Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, before I rise in support of an open rule for debate on H.R. 3310, I want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) for his efforts in not only developing the rule but also in developing an attempt at a bipartisan relationship on the underlying substance. Mr. McIntosh has certainly been open to the many discussions that we have had to try to improve the bill. During this process today, we are hopeful that we will continue to see the kind of give and take here that can produce a better bill and can enable us to move this bill successfully out of the House. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) and I will be offering an amendment with that in mind. In the meantime, as we go through this debate, I think Members of Congress need to look very carefully at the implication of this bill as it is currently formulated. It has been introduced under the title of paperwork reduction, yet it would have an enormous effect on the ability of Federal agencies to carry out and enforce the laws that have been passed by Congress. As it stands now, and I again say as it stands now, H.R. 3310 would grant mandatory waiver of civil fines to businesses that are first-time violators with a wide range of paperwork requirements. Mr. Speaker, this language has been reviewed carefully by law enforcement officials in the Department of Justice, and they have raised a number of troubling issues. It is through information collection that law enforcement agencies can detect drug trafficking and money laundering. In turn, the Drug Enforcement Administration relies on written reports to ensure that controlled substances such as codeine and amphetamines are not diverted illegally. In order to carry out drug testing laws, the Department of Transportation requires reports from employers showing that their safety-sensitive employees have passed drug tests. Under the bill's current language, DEA's oversight of dangerous drugs and the oversight of drug testing by DOT would be seriously undermined, and one of the reasons why it is important to have a rule where we can have open debate is to be able to bring into the record such testimony as was presented by the Federal Government in committee, where they talked about DOT requiring drug testing of safety-sensitive employees and various modes of transportation. When some entity involved in the drug testing process delays or deficiently reports the results of drug tests, it will delay the removal of employees from performing important safety functions. Again, we would impose no fines for first-time violations even if the violation was intentional or careless and reckless. This was one of the concerns that was expressed in committee, and it is one of the concerns that needs to be fully aired in this discussion not only of the rule but in the underlying debate. Furthermore, it has been stated that if a repair station fails to keep the necessary records showing that a required repair has been made to an aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration generally will have to ground the aircraft for up to 5 days or longer until it can be shown that the aircraft was correctly repaired. Grounding an aircraft could be extremely expensive for the airline as well as being disruptive for any passengers who had reservations on the flight in which the aircraft was to be used. Although the repair station may suffer contractually, we could not fine it for a first-time violation. Those remarks were made in committee, respecting the many difficulties which are inherent with the bill as it is drafted. Now, Federal agencies believe that H.R. 3310, as it stands now, would interfere with the war on drugs, would undermine our ability to uncover criminal activity, would allow small businesses to evade drug testing statutes, and would harm our efforts to control illegal immigration. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) and I will be introducing an amendment that is consistent with the underlying goals of this legislation to help small businesses with their paperwork requirements while protecting the health and safety of the public. The Tierney-Kucinich amendment would ensure that Federal law enforcement agencies and others continue to have the tools they need to enforce many important statutes. It would do this by requiring all agencies to establish specific programs and policies to allow them to eliminate, delay, or reduce civil fines for first-time paperwork violations. It would mandate that agencies take a number of factors into account. The amendment would ensure that paperwork reduction efforts are truly relevant to special circumstances. Agencies would be able to tailor their policies to the unique needs of the laws they are responsible to enforce, and congressional review of their policies would become a matter of course. I urge my colleagues to support this open rule so that all of the implications of this bill can be fully and carefully examined. An open rule is important, Mr. Speaker, so that we can discuss the problems of a bill which currently grants mandatory waiver of civil fines to businesses that violate the law by failing to file reports, post OSHA notices in the workplace, or inform their communities about hazardous chemicals, so that we can talk about a bill which, in my estimation, currently would provide some protection for drug traffickers. Law enforcement agencies which detect the drug trafficking and money laundering by using reports filed by businesses, we are told in the analysis that the Department of Justice did that. This particular bill, as it is drafted, would cause problems in monitoring those important areas as well as encourage financial institutions to not report cash transactions that are more than $10,000. Now, in the debate that will follow, we will go more into some of these details, but suffice it to say that the open rule is important. I would like to conclude where I began these remarks on the rule, Mr. Speaker; and that is that I think that the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh) has made a good-faith effort to attempt to come up with a bill that can be workable for all. I commend him on his efforts in that regard. I have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. McIntosh). Again, I hope, as we go through this process today, we can find a way to improve this bill so that we can all come to an agreement.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH. I yield to the gentleman from Massachusetts.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jason David Slowbe of Strongsville, Ohio, who will be honored on March 22, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication of self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving; first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and praise Jason for this achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take my name off of H.R. 3310 as a cosponsor.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the anniversary of the marriage of George and Helen Dudas fifty years ago, May 22, 1948. These two people truly exemplify a bond that can stand the test of time. George and Helen Dudas entered the covenant of marriage at a time when the future was uncertain. World War II had just concluded, an economic boom was prevailing over the nation, and two young persons chose to take the first step on a long and successful life together. Their marriage saw many events in its fifty years, both joyous and challenging, that strengthened their bond and their love for each other. George and Helen Dudas have clearly maintained a close bond with each other that has survived the test of half a century. Their marriage covenant, a beacon for all of us in these unstable times, exhibits a true love for each other and an ability to cope with the tests of marriage. My fellow colleagues, join me in saluting George and Helen Dudas, two fine persons who have maintained a loving and devoted relationship for fifty years and we hope for fifty more.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Commander Richard R. Uzl, Jr. for his years of devoted service to the Veterans of Foreign Wars of District 7 and to his country. Commander Uzl exemplifies the American spirit at the highest level. A native Clevelander, Commander Uzl attended local schools and graduated from James F. Rhodes High School in January, 1963. Commander Uzl then made a crucial decision in his life: to serve in the armed forces of the United States. During a tumultuous time when the profession of serviceman was not exactly glamorous, Commander Uzl sacrificed his immediate future to serve his nation in its armed services. He joined the U.S. Air Force in February, 1963 and served four years in the Air Force until his discharge in 1967. He served as an aircraft mechanic, earning leadership position while serving in two world hotspots: Korea and Vietnam. After leaving the Air Force, Commander Uzl chose to continue his education and earned two degrees from Applied Technology in Cleveland. However, Commander Uzl continued his association with our nation's armed services by becoming a charter member of ``Old Brooklyn'' VFW Post No. 10228 in 1988. Named Post Commander in 1991, Uzl worked his way through the ranks of County VFW offices, serving on numerous committees and administering the district Voice of Democracy program for patriotic youth. Currently, Commander Uzl is the District 7 Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. My fellow colleagues, join me in saluting a model American who has defended his country and continued Americanism and patriotism by serving with the VFW, Commander Richard R. Uzl, Jr.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Daniel Sajner of Strongsville, Ohio, who will be honored on March 22, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving, first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete and Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and praise Daniel for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Shaun Hughes of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be honored April 4, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving, first aid; citizenship in the community, citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world, personal management of time and money, family life, environmental science, and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and congratulate Shaun for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Joseph M. Condon of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be honored March 29, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving; first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and congratulate Joseph for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Brian J. Sammon of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be honored March 29, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving; first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and congratulate Brian for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Zachary J. Brown of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be honored March 29, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving; first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and congratulate Zachary for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the sesquincentennial of St. Patrick's Parish, one of Cleveland's foremost Catholic congregations. During its tenure, St. Patrick's has served as a beacon for the religious community of West Park in Cleveland and, recently, has taken numerous steps to service the people of the community. St. Patrick's Parish was founded on March 17, 1848 in the home of Morgan Waters, a humble beginning for the church. In the first years of its existence, St. Patrick's was a parish without a home, but the generosity of many in its congregation served its spacial needs. In 1851, Patrick Lahiff donated a half-acre of land and after three years of construction, a wood frame church was built. The parish school was founded a few years later and several groups of Cleveland-area sisters such as the Sisters of Notre Dame and the Ursulan Sisters were brought in to educate the students. After years of service to the parish community, the old wood church was torn down in favor of a large, impressive, spacious stone church. The new building was dedicated in 1898 and has continued to serve as a sanctuary for the community until this day. The parish received its first resident pastor in 1910 and has continued to grow in its population ever since. The main focus of St. Patrick's in this century has been service to the community. During the Great Depression, the parish operated a school and tried to feed the hungry and cold of the area. St. Patrick's Hunger Center was installed many years later as a way to continue service to the less fortunate of the community. Also, a parish council was established to better service the congregation of St. Patrick's. St. Patrick's has clearly been a beacon for the community of West Park in Cleveland during its 150 year existence. My fellow colleagues, join me in saluting a gem of the West Park neighborhood, St. Patrick's Parish.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Daniel J. Garnek of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be honored March 29, 1998 for his attainment of Eagle Scout. The attainment of Eagle Scout is a high and rare honor requiring years of dedication to self-improvement, hard work and the community. Each Eagle Scout must earn 21 merit badges, twelve of which are required, including badges in: lifesaving; first aid; citizenship in the community; citizenship in the nation; citizenship in the world; personal management of time and money; family life; environmental science; and camping. In addition to acquiring and proving proficiency in those and other skills, an Eagle Scout must hold leadership positions within the troop where he learns to earn the respect and hear the criticism of those he leads. The Eagle Scout must live by the Scouting Law, which holds that he must be: trustworthy, loyal, brave, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, and reverent. And the Eagle Scout must complete an Eagle Project, which he must plan, finance and evaluate on his own. It is no wonder that only two percent of all boys entering scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and congratulate Daniel for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have had the chance to go to Bosnia; and I can say that there is a myth that exists that says that people just cannot get along with each; they just hate each other and are going to kill each other. That is not true. There is leadership in that area which drilled hostilities and which made it possible for conditions of war to erupt. It is not that there is something in the hearts of those people that they cannot get along. Those people are us. We are those people. I met with widows in Srebrenica, whose husbands were thrown into a ditch after they were shot, who are still asking the question about why; and who still hold out a hand of friendship and brotherhood with people who they have been told are enemies. We have to realize there is no imperative here for war. There is an imperative for peace as long as the United States is involved with the 34 other nations which exist to help keep peace. Now we have heard from sources here today. Let me quote a few sources. General Wesley Clark, Supreme Allied Commander of Europe. He says, if this resolution passes, it will say to our troops and to everyone else that being there was a mistake; we did not really mean it when we sent our troops to Bosnia. He says, it would undercut all our efforts in Bosnia if this resolution passes. General Shelton, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said, pulling U.S. forces out of Bosnia would cripple the mission at a critical time when we are achieving success in that troubled country. I met with the widows. I saw places destroyed as a result of this war. But I also saw a people who are struggling to rebuild. I saw a nation which has hope because the United States of America has stood by its commitment for freedom and justice, because the United States of America, a leader of 34 nations, has said that we are not going to let genocide exist anywhere in the world. We know that over 50 years ago there was genocide. We know that it occurred in Europe as a result of nationalism, religious and racial hatred. We know that there was an attempt to make an area ethnically pure. We also know the international community a few years ago stood by silently as more than two million people were displaced. The international community stood by silently when there was two million people displaced and 200,000 human beings killed. Now we are in a role of leadership. Now we are in a role where our troops are doing a job. We are in a role where we are a leader among nations, and we are keepers of the peace. That is our mission, and that is our role. Let us keep the peace. Let us reject this resolution.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join in this debate as the ranking member of the committee. And I am pleased to be here with my good friend, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter), to speak about our concerns about the bill. But first of all, I want to say I support the rule, but I am disappointed that the Committee on Rules did not shield from a point of order an amendment that I think would be quite significant, which I want to speak about in a few seconds. But first of all, I am a little bit concerned at the outset, as we are starting this debate, about this persistent attack on government itself. I mean this is our government. This is the government of the people, by the people, and for the people; and I think that these attacks on government that are occurring here ought to be exposed for what they are. They are really attacks on the democratic process itself and on the people's right to self-determination, to have a government, administration, and the Congress have direct control over this government. So I think that is going to be part of the issue that is going to be debated here today. And, also, we are going to debate whether or not we are truly accomplishing efficiency by asking 100 Federal agencies to have to do reports all over again, reports that took months and months to prepare, reports that we are now told all of them are trash, government agencies which are working for the people in this country, after they spent long hours being accountable proving what the performances were, proving what their plans are, and then having all those things thrown out on the basis of a grading system that no one has even explained. We need to debate that today, too, even as we can say well, we accept the rule. Mr. Speaker, when I testified before the Committee on Rules yesterday, I asked the rule to protect an amendment from a parliamentary point of order. However, the honorable opposition apparently does not wish to have any debate about whether the committees of Congress ought to be subject to the same sound management practices which are required from Federal agencies. And that is a shame, because it is clear to me, after only a year in this Congress, that our congressional committees need greater accountability and efficiency. And I think it would be of great benefit to the congressional committees, which are operated honorably and with great skill by our friends on the other side of the aisle, I think this would be a great benefit to have those committees be accountable to the Government Performance and Results Act in the same way that the administration should be. If we are serious about holding governmental agencies accountable, I think we should show by example and start right here in the Congress. When we passed GPRA, the Government Performance and Results Act, our goal was to make the government more accountable not only to the Congress, but to the American people. We wanted agencies to set out clear goals and to set a plan for reaching those goals. And that is important. That was the right thing to do. And by requiring agencies to know where they are going and how they are going to get there, we hope to make government more efficient and to eliminate waste and duplication and add something. That is something I think all of us can agree on; we all agree that Government should be more efficient and that we should eliminate waste and duplication. In the beginning of the 104th Congress, Mr. Speaker, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act; and then, for the first time, Congress was asked to abide by the same laws everyone else has to abide by. And that is what my amendment would have done. And I said it then and it was said then and I agree that Congress writes better laws and it has to live by the laws that it imposes on the executive branch and the private sector. The goal of a more efficient government is just as important for Congress as it is for the executive branch. Congressional committees, like executive agencies, should set out a clear plan on what they hope to accomplish and how they hope to accomplish it. We in Congress should be held accountable for eliminating waste and duplication. So, Mr. Speaker, today I am hopeful that we will have an opportunity to apply GPRA to Congress, which would undoubtedly give Members of Congress better insight into strategic planning and performance-based management and would help us write better laws, which I know we are all here to do. The bill came out of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight. I think that, when we look at the campaign finance investigation, we could see that, if we had strategic planning concepts involved there, that would make for some better investigations and probably eliminated a lot of the duplication, and this would help the committees, the Congress and the country. For example, the Commerce Department received 64 requests for documents in connection with campaign finance inquiries from nine different congressional committees. As of last September 1997, the Commerce Department submitted almost a million, 1 million pages of documents in response to these requests at a total cost of $2 million. So in conclusion, Mr. Speaker, if we apply GPRA to Congress and committees, I think we could eliminate some waste and duplication that has characterized even the most sincere efforts to try to investigate things in this administration as well as across the country. We would save the taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. Requiring Congress to comply with the Government Performance and Results Act is just common sense. I am hopeful that, when we get to that process, we will get that amendment approved. Again, I am supporting the rule.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman yielding, and his work on this, and I look forward to continuing work with him. We may have differences of opinion, but I have a great deal of respect for his approach to things. I am grateful to the ranking member of the committee on which he is the chair. Madam Chairman, I would like to thank our Democratic staff, Phil Schiliro, Phil Barnett, Mark Stephenson, David Sadkin of the committee, and Julie Moses of my personal staff. As Members of Congress will understand, we are able to be present here engaged in this debate because of the remarkable work of individuals who pour their hearts and souls into providing us with this information, much the same way as the Federal employees in the agencies do.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Maloney amendment and I commend the gentlewoman from New York for crafting a thoughtful and carefully considered change to this bill. This amendment clarifies that the Results Act applies to the Federal Reserve System, while preserving the traditional independence of the Fed from the executive branch. When the Results Act first passed, the administration concluded that the Fed was a covered agency, and this was presumably the intent of Congress as well. The Fed has disputed this legal interpretation, but has agreed to voluntarily comply with the Act. The Maloney amendment would simply make this coverage clear, and I urge support.

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, yes, I do. We had presented this amendment in hopes that a point of order would not be insisted on because we simply believe that Congress ought to be required to abide by the same laws which we would insist that the executive branch be required to abide by. I thank the Chair.

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Father Peter Metallinos on the occasion of his retirement. Father Metallinos has served his parish and his communities in multiple capacities for the last thirty-six years and his presence will surely be missed. Born on the island of Tinos, Father Metallinos served God from the time he was a small boy. He decided to follow in the footsteps of his uncle after serving as an altar boy for him. Father Peter immigrated to the United States in 1952 and completed his pre-theological studies at the University of California. He entered the military, served as an MP, and assisted the U.S. Chaplain in conducting religious services. Father Metallinos fulfilled his calling by studying at Holy Cross Theological Seminary in Brookline. His ordination took place on April 12, 1962 and later that year he was appointed as priest of the American-Hellenic Community of Greater Cleveland. This appointment marked the beginning of his thirty-six year tenure at the St. Demetrios Church. As priest of St. Demetrios Church, Father Metallinos started several monetary campaigns to upgrade the parish. The new facilities allowed St. Demetrios to conduct new ministries to better serve the community. This tradition continues today. Sunday School and Greek School continues to flourish and instill in children the religious teachings necessary for life. Father Metallinos also helped patients from around the world come to Cleveland to be treated at the city's medical facilities. Father Metallinos maintained a radio program designed to introduce the word of God to people of all ethnic backgrounds. Father Metallinos represented his parish well as he served on several international committees and was recognized by the United Hellenic American Congress for his outstanding service to humanity. Although Father Peter is retiring, he will always be remembered in the hearts of St. Demetrios' congregation as a compassionate and loving person. As Father Metallinos, his wife Presbytera, and his children move into this new stage of life, we thank him for his service to the community, to his parish, and to his Faith. My fellow colleagues, join me in saluting Father Peter Metallinos on his retirement from St. Demetrios Church.