Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Chad Smith of Bay Village, OH, who will be honored this weekend 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, 12 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 2 percent of all boys entering Scouting achieve this rank. My fellow colleagues, let us recognize and praise Chad for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to most-favored- nation status for China. The American people have heard that trade at all costs with China serves United States interests, but here are the figures. The United States trade deficit with China has grown at a faster rate than that of any other major United States trading partner. The level of United States imports from China more than doubled between 1992 and 1996. The United States trade deficit was nearly $40 billion in 1996, and it is on its way to surpassing that mark in 1997. These figures mean lost jobs in the United States, and it is just beginning, because United States-based multinational corporations are investing to build new plants and new equipment in China. Contractual agreements with the Chinese Government require that the supply of goods for those new factories will have to come from China as well, and that means more United States jobs lost. Human rights are important in this. Why have we tolerated for so long the United States double standard of fierce commitment to the rights of intellectual property, important to multinational business, while the rights of workers in the United States and independent thinkers in China are cast aside? Mr. Speaker, I say human rights are as important as copyrights.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, Branjevo Farm in eastern Bosnia was an ordinary livestock farm. Then, in the course of war, this ordinary place became extraordinary. The banality of evil reared its ugly head in July 1995 when more than 1,000 Muslims were bused to the farm, shot in groups of 10, and then bulldozed over. Months later when then U.N. Ambassador Madeleine Albright visited the mass grave, as she walked along this mass grave area, the bones crunched underneath her feet. This chart, Mr. Chairman, of the mass burial at Branjevo Farm in the Donje Pilica area in Bosnia and Herzegovina shows Members the general area of the farm where livestock was raised and the area where the bodies were put into a pit and then covered over. Some of my colleagues have seen photos of that in the papers. Today the ghosts of Branjevo and the ghosts of Srebrenica and other places soar and drop over our consciousness and they challenge our sensibilities and they ask us, where we were when, did we take a stand, did we speak out, did we come forward to say no more killing, do we say no more killing today? Do we say the United States will continue to share the burdens of keeping the peace in the world as the most powerful Nation in the world, stepping up to our responsibility? Let us remember why we sent troops to Bosnia in the first place. Exactly 50 years after the Nazis and their atrocities, another genocide occurred in Europe as a result of nationalism, racial and religious hatred, and the obsession to create ethnically pure states. The international community stood silently by as more than 2 million people were displaced and more than 200,000 human beings were killed, and horrendous acts of torture, systematic rape, and similar expressions of barbarity ensued. There is universal consensus that to protect human beings against gross violations of their basic human rights is no longer considered interfering with the internal affairs of the state. It is no longer a European problem, it is a world problem, it is a world responsibility and as the most powerful Nation in the world it is also our responsibility. If incidents like these can continue, albeit on a drastically reduced scale, where for example in Mostar recently, a 70-year-old woman's door was kicked in, she was torn from her bed, killed, wrapped in sheets and dumped in a field along the highway. Within days, a soldier and his family moved into her apartment. No charges filed. No arrests made. If incidents like these can continue, what will happen if we pull out of an area? What will happen to the peace? What will happen to our troops? What will happen to the survivors of genocide? The ghosts of Branjevo are watching. The ghosts of Srebrenica are watching.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the employees of NASA Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, OH, who have been inducted into the U.S. Space Foundation Space Technology Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to recognize and honor innovators who have transformed space technology into viable commercial products. It also raises public awareness about the benefits of space spinoff technology and encourages further innovation. On April 3, 1997, the Space Foundation Hall of Fame paid tribute to the technologies and the many professionals who developed America's most Advanced Communications Technology Satellite [ACTS] Program. The ACTS Program was developed to promote America's satellite industry and its position in the commercial communication satellite market. Members of NASA Lewis Research Center's ACTS Program continue to impact the role America's satellite industry has as world leaders in this market. ACTS and NASA Lewis Research Center have stimulated the growth of a new generation of services as is evident by as many as 15 new communications satellite systems proposed for operation in the Ka-band frequency spectrum. These systems will offer services for a variety of business, medical, and long-distance learning applications. Many ACTS technologies have already been incorporated and even adapted for commercial systems. My fellow colleagues, please join me in recognizing the following Space Foundation Hall of Fame inductees from NASA Lewis Research Center who are helping to build the advanced technology bridge to the 21st century: Roberto Acosta, Robert Bauer, Ronald Bexton, Thom Coney, Richard Gedney, William Hawersaat, Doug Hoder, Howard Jackson, Michael Jarrell, Russell Jirberg, Rodney Knight, Richard Krawczyk, Keven McPherson, Mark Plecity, Joanne Poe, Karl Reader, Rich Reinhart, Ronald Schertler, Phil Sohn, Ernie Spisz, David Wright, and Michael Zernic.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the lifetime achievement of Virgil E. Brown, Sr., of Cleveland, OH. Virgil Brown dedicated his adult life to public service. He has been active in his community, in the city, in business, and in charity. Virgil has served as chairman of the board of Bethany Baptist Church, city council member, Cuyahoga County Commissioner, and director of the County Board of Elections. He has also served as a board member on the St. Lawrence Seaway Development Board, as a board member of the Greater Cleveland Roundtable and as an executive board member of the March of Dimes. His record of service has won him the praise and respect of his peers. Virgil was named to the Hall of Fame of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the Ohio Senior Citizen Hall of Fame. Mr. Speaker, Virgil E. Brown's life has been a gift to Cleveland, of whom the whole city is extremely proud.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Norman Krumholz on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Norman Krumholz has been a wise adviser and dedicated public servant to Cleveland, OH. Norm was the planning director for the city of Cleveland from 1969 to 1979. His constant presence at the helm of the city's planning department under three separate administrations was an incredible feat. It testifies to the quality of his vision and of his work. Norm is a great teacher. He is an outstanding professor in the Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University. He is a published author of many professional articles, in such prestigious journals as the ``Journal of the American Planning Association,'' the ``Journal of Planning Education and Research,'' and the ``Journal of Urban Affairs.'' He is also the author of a book, ``Making Equity Planning Work: Leadership in the Public Sector,'' published by Temple University Press. Norm's contribution has been recognized by his peers. He served as the president of the American Planning Association and received the APA Award for Distinguished Leadership and the Prize of Rome from the American Academy in Rome. Mr. Speaker, Norman Krumholz left his mark on the city of Cleveland. I had the distinct pleasure of his expertise during my administration. I am grateful for his contribution, and Cleveland is a better city for it.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor John McLendon, Jr., who, played a major role in the integration of college basketball and the development of the fast-paced game we see today. McLendon attended the University of Kansas in 1933 and was fortunate enough to be enrolled in the final classes taught by the inventor of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, before his death. The 81-year-old McLendon is now the last living link to the era when basketballs were shot into peach baskets. In 1944, he broke the law, and perhaps more importantly tradition, when he organized the first interracial basketball game between his team at North Carolina College and Duke Navy Medical School. The game was played in Durham, NC at 11 on a Sunday morning, when everyone in town was at church, 21 years before the color barrier was broken in the Atlantic Coast Conference. McLendon's Eagles beat the Blue Devils 88 to 44. The story of this ``secret game'' is now in production for a movie. As coast at Tennessee State University in 1954, McLendon again took a stand for integration. His team was invited to participate in a National Association of Collegiate Athletics tournament in Kansas City. McLendon refused to come unless his players were allowed to stay at the same hotel and eat in the same restaurants as the white players. All but two of the maids at the hotel quit when the tournament directors conceded. These are only two examples of McLendon's boldness and determination to integrate the sport of basketball. Throughout his prestigious career which ranges from coaching basketball at three different universities in the United States and two Malayan universities through a State Department cultural exchange program, to becoming the first black coach in professional basketball for the Cleveland Pipers, and promoting Converse shoes all over the world, McLendon has trailblazed the way for breaking down the color barrier in sports. For his efforts, he became the first black coach inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978. He is now back in Cleveland, OH, working as athletic department adviser and teaching a course titled ``The History of Sports in the United States and the Role of Minorities in Their Development'' at Cleveland State University.'' My fellow colleagues, please join me in acknowledging John McLendon, Jr., for a lifetime of striving for fairness in sports regardless of race.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the dedication and achievement of the many diligent workers of the Brooklyn Heights Village Seniors Club in Brooklyn, OH, on their 25th anniversary. More than 60 members have assisted the community with a multitude of volunteer work including visiting the sick at hospitals and organizing and running the annual Red Cross blood bank for the village of Brooklyn. In addition to these projects, they have contributed a portion of their earnings to children in little league sports. The Brooklyn Heights Village Seniors Club volunteers give themselves, and in doing that, they make the Cleveland area a better place. I would like to congratulate this club on 25 years of hard work.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Mary Strassmeyer as she retires from journalism after 39 years of reporting on the social scene in Cleveland, OH. After studying history and English at Notre Dame College Mary went on to do graduate work in history at the University of Toledo. In 1983, she graduated from Cleveland Marshall College of Law and passed the bar the same year. Mary held a variety of jobs after graduation, but began her career in journalism in earnest when she quit a Federal job, took a pay cut and joined the editorial staff at the Cleveland News where she stayed for 4 years covering women's news, education and the PTA. She was hired by the Plain Dealer in 1960 to serve as women's features writer and later became beauty editor and assistant travel editor. In 1965, Mary was named society editor, where she really started to shake things up. She could make or break an event, or even someone's career, simply by what she wrote in her column. She has covered everything from fashion and food to movies and, even though she will not divulge them, knows all the secrets behind the secrets on the business and social scene in Cleveland. After 4 years as society editor, Mary organized a group of reporters called the Society of American Social Scribes [SASS]. The group's members later elected her president. In the same year, she was listed in Status Magazine as one of the best big-city society editors in the Nation. In her retirement, Mary plans to devote more time to putting her law degree to use, working at Gerry's International Travel Agency, in which she is a shareholder, and of course, more writing. Mr. Speaker, let us recognize the achievements of Mary Strassmeyer, just as her colleagues and friends will on June 23, 1997. Her weekly witty writings will be missed at the Plain Dealer.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the constitutional amendment which would prohibit desecration of the American flag. Each day millions of Americans place their hands over their hearts and pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Think of the words in that pledge: ``I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation, under God, Indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.'' Think of the power of this act of affirmation of flag, God, and the Unity of our Nation and you begin to understand why so many Americans support this amendment, and why people have fought for the flag and died for the flag. We send people around the world to defend the flag. This amendment lets us defend it here at home. The very constitutional protections which all Americans are guaranteed today exist because of the commitment which people have to the highest ideals of our nation as expressly symbolized by the flag. It is not just a piece of cloth. The flag proudly stands as the emblem of our Nation. And I am proud to stand in support of the flag.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Richard D. Acton, a union leader for over 45 years who has worked tirelessly for his members and for his community. Dick began his union career as a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union, Local No. 38. He rapidly earned the respect of his peers, and they chose him for higher union office. Dick rose to treasurer and business manager, a post he held for 21 years. His fellow union leaders recognized Dick's leadership qualities and elected him to the IBEW International Executive Council in 1979, where he served until 1996. Dick was also elected to the post of executive secretary of the Cleveland AFL-CIO Federation of Labor. Dick devoted much of his time to improving the lives of his members and the Greater Cleveland community. As president of the United Labor Agency, the social service arm of the Cleveland AFL-CIO, the United Auto Workers and the Teamsters, Dick led the institution which embodies the generosity and social commitment of the union movement. The United Labor Agency provides programs in strike assistance, job counseling, training, youth job placement, services for laid-off workers, unemployed, and underemployed persons. Of particular note, the United Labor Agency developed a special economic response team that delivered a range of programs for people who were laid off or were subject to plant closing. The program was so successful that it was replicated around the country. The United Labor Agency also provides needed durable medical equipment, and offers programs for senior citizens and retired workers. Mr. Speaker, let us recognize the achievements of Dick Acton, who will be honored by his peers on June 11, 1997, for a lifetime of giving, service, and achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Joe Mayer, whose radio show and personality were known to many admirers in Cleveland, the rock `n' roll capital of America. Joe was born in Cleveland and went to high school in Fairview Park. He served in the U.S. Navy as a radioman during World War II. Joe's radio career spanned more than 34 years. He made his debut in 1953 at WEOL in Elyria. He grew in popularity along with rock `n' roll at stations WHK and WGAR. When the Beatles came to Cleveland in 1964, Joe put them up in his home. He was master of ceremonies for the Rolling Stones' first Cleveland concert. Joe and rock `n' roll were bound together in Cleveland's music consciousness. His voice, energy, and personality will be greatly missed.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, teaching our children is one of the Nation's most important tasks. The professionals who devote their career to it are worthy of our highest praise. Let us commemorate the careers of two fine teachers from Cleveland's public schools: Carolyn Harrison and Artha Mae Vincent. Carolyn Harrison devoted 30 years of service to the Cleveland public schools where she taught social studies to hundreds of students and taught elementary school to many children. A mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Carolyn also found time to be active in her church and to serve on the mayor's parent involvement committee. Artha Mae Vincent served Cleveland's parents and children for 30 years as a science teacher. She also served as the department chairperson at Wilbur Wright Middle School and was a winner of the Martha Holden Jennings Scholar. She was also active in her church, volunteered her time generously, and raised a family. Thirty years of service to the cause of instructing America's youth is a landmark achievement. Mr. Speaker, we honor its attainment by two fine teachers from Cleveland. They retire with our unending gratitude and appreciation.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of Bridget Sweeney, an active citizen and participant in the political process, wife and mother. Bridget was born in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, Ireland. She came to the United States after graduating from high school in 1930. She worked as a domestic servant during the Depression. Later, she worked as a customer service representative for the Cleveland Division of Water. Bridget was active in Cleveland's civic life. She made countless telephone calls, handed out reams of leaflets, and spoke with scores of her peers to promote a better community. She raised three children and worked to elect her son, State Senator Patrick Sweeney of Cleveland. She also volunteered with her church, St. Ignatius. She was a member of the Altar and Rosary Society, as well as the St. Ignatius Citizens Group. Bridget leaves behind eight grandchildren and three great- grandchildren. We will all miss her.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Bob Hope, world renowned entertainer, humanitarian, and Clevelander. Bob Hope started his entertainment career in the great vaudeville era with Fatty Arbuckle. He made his broadway debut in ``Roberta,'' by Jerome Kern. He succeeded again with ``Ziegfield Follies'' and ``Red, Hot and Blue.'' Then he starred in movies, such as ``Thanks for the Memory.'' Bob Hope warmed the hearts of Americans through his commitment to raising the spirits of U.S. troops. He traveled the world, to wherever U.S. troops were stationed. Always self-deprecating, he said of himself, ``I still have the same rank I've always had--chicken, first class.'' Bob Hope is a very successful businessman. He invested his show business earnings wisely, generating considerable wealth. Bob Hope is also a very generous man. His foundation regularly gives away half a million dollars per year to worthy education and health care projects. He has shown deep commitment to Catholic agencies and churches. Mr. Speaker, Bob Hope is a great American. To Bob, his lovely wife Dolores and their entire family, I wish them continued happiness.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the memory of John A. (Jack) Gannon. Jack Gannon was an American hero. He fought bravely in World War II, and when he returned home, he fought for the rights of working people. Jack joined the Cleveland Fire Department in the early 1950's. He fought fires on the front line. Through his experiences, he saw the importance of improving safety and increasing support for his fellow firefighters, and throughout the rest of his career he fought to achieve those aims. Jack was a union man. Jack joined the local committee of the International Firefighters Association, where his leadership skills and vision were quickly recognized. He rose to become president of the Cleveland Firefighters Local 93, where he served for 10 years. In 1980, Jack became president of the entire International Firefighters Association. Jack challenged his colleagues to improve safety and support. He was elected vice president of the AFL-CIO. Jack was a national treasure. President George Bush and the U.S. Senate appointed him as a member of the National Council on Disability. As the sole Democrat on the council, he worked to forge a bipartisan forum for disability policy issues, and eventually helped to pass the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990. President Bill Clinton called upon Jack to help win passage for the first-ever U.S.- sponsored resolution on disability policy in the United Nations Commission on Social Development and General Assembly. A champion for the rights of firefighters and the rights of the disabled, Jack Gannon left a legacy of which Cleveland, this House, and the whole Nation may be proud.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, human rights is not just an international issue, something we should be concerned about happening in other countries. Human rights is a domestic issue, too. If someone does not have a job, if someone does not have decent wages, if someone cannot have decent benefits to protect their family's health, if people cannot get a good education, if they do not have rights on the job, their human rights are undermined. That is why these trade issues, GATT, NAFTA, most favored nation, all have relevancy to this country, because it is about our human economic rights in America. We need to be, and it is good that we are, Congressmen and Congresswomen, standing up for the American people and for their economic rights and insisting that the human economic rights of the people in this country need to be protected, and we do that every time we raise questions, as we are doing this evening.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I think I figured out why they call it Calle Ohio, anyhow, Ohio Street; because listen to the cities in Ohio who have lost jobs to NAFTA: Bethesda; Bucyrus; Cambridge; Canal Winchester; Columbus; Dayton; Delaware; Galion; Green; Greenfield; Greenville; Grove City; Hebron; Kent; Marion; North Baltimore; Piqua; Prospect; Sidney; Strongsville; Tipp City; Troy; Willard; and Zanesville. Calle Ohio, indeed.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, when we consider, as we just spoke of, a combined trade deficit increasing by 400 percent over a 3-year period with respect to Canada and Mexico, and now when we consider China, the United States trade deficit with China has grown at a faster rate than that of any other major United States trading partner. The level of imports from China more than doubled between 1992 and 1996, and the United States trade deficit at this point is about $40 billion. That was in 1996, and of course China is the fourth largest supplier of United States imports. So what are we taking in from China? I think most people would remember they are toys and games, footwear, clothing and apparel, and telecommunications equipment. That is what we are bringing from China to the United States, and all of those industries, which were very good industries in this country at one time, have been greatly affected. The people who worked the jobs manufacturing those goods have had to go to other areas where, as the gentleman from Michigan points out very correctly, if they are working at all they are working for a greatly reduced wage. Now get this: What are we sending to China? Because people will say our exports have increased. Sure. Here is what we are exporting. We are exporting aircraft plants and equipment. Aircraft is one of our three major industrial legs that this country stands on. It is like a tripod. We have aircraft, steel and automotive. Well, we are now slowly starting to damage that very significant part of our industrial structure by exporting plants and equipment from the aircraft industry, and we are also exporting automotive plants and equipment, which is the other, which is the second part of that three-part equation. Now, we wonder why that is happening. Well, as a matter of fact, China is actually demanding, as a term of doing business with them, that we export technology. In effect, we are blindly devoted to trade at all costs. I am not opposed to trade. I do not think there is anyone here in this Chamber this evening who is opposed to trade, but we should not let free trade mean that we trade away jobs in this country, we trade away the level of wages which people have worked a lifetime for, we trade away our basic political rights, we trade away our environment. That cannot be the kind of trade that we can be involved in. But we are blindly devoted to free trade with nations like China, which at this point the U.S. is involved in giving China high-tech weapons production equipment in order to sell some U.S. aircraft. My colleague from Vermont [Mr. Sanders] probably heard about that. According to the Wisconsin project on nuclear arms control, the United States sold to China machine tools which were previously used in Columbus Ohio to produce the B-1 bomber. The tools included high-tech milling and measuring machines and a giant stretch press used for bending large pieces of metal. Now the Chinese Government insisted on getting the high-tech equipment as an incentive so they would purchase aircraft from an American manufacturer. China promised that once they got the equipment, they would only use it to produce civilian aircraft. Well, guess what? Once the deal was done, the Chinese Government housed the tools in a missile base. Now, think of what that means in terms of security, let alone the economy. The Commerce Department, when they realized the mistake, advised sanctions on China, but they were overruled by people higher in the government. I point this out because there are implications which are political, economic, and human rights implications, and I certainly feel that discussions like this give us an opportunity to bring these facts before the American people, because people have a right to know what is going on in the name of free trade, about how their jobs are being traded away, about how our trade deficit increases, how we ask the American people to sacrifice, to sacrifice their jobs and their standard of living, but no one is demanding that other nations involved in these trade relationships shape up with respect to their responsibilities, both to this country as a trading partner and to their own people. At this time I would be glad to yield back to one of my colleagues, as we are all here to participate in this important discussion.

Mr. KUCINICH. And that is inevitable.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] his leadership that he has shown for this country on this most significant of economic issues. The American people really owe the gentleman a debt of gratitude for being willing, week after week, to come before the people and state the case for the American people to look at this issue and to consider the impact it is having on their lives. I appreciate the chance to be here with my good friends, the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. Sanders], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Owens], and the gentlewoman from Ohio [Ms. Kaptur]. As the gentleman just stated, we have these raising trade deficits. As a matter of fact, since NAFTA was passed in 1993, our combined trade deficit with Canada and Mexico has gone up about 400 percent, 400 percent. When we see a trade deficit go up, that means that jobs are being created there but we are losing jobs here. It is very simple. We are not finding any way that we can make up for that. It is not happening. So in Mexico alone, I think in 1993 we had a surplus of trade with Mexico of about $1.7 billion. The last figures for 1996, we have a trade deficit. The surplus went to a deficit of $16.2 billion, and that is all due to NAFTA.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life achievements of David H. Brown, who retires after 33 years of Federal service assuring safe and efficient airways. During his long career, Mr. Brown worked with the Federal Aviation Administration as an air traffic control specialist in Oberlin and in Toledo, OH. As Mr. Brown's career progressed, he moved to Cleveland's Hopkins Air Traffic Control Tower, Detroit's Air Traffic Control Tower, and was promoted to supervisor, in which capacity he served in Boston and Toledo. Mr. Brown was selected as an evaluation inspector for the Office of Air Traffic System Effectiveness, Evaluation Division at Washington Headquarters and ended his service as the assistant manager for operations in Cleveland. Mr. Brown earned the respect and recognition of his superiors and peers. He is known for his vast knowledge and experience with air traffic control. He possesses a wide array of management and leadership skills. Throughout his career, Mr. Brown received numerous performance awards, achievement awards, letters of commendation and of appreciation. The airways of the midwest and northern Ohio are safer for Mr. Borwn's vigilance and experience. We acknowledge his retirement from Government service with deep appreciation and supreme gratitude.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, why are we giving away our national sovereignty in the name of global trade? H.R. 408 is a giveaway of our national right to self-determination. What it does is, it repeals the U.S. ban on tuna caught by methods that kill dolphins and depletes the meaning of the dolphin-safe label which American consumers want and count on. The reason we are here today to consider repealing an important United States law, is because an international panel of trade bureaucrats determined, in a case brought against the United States by Mexican fishing and governmental interests, that the American dolphin- safe standard was a barrier to trade. Get that, a barrier to trade. And a barrier to America's high trade standards. I believe that the American people do not want to erase significant achievements in consumer workplace and environmental protection. America's high standards should not be for sale nor should they be for trade. Vote ``no'' on H.R. 408 and let us preserve our sovereignty. Protect our democratic institutions and carry out our constitutional duties to represent the wishes and the best interests of our constituents rather than international trade bureaucrats. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Carol Elizabeth Story and Parkview Elementary School's Science Olympiad Team on a first place finish in the Northeast Ohio Elementary Science Olympiad. Mrs. Carol Elizabeth Story, an 18-year resident of Fairview Park, OH, successfully served as coordinator and coach for Parkview Elementary School's Science Olympiad Team, leading them to a first place finish in the Northeast Ohio Elementary Science Olympiad which was held at Cleveland State University on Saturday, March 22, 1997. Mrs. Story began coordinating this Parkview team by herself until she could coordinate a contingent of parent volunteers to assist in competitive training for events which include: No Bones About It (Anatomy), Estimania, Structures, Circuit Wizardry, Write It, Do It, Don't Bug Me, (Entomology), Leaf Powders, Orienteering, Aerodynamics, Pentathlon, Weather or Not (Meteorology), Reflection Relay, Rock Hound, Simple Machines, Starry, Starry Night, Super Pulley, and Phi Kappa Delta Science Bowl. Mrs. Story has helped Parkview's team to a 5th, 4th, 2d, and most currently, a 1st place finish over 26 schools in northeastern Ohio. This is her 7th year as coordinator for the team. The 1997 winning Olympiad team included; Kris Aber, Jon Brady, R.J. Dieringer, Dough Ellett, Joy Hoeffler, Christine Jackson, Laura Jackson, Emily Jones, Katie Lane, Katie Ludwig, Chris McGaw, Alison Maringo, Amanda Melenick, Elizabeth Sauer, Shannon Snow, Desiree N. Stark, Bryan Story, and Erick Williams. Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Story deserves recognition for her knowledge, initiative, and instinct in preparing this formidable team of young people to compete with their peers in such a precocious scientific challenge. With her guidance, the dedicated team from Parkview Elementary was an outstanding success at the Science Olympiad.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Jonathan W. Hodges of Avon Lake, Oh, who will be honored this month for his recent 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 Scout 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 join Boy Scouts of America Troop 41 in recognizing and praising Jonathan for his achievement.