Dennis Kucinich

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this legislation, because it should become crystal clear that the administration is currently and will continue to abuse, attack and outright deny the civil liberties of American citizens in defiance of our Constitution. This administration is illegally wiretapping American citizens, illegally collecting information on peace groups and illegally using signing statements to ignore the torture ban recently enacted by the Congress. The administration is violating the laws Congress has passed, and they are violating the U.S. Constitution. I will not vote to give this administration any police powers until I am assured that their attack on our democracy is reined in. This Congress is walking away from the checks and balances of our democracy. I do not believe that this Congress was zealous in oversight investigation prior to 2001. I am not a partisan. I have joined my colleagues in an oversight role prior to 2001. However, since that time we have ignored our constitutional duty, and 200 years of American democracy has suffered. The complacency of Congress is clearly viewed by the administration as a license to ignore the laws it disagrees with and demand Congress pass extended police powers. I reject this complacency in defense of the United States Constitution. I will not vote to give a single new police power to this administration. The bill before us today enables the FBI to investigate any American for any reason, without the checks and balances of a judicial system. History tells us that unchecked police powers with little or no oversight will be abused, and citizens will be harmed. The administration's record in this area is concrete proof that history repeats itself. I am for a strong police function that protects citizens of this great Nation, not a police function which nullifies our constitutional rights.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and remembrance of United States Army Master Sergeant Joseph J Andres, Jr., who bravely and selflessly heeded the call of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of our country. Family, friends and concern for others lined the journey of Sergeant Andres' life. He gained personal strength and faith from his family and friends, especially his mother and father, Sandra and Joseph J., Sr.; his sisters, Deborah, Pamela, Christine, Maureen and Sharon; his brothers-in-law, David, Edward and William; his grandparents, Walter and Winifred Haders; and, his nieces and nephews, Claire, Brielle, Collin, Ryan, Evan and Brandon. Sergeant Andres' limitless joy for living, dynamic spirit and expansive heart reflected consistently throughout his life, from childhood on. He was a 1989 graduate of Padua Franciscan High School and studied engineering at the University of Cincinnati before enlisting in the Army. Sergeant Andres' seemingly endless reserve of energy, joy for living and strong foundation of personal faith, equaled his steadfast sense of duty to others and to our country. Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and remembrance of Master Sergeant Joseph J Andres, Jr. I extend my deepest condolences to his family members and many friends, especially his parents and sisters. The ultimate sacrifice, significant service and true heart that illuminated the life of Sergeant Andres will shine forever in the hearts and memories of all those who knew him best and loved him most-- his family and close friends. Sergeant Andres' legacy of service and courage will be honored and remembered by the Cleveland community and by our entire Nation, today, and for all time.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill, principally because of the inclusion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I oppose this bill for many reasons including: 1. Bad process--Withholding language so we can't review the bill is anti-democratic. Adding provisions that would never pass if brought to a legitimate vote to a must pass bill is anti-democratic. Trying to use our desperation to go home to see our families to extort us into voting for a bad bill is anti-democratic. This abuse of power is a shameful display by a nation that claims to be a paragon of democratic virtue. 2. Improper Defense spending--The bill spends over $300 billion. Congress could spend tens of billions less and do a far better job protecting our nation. The bill continues the misguided strategy of buying weapons that provide us no additional protection. Buying ever more expensive fighter jets, massive naval ships, and a missile defense system provides no additional protection for our nation. No other nation has fighter jets or naval ships that can compete with our Air Force or Navy. The claimed ballistic missile threat is grossly over-exaggerated. Yet, the Army is vastly over-used because of our war in Iraq. To re- establish the Army, we need to cut back of weapon spending. In response, recent press reports indicate the Pentagon wants to cut troop levels and resources for the troops to ensure we can continue spending on unnecessary weapons systems. In effect, this funding bill forces our troops to fight wars against enemy with the wrong weapons. The F-22, naval ships, and missile defense cannot defeat insurgents fighting a different kind of war. We need a different kind of Army. One that is capable of dealing with the real threats we face. The Soviet Union is gone, and the insurgents of Iraq are not scared of a poorly functioning missile defense system. 3. Drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge--This bill violates the basic constitutional rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of the Gwick'in Native peoples. This Bill will not help America Achieve Energy Independence. According to a March, 2004 U.S. Geological Survey--will lower U.S. oil imports by between one and two percent per year and even at peak production in 2025 the U.S. would still import 66% of its oil, up from 58% today. The Arctic Refuge Has Less Than A Year's Worth Of Oil. According to the most recent figures released by the Energy Information Administration, the United States used over 20.7 million barrels of oil each day in October of 2004. At this rate, over the course of a year the U.S. goes through over 7.5 billion barrels, accounting for more than a quarter of the world's oil demand. However, since the Arctic Refuge contains only approximately 3.2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil, it could only sustain the United States for less than a year. Oil Would Not Reach Consumers For Ten Years. Even if the Arctic Refuge were opened for drilling immediately the oil would not be available for around ten years while the oil companies explored the area and built the infrastructure to transport the oil. 4. Liability exemption for vaccine manufacturers--Liability immunity for pandemic flu vaccines is included in the bill. This giveaway will not result in increased vaccine production, but it leaves consumers with no recourse if they are injured, and it could exacerbate the epidemic. We learned from the smallpox scenario only a few years ago that if the vaccine companies and Congress won't back the safety of the vaccines, people will not accept them and the epidemic could be worse as a result. This is nothing more than another giveaway to big Pharma at the expense of public health. First, it is said that liability concerns are the reason that pharmaceutical manufacturers do not want to manufacture vaccines. An October study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found otherwise. It found that other more glaring uncertainties, like the absence of a guaranteed market, are the problem. However, the pandemic flu plan appropriates billions of dollars specifically to create this guaranteed market. Chiron, a major pharmaceutical company and vaccine manufacturer, does not need more financial incentives--they have been working on an H5N1 vaccine since 1997. Liability immunity is simply not necessary. Second, the language could hasten the epidemic. In order for a vaccine to be effective, it must be widely used. But liability immunity like this sends the message that it is expected that people will be injured or worse by the vaccine. If they are, they will have no recourse. Citizens and health workers may refuse the vaccine if neither the vaccine maker nor the government asking them to take it will stand behind its safety. In fact, the American Nurses Association recalled that, ``. . . ultimately, fears about the side effects of the smallpox vaccine and the lack of a comprehensive compensation program discouraged RNs from participating in the program, which caused it to fall far short of its goal.'' Fewer vaccine recipients means that the virus could spread faster. Third, there is reason to doubt the safety of these vaccines. Chiron, the company responsible for the collapse of half of last year's flu vaccine supply because it allowed contamination during the manufacturing process, is planning to use MF59 in an avian flu vaccine. MF59 is an adjuvant (a vaccine additive used to increase the effectiveness of a vaccine dose) that is highly controversial because a primary ingredient, squalene, is on the list of potential causes for the chronic debilitating illnesses experienced by the veterans of the first Persian Gulf War. The adjuvant is unlicensed by the FDA despite having been a component of vaccines in several clinical trials over the last ten years. Despite these risks, liability exemption language is being forced into the Defense Appropriations bill with no public debate and no vetting in Congress. At a minimum, this decision should be made in the open before the public, not behind closed doors. The liability immunity is unnecessary, quite possibly counterproductive, and is being passed undemocratically. It is nothing more than another gift to the already enormously profitable pharmaceutical industry. 5. Funding for Avian Flu preparedness. The bulk of the funding is likely to go to stockpiling vaccines and anti-virals like Tamiflu. But, despite months of promises from Roche, there have been no agreements to allow other companies to help quickly build the stockpile to meet our needs. By failing to issue a compulsory license for Tamiflu, we are gambling with public health and the proceeds are going to Roche. If a compulsory license was issued, Roche would still get their royalties. Allowing Roche to control world supply and price is yet another blatant giveaway to one of the most profitable industries in the world. 6. Gulf War Illness funding. Earlier this year, I won an amendment, along with Mr. Shays and Mr. Sanders, to reestablish funding for research into the chronic debilitating illnesses that veterans of the first Persian gulf war are experiencing. The Veterans Administration has finally recently admitted that these illnesses are NOT due to psychological trauma. That means the specific list of causes is shorter than ever which means we are closer than ever to finding treatment. Yet there is no new funding for this research. I hope the conferees have seen fit to stand behind the funding, along with the House and major veterans groups. Dancing With Ghosts (By Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Congressman (D-Ohio)) Early in the morning, Monday, December 19, 2005, the United States House of Representatives will vote on the Defense Authorization bill which will contain a provision to permit the drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I have taken three opportunities on the floor of the House early today to alert the American people of this backdoor approach to passing a very controversial bill which is desecration of the basic human rights of the Gwich'in people. When will America get off the treadmill of sacrificing native rights to greed, territorial ambitions and fear? We will soon observe a grim anniversary which testifies to our persistent moral dilemma when it comes to those who were here first. One hundred and fifteen years ago, on December 29, 1890, the US Seventh Cavalry, under the control of Colonel James Forsyth, directed artillery fire against Lakota men, women and children. One hundred and fifty Native Americans were killed in what became known as the Massacre at Wounded Knee in South Dakota. U.S. Government troops were drawn to the land of the Lakotas to enforce a ban on Ghost Dance Religion, a native mysticism which taught non-violence and included chanting prayers and dancing one could achieve the ecstasy of harmony with the paradise of the natural world. The dance was forbidden out of fear that excitation of religious passions would turn to Indian violence against the US Government. The history of the United States' relationship with our native peoples has been one shame-ridden chapter after another of expropriation, humiliation, and deception, theft of lands, theft of natural resources, destruction of sacred sites and massacres. The U.S.'s relationship with our native peoples has been an endless cycle of exploitation and contrition. Massacres and apologies. Who in the future United States will apologize to the descendants of today's Gwich'in tribe, whose humble, natural way of life, religion, and culture are threatened with extinction by the plan to drill oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge? The Gwich'in tribe has lived on their ancestral lands for 20,000 years in harmony with the natural world. The drilling for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, called by the Gwich'in ``the Sacred Place Where All Life Begins'' will disrupt caribou calving grounds, leading to the long-term decline not only of the herd, but of the tribe which depends upon it for survival This will not only violate Gwich'in internationally recognized human rights and make a mockery of our founding principles of belief in the inalienable right of each person to ``life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.'' Members of Congress will come to the floor today and say we need to drill to protect our economy, to defend our country, to keep our way of life. I intend to point out the reciprocal nature of our moral decisions. Christian teaching tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto ourselves. We learn from other spiritual insights that what we do unto others we actually do to ourselves. We cannot in the consciousness of true American spirit return to a history of slavery, a history where women had no rights, or a history where native peoples are objectified and deprived of their humanity, their culture, their religion, their health, their lives. We must make our stand now not only as to who the Gwich'in are, but, in a world where all are interdependent and interconnected, who we are, and what we will become based on our decisions today. When we perpetrate acts of violence, such as drilling in ANWR, we are damaging ourselves as humans. It destroys the land, it destroys the herd, it destroys the Gwich'in. It destroys us alL Another part of the true America will die. We must not only search for alternative energy. We must search for an alternative way to live. We must escape this cycle of destruction. We must reconcile with nature. We must find a path to peace, with our native brothers and sisters and with ourselves. One hundred and fifteen years ago, the Ghost Dancers were killed. Yet we still meet their ghosts. They are dancing upon the coastal plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object. What is the amendment about? Can you read it?

Mr. KUCINICH

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

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, could the gentleman explain what the Iraqi Freedom Fund is about?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's explanation. Could the gentleman clarify this report language on page 210 that says that the amendment was outside the jurisdiction of the Committees on Armed Services in the Senate and the House with respect to alleged clandestine detention facilities?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, in the last few minutes, I have gone through a few hundred pages of this bill, which I think it is instructive to know that $1 billion for a so-called Iraqi Freedom Fund is being authorized. We do not know what that is. There is $2.5 billion for classified ops in Iraq. We do not know what that is, certainly. On the issue of alleged clandestine detention facilities for individuals captured in the global war on terrorism, here is what it says: ``Conferees determined the amendment was outside the jurisdiction of the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives. So we still do not know whether or not this House has any authority to rein in the administration's rendition policies. I would ask the gentleman from California a question. I have just read a couple hundred pages. I have not seen the whole bill. Could the gentleman tell me if there is a provision in this bill that permits drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his explanation.

Mr. KUCINICH. So it is not covered in this report is what he is saying?

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. I thank the gentleman. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object. I have a question for the gentleman. Does this deal with harvesting of trees of old growth forests in national parks?

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. I object.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I think it is important for the American people to know that under martial law, anything can be brought up and put into any bill; and it will take weeks, months or longer before many people even understand what happened. But I want to demonstrate a knowledge of one thing that every Member of Congress must be aware of, that the Defense appropriations bill has folded into it a provision which will permit drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Every Member of Congress must be aware of that. No one can say after it happens that they did not know. And according to all news reports up to this moment, it is the intention of the majority to put that provision into the Defense appropriations bill. It is a very interesting admission. Drilling for oil is linked to our warfighting capabilities. If we do not drill for more oil in this refuge, perhaps we can, instead, explore our peacemaking capabilities. There is no question that our presence in Iraq was, in part, linked to a quest for domination of oil resources. I mean, let us be frank. The first objective, when our troops went in, they were told by their leaders in the administration to get control of the Iraqi oil ministry. Everyone remembers that. And Americans remember, too, the high oil prices that this country has suffered in the last year. Now, let me ask each Member of Congress, is there any connection between high oil prices and the growing monopolies within the energy industry? The fewer oil companies we have it seems the prices keep going up and up. Now, what are the oil companies afraid of? They are afraid of alternative energy. They are afraid of energy from the sun, from wind, geothermal, biomass, green hydrogen, because the oil companies know that it will cut into their profits. So, naturally, the oil companies want to keep on drilling. They so badly want to keep on drilling that they are going to drill in Alaska, or in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, if the Defense appropriations bill passes. Every American should know that that is not going to mean lower oil prices; it is going to mean higher oil prices because it will once again show the domination of the oil companies on our political process. We could talk about our economy, and we should. High oil prices are bad for our economy. Is that not a message that we should be going towards alternative energy? Reliance on nonrenewable resources inevitably will lead to war. Is that not an argument for renewable energy? Is that not an argument for breaking up the energy monopolies? Oil companies do not want alternative energy. They want us to keep on drilling. They want to grab access to oil whether it is in Iraq or ANWR or anywhere else. Wherever we are depending on more oil, they get more profits. This is a time for us to take a direction towards conservation. In that way I consider myself a conservative. Waste not, want not. It is time for us to take a stand for protection of the environment. The administration has spurned any efforts to cause America to join with the world community in signing the Kyoto Climate Change Treaty, and at the same time we see billions of dollars wasted because of the tremendous suffering that has been caused in our gulf coast region, but I would say that we have wasted the gulf coast region because we did not have an alternative energy policy years ago. We act like there is no connection between climate change and our energy consumption patterns. Wake up, America. Understand that all these things are interrelated, that we are interdependent and interconnected, that the choices we make today on our energy policy will echo through the years as to the direction the country will go in. It is time for us to take a stand today for the protection of human rights. The Gwich'in Tribe is this humble tribe that depends on the porcupine caribou for its subsistence, and drilling in that Alaskan refuge is going to destroy the calving grounds of the porcupine caribou.

Mr. KUCINICH

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

Mr. KUCINICH. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, this report contains hundreds, if not over a thousand pages. Is that my understanding?

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts, and I want to thank him for his advocacy for Native American housing. I rise in strong support of H.R. 797, the Native American Housing Enhancement Act of 2005, sponsored by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi). I want to thank him for the quality of spirit which led him to propose this. I would like to say that I have had the opportunity to visit with many tribal communities over the last few years. I understand the need for this legislation. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ney) for his advocacy on this issue. He and I have worked together on this housing issue, and I am glad to be here with him. This bill requires federally recognized, self-governing Indian tribes to comply with the Indian Civil Rights Act, title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, if they received financial assistance from the Agriculture Department for farm housing. Under current law the Department can provide loans to farm owners to improve housing conditions for themselves or their workers. The Indian Civil Rights Act prohibits tribes from making laws that restrict freedom of religion, freedom of speech or freedom of the press. It also sets out the requirements pertaining to fair due process for people who are arrested. The measure also exempts tribes currently in compliance with the Indian Civil Rights Act and tribes acting under other federally affordable housing programs in compliance with certain sections relating to fair housing and other civil rights laws which overlap with provisions in the Indian Civil Rights Act. Finally, the bill provides consistency across tribal housing programs by treating tribes applying for housing programs within the USDA the same as tribes applying for housing programs within HUD. It allows tribes to comply with title II of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 rather than title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when securing Federal funds for USDA housing programs. This bill will encourage home ownership and enhance housing opportunities for Native Americans around the country. It gives tribes more flexibility when developing housing improvement projects. Native American housing needs considerable improvement. Approximately 90,000 Indian families are homeless or underhoused. Nearly 33 percent of Native American homes are overcrowded, while 33 percent lack adequate solid waste management systems, and 8 percent lack a safe indoor water supply. This is a good bill that will supply tangible benefits.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Massachusetts for yielding me this time, and I continue invoking this question about rules and the climate that exists in this House where on one hand we feel we can come together on some things by unanimous consent and by facilitating the work of this House, and sometimes it is the right thing to do; and other times on rules we understand, and we are still waiting for a rule which would facilitate including the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in a Defense appropriations bill, and that would be a distortion of the purpose of the rules of the House. It leads to the greatest fears of the American people that they cannot get an up-or-down vote on something of a critical policy nature which relates to not only the past but the future of this country. I want to say that as we stand here in this season of peace and goodwill towards all, we need to reflect on how rules create a climate that can either achieve peace or go in the opposite direction. I agree with my colleague from Massachusetts that war is an issue here. Now, there are some who say we are not in Iraq for oil. I would take issue with that. The drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge makes the connection between war and energy policies and exploitation. I would suggest we need to move to a new paradigm, where we can achieve peace through alternative energies through wind and solar and geothermal and biomass and green hydrogen, where we can achieve peace through conservation. Yet today, through a change in the rules, we will see a bill brought before us that will enable drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It is not only not necessary that we do that, because we all understand that this is a nonrenewable source of energy, there is an endpoint, but we also need to understand there are moral implications. There is a moral dimension to the plan to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This plan will lead to the destruction of the humble, natural way of life, the religion, the culture and the health of the Gwich'in Tribe, which for more than 20,000 years has lived on their ancestral lands in harmony with the natural world. Now, many of us observed our religious traditions today. Every day the Gwich'in observes their religious traditions in the Arctic in harmony with the natural world. The drilling for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge called by Gwich'in the sacred place where all life begins will disrupt the caribou calving grounds, and it will lead to long-term decline not only of the herd but of the Gwich'in Tribe, which depends on that porcupine caribou for its survival. We cannot minimize this. The Gwich'in have a basic human right to survive. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men and women are created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Well, the bill to drill in the Arctic Refuge will deprive the Gwich'in of their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Christian teaching tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto ourselves. We learn from other spiritual insights that what we do unto others we actually do to ourselves. We cannot in the consciousness of the true American spirit, of everything this country is said to stand for from its inception, return to a history of exploitation of native peoples any more than we could return to a history of slavery or a history of exploiting women where women had no rights. We must take our stand now. Now we have to change the path we are on by changing who we are. When we perpetrate acts of violence unto others, we are damaging ourselves as humans. We cannot do this to the Gwich'in Tribe. We cannot do this to the Arctic Refuge because it will destroy the land, it will destroy their herd, it will destroy the Gwich'in Tribe, and another part of the true America will die. Mr. Speaker, we must not only be in the search for alternative energy, we must begin a search for an alternative way to live. We have to escape this cycle of destruction. It is time for us to reconcile nature. Here we are in a season of peace and goodwill towards all. We must begin today to find a new path to peace on Earth with our native brothers and sisters, with the Gwich'in and with ourselves.

Mr. KUCINICH. I would respectfully suggest to my friend, this isn't about returning to just riding bicycles. This is about getting off a treadmill, a treadmill of dependence on oil, which leads us inevitably to war, which leads us to the destruction of the global climate, which leads us to separation from each other. We are in a moment right now where we are going to determine the future of this country and we cannot maintain our economic power in the world if we continue to rely on oil, because it is a nonrenewable source of energy. That is why drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge is a false solution, in addition to being a violation of the human rights of the Gwich'in. There is no need to distort what this debate is about. You know, we are in Iraq because of oil. We are not signing the Kyoto Climate Change Treaty because of oil. We ought to realize this world is interconnected and interdependent, that we are one with the world. The sooner we understand that, the sooner we end this separation, which puts us in a position where we have our troops right now the Middle East at war. We need to change our direction.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, the drilling for oil in the coastal plain of the Arctic Refuge, called by the Gwich'in Tribe ``the Sacred Place Where All Life Begins'' will disrupt caribou calving grounds, lead to the long-term decline not only of the herd, but of the Gwich'in Tribe which depends on the herd for survival. Christian teaching tells us to do unto others as we would have them do unto ourselves. We learn from other spiritual insights that what we do unto others we actually do to ourselves. We cannot in the consciousness of true American spirit return to a history of exploitation of native tribes anymore than we could return to a history of slavery or a history where women had no rights. We must make our stand now to change our path by changing who we are. When we perpetrate acts of violence onto others we are damaging ourselves as humans. We cannot do this to the Arctic Refuge because it will destroy the land, it will destroy the herd, it will destroy the tribe. Another part of the true America will die. We must not only search for alternative energy. We must search for an alternative way to live. We must escape this cycle of destruction. We must reconcile with nature in this season of peace. We must find a new path to peace on Earth with our native brothers and sisters and within ourselves.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to object.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the NASA reauthorization act. I would like to begin by thanking those colleagues who worked so hard to create a bill that is beneficial to the Nation. Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member Udall deserve thanks for their leadership in ensuring NASA remains well balanced and healthy. I want to thank Chairman Frank Wolf for his support in this endeavor, and also Congresswoman Davis. I also want to thank Mr. DeLay for his support in our efforts to maintain NASA in Cleveland. I would like to thank members of the Ohio delegation who worked with me to ensure the bill's success. I want to stress that there is a lot that happens here where we have partisan conflict, but on this bill we had tremendous bipartisan support in the Ohio delegation, which included Steve LaTourette, Sherrod Brown, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, Michael Turner, Jean Schmidt, Paul Gillmor, Ted Strickland, David Hobson, Michael Oxley, Steve Chabot, Marcy Kaptur, John Boehner, Pat Tiberi, Bob Ney, Tim Ryan, Deborah Pryce, Ralph Regula, Senator DeWine and Senator Voinovich, and in addition, Rob Portman. We all worked together on this. Every one of us made an effort. This is a landmark bill because it affirms that so much depends on a healthy NASA. A healthy NASA, in turn, depends on an emphasis in aeronautics in addition to an emphasis on space. This is critical to the economy. Aeronautics contributes more to the U.S. balance of trade than any other U.S. manufacturing industry. NASA's aeronautics research is also critical to national security. It has spawned technologies from surveillance systems that monitor aircraft flight paths, to the development of secure communications systems. NASA's aeronautics research has contributed to aircraft safety, reducing wind sheer and icing as major risks in airline travel. In order to maintain their unparalleled track record, NASA first needs a road map for aeronautics, just as it had one for the Vision for Space Exploration. This bill provides that road map. While the map is being drawn, NASA's aeronautics infrastructure must be preserved, starting with the world-class, award-winning workforce at NASA's field centers like NASA Glenn in Cleveland. This bill prevents involuntary reductions in force until at least March of 2007 and calls for a workforce shaping plan. It also provides necessary funding. This bill further prevents reckless and semipermanent elimination of testing facilities, like wind tunnels and propulsion testing facilities, and encourages long-term basic research in areas like low- emissions and zero-emissions aircraft, microgravity, engine efficiency, and noise reduction. These are all tremendously beneficial to Ohio and the Nation. This bill makes NASA more sustainable. It strikes a balance between space and aeronautics and ensures that NASA will continue to contribute to our economy, national security, airline safety, and the environment. It is a significant step forward for Ohio, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for their support and their leadership on this matter.

Mr. KUCINICH

Mr. KUCINICH. Wake up, America. In addition to giving away the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to the oil companies, the Defense appropriations bill is rumored to contain a massive holiday gift to the pharmaceutical industry in the form of liability immunity for pandemic vaccines. The liability is not the reason for vaccine shortages, especially in the case of avian flu. This giveaway will not result in increased vaccine production. Why does Big Pharma want these liability exemptions? Because there is reason to doubt the safety of at least one of these vaccines. Chiron, the same company which allowed contamination of half of last year's flu vaccine supply, is hoping to use MF59 in an avian flu vaccine. MF59 is a compound that contains squalene, which is on the short list of potential causes for the chronic debilitating illnesses experienced by our veterans of the first Persian Gulf war. At a minimum, this issue must be debated in front of the American people, not slipped in behind closed doors into this large bill. I urge my colleagues to reject this liability immunity.