Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about another of the 10,000 American children who have been abducted to foreign countries. Miranda Budiman was abducted from Georgia by her father, Mr. Clements Iwan Budiman, on Halloween of 1998 when she was 4 years. Mr. Budiman and his wife, Tara, were separated prior to the abduction and Ms. Budiman had primary custody of Miranda. On October 29, 1998, Mr. Budiman had taken $10,000 cash advance from his credit card and bought two airplane tickets on Japanese Airlines. Mr. Budiman and Miranda left on a jet to Tokyo on November 2, 1999. There is currently a felony kidnapping out for Mr. Budiman. He was born in Indonesia and has family in Jakarta. But the whereabouts of he and Miranda remain unknown. Miranda's mother has not had any contact with her since the abduction. Mr. Speaker, we need to do everything possible to reunite parents and children like Miranda and Tara Budiman. We must continue to focus on this issue of abducted United States citizens and bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of Audrey Lynn Leinoff. Audrey was abducted from New York when she was 4 years old by her noncustodial mother, Marcia Leinoff, on May 25, 1988. The international criminal police organization also known as Interpol confirmed that both Audrey and Ms. Leinoff entered Israel on June 19, 1988. Although there has been no confirmation of their ever departing Israel, their actual presence currently and location in Israel are unknown. Audrey's maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Sylvia Bloom, are also believed to be involved with the abduction. In addition to custody from the United States, Audrey's father was given sole custody in January 1991 by the Jerusalem district court. Mr. Leinoff, despite having custody, has not had any contact with his daughter since her abduction. Mr. Speaker, children like Audrey deserve to have a relationship with both their parents, and parents deserve a relationship with their children. This House should make sure that the most sacred of bonds, that between a parent and a child, is preserved. We must bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today with great sadness I honor Viola Mae Joss Adams, who passed away Thursday, June 1, 2000. Viola Adams, known affectionately by all who knew her as Vi, was a woman of grace and elegance. She was also a woman of intelligence and character. After graduating from high school in 1924 at the age of 16, she continued her education at The University of Texas at Austin. She graduated in 1929 with a double major in English and psychology and went on to teach high school. Vi met Gilbert T. Adams during her time in Austin, and in 1932 they were married during the Great Depression on ``a borrowed fifty dollars and a dime store ring.'' Vi and Gilbert subsequently moved to Gilbert's hometown of Beaumont, and she became a vital part of the civic life of her new community. Mrs. Adams championed the issue of safety and received national recognition for her effort to see that every home in the country had first aid training. President Dwight D. Eisenhower recognized the value of Mrs. Adams'work and mandated that first aid be taught in public schools. An active Democrat, and a proud supporter of her husband's professional and political endeavors, Gilbert and Vi Adams were recognized by the Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Johnson administrations for their contributions to our democratic process. A woman strongly devoted to her family, Mrs. Adams had four children: Gilbert Timbrell Adams, Jr., John D'Estang Adams, Elizabeth Vi Adams, and Patricia Ann Adams. She also was graced during her lifetime with eight grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, Viola Adams was a remarkable woman who was committed to her community, her country, and above all, her family. She was generous in spirit and was of deep religious conviction. She was of the utmost character, and her attributes of selflessness and commitment to others are rare gifts that this nation was lucky to have. With her passing, a great loss will be felt in the spirit and the heart of Beaumont.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of the abduction of Nocona Lynn Smith when she was 3 years old. Nocona was abducted by her mother, River Burton, and her grandmother, Francis Harris, and taken to Honduras on March 10, 1994. An hour after the abduction, a State District judge ordered emergency custody for her father, Roy Smith. A warrant for the arrest of Nocona's mother was issued, but charges were dropped when she returned to Texas for a trial. Nocona, however, did not return with her. She is still in Honduras with her grandmother, and her father's attempts to implement the Hague Convention have been in vein. Mr. Speaker, Roy Smith and his daughter Nocona have missed out on 6 years of memories that are so important to families in the development of healthy and loving relationships. We cannot allow situations like theirs to continue to happen to any other families. Congress passed a resolution urging signatories of the Hague Convention to uphold that agreement, and we must use that as a starting point for further action. Mr. Speaker, we have taken a step in the right direction, and it is my hope that this House will continue that work and help bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, on June 19th, thousands of African Americans in Galveston, Texas, the birthplace of Juneteenth, and around the Nation will celebrate this holiday of freedom and justice. Juneteenth, as this holiday is known, is a celebration of emancipation from slavery. On June 19, 1865, 30 months after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon Granger, who had been placed in command of the Federal occupation troops, arrived at Galveston Bay. He issued General Order No. 3-- Emancipation. This was the birth of Juneteenth in Texas. Juneteenth celebrations were held informally for 115 years. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Texas State Representative Al Edwards. In 1978, Mr. Edwards envisioned that blacks could have a formal celebration of emancipation from slavery. During his first year as a legislator he wrote and lobbied to get passed into law the bill making June 19th a legal State holiday. Overcoming numerous setbacks, Representative Edwards pushed the bill through successful votes of the Texas House of Representatives and Senate within the last 24 hours of Texas' 66th Legislative Session. At a memorable and historical ceremony on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, hundreds of supporters witnessed the bill's signing into law by Governor William P. Clements on June 13, 1979. As a result of Representative Edwards' efforts, Texans now witness the ``New Celebration of Juneteenth,'' an official State holiday. Mr. Speaker, freedom is a cherished word to all humanity, particularly to those in bondage. I challenge all of us to take this opportunity while we celebrate our rich history of freedom to rededicate ourselves to equal opportunity for all Americans, because that is at the heart of Juneteenth and the American ideal.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a bipartisan Hate Crimes Prevention Act and also to mark the second anniversary of the murder of James Byrd in Jasper, Texas. We must continue to fight to end the racial stereotypes that create misunderstanding and prejudice that lead to such acts of violence. Congress must work to change attitudes, laws, and institutions for the good of all Americans and reject the voices of hate and separatism. By passing H.R. 1082, Congress can reaffirm our Nation's commitment to the true American dream: an integrated society rich in diversity and open equally to all. Thank goodness that we no longer see signs that read ``white'' and ``colored.'' The voters' booth and the schoolhouse door now swing open for everyone. However, while much has been accomplished, more needs to be done. Mr. Speaker, we cannot rest until we solve the oldest, most stubborn, most painful challenge of our Nation: the continuing challenge of race. We must not be finished with seeking peace or justice or freedom equality, human dignity or reconciliation. We must continue to cry out for equality and justice. Because if we are silent, another innocent citizen like James Byrd, Jr., may be brutally beaten or savagely murdered. We must not rest, nor must we fail to act. Passing H.R. 1082 will be a victory for every American and bring our Nation one step closer to the American dream. Mr. Speaker, it is a Federal crime to seize an automobile. Let us make it one to kill a man because of the color of his skin.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address this issue of children's health insurance. I want to commend the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson) for the work that she is doing in this regard, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), and the other Members that we are going to be hearing from. As a government worker, I am guaranteed that my children will have access to quality health care. This knowledge brings me some peace of mind. As it stands, many parents in my home State of Texas do not have this same peace of mind. In fact, many children who are eligible for State or Federal programs are needlessly foregoing quality health care or receiving care in expensive emergency situations only. As a Member of Congress and as a father, I believe that every family deserves to share the peace of mind that I have today. That is why I am working to reform the current children's health care insurance system. Medicaid and the new State Children's Health Insurance Program, S-CHIP, are the two key publicly funded health insurance programs that offer coverage for low-income adolescents in Texas today. Medicaid provides health insurance coverage for more than 40 million individuals, mostly women, children and adolescents, at an annual cost of about $154 billion in combined Federal and State funds. In addition to these funds, S-CHIP made available approximately $48 billion in Federal funds over 10 years to help States expand health insurance coverage to low-income children and youth. S-CHIP works to subsidize families with income levels not covered by the Medicaid program. Funded with Federal block grant dollars and State matching dollars, S-CHIP is a health insurance program for children in families who make too much money to be eligible for Medicaid but who cannot afford other private insurance options. Mr. Speaker, Texas gained a major victory during the 1999 legislative session when it passed S-CHIP. This State program will help affordable health insurance for families earning up to 200 percent of the Federal poverty level. The Federal Government currently allows coverage to children as high as 300 percent. Together, these programs provide many uninsured children in Texas with quality health care. While the combination of S-CHIP and Medicaid offers powerful opportunities to reduce the percentage of uninsured children in the United States, we can do more. Despite the recently passed S-CHIP program, my home State still has the second highest rate of uninsured children in the country. At the present time, there is a pressing and undisputable need for eligibility reforms and aggressive outreach to low-income families in Texas. Statistics show that Texas is ineffective in retaining low-income kids on Medicaid. Part of this failure can be attributed to the red tape that unnecessarily burdens the neediest families in Texas. The bureaucratic hurdles that must be overcome to receive Medicaid eligibility in Texas include a face-to-face interview, an assets test, no continuous eligibility, and no presumptive eligibility. Fortunately, Texas has been given the opportunity to adopt less restrictive methods for counting income and assets for family Medicaid. Without these changes, enrollment will continue to be difficult and complex for applicant families that are referred to Medicaid, many of whom will have a child eligible for CHIP and another one eligible for Medicaid. Texas can make the system more navigable by implementing a few simple changes. These changes include eliminating the assets test for children's Medicaid, ending the requirement for face-to-face application, adopting uniform statewide documentation and verification options for Medicaid and Texas CHIP, and, finally, adopting 12-month continuous eligibility for children's Medicaid. At a time of unprecedented prosperity, it is untenable for children to not have access to basic health care. Even more absurd is the fact that many of these sick children are eligible for State and Federal health insurance programs. The time to act is now. We cannot sit idly by and watch our children suffer needlessly. The solution is in our hands.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will yield, that is obviously very, very, very wrong. We have the opportunity to help children, we have the opportunity to help people, and if we cannot reach out and let them know, and make certain that they know about the programs that can provide a better quality of life, then we make serious mistakes. That is why I commend the gentlewoman for the work that she is doing in trying to accomplish just that task. We can make a difference in people's lives if the word can reach them, if we can do the things that help make their task a little bit easier in getting the quality of care that they need and deserve. I thank the gentlewoman for doing that, and I thank her for sharing the time this evening.

Mr. LAMPSON. We certainly should be. We need to spread that word, because what it is doing it is encouraging people to go into the most expensive areas to seek the care that they need. That may be a hospital emergency room. A hospital in my hometown and other hospitals within my district are grossly strapped right now because of the closing of so many, just as an example, rural health care facilities that have lost their ability to continue to offer services across this country. As this group of people, the children about which we are speaking right now, also find their way into these same facilities, we are driving the cost of health care up to the point where it is causing others not to have access. Where we can do something about it and help fix this problem and make it easier for those to gain the access that they so richly deserve and that we want them to have so that their health does not have an adverse effect on the rest of us in society, then certainly we ought to be taking the opportunity to do it.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about the issue of international child abduction. For 3 months now, I have been coming to the floor to tell the story of children who have been abducted abroad. I have also been holding public events and introduced a resolution with my friend the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). Well, all of this work is beginning to pay off. On Tuesday, May 22, the House passed H. Con. Res. 293, urging signatories to the Hague Convention to abide by that agreement. Just within the past 3 weeks, I have heard amazing news from two different parents whose cases this Congress has brought to light. One of those parents, Jim Rinnaman, saw his daughter 3 weeks ago for the first time in 4 years. Another, Paul Marinkovich, is bringing his son home after 3 years of searching. Madam Speaker, these parents are being reunited with their children because of the work that Congress is doing and the pressure that these countries are feeling from our Government and from the media. On behalf of American parents, I want to thank my colleagues for passing H. Con. Res. 293 and urge them to continue working with me on this very important issue. By continuing to take action and raise awareness, we can bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, it has recently come to my attention that this year, the Texas Transportation Institute will mark a historic occasion. For more than 50 years, the Texas Transportation Institute has conducted applied research in all modes of transportation and transferred the results to the public and private sectors, enhancing transportation safety, efficiency and sustainability and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Director Herbert H. Richardson and the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI). Looking back on the history of the Institute gives us an interesting perspective on how far we've come in terms of transportation and technological advances. I was interested to note that some of the earliest safety research performed by TTI was to develop safer roadside structures, including breakaway supports and impact attenuation systems. One of the first real-world tests of a breakaway sign occurred in my congressional district in September 1965 when a driver lost control of his vehicle and skidded into an ``EXIT'' sign on IH-10 near Beaumont. Less than 24 hours before the accident, the local THD maintenance force had placed the TTI-designed slip base and hinge sign support in place of the old fixed one. In this accident, the driver and passenger escaped uninjured, and the vehicle sustained only minor damage. Less than a year earlier, a driver hit the same sign, then mounted on a standard base, and was killed. Today, highway safety is still an issue of major concern and I am pleased that TTI has continued to develop technological advances, such as the ADIEM crash cushion, to make our nation's roads and highways safer. I am certain that there are many Americans who owe their lives to the development of this technology, which is now in use in nearly 40 states. Dr. Richardson and the Institute can certainly be proud of the work. In the 1950's, Dean of the College of Engineering, Fred Benson was quoted in the Daily Eagle as saying ``The Institute intends to assemble a group of men at this college with a thorough knowledge of all types of transportation. These men . . . will provide a forum for analyzing and discussing problems [and] will outline and guide our research program and provide high level education to mature students with an interest in transportation.'' Given the fact that TTI employs about 570 people--275 professionals, 105 support staff and 190 students, divided about evenly between graduate and undergraduate students, is home to four National Research Clearinghouses and eight National Research Centers, and has urban laboratories in every major metropolitan area in the state, I am certain that Dr. Benson would indeed be very proud of the men and women of TTI and their many accomplishments. Congratulations and best wishes for the next 50 years.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the Texas Bay Area American Cancer Society. Anyone who has a friend or family member stricken by cancer knows the importance of the American Cancer Society. We have all heard of the great accomplishments in fighting cancer during the past decade, and ACS has played a key role. Raising millions of dollars to research cancer treatments and cures are perhaps the most well known of its efforts. There is also the Society's important work to prevent cancer through education and other efforts. Its assistance to those struggling with the disease is perhaps most closely felt. Cancer victims and their families turn to the American Cancer Society for support when the fight against cancer become all too personal. There are countless survivors who know what a difference the Society can make. An effective, national organization, the American Cancer Society derives its greatest strength from its volunteers and activists across the nation. I wish to just highlight one of its many local groups, the Bay Area American Cancer Society in the southeast of Texas. Stretching from Friendswood, to Pearland, through Webster and Nassau Bay, the Baytown Chapter encompasses more than a dozen small towns. These diverse communities across the Clear Lake area of Texas join together in their fight against cancer. The educational work of the Bay Area American Cancer Society doesn't stop in Clear Lake, or even in Texas. We hear their message even here in the nation's Capitol. Whether it is the call for critical federal research funds or to support coverage of routine patient care costs for Medicare beneficiaries with cancer, it is the local activists who alert me to the key issues in the fight against cancer. I applaud their efforts, I applaud their accomplishment, and I join in their dream to end the disease of cancer that touches too many lives and families.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend today as National Missing Children's Day. Mr. Speaker, you and I this morning attended a breakfast that was put on by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to commemorate all of the missing children across this country. I have been speaking on this floor since February 16 telling a different story about a child taken in this country, 10,000 children since then, with only 2 days that I missed. Today it is about children who have been returned and about the volunteers who have spent their time and their energy and their money in trying to get those children, who have either been sexually exploited or abducted, back home with their parents. We heard some unbelievably moving stories. The volunteers were honored, but more importantly, the law enforcement officers that we hardly ever commend adequately, because they put their lives on the line every day. They are out there with their incredible determination, their total dedication to getting child abductors and sex criminals off the street. One of the things that we can do, Mr. Speaker, is to picture them home, and with our program to put pictures of missing children on our envelopes. It works, because one in six children who are published like that are returned to their parents. Mr. Speaker, I encourage us all to join that challenge and picture our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to talk about international child abduction, but this time I will tell the story from a different perspective. I am going to tell my colleagues about Cecilie Finkelstein, a victim of international parental child abduction who I have spoken with about the effects that this crime has on the abducted child. During our discussions, Cecilie expressed to me that parental abduction can and often does cause tremendous harm to the children involved. In her case, she lived on the run for 14 years, living in three countries and 34 States. Her father forced her to assume many identities to hide and alienate her from her mother. Cecilie learned the truth from a family friend. She now has a relationship with her mother but expressed to me the devastating effects that abduction has on the child victims. At an event I held in March, Cecilie, on behalf of herself and all abducted children, appealed to Congress to do everything in its power to discourage international parental child abduction by taking action to motivate foreign countries to comply with the spirit and the intent of the Hague Treaty on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. My colleagues have that chance. Support H. Con. Res. 293 and help me prevent this tragedy from happening again.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Hastings) for giving me the opportunity to speak in support of House Concurrent Resolution 293. As chairman and founder of the Congressional Missing And Exploited Children's Caucus, I am very, very pleased that the House Committee on International Relations and the gentleman from New York (Chairman Gilman) and the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Gejdenson) have recognized the importance of an issue that the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose) and I have been pushing on for quite a long time of international parental child abduction. The bill that this body will vote on today calls on the signatories of the Hague Convention of Civil Aspect of Child Abduction to abide by the provisions of the Hague Convention. Three months ago, I came before that committee, with a number of parents, to announce to Congress and to the American people that it was time for America and our foreign counterparts to sit up and take notice of the 10,000 American children that have been abducted overseas, and that time has come. We are pointing fingers today at those countries who have not lived up to their side of the deal, and I know that the United States is not perfect, that we still have much educating to do of the judges who deal with this issue, but the return rate by the United States to other Hague countries is upwards of 89 percent. We know that American children are returned at a rate far less than what the United States returns, only about 24 percent. These parents' children have been abducted to Hague countries all over the world. This issue is one that is nonpartisan and one that none of us can afford to ignore. I am truly pleased to have introduced this resolution with my friend, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). Our resolution urges all contracting parties to the Hague Convention, particularly European civil law countries, that consistently violate the Hague Convention, such as Austria, Germany and Sweden, to comply fully with both the letter and the spirit of their international legal obligations under this convention, in addition to urging all contracting parties to ensure their compliance with the convention by enacting effective implementing legislation and educating their judicial law enforcement authorities. Mr. Speaker, we know that this is making a difference. We know that our voices are being heard. I know that last Friday, a gentleman whose name is Paul Marinkovich, had a case in the courts in Scotland after he had followed his child from Sweden to Norway to Spain and finally to Scotland; and Mr. Marinkovich won his case last Friday in Scotland after 3\1/2\ years on the run. His child was located with the child's mother there in Scotland, and it was only after involvement by this government, by this Congress, by our State Department and high-ranking administration officials that this case, his case, took a turn for the better. It was televised in Sweden; someone saw it and recognized Gabriel, who had moved to Spain. The case was investigated in Spain, and he was located in Scotland. His ex-wife was arrested. Gabriel was in the care of social services, and Paul won the Hague case on Friday. That is a thrill to me to know that this Congress made a difference. Another gentleman named Jim Rinaman, Jim was a father who I met back in February and March. He saw his daughter for the first time in 5 years in Germany. The pressure that the German government is feeling is becoming apparent. The German press has picked up on this issue and is putting pressure on families over there. Mr. Speaker, I have to read a part of an e-mail that came. While it was directed to me, I share and feel that it should be shared with every Member of Congress who has touched this issue in the last several months. He says: ``Thank you so much for all of your help. I really admire you and the other Members for the way that you have taken on this issue. You can count on me for any assistance I might be able to provide for your continued efforts. As difficult as my situation still is, I am very much relieved, and I know there are solutions still to be found for other parents and children and Catherine. I believe that the German government, for one, is learning a new kind of respect for the United States because of the principal people like you and other Members of Congress who have presented and refused to compromise. There will be many parents and children who will always deeply appreciate what you are doing. I have attached photos of Julia. As you can see, she is well, and, thankfully, she will grow up with the opportunity to be equally proud of being American and German.'' Well, to me, that is what this is about. And I want to take just a minute to commend the people like John Herzberg on the committee and Abby Hochberg Shannon on my staff and others on the staff like Khristyn Brimmeier and so many others who have spent so much of their time and effort. This issue would not have been brought to where it is today without so much work on the part of our staffs. Mr. Speaker, I support this and only ask to bring our children home. As I stated in my press conference three months ago, we need to raise awareness--parents from across the country have been contacting their Members of Congress. And we must continue to put pressure on other countries that are Hague signatories, that are not abiding to the Hague Treaty. This resolution does just that. As I said in March, I would like to issue a challenge to each of you to help carry this message forward and help us ``Bring our Children Home.''

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 4205, the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001, to provide assistance to a small but important museum in my district of Galveston, Texas. The Offshore Rig Museum was opened to the public in April 1997. It is unique among museums in the United States and probably around the world because the Museum was literally created out of a jack-up drill rig, the Ocean Star. The Ocean Star was acquired by the Offshore Rig Museum, a nonprofit corporation established under the laws of Texas, and doing business as the Offshore Energy Center, in 1995. The Ocean Star was a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU), built in 1969 at the Bethlehem Steelyard in Beaumont, Texas. The Ocean Star was designed to work primarily in the Gulf of Mexico. During its working life, the Ocean Star drilled about 200 wells. After its working life was over, the Ocean Star was acquired by the Offshore Energy Center and moved to Pier 19 in Galveston and jacked into place for its new assignment as a museum. Since its opening in April 1997, the Ocean Star has proudly seen close to 100,000 visitors tour this glorious old rig and learn how energy resources are recovered from the world's oceans. The mission of the Museum is to chronicle the unique heritage and technological accomplishments of an industry that discovers, produces, and delivers energy resources to mankind in safe and environmentally responsible ways. The Museum has educational programs for children as well as for adults. School children regularly tour the Museum to learn about their world's resources and special programs are offered for scouts and other groups. In addition, the Museum offers safety training for offshore workers. I commend the Executive Director of the Museum, Ms. Carol Fleming, for all her hard work in bringing the Museum to life and building its educational and outreach programs. As a result of acquiring the Ocean Star, the founders of the Museum were forced to assume some financial obligations on an earlier drill rig they had originally acquired from a private party. The earlier drill rig, the Marine 7, was encumbered with a promissory note to the Maritime Administration (MARAD). As a non-profit organization and public Museum, the Offshore Rig Museum has not been able to raise sufficient revenues to make the payments on this note. I have consulted with the Maritime Administration, and they are agreeable to my amendment that will convey full title to the Ocean Star to the Museum and release the note under certain conditions. The Museum has agreed to all these conditions, including the agreement to return the rig to MARAD should the Museum ever stop using the Ocean Star as a museum open to the public. These conditions were worked out with Marad and I appreciate their assistance on this project. As MARAD understands, this is probably the best use of this obsolete drill rig. The cost to MARAD of foreclosing on the note and having to store and maintain the rig in its defense reserve fleet are certainly outweighed by the benefits of keeping the rig where it is and open to the public as a museum. Numerous other obsolete vessels are proudly serving as maritime museums these days, having being conveyed with special legislation similar to my amendment. The OCEAN STAR is one more proud testament to our merchant marine and offshore energy fleet. The Offshore Rig Museum is an important part of the Galveston skyline and community. It brings many visitors every year to Galveston and is recognized for its important contributions to education and awareness of our Gulf of Mexico resources. With this amendment, the Museum will continue to do this job proudly and enable future generations of school children to see how we recover energy from the ocean and bring it to our shores. I thank my colleagues for their support, and especially thank Mr. Bateman and Mr. Taylor for their assistance.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, we can no longer sit back and watch as American children are being kept apart from their parents. As a father and a grandfather, I cannot imagine the pain these parents and families go through on a daily basis. Today I will tell the story of Montasir Imran Khan, who was abducted to Saudi Arabia by his father Imran Mohammed Khan. Montasir was born in 1992, and when he was 5 years old he was taken by his father. His mother has had no contact with him and is not sure of his exact whereabouts. Montasir was issued a U.S. passport and it was used for travel on August 23, 1997. He and his father were confirmed on a flight from Seattle to London, and it is believed they traveled from there to Saudi Arabia. The father has a temporary residence there and had threatened to take Montasir to that country. Unfortunately, international child abduction can happen to anyone's child, and this is the biggest reason why we all need to work together rather than bury our heads in the sand and ignore this issue. Keeping children safe has become my mission while serving in the House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, I challenge every one of my colleagues to join me and help bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell my colleagues the story of Sam Ali Tabaja, just one of the 10,000 American children who have been abducted to foreign countries. Sam was taken to Lebanon by his father Ali Ibrahim Tabaja in August of 1997. Sam was 3 years old at the time of his abduction. Sam's mother was awarded custody of him and allowed his father to visit him frequently. A warrant for international parental kidnapping was issued for the father. However, Ali Ibrahim Tabaja has a large circle of friends and relatives in Lebanon who have helped to protect him. Sam's mother, Zohra Tabaja, has traveled to Lebanon and was allowed to visit with her son for half an hour. During the visit, she was surrounded by bodyguards. Zohra has been informed that she will never see Sam again, and she has heard nothing since her visit. The problem of international child abduction is a disgrace. We should be displaying the same amount of outrage for American children that we did for Elian Gonzalez. I urge my colleagues to support the efforts to bring American children back to America, their home and their rightful place. Bring H. Con. Res. 293 to the floor and bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell about Yona Gelernter, whose three children were abducted to Israel by their mother, Anat Gelernter. On April 17, 1995, Chaya, Menachem and Chava were taken from their Brooklyn, New York home to Israel. As the parents were still married, Yona applied in the New York courts for emergency custody of his children. Additionally, because Israel is a signatory to the Hague Convention, he was able to apply for the return of his three children under the agreement. He filed his Hague petition in October of 1997 and on August 13, 1998, the Israeli courts ordered the immediate return of Chaya, Menachem and Chava to their father in the United States. However, when the mother learned that she had lost her case, she went into hiding with the three children. Yona has since hired private investigators in Israel to attempt to locate his wife and three children. He has not seen them since their abduction. Mr. Speaker, there are 10,000 American children out there whose stories are similar, 10,000 American children and their parents who experience the same kind of pain and devastation every day of their separation. This Congress must take action to solve this problem and help reunite parents with their children. Mr. Speaker, we must bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Hawaii for yielding me time, and for both you and the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) for all the hard work that you and many others have done on this particular issue. It was about April of 1997 that I became involved with what became the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, and that happened after a 12-year-old constituent of mine was abducted and murdered within my district. To date, this bipartisan caucus is one of the largest in the House of Representatives, with about 145 Members. That is significant. The goals of the caucus are threefold: First, to build awareness around the issue of missing and exploited children for the purpose of finding children who are currently missing and to prevent future abductions; second, to create a voice within Congress on the issue of missing and exploited children and to introduce legislation that would strengthen law enforcement, community organizing and school-based efforts to address child abduction; third, to identify ways to work effectively in our districts to address child abduction. By developing cooperative efforts that involve police departments, educators and community groups, we can heighten the level of awareness of this issue and pool resources for the purpose of solving outstanding cases and preventing future abductions. Today's vote of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's Taskforce guidelines meet the objectives that I just stated. I am so pleased to be the lead Democrat on this resolution, with my friend, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle). The gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) has been involved with this issue for many years, sponsoring legislation to authorize funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which in turn enables the Center to establish task forces such as its Education Standards Task Force in 1999 to assess leading research and create meaningful guidelines and criteria. This resolution urges nationwide implementation of standards-based, high-quality child safety curricula. Hopefully schools across the Nation will follow these guidelines and develop programs implementing these guidelines, while addressing local needs and concerns. Personal safety is something many young people do not think about. But in this rapidly changing and unpredictable world, we, as parents, teachers, neighbors and coaches, must teach our children that they cannot take anything for granted. I would like to emphasize that it takes each and every one of us, the entire community, to keep our kids safe, happy and healthy. We cannot bury our heads in the sand and ignore these risks. We must act and we must educate to save another family from the heart-breaking tragedy of a child abduction or exploitation. Mr. Speaker, I can honestly say this issue means more to me than any other. Keeping our children safe has become my mission while serving as your Congressman. Let me conclude by stating that the caucus would not be nearly as effective in producing innovative legislation and helpful district safety workshops without the advice and programs offered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Center's outreach programs range from helping chiefs of police and sheriffs to develop fast response plans to reports of missing children, to educational public service campaigns designed to help children escape potentially dangerous situations, to developing guidelines like those we are talking about today. These guidelines need to be in every school across America. With the passage of H. Con. Res. 309, they will be.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the outstanding career of Captain John C. Simpson, who is retiring on June 2, 2000, after 25 years of distinguished Coast Guard service. Captain Simpson's career has had a wide-ranging impact across a broad spectrum of our vital national interests. This includes serving on high endurance cutters in the Pacific to protect our maritime boarder and preserve our natural resources, commanding coastal units on the Gulf Coast to rescue those in distress and ensure compliance with federal maritime laws, and developing progressive naval doctrine to enhance the interoperability of the Coast Guard and Navy to protect our global strategic interests. For the past three years, Captain Simpson has commanded Coast Guard Group Galveston, Texas. His area of responsibility includes both the inland and offshore waters on the coast of Southeast Texas. As Group Commander, he integrated active duty, reserve and auxiliary personnel into a cohesive team that together conducted more than 3,500 search and rescue cases, resulting in over 700 lives saved and $35 million in property preserved. He carried out an aggressive program that balanced maritime law enforcement with education of the boating public, commercial vessel operators, and the fishing industry. He also directed the annual maintenance and servicing of over 2,550 aids to navigation in the critical waterways leading to the Ports of Galveston, Port Arthur, Beaumont, Freeport, and Houston. One can only truly appreciate Captain Simpson's contribution in ensuring maritime safety after realizing that over 90 percent of the goods imported into the United States are carried by ships, and a large percentage of that trade enters the maritime thoroughfares under his charge. Despite these accomplishments, Captain Simpson's greatest and most lasting achievement has been his strong advocacy for the men and women under this command. In times of limited resources and an austere budget climate, when the Coast Guard is being asked to do more than ever before, Captain Simpson has been tireless in his pursuit to ensure that his units had the right tools to get the job done. During my visits with Captain Simpson, I have been continually impressed with the resourcefulness, dedication, and commitment of the men and women at Coast Guard Group Galveston, which is a testament to his exceptional leadership. Mr. Speaker, Captain Simpson's career is ripe with countless examples of self-sacrifice and extraordinary accomplishment in service to our great Nation. His contributions to Southeast Texas are immeasurable. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Captain Simpson and his wife, Jan, fair winds and following seas as they chart a new course together in Seattle, Washington. Congratulations, Captain Simpson, on a job well done.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of Machael Heidi Al-Omary, who was abducted from Jonesboro, Arkansas to Saudi Arabia by her noncustodial father. There is a bench warrant issued against the abductor as well as Federal warrants for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and violations of the International Kidnapping Act of 1993. The father had visitation rights, and the parents had reached an agreement in which Machael would stay 1 week at a time at each residence. Machael's mother, Margaret McClain, corresponded with her ex-husband via e-mail for a short period of time while negotiations were attempted. Margaret is very determined to find and recover her daughter. She has initiated contact with many agencies and is the Director of Legislative Affairs of an organization called P.A.R.E.N.T. in Arkansas. She represents a coalition of over 20 missing children groups around the world. Mr. Speaker, we should all be working as hard as Margaret McClain to bring our children home. Parents and children like Margaret and Machael should be together. It is a tragedy that countries are violating the Hague Convention and keeping them apart. I urge my colleagues to help reunite these parents and bring H. Con. Res. 293 to the floor.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story of Rayma and Rasheed El-Saleh, two children who were abducted from Cincinnati, Ohio, to Saudi Arabia in 1992 by their noncustodial father. After an investigation led by the mother, Mary El-Saleh, the father's brother, was contacted in Lebanon and eventually the abductor called Mary and the children were able to speak to her. Rayma and Rasheed expressed how much they missed their mother and sounded depressed. The children's father, Saleh Chenade El-Saleh, who was formerly trained as a Palestinian terrorist, is very controlling and may be abusive toward the children. He has tried to force Rasheed to testify against his mother and Rayma is apparently showing a great deal of mental stress and is threatening suicide. Mr. Speaker, Rayma and Rasheed have been wrongfully taken from their mother and placed in a possibly dangerous situation. This House must do something to bring them and the other 10,000 American children who have been abducted to foreign countries back home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate the Lamar University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni Award recipients. I am particularly proud of these recipients for two reasons, one--I am a Lamar University Graduate myself, and two--one of the recipients is my sister. This year's proud award winners are Mary Jo Lampson Ford, W.S. ``Bud'' Leonard and Joe V. Tortorice, Jr. The Alumni Award recipients are all people who have gone on to great success and have made outstanding commitments to their alma mater and communities. Mary Jo Lampson Ford, my sister, became a quadriplegic after contracting polio when she was 14. Through therapy she regained some use of her arms and decided to go to college. Mary Jo earned a bachelor's degree in social sciences and art from Lamar State College of Technology in 1956. When Mary Jo attended Lamar it was prior to the days of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the buildings were not accessible to wheelchairs. Mary Jo found the students and teachers accepting and helpful, often times carrying her up and down stairs and across campus because of the lack of accessibility. Mary Jo taught for seven years at South Park High School and went on to become a well known artist. The second recipient, W.S. ``Bud'' Leonard, was an organizing member and officer of the LU Cardinal Club, Cardinal Hall of Honor Council and Friends of the Arts. Bud earned an associate degree in 1950 and a bachelor's degree in health education in 1953 as a member of Lamar's first four-year graduating class. He returned to earn a master's degree in speech in 1976. Bud began 20 years of service to Lamar in 1975 as vice president of university relations and assistant chancellor for development, during which Lamar received almost $45 million in donations. He also volunteered before and after his tenure, offering 25 years of support. Bud was awarded the Golden Cardinal for exceptional service to the alumni association in 1985. Joe V. Tortorice, Jr. is the third recipient and earned a master's degree in business administration from Lamar in 1971. Joe developed the Jason's Deli chain of restaurants, which now has 80 locations. In 1976 he opened his first restaurant, with his family serving as its employees and managers. The family connection has remained throughout the years, extending from his mother and father to his cousins. Joe and three of his cousins later became partners in Deli Management Inc., which operates in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Arizona, Tennessee, and Florida. Mr. Speaker, the three recipients of the Lamar University Alumni Association's Distinguished Alumni awards are all exceptional people. As a graduate of Lamar, I found my time there exhilarating--a time of rising expectation and rising confidence in the future and in myself. Lamar gave me the opportunity to try new things and meet people from diverse backgrounds, expanding my horizons both intellectually and socially. I have great admiration for Lamar, and I strongly believe that what I learned there has been an important factor in what I've been able to do since, and I know it was an important factor in the award recipients' accomplishments. I offer my congratulations to Mary Jo Lampson Ford, W.S. ``Bud'' Leonard and Joe V. Tortorice, Jr. and wish them continued success.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in hopes that my colleagues will be moved by the stories that I tell and help bring our children home. Since February 16, I have been coming down to the floor and talking about American children who have been abducted to foreign countries, asking my colleagues, the media, and the American people to focus their attention on these kids, and the message is starting to get out. Mr. Speaker, just this Sunday, The Washington Post ran a two-page article on Joseph Cooke and his two children, Danny and Michelle. I spoke about Joseph and his children on April 5, and this article details their tragic story of abduction to Germany. Mr. Speaker, there are 10,000 American children out there whose stories are similar, 10,000 American children and their parents who experience the same kind of pain and devastation every day of their separation. These daily 1-minutes, events and the resolution I introduced along with the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) are just the tip of the iceberg. This Congress must take action to solve this problem and help reunite parents with their children. Mr. Speaker, we must bring our children home.