing, who, through the grace of God and a mother who worked for them, were able to move through the ranks, come to power, reach the pinnacle, make American history, and they always remembered where they came from. Children of America, look to Lou Stokes. Look to Carl Stokes. Historically, those are two of the greatest people in American history, and they are people who you can be proud to call Americans and we can be proud to call friends. God bless you, Lou Stokes. I love you and I am glad to be here to say this to the American people.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Here are some facts on the Space Station. Significant development progress has been made on the International Space Station. Seventy-five percent of the development milestones have been completed. The first two elements of the Space Station are ready and being prepared for launch. Over 400,000 pounds of flight hardware have been built. By the end of 1998, NASA and its international partners will have built over a half million pounds of flight hardware. And the first two elements of the Space Station will be in orbit. The return of U.S. astronaut Andy Thomas marks the successful conclusion of the Shuttle-Mir program. Ten rendezvous and nine docking missions, and over 950 days of U.S. astronaut experience aboard the Mir has given the United States invaluable experience in long-term space operations which has prepared NASA to more effectively conduct permanent operations aboard the International Space Station. Space shuttle crews assigned to the first three assembly flights of the International Space Station have already been selected and begun training. The Space Station assembly crews have already been selected. The first four crews to live and work aboard the Space Station have been selected and are actively training in Russia, the United States, Europe, and Canada. The International Space Station Research Plan has been adopted and published and selection is underway for what will eventually be 900 principal investigators conducting research aboard the Space Station. NASA remains fully committed to meet Space Station research requirements, and has included full funding for enhanced research capabilities in the budget of the program. The Research Plan outlines the use of the world class International Space Station laboratories. Space Station capacity for data transfer has been significantly updated from the original plan. November 20th, 1998 is the revised launch date for the U.S.-owned Russian-built control module. It will followed on December 3, 1998 by the launch of Unity, the U.S. node. Launch of the Russian Service Module is scheduled for April 1999. Assembly will be complete in January 2004. The Russian-built service module is 95 percent complete and has been shipped for final outfitting and testing. As a hedge against Russian Service Module delays, NASA has modified the Russian-built control module and is developing a U.S. Interim control module in the event additional Service Module delays are encountered. Although the recently issued report of the Cost Assessment and Validation Task Force, headed by Jay Chabrow, has concluded that technical and schedule risk could force total International Space Station costs to reach $24.7 billion, NASA has not revised its existing estimate of $21.3 billion. NASA continues to evaluate other contingency plans to address possible further Russian funding delays and is refining those plans for implementation, if needed. Now, Mr. Chairman, the Space Station, despite its difficulties is the greatest peaceful international scientific endeavor in the history of the world. The Space Station is a platform for international peace. It is a platform for international science. It is a platform for national and international economic growth. It is a platform for future generations. Children sense it. In my own district I saw John Glenn speak to a school full of elementary children, and they stood transfixed as he talked about his flight, as he talked about outerspace, as he talked about where America was going for the future, because they saw it as their future as well. The Space Station is a platform for future human achievement. It will help us grow the economy of the future, to improve the quality of life for all people. Twenty-nine years ago the United States became the first Nation to land an astronaut on the moon. Now, what if Congress had told John Kennedy, when he set out to make a lunar landing a national goal, what if Congress had said, ``No, you can't. It is impractical. It is wasteful.'' Twenty-nine years ago the people of the United States stood transfixed as we saw Neil Armstrong take one small step for man, one giant step for mankind. One mission after another, the space program has kept advancing America's frontiers. Advancing our dreams. Now, the poet Browning once wrote, ``But a man's reach should exceed his grasp or what is a heaven for.'' The Alan Shepards, the Gus Grissoms, the John Glenns, the Buzz Aldrins, the Christa McAuliffes all represent the courage, the vision of this great country. America is a practical Nation. We understand cost benefits, and there have been practical benefits, as has been pointed out, $9 returned for every $1 spent in the space program. But America, too, is a Nation about a ceaseless quest for achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the citizens of Puerto Rico on Constitution Day, July 24, 1998. The people of Puerto Rico established the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for the very same reasons our forefathers wrote the Constitution of the United States of America, to establish themselves as a democracy. The Puerto Rican Constitution ensures basic welfare and human rights for the people, ensconces the idea of a government which reflects the will of the people, and pays tribute and loyalty to the Constitution of the United States of America. The Puerto Rican culture is a distinctly unique culture. By pledging allegiance to the Constitution of the United States of America, the people of Puerto Rico celebrate shared beliefs and the co-existence of both cultures. By ratifying their own Constitution, the people of Puerto Rico retain and honor their original heritage while expressing the desire to pursue democracy and happiness for themselves. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the following individuals for their contributions to the Greater Cleveland community. Dr. Milagros Acevedo Cruz, Michelle Melendez, Mario Ortiz, David Plata, Raquel Santiago, Lydia Esparra, Orlando Salinas, Ana Garcia, Yolanda Perdomo, and Jundy Caraballo. I hope that my fellow colleagues will join me in honoring these individuals and praising the Puerto Rican people as they celebrate Constitution Day.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment by Mr. Paxton to the bill being discussed on campaign finance reform. This amendment would require labor unions to report all financial activities under current labor laws by categories, such as organizing activities and strike activities and political activities. The amendment further requires that reports be posted on the Internet. These provisions single out unions for special treatment. They would impose expensive, burdensome regulations upon the organizations that represent working people. Companies are not subject to such treatment. This would further tilt the political playing field towards corporations and against working families. The amendment imposes a substantial accounting burden on union members. It is the responsibility of the Department of Labor to determine the appropriate level of accounting that is needed to fulfill the requirements of American labor laws. This measure amounts to harassment and discrimination against labor unions. Also, Mr. Chairman, this amendment is clearly a ``poison pill.'' It is part of a continuing effort to load up the major, bipartisan campaign finance reform proposal with provisions that will drive away certain categories of supporters. The attempt is NOT to further campaign finance reform for the good of the American people. The purpose is to obstruct the process. I therefore urge my colleagues to defeat this destructive amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, my Most Favored Nation, America, has freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, believes in the rights of minorities, believes in human rights, believes in workers' rights, believes in nuclear nonproliferation, and believes that life is sacred. China has no freedom of speech, no freedom of press, no freedom of religion, no right of free assembly, does not believe in the rights of minorities, does not believe in human rights, does not belief in workers' rights, does not believe in nuclear nonproliferation, does not believe life is sacred. Why then should China become the Most Favored Nation of the United States of America? Most Favored Nation indeed. Of whom? Most-Favored- Nation status is now held up as the elixir of liberty, the cure-all. Give MFN to China, let us just keep giving China access to our markets, expose them to our values, they say, and they will become more like us. Even as they take away millions of American jobs and arm the Asian subcontinent. Mr. Speaker, this vote will not tell us anything about what China is or what it is becoming, but it will tell us plenty about what America is and what we are becoming. The Bible says, ``He who troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.'' When we place free trade over human rights, when we place free trade over democratic rights, when we are so eager for a friendship with China that we forget our moral compass, we are a Nation which is preparing to inherit the wind. Send a message: liberty and justice in trade, in America, and even in China.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3874, the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Amendments of 1998. This bill not only reauthorizes the expiring WIC, Summer Food Service, State Administrative Expenses, and Commodity Assistance programs, it also makes some important improvements to them. We've increased State's flexibility in administering these programs, expanded eligibility and services for after school programs, and taken steps to reduce fraud in the WIC program. My colleagues have even managed to orchestrate a savings of $69 million over five years. This is a good bipartisan bill that will help millions of children, but I think it could have gone farther. There is something missing from the bill that would increase participation in the Summer Food Service Program. This bill removes many barriers for sponsors of the program, thus encouraging more organizations to join. Because of expanded outreach efforts by state agencies and anti-hunger groups, many more small community-based organizations and private non-profit institutions are eager to provide summer food service programs. However, many of these organizations lack the resources to purchase needed equipments such as milk coolers, ovens, microwaves, serving utensils, and food storage equipment. They also need funds to advertise and promote their programs. These one-time, non-recurring costs are often more than small organizations can handle. Over 80% of children who are eligible for this program remain unserved by it. It's not because there isn't a need for more summer food sponsors, and it's not because these kids aren't hungry. The Second Harvest National Food Bank Network recently found, among those food banks reporting seasonal changes in requests for emergency food, nearly half report that requests for emergency food for children increase during the summer months when school is out. In my district in Cleveland, for example, 63% of the local charities reported an increase in the number of children requesting emergency food assistance during the summer. Over half of the kids requesting emergency food received free or reduced price school meals and are eligible for participation in the summer food service program, but only 11.3% actually participate. During school, these low-income children receive up to \1/2\ of their nutrients from school meals. During the summer, they do not have access to school breakfasts or lunches. Offering sponsors a boost to help them get started would be a relatively inexpensive way, especially given the savings from the bill, to encourage more organizations to establish summer food service programs. A grant program to help defer the one-time costs associated with beginning a summer food program would allow more organizations to participate in low-income and rural areas that are typically underserved by this program. I had hoped to work with my friends on the other side of the aisle to bring a grant program like this back to the Summer Food Service program before we brought this bill to the floor. And while it is not a particularly expensive concept and even though no one seems to be philosophically or ideologically opposed to the idea, we were unable to resolve the issue to include it in this bill. I think that is unfortunate for the millions of kids for whom summer vacation means hunger instead of fun. I'd like to thank the Food Research and Action Center for their support and tireless efforts to increase the reach and scope of programs like Summer Food Service. And I encourage my colleagues to continue our work on this issue. I think there is a lot more we can do for these kids. The Summer Food Service Program is one of the least known and most underutilized of the federal nutrition programs. There is no reason for so many children to be hungry and under-nourished during the summer when we could increase participation in the program by offering one-time grants to help more sponsors get started.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Pipefitters Local Union, #120, in Cleveland, Ohio. After one hundred years in existence, the union still successfully protects the lives, health, and honor of its members and their families. Since its beginning, Pipefitters Local Union #120 has worked to defend its members' rights by advocating reasonable working hours, higher pay, and increased job security. After WWII, the union was one of the first locals to champion the novel idea of incorporating more apprenticeships and training programs in their field. This promising idea resulted in literally tens of thousands of new talented Americans becoming apprentice pipefitters. Having witnessed the day-to-day hard work and dedication to their craft, it is clear to me that members of the Pipefitters Local Union #120 bring skills, training and integrity to every job. As technology has changed, pipefitters have used new methods and materials, meeting demands for safer and more efficient systems. Pipefitters bring the technology to ensure safety, improve health, and protect lives to each new home or office in Cleveland. Pipefitters Local #120 is responsible for parts in the heating, air conditioning and fire safety systems in Cuyahoga County, and its four surrounding counties. Every day, every citizen of northeast Ohio is touched by the good work of this union local. Currently, Pipefitters Local #120 is working on many new and exciting projects, such as Cleveland's new football stadium, NASA, and renovations at the Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland Hopkins Airport. Their mark is surely being left on the Greater Cleveland area, and I applaud them for the contributions they make to the local community. After a century, Pipefitters Local still stands strong, prepared and willing to meet the challenges that await. One hundred years of hard work surely deserves recognition, and I wish the men and women of Pipefitters Local Union #120 the best in the years to come. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding this time to me, and I rise to support the appropriations made in this bill for NASA. This year marks the 40th anniversary of NASA. These 40 years have been filled with remarkable achievements such as placing the first man on the moon. Let me list for my colleagues only just a few of the spin- offs that have been spawned by this program: The engine powering the Boeing 777 uses a NASA design high bypass turbo fan engine; A laminar airflow technique used in NASA clean rooms for contamination-free assembly of space equipment is used as an air purification system; NASA-developed micro-miniaturization is used in a pacemaker which can be programmed from outside the body; and NASA-developed solar technologies used to provide power through solar energy. NASA technology has also been developed to strip paint and also to provide thermal protection from the shuttle solid rocket boosters. Mr. Chairman, later there will be an amendment on the floor to cancel the space station program. By cancelling the space station we would end the benefits our society can gain from it.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment. The Exchange Stabilization Fund is being misused by Treasury to bail out foreign investment failures. When some aspect of corporate foreign investment policy fails, Treasury taps the ESF to cover over the failure. Here is a recent example. In Indonesia, the International Monetary Fund caused a run on Indonesian banks when it directed the closure of 16 banks there. A confidential internal IMF memo even acknowledged the failure. The IMF caused the panic by making a bad situation worse. So what does the ESF, Foreign Investment Failure Fund, do? Without congressional approval, Treasury dispatched a credit line of $3 billion to cover the mistake; $3 billion, without a vote of the Congress, and we have long debates here over $2 million, $2 million as opposed to $3 billion, and this is just one example. NAFTA caused a flood of U.S. investors to abandon their investments in the U.S. for higher rates of return in Mexico. Then, the already overvalued Mexican currency collapsed. Guess what? The ESF's Foreign Investment Failure Fund was used again without congressional approval to cover the multibillion dollar failure. Indeed, the ESF was used in this way because Congress refused to pass a $20 billion package to benefit the Mexican few at the expense of the Mexican people. The use of the ESF by Treasury thwarted the will of the Congress. What is this House all about, except being the government of the people? The Constitution puts the legislative power in our hands. The Constitution puts the power of the purse in our hands. The Founders could not have envisioned a condition where the Congress of the many would forfeit its constitutional power, its financial prerogatives to an elite few. We are the government of the people, and we have a constitutional responsibility to take control over a fund which is out of control, and the ESF billions are way out of control. The ESF's Foreign Investment Failure Fund is used to accomplish policy changes that often make international financial conditions worse. In Korea, important consumer and labor standards and regulations were overturned as conditions for $5 billion in Exchange Stabilization Fund monies from the U.S. Koreans now talk about IMF suicides to characterize the wave of suicide among jobless and hopeless Koreans. Korean labor unions are conducting massive protests and strikes. Without Congress's approval or involvement, global economic policy is being forged for the benefit of the few, with the funds of the American people as leverage. This amendment, the Sanders amendment, will correct abuses, but it will not tie Treasury's hands. If Treasury needs to stabilize another country's currency, it will be able to use the ESF to do so, unilaterally and without Congress's approval. The amendment allows Treasury to do currency swaps and other currency stabilization aids without congressional approval, but if Treasury is making a large loan to another country, they will have to come to Congress, which is the only appropriate process, given the American system of checks and balances. This amendment is nearly identical to one that Congress passed in 1995. Many of my fellow Democrats voted for that amendment then. Unfortunately, the authority of that provision lapsed in October, 1997. Today, we need to repeat the corrective action. So long as the ESF is used to extend credit or to give loans to foreign nations without Congress's approval, these foreign investment failures will get larger, and they will become more frequent. More of the U.S. Treasury will be exposed to paper over them, benefit foreign elites, bail out global banks and underwrite austerity, joblessness and hopelessness for a majority of ordinary people around the globe. Congress, take back your authority. Vote ``yes'' on the Sanders amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I must oppose this rule. Under this rule, any Member can strip funding from this bill by raising a point of order. I am particularly concerned about the appropriations to repair the year 2000 problem. Numerous computer programs will either crash or generate errors when computing dates for the year 2000. People should know that date-sensitive computer programs are everywhere. In desktop and mainframe computers, in machines used in manufacturing, in simple devices such as the computer chips in coffeemakers which have timers. Consumers everywhere are going to be watching what we do here. Since computers are so widespread, since software is time-sensitive, since computer chips are in all kinds of devices, failures cause serious repercussions. In government, many areas are vulnerable to failure. Many government agencies have made progress on the Y2K problem, and that is thanks to the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn) and also thanks to President Clinton and Vice President Gore. It has been bipartisan, but we have a lot of progress that needs to be made. Removing the Y2K appropriations from this bill cripples the agencies' ability to cope with this problem. Now, the President asked for $234 million for year 2000 conversion. We will need another $138 million next year. If the IRS does not get funding to clean up the Y2K problem, we are looking at failures in customer service, failure to refund taxpayers' money, problems with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, implications for the IRS restructuring bill, delays in the 1999 filing season, effects on the 2000 filing season, effects on the processing of refunds. The processing of refunds will be delayed. The IRS has 127 mission-critical systems. So far, 59 of these systems have been repaired. The Customs Service is making progress on Y2K repairs. Currently, only 25 percent of the mission-critical systems are in the testing phase. The Financial Management Service in the Treasury Department has not completed the assessment of all of their systems yet. The Postal Service has many repairs to make. They expect to have 21 percent of their mission-critical systems ready for funding by this September. Sufficient Y2K funding is critical to ensure that our law enforcement can operate, that government can collect taxes, write refund, tax refund checks and deliver the mail. The Y2K problem is a management challenge and a programming challenge. It must not become a political football. Again, I will say the progress that has been made so far I will credit Chairman Horn, I will credit the President and Vice President for moving quickly on this, but we cannot let this become a political football. The American people are depending on us to make sure they receive government services on and after January 1, the year 2000. Let us not let them down.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, this rule strikes the emergency funding appropriation related to the Year 2000 conversion of Federal information technology systems. I must protest this provision in the rule because of the severity and potential impact of the Year 2000 problem. I'd like to commend the work of Representative Steve Horn who is the Chairman of the Government, Management, Information and Technology Subcommittee where I serve as ranking member. Mr. Horn has been a leader on the Y2k issue long before anyone else. I am pleased to be serving with him on the subcommittee on this issue. I'd also like to commend the Majority for paying special attention to the Y2k problem. However, I'm concerned that if we delay the emergency appropriations for Y2k that we will not be giving the agencies the support they need to solve this problem. Last month, the U.S. Postal Service released their first progress report on fixing the Y2k problem. The report was worrisome. Out of 335 mission-critical systems, 210 need to be repaired, 59 need to be replaced, and only 54 were Year 2000 compliant. The Postal Service needs their emergency appropriations as soon as possible. Imagine the disservice we are doing to the American people and economy by not doing our best to make sure their mail is delivered in a timely manner once January 1, 2000 is here. At the Treasury, the Financial Management Service issues all the Social Security and other checks for the Government. Currently, they have 5 systems that have not been completely assessed to see if they are Year 2000-compliant. Renovation of these systems is critical if U.S. citizens are to receive their Social Security checks in the Year 2000. The IRS is funded with this appropriations bill and currently has 93 out of 243 information technology systems fixed. That leaves 150 systems to be fixed before the year 2000. If the U.S. Government is unable to collect taxes on January 1, 2000, this could have serious consequences to the continued operation of the Government. The Customs Service Year 2000 effort is also funded under this bill. All three of Customs mission-critical systems need to be repaired and tested. One of them is the NCIC component of the Treasury Enforcement Communications System which is also used by the FBI. NCIC is the Federal criminal database. Not fixing these systems in a timely manner could affect the apprehension of smugglers come January 1, 2000. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is funded under this bill and needs to replace several of their programs. The funds need to be there for them to assure that the ATF can enforce the law come January 1, 2000. Removing the emergency appropriations for Y2k from the Appropriations bill and setting up a separate emergency spending measure delays agency efforts at fixing the Y2k problem. Also, a separate emergency appropriations bill could contain unrelated objectionable amendments just as last year's flood relief bill did. Politicizing Y2k emergency funds this way trivializes the problem and threatens our readiness for the new millennium.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute an extraordinary and determined young lady, Emily Cikra. Although diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, Emily has boldly accepted the challenge and lives her life passionately, serving as a role model to all she meets. She powerfully tells her own story in the June 17, 1998 issue of the Plain Dealer: Serving a Special Purpose Bay teen with muscular dystrophy opens others' eyes to disabilities (By Emily Cikra) When I was in second grade, a little girl came up to me on the playground and wanted to play. When I asked how she knew my name, she replied, ``Everybody knows you, Emily. You're the famous girl in the wheelchair.'' Some people think I'm special, but I'm not. I'm me. I have had a disability my whole life. Neither my parents nor the doctors realized anything was wrong until I was 1, when I wasn't reaching the physical milestones a typical baby would. I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. This disease weakens the skeletal muscles and restricts me from walking. There are many types of muscular dystrophy; mine, called congenital, is one of the rarer types. Early on, my parents tried to include me in everything typical kids were involved in. They always assured me I was the same as everyone else; I just use wheels to get around instead of feet. I have always believed this, and have done a lot of things people wouldn't expect me to be able to do. For example, I have skied at Boston Mills Ski Resort, gone to Girl Scout camp, ice skated in my chair, sledded, ridden roller coasters at Walt Disney World and swam in the ocean. Kids in my grade and my whole community have always accepted me. They have been able to look past my disability and get to know me. I think it is a good experience for them to grow up with someone with a disability. Hopefully they will be able to see all people as equals and give everyone a fair chance. Though it usually doesn't bother me, being in a wheelchair can get me down. There always will be things I can't do. It also makes some things more difficult, such as going into friends' homes, certain stores and restaurants. Sometimes my friends make plans for activities that require physical agility, such as dances or sports. Transportation is an issue because someone has to be there who can drive my van with a lift. But as much as possible I participate and my friends are always considerate in thinking of how to include me. This summer I would like to find a job, but due to mobility problems and general weakness, waitressing and typical teen jobs are out of the question. I guess I'll have to be a little more creative. In the past few years I have realized that God put me here for a special purpose. I believe I am here to teach others that people with a disability are the same as other people, with feelings, opinions and ideas of their own. I have begun trying to spread this word by talking at Bay Middle School for a diversity class that is a requirement for all fifth-grade students. People with disabilities and from different cultures talk to the class. I tell the kids to ask anything on their minds, and if it's too awkward for me I will just pass. The questions they ask range from simple to very thoughtful. For example, ``How many brothers and sisters do you have?'' Or ``Do you have any pets?'' to ``Do you sleep in your wheelchair?'' (No!) and ``How do you get dressed in the morning?'' The kids are almost always more mature about meeting me than some adults are. For some reason, many grown-ups seem to think if you can't walk, you can't hear, see or think. They tend to talk down to me as if I were half my age. Last year I had a setback just before Christmas. I developed pneumonia and was in Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital for six weeks. I had a tracheotomy (a small hole surgically cut in my windpipe) and now I use a portable ventilator to help me breathe. Actually I feel a lot better, and I'm working on getting off the vent. Our lives are a little different. I have a nurse or an adult nearby at all times in case of an emergency. I am lucky to have four wonderful home-care nurses who have been very comforting to me. It's not always easy, but I have a loving family, supportive friends and a community that rallies for me in a time of need. I'm not special, but I'm surrounded by a lot of people who are. My fellow colleagues, join me in recognizing Emily Cikra. She is a special person and deserves our Nation's recognition.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, our Nation exists not simply as a collection of 50 States. The fabric of America is woven through tens of thousands of neighborhoods, the place where we were born, where we grew up, where we live, where we hope to spend the rest of our days. Those neighborhoods contain familiar landmarks, houses, small businesses, a drugstore here, a restaurant there, places where we gather, where we socialize, where we meet our friends. Recently the Rite Aid Corporation has been acquiring key corner properties in the Cleveland area and knocking out homes, small businesses, offices and landmarks so that they might become the most profitable drugstore chain. Rite Aid clearly does not care about neighborhood history, about the quality of communities. One site they acquired, a neighborhood crossroads, was left vacant, weed-strewn and vandalized and littered with debris for a year and a half. America must stand up for its neighborhoods. Do not patronize businesses which do not respect a neighborhood's history.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, I applaud USDA for revising the rule. And I hope the gentleman agrees that a second draft be released in a timely manner. I thank the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Skeen) for his time, and I look forward to working with him on this issue in the future.

Mr. KUCINICH. I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Chairman, as the gentleman knows, Congress debated the issue of national organic standards in 1990 by passing the Organic Foods Production Act, requiring the USDA to implement a national organic program. The proposed rules, however, did not represent the intent of the Organic Foods Production Act, the recommendations of the National Organic Standards Board, or consumer expectations. Organic foods should be grown and processed without synthetic pesticides or chemicals, and organic livestock should be treated humanely and not medicated with steroids or antibiotics. Over 200,000 people, including 38 Members of Congress, showed their support for high standards during the public comment period. I would like to ask the chairman if he supports further revision of the proposed rule for organic standards, in collaboration with the NOSB and within the guidelines of the OFPA, and if he supports providing adequate resources for the national organic program and the NOSB.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to salute one of our most cherished rights as Americans: the right of working people to bank together and organize into labor unions to achieve higher wages and better working conditions. When people first go to work for a non-union employer, they do so as individuals. Often times, they are not familiar with the specific conditions of work at their workplace. Sometimes those conditions are acceptable, and provide the sort of income that can support them and their families. But, too often those conditions are substandard and the wages are insufficient. In this situation, workers discover that they have many interests in common. They find that by joining together they can begin to work out responses and solutions to the problems that they face in the workplace. And they find that organizing into a labor union is their best vehicle to better treatment, improvements in working conditions, and expand respect on the job. Since the massive organizing drives of the 1930s, unions have come to play an important role in American society. Unions contribute to the stability of our economy by helping to ensure that working people have the income to purchase the products and services of industry. Unions give workers a voice on the job. Unions help to close the wage gap between men and women. And unions help to uphold fairness and equality of opportunity for all their members in the workplace. Unfortunately, the right to organize is increasingly under attack. Millions of workers would decide to join a union if they could be assured that they would not be punished for making that decision. Instead, workers who express their pro-union sympathies are routinely harassed, forced to undergo closed-door meeting with employers, and even fired. In my own district on the west side of Cleveland, the right to organize is not safe. For example, a company with $80 million in sales pays its workers at starting wage of $6.25 per hour, barely above the minimum wage. This is a company that received a tax abatement from the City of Cleveland to construct a new building. The company's sales have been growing, but that growth has not translated into higher wages and benefits, or better working conditions. Most employees support themselves and their families on weekly paychecks of less than $200. Retiring employees do not have a pension plan they an count on. Safety conditions are terrible. Employees have lost fingers and, in one case, an arm. When fires have broken out in the plant, employees have been required to continue work. Faced with these low wages and dangerous conditions, these workers turned to the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees-- UNITE. After workers contacted UNITE, 60 percent of them signed cards saying that they wanted the union to represent them. A petition for election has been filed with the National Labor Relations Board. Yet in the first two weeks of the union's organizing campaign, the following has happened: the employer has held captive audience meetings to frighten the workers; the company has threatened to close the factory completely; and the company has intimidated vocal union supporters by issuing written warnings against them, some for work offenses that occurred months earlier. The union predicts that this anti-union campaign will continue and become more intense in the next six weeks before the union election. I wish I could report this sort of behavior is unusual. But often this is typical action by employers to block the right to organize by any means necessary. This sort of behavior is shameful. It is turning the clock back to the 19th Century, when workers had few rights. To guarantee the stability and prosperity of our democratic society, workers must have the right to choose--freely and openly--whether to join together with their fellow workers and select the union of their choice. I urge my colleague to stand up and declare that: Workers have the right to organize; People have a right to a job . . . at fair wages with decent benefit; Workers have a right to a safe workplace . . . and a right to compensation if they are injured; People have a right to decent health care; and People have a right to participate in the political process. The foundation for all of these rights is the right to organize. To all those workers and employees who are fighting to exercise that right to organize, I salute you. Your struggle is difficult and painful, but you are proceeding in the finest traditions of our American history.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I rise to ask my colleagues to support the Foley-Miller-Markey-Kucinich-Sanders amendment. Our amendment would strike the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative. It is a $5 million subsidy that props up the commercial nuclear power industry and may keep open aging and potentially dangerous plants beyond the initial term of their licenses. There are two powerful reasons to support our amendment: First, giving more money to the nuclear industry is throwing good money after bad. Since 1950 taxpayers have handed the nuclear industry $47 billion in subsidies. In addition to the billions in Federal subsidies, nukes have cost American consumers a bundle. According to Komanoff Energy Associates, nuclear power has cost ratepayers a premium of $160 billion for electricity between 1968 and 1990. After all these billions we have already spent propping up the nuclear industry, there is no good reason for throwing away more taxpayer money. Second, subsidizing nuclear power is bad environmental policy. Nuclear power poisons the environment with radiation emissions and creates tons of radioactive waste. Far from being clean, nuclear power is toxic. If there is something to spend money on, it would be on how to deal safely with the waste the nukes have already created. Right now we do not have a policy to safely move the waste, we do not have a policy to safely store the waste. This policy here only creates more of it. It is time we put an end to it. Support the Foley-Miller-Markey-Kucinich-Sanders amendment. Join all the other interest groups from all over the country who are concerned about good neighborhoods, safe neighborhoods, and are concerned about utility ratepayers. Support this amendment.