Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Elinor Bourjaily, whose life of service in Cleveland and North Royalton, OH, has been an inspiration to all who know her. Elinor is a dedicated woman. She has worked hard for her church community. From 1950 to 1991, she worked in a number of capacities lending crucial help to St. George Antiochian Church in Cleveland. She taught in the church school and served as its superintendent. She was a member of the Ladies Guild, then became an officer and later president. She chaired numerous committees and functions, organized dinners and served Mercy Meals. From 1991 to the present, she has served St. Matthew Antiochian Church in North Royalton. She has served as Ladies Guild president, an officer and president of the Midwest Antiochian Orthodox Christian Women of North America and the governing council of The Order of St. Ignatius of Antioch. She has been a devoted mother, grandmother, and wife. Elinor and Fred were married for 43 years until Fred's passing in 1993. Elinor's children, son, Fred Nick Bourjaily, and daughters, Anne Katherine Bourjaily Thomas and Beth Marie Bourjaily Goff, are accomplished, upstanding citizens. Elinor also has four wonderful grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, May 18, family, friends, and admirers will join together to celebrate the gift that Elinor Bourjaily bestows upon everyone who knows her. We are lucky to have her in our midst.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Thank you very much, and I am certainly glad to join the delegation of which you are a leader in this effort to call to the attention of the American people so many of the inequities which exist in our trade agreement known as NAFTA, and it is certainly a pleasure to be in the Congress of the United States with such leaders as you and the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] and the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. Sanders] who are outstanding spokespersons on this issue to let the American people know what is going on because people who follow government always want information so that they can make intelligent decisions about whether or not they support policies. And when I saw the gentlewoman from Ohio [Ms. Kaptur] produce that poster, which I have a copy of as well, with the UAW: Your jobs may go south for more than just the winter; this was distributed in an attempt to frustrate what we in this country recognize as the basic right of working people to associate and organize. And when an organizing drive was occurring in Macomb, IL, at this company, it was NTN Bauer, these leaflets began appearing throughout the plant. There are Mexicans willing to do your job for $3 to $4 an hour; free trade treaty allows that. So what NAFTA has produced is a different type of behavior on the part of those who are running the companies where workers are now threatened, and they are threatened in an insidious way because, if we in this country do not always have the ability to exercise our most basic rights as citizens, which we recognize as the right of association guaranteed in the first amendment and derived from that the right to organize, the right to be able to affiliate, the right to be able to extend into areas like collective bargaining; if we have a trade agreement that effectively can lead others to trash those basic rights, then we have a trade agreement which abrogates some of the rights which the people of this country gained when this country was founded over 200 years ago. Now what then can be the remedy? Well, there certainly is a remedy, and that is the Fast Track Accountability Act which specifically provides that workers' rights must be protected, that we would adopt and enforce laws to extend internationally recognized workers' rights in any country involved, and those rights would include, and we would codify this, this would be in the law, the rights of freedom of association, the right to organize, which Congressman Sanders talked about in one of our last discussions, the right to organize and bargain collectively, the prohibition of force or compulsory labor, establishment of a minimum wage for the employment of children and acceptable working conditions with respect to minimum wage and hours of work and occupational safety and health. Some will say, well, we have some of that in existing NAFTA. We have very weak side agreements which are not really enforceable, and there is no punishment if someone does not abide by and respect the rights of workers. The same is true of environmental standards. NAFTA is causing a leveling down of environmental standards. We know also from other trade agreements the World Trade Organization can in fact impose, in effect abrogating our Constitution, can attack our sovereignty by saying that our environmental standards, which help to assure the quality of life in this country, in effect are an impermissible trade barrier and therefore the United States must either pay a fine or other action will be taken against the country. This attacks our sovereignty as a nation. So we need in a fast track agreement guarantees not only to protect workers, not only to protect labor, but to protect the environment as well, which would mitigate global climate change, which would cause a reduction in the production of ozone depleting substances, which would ban international dumping of highly radioactive waste and all of these things which we need to put in the law. That is the only way that fast track should ever be considered. Those must be in the law, and once it gets into law, if there is a violation, then we could treat it as an actionable unfair trade practice, subject to potential sanctions such as withdrawal of free trade privileges. Now, we are not helpless in this country. We have the ability to retake, to regain control of our destiny. We have an ability to reclaim our sovereignty so that the World Trade Organization is not in effect nullifying the laws made by this Congress. But the only way we can do that is that as long as NAFTA exists, and I certainly am not an advocate for that, but as long as it does exist, the only way we can move forward is through having labor and environmental standards, high standards which must be at the core of any agreement. Mr. Speaker, that is something I offer for my colleagues' consideration, because I think that is something that would enable the public, which watches these events so carefully, to have a little bit more confidence in these kinds of agreements. We must secure workers' rights. If we do not do that, if we are not willing to do that in international trade agreements, we will sacrifice the rights of workers here at home, and that will lead to a deterioration of our democratic society.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the accomplishments of an innovative youth program in Lakewood, OH, known as Help To Others [H2O]. Help To Others is a youth volunteer program sponsored jointly by the city of Lakewood/Division of Youth Services and Lakewood city schools. It was started in early 1993 to enable young people to identify community needs and develop solutions to those needs. The young participants engage in problem solving with adults and institutions. They prove that with an organizational backing, young people can and will choose to get involved in their community. Help To Others has involved over 350 students from Lakewood High School in over 230 service projects. Those students have donated over 12,000 hours of service. One of Help To Others' most recognized projects is ``Home Alone,'' a workshop for students in grades 3-5 to help them feel safer and cope better when they are home alone. The young students learn first aid, phone/door greetings, and fire safety. They learn how to deal with general house concerns such as power failure and an overflowing toilet, and they learn coping skills that help them resolve conflicts with siblings and friends. Home Alone prepares youngsters for the times when they must be responsible for themselves or other children when there are no adults to help. While Home Alone was designed to assist families with latchkey concerns, parents of all children have recognized the value of the information on safety. Home Alone was created and is staffed by Lakewood High School students. It draws on the knowledge and talents of experts from the Lakewood Division of Youth, Lakewood Hospital, Lakewood Police Department, Lakewood Fire Department, and Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company. Home Alone was recently recognized by the Points of Light Foundation and was a winner of the BEST Practices Award, which is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Paul Spatholt of Fairview Park, 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, 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. Paul's Eagle project involved the refurbishment of the press box at Fairview Park High School's football stadium. Paul solicited donations from local businesses for the tools and materials he needed to repaint the press box. He also cleared brush and helped to trim bushes in front of the high school. My fellow colleagues, let us join Boy Scouts of America Troop 293 in recognizing and praising Paul for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dale Popp of Cleveland, 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, 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. Dale's Eagle project involved both the organizing of a food drive in his neighborhood in which he collected canned food for hungry Clevelanders, and the beautification of a street island in his neighborhood. Dale organized the cleanup of the neglected area and the mulching and planting of a flower garden. My fellow colleagues, let us join Boy Scouts of America Troop 293 in recognizing and praising Dale for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Eric Dorenkott of Fairview Park, 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, 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. Eric's Eagle project involved publicizing the Tot Finders Program to parents groups in Fairview Park. In the Tot Finders Program, parents receive special stickers which, when put in the windows of children, identify the children's location to firemen in case of fire. My fellow colleagues, let us join Boy Scouts of America Troop 401 in recognizing and praising Eric for his achievement.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Nick A. Nardi, a union leader for over 35 years who has worked tirelessly for his members and for his community. Nick began his union career as a business representative for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 416. Nick earned the respect of his peers, and they chose him for higher union office. Nick rose to secretary-treasurer and later to president. His fellow union leaders quickly recognized Nick's leadership qualities and appointed him as a trustee of joint council 41. Nick rose to become president of the joint council last year. Nick distinguished himself as a labor leader who emphasized the importance of organizing, resolving grievances quickly, and helping members win a better life for themselves and their families. Nick helped to keep the Teamsters on the front line of fighting for justice. The Teamsters are a leading force for defending the rights of all working people as they fight for fair trucking laws along the border with Mexico. They are a crucial counterforce to the evergrowing power of large corporations. They are a voice for ordinary people. Nick has made sure that the voice was heard and put into daily practice. Nick has ensured that union members had access to low-cost financial services through his service on the board of directors of the Ohio Teamsters Credit Union. Nick has given generously of his time, helping community nonprofit organizations such as the Salvation Army, City Mission, and Holy Family Cancer Home. Mr. Speaker, let us recognize the achievements of Nick Nardi, who will receive the Tree of Life Award from the Jewish National Fund of Cleveland, OH, on May 28, 1997.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Hwang Mien Lin, an influential journalist, publisher, and author from China and Cleveland, OH. Mr. Hwang devoted his career to writing in the cause of liberty. He was born in Beijing, and became a journalist at the age of 18. During World War II, he fought against the Japanese occupation of Burma alongside England and the United States. He was one of a small number of brave soldiers who survived that conflict. In 1944, Mr. Hwang was a cofounder of Newsdom Weekly, one of the leading anti-Communist magazines published in the Far East. By 1950, it was the first Chinese magazine published in both Chinese and English. Mr. Hwang was a central member of a group of writers and journalists who met with President Chiang Kai-shek and helped to formulate policy regarding mainland China. Mr. Hwang was a widely read individual, a renaissance man, with a sharp intellect and a crisp writing style. When he retired in the late 1970's, he traveled back and forth between his home in Hong Kong and his children's homes in the United States. He is survived by daughters, Margaret Wong, Rose Wong, and Cecilia Wong of Shaker Heights; son, George Wong of Rocky River, and nine grandchildren. He will be missed by all who knew him and who read his work.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the lifetime achievement of Johnny Vadnal--band leader, master of the accordion, and Cleveland's Polka King. Johnny Vadnal and his family--mother, Anna; brothers, Tony, Frankie, and Richie; and sister, Valeria--brought the joys and rhythms of polka music to Cleveland and the country for the past 50 years. Johnny was the first polka band leader in the country to have his own television show in a major market. From 1949 to 1961, the Vadnals performed every Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock on WEWS channel 5 in Cleveland. In the late 1940's and early 1950's, the Vadnals played six nights a week. Johnny and his band were regulars at all the famous establishments including the Superior Ballroom, Twilight Gardens, Aragon Ballroom, and the Bowl Ballroom. Johnny was so popular at the Bowl Ballroom that not even Louis Prima drew a crowd like Johnny could. At the height of his popularity, Johnny captivated 64,000 baseball fans at Cleveland Stadium when he introduced ``The Baseball Polka'' in 1950. Recording for RCA Victor, Johnny's biggest hits were the ``Yes, My Dear'' waltz, which sold 50,000 copies in its first week, ``Two- Timing You,'' ``The Slap Happy Polka,'' ``The Prairie Polka,'' ``The Mountain Climber,'' ``No Beer on Sunday,'' ``Blame in on the Waltz,'' ``Clap Hands Polka,'' and his theme song, ``The Wayside Polka.'' In 1983, Johnny wrote ``My Alice Waltz'' for his wife, and it was named polka song of the year. Johnny`s prodigious talent was matched only by the passion and sincerity with which he played. ``All I can say is I play from the heart,'' he has said. On May 7, the National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame will salute Johnny Vadnal upon his retirement. Mr. Speaker, we are richer as a nation and more civilized as a people for Johnny's contribution to the culture.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to address the issue of international adoption. Though I will not be offering any amendments to the Adoption Promotion Act, I hope to work with the sponsors of this bill, Representatives David Camp and Barbara Kennelly, to address an issue brought to my attention by two of my constituents, David and Carolyn Steigman. Mr. and Mrs. Steigman of Bay Village, Ohio, adopted their daughter, Rayna, from India. But the Internal Revenue Service has ruled that only Social Security numbers can be used for proof when taking tax credits for dependent children. This ruling is unfair to families that adopt children from outside of this country since children do not arrive here with a Social Security number. Depending on the State of residence, the delay in obtaining a Social Security number can be anywhere from 2 to 3 years. Meanwhile, these families--which have gone to considerable length and expense to provide a home for a needy child--are unable to take advantage of the tax credits for adoption expenses that the President and Congress have enacted. I hope to work with the sponsors of the Adoption Promotion Act, Representatives Camp and Kennelly, to address the issue of international adoption; specifically, to consider the idea raised by Mr. and Mrs. Steigman to allow adoption and guardianship papers to be used as adequate proof for the purposes of taking tax exemptions. Mr. Chairman. I include my constituents' letter and a letter to the IRS for the Record. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington DC, April 30, 1997. Ms. Margaret Milner Richardson, Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Washington, DC. Dear Ms. Richardson: An unintended consequence of a recent Internal Revenue Service ruling has come to my attention by two of my constituents, David and Carolyn Steigman. The IRS has recently ruled that only a Social Security number can be used to take tax exemptions for children. This ruling has become an undue burden on families that want to adopt a child from a foreign country since children from a foreign country do not arrive here with a Social Security number. Depending upon the state, adoptive parents have to wait a period of time before they can file for a domestic adoption. Once the family has filed, they have to wait for a court date. Once the domestic adoption is approved, the family must apply to the Internal Revenue Service for their child's citizenship. All of this red tape could potentially add up to several years before a Social Security number is given. As Mr. and Mrs. Steigman point out in their letter, it seems ironic that at the same time the President and Congress have passed tax credits for adoption expenses, the IRS is throwing up barriers to the tax credits that adoptive families are legally entitled to. And considering that adoption and guardianship papers are legal documents, it seems reasonable that this problem could be addressed by accepting this documentation as proof of a dependent child for the purposes of taking tax credits. I appreciate your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, Dennis J. Kucinich, Member of Congress.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, Donald Vincent is a native American Indian. He is a member of the Pima Tribe located in the Phoenix, AZ, area. He was born on July 25, 1931, in Phoenix, AZ. He attended the local schools and graduated from high school in 1949. He entered the U.S. Army in 1950 and was stationed in Korea. After being awarded the Korean Presidential Medal, he was discharged January 13, 1953. Don and his lively wife Bernice have been married for 43 years. They moved their family to the Cleveland, OH, area in 1960. They are the proud parents of five children, three sons and two daughters. They also have three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Don joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fred A. Bloetscher Post No. 868, located at 2054 Fulton Road, Cleveland, OH, in 1969 where he is an active member. He served his post as commander from 1990 until 1992 and again from 1994 until 1996. Don also served as membership chairman in district and inspector in Cuyahoga County Council. Don started through the chairs in Cuyahoga County Council in 1995 as junior vice-commander and advanced through the chairs to become Cuyahoga County commander for the 1996-1997 term. Don retired January 31, 1997 after being employed at Loc-Tite Corporation in Warrensville Heights for 27 years. He currently resides in Cleveland, OH.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. The importance of us taking a stand on this cannot be repeated enough, because I remember when I was first starting my career, back in the city of Cleveland, and as all politicians do, I went through a crowd and shook hands, and I remember some of the older men in particular who worked in the assembly lines. I would shake hands, but occasionally someone would come up and they would be missing fingers or part of their hand was gone or part of an arm was gone, or maybe they lost sight of an eye because a piece of steel went into it or something at work. We realized in this country over a period of decades that it was important to maintain certain safe working conditions and America helped set world standards for that. We were the ones, because of the standards we set, which gave workers everywhere a chance to be better protected on the job and, therefore, also help industry become more efficient because they were not losing the services of workers who were performing needed work and did not want to interrupt it through injury. So through a whole series of laws, occupational safety acts and through acts that dealt with safety in the workplace and environmental laws, we were able to guarantee that workers would have a little bit of protection on the job. Now, what happens if we do not keep that standard up there, that standard starts to slip? Then we are back to the days where people are not safe in the workplace.

Mr. KUCINICH. I remember a time when a label that said ``made in America'' was something you could not help but see no matter where you went, and now it is difficult when you shop for goods and check for a label to find things that are made in this country. Again, if they are made in America, somebody has made them, they had a job, and they were supporting a family. And I want to stay on that because, to me, the essence of supporting the Democratic tradition in America is to make sure that people have jobs. I take issue with our friends over at the Fed. In a Democratic society, I do not think there is any such thing as a certain amount of unemployment necessary to the functioning of the economy. The fact of the matter is that in a Democratic society, if we want to maintain that democracy, we have to make sure people have a chance to participate through their jobs and with a decent wage level. That is what NAFTA has affected. There is a myth. People talk about the benefits of NAFTA. We have heard people say that exports to Mexico have increased. That is true, but what they do not tell us is that the imports have increased at a higher rate so, therefore, the trade deficit grows and the job loss continues. We will hear people say that the Mexican workers have a better life. Well, that is not necessarily true. Because what has happened, and this will surprise many people, people think that it is the Mexican workers that are benefiting. Not necessarily true. In 1994, before the peso collapsed, real hourly wages were 30 percent lower than in 1980, in Mexico. After the peso fell, the wages fell another 25 percent. I know that the gentleman from Michigan has tracked this. Listen to this. The earnings in the maquiladora sector are only 60 percent of the former manufacturing sector. So the Mexican workers are being attacked as well.

Mr. KUCINICH. It goes to family values and democratic values which underpin our ability to celebrate family values.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, it is possible that many Americans for years and years have understood and even accepted those kinds of disparities as long as they had jobs. We all expect that the bosses and the people that head the corporations are going to make more money. What is happening now, though, is that the salaries are going up for the officers, and I am all for people making good salary, but the workers are losing their jobs.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I know the gentleman has seen it because this is close to his district. And as I read it, I was shocked when I saw the kinds of tactics that were used. Would it please the gentleman, could I read this into the Record. This is a very interesting report from Cornell. Here is the kind of things that they found out: In our follow up interviews with organizers in campaigns where plant closing threats occurred, we learned that specific unambiguous threats ranged from attaching shipping labels to equipment throughout the plant with a Mexican address, to posting maps of North America with an arrow pointing from the current plant site to Mexico, to a letter stating the company will have to shut down if the union wins the election. This is just part of the kinds of things that were put. They gave the example of the ITT automotive plant in Michigan where the company parked 13 flatbed tractor trailers loaded with shrink-wrapped production equipment in front of the plant for the duration of an organizing campaign that had a hot pink sign on it which read, Mexico transfer job. Now, think about that. That is just one example. How can people then try to aspire to a higher wage? How can people hope for better benefits? How can they get their health benefits improved? How can they hope that they will have more time to spend with their families? They cannot, because they are held captive by this. That is one of the reasons why I appreciate, Mr. Speaker, having an opportunity to participate in this debate with these gentlemen and in this discussion of the importance of this issue to the American people, because it has real effects. I started off this discussion, I have a list of dozens of cities that are losing the life blood of the community because of this trade agreement.

Mr. KUCINICH. In 1997 in January, the Economic Development Corporation of Tijuana was advertising that they would pay wages and benefits together of 91 cents an hour in maquiladora areas. Those are the kinds of jobs that are moving to Mexico from areas like Ohio, manufacturing jobs. The problem is, though, if you are making 91 cents an hour, you are not buying a new home that costs $60,000, $70,000. You are not buying a new car that costs $18,000 to $20,000. You are not purchasing an education for your child if you are making 91 cents an hour. The wage level promotes economic activity in this country that sustains the type of society we have. If we were to turn that around and say, what happens if you make 50 cents in some cases or 91 cents an hour, you cannot aspire to those kinds of things which we in this country have come to expect as what we call the American way of life. And the great thing about this country is that we think we can reach even higher. Once we reach a certain niche, we are going to reach a little bit higher. We get there, we reach a little higher. Now we are finding we cannot do that because the jobs are starting to go away and out of this country. My colleagues raised the issue earlier, the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] and the gentleman from New York [Mr.Owens] and the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. Sanders], all raised the issue of the attack that is going on on working people due to NAFTA, how people are being threatened, look, if you start organizing, we are going to move your jobs, your jobs are gone. I got a hold of a Cornell University report which I am sure you are familiar with.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, when you think about the history of the growth, the economic growth in this country, which permitted the rise of the middle class, which permitted people to go from $10 to $15 to even $20 an hour, it is really somewhat of a miracle that America sustained this. And then comes trade agreements like NAFTA and people start to see those jobs slip away. And the question arises, why would someone pay $20 an hour, let us say, as opposed to 91 cents an hour, as some workers in Mexico, are making for basically doing the same work that someone who had a job that paid $20 an hour did prior to that job leaving? The reason why you pay that amount is, in order to maintain a democracy, you have to make sure people have a lot of choices, and they have to have a good income. And that income gives them the ability to be free economically. Because let us face it, if you do not have economic freedom, your political freedom is compromised.

Mr. KUCINICH. One needs to be making a good wage to do that, but what is happening is that this transition in our economy, while it is wiping out good paying manufacturing jobs, it is creating jobs, according to the Department of Labor, among the top 20 occupations having the largest numerical increase in the next decade in the United States: Cashiers, now cashiers are very important, very important jobs. Janitors, retail sales clerks, waiters and waitresses. Those are all important jobs and those are our constituents. But in order to sustain those jobs, in order to sustain this economy, we have to do it with manufacturing and we have to keep creating new industries, and we are not doing that.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join my colleagues on this issue which the gentleman from Vermont [Mr. Sanders] has led the country on in examining and exposing the deficiencies in the NAFTA agreement. I come from a district in Cleveland, OH, which was really built with the labor of steelworkers, auto workers, people in machine shops. It is a blue collar town in many ways. It was part of that great industrial strength of America that helped sustain this country through two world wars and really made America preeminent among industrial powers in the world. I have seen the changes that have taken place in Cleveland and throughout Ohio since NAFTA, and it is not a pretty sight. The State of Ohio alone has lost many jobs. As a matter of fact, I was able to secure a list of jobs which I have here, and I would just like to read some of the cities which have lost specific plant to Mexico since NAFTA. When I read this list I would like my colleagues to keep in mind that these are not cold, sterile statistics: Franklin Disposables which lost 50 jobs to Mexico, Dayton Rich Products which lost 146 jobs to Mexico, Green Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company lost 60 jobs. In each case, the statistics have behind them a story of a family whose breadwinner could no longer produce and sustain a family. I have a story of a young person who lost out on an educational opportunity because the money was not there to sustain it. There is a story of a family which worked a lifetime to have a home and, suddenly, holding on to that home is impossible; a story of medical bills that cannot be met; a story of a dream that is shattered, a dream that is deferred, a dream that is denied. We in the Congress have a responsibility to come forward with information and to show that in Greenville, OH, for example, 180 people were laid off from Allied Signal. Those people made air filters, oil filters and spark plugs. Mr. Speaker, that is one snapshot because we have a $39 billion trade deficit because of NAFTA, and much of it, three-quarters of it is in the automotive related sector, so multiply one family, one dream times thousands and thousands across this country and we have a sea change occurring in this country, and the American dream is changing. This country was built with steel, automotive, aerospace. Basic industries provided the muscle for America, gave us might, helped to preserve this country and protect our democratic values, and any change which undermines those industries undermines, I contend, our basic democratic principles and traditions, because if we do not have the ability to produce steel, if we do not have the ability to have a strong automotive industry, if we cannot be strong and secure in our aerospace, we undermine our national security. Of course the greatest security we have, as we all know, is a job, and NAFTA has cost this country thousands upon thousands of jobs. As a matter of fact, the Trade Adjustment Assistance Act, as the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Bonior] probably knows, because we were talking about this last week, the last count was 118,000 jobs.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is correct, and the Trade Economic Policy Institute estimates that, in fact, jobs were lost or never created because they were created in another country due to NAFTA. Now, the next question is, What kind of jobs are being created. We know we are losing manufacturing jobs which are good paying jobs, which have enabled people to have a decent life, live in nice neighborhoods.

Mr. KUCINICH. And that is something that certainly fast track must be challenged to do, but it does not do that. It does not provide for the kinds of worker and environmental protections which we need to see established so that we do not find our standards under attack.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the NASA space, the civilian space authorization bill, and I commend my colleagues on the Committee on Science and on the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics for reporting out a well balanced and reasonable authorization bill that will maintain our Nation's leadership in using space science to enhance research and development efforts. The bill continues our commitment to the space station while improving congressional oversight of international cooperation in the construction of the space station. It moves forward in the orderly process of promoting the commercial use of both the space station and the space shuttle. The Office of Space Commerce will provide a secure location to advance this sort of activity. I am particularly impressed by the progress being made in the mission to Planet Earth. This project will pay major dividends for the understanding of our global environment. Through the Earth observing system that is part of this project, NASA will be able to collect very important data on the level of ozone in the atmosphere, the impact of climate changes on long-term weather patterns and the relationship between gases in the atmosphere and productive land use management. This project is providing the scientific foundation for sustainable development on our planet. I look forward to continued progress on experiments with microgravity, one of the areas of concentration of the NASA Lewis Research Center outside of the city of Cleveland in my district. Mr. Chairman, the international space station will provide an ongoing environment for advanced microgravity experiments. Those experiments will help our country conduct the basic research needed to treat diseases, develop new generations of plastics and better understand the growth of plants. Mr. Chairman, it is with pride that I urge my colleagues to support the civilian space authorization bill.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the enduring commitment of two people to each other on the 50th wedding anniversary of Mildred and John Burda of Ohio. Both Mildred and John are native Ohioans; Mildred hailed from Canton, and John from Cleveland. They married in 1947, raised a family, built careers and nurtured their love for each other in the Cleveland area. John studied nights and mornings to earn his associate's degree at John Carroll University and Mildred typed his papers. John worked his way up the ladder at Cleveland Electric Illuminating, starting as a lineman and rising to supervising foreman after 40 years. Mildred raised their four children. When the youngest graduated high school, Mildred went to work as a bookkeeper at the Church of the Sacred Heart, where she worked for 15 years. As recalled by their children, Mildred and John were always supportive of and affectionate with each other. When their young friends would come over for Mildred's chop suey, they would be treated to Mildred and John, holding hands as if they had just returned from their first date. In retirement, both are active. They are engaged with their community as members of their parish council. They travel widely visiting children around the country. They also cross-country ski in Cleveland's snowy winters, cycle and walk. Their enduring love for each other is a gift to all who know them. After 50 years, both Mildred and John are sure that if they had their lives to do over again, they would spend them with each other.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note the passing of Michael DeGrandis. Mr. DeGrandis was the dean of community politics in Cleveland. He possessed a keen understanding of the political process and enabled many Clevelanders to make a difference. Mike was born in Cleveland, where he grew in the Buckeye-Woodland neighborhood. He graduated from Cathedral Latin High School and served in the Army as a radio controller in Okinawa during the Vietnam war. Mike worked for the city of Cleveland as a housing inspector. He then worked as an examiner with the Ohio auditor's office. Following that, he became an assistant business manager for the Cleveland public schools. Later, he served as an assistant chief deputy for the civil branch of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department. Mike's political involvement was far reaching. He attended every Democratic convention since 1964, and was a delegate to last summer's convention in Chicago. He was also co-host of a weekly radio show, ``Democratic Point of View,'' on WERE AM/1300. Mike was so involved in the democratic process that he thought to make sure that the last four digits of his home phone number spelled. VOTE. Mike understood what people cared about. He understood their hopes. He cared that their dreams were foremost in the minds of elected officials. Mike left his wife, Irene, daughters Nicole and Michelle, and son Michael. We will all miss him greatly.