Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I salute and honor the indomitable June Pinkney Ross of Galveston, Texas. I was recently honored to have contributed to the ``Book of Letters'' being presented next week to Ms. Ross in celebration of her twenty- seven year career as Executive Director of the Galveston County Community Action Council. The residents of Galveston County, particularly the disenfranchised and the children who could not speak for themselves, have been well served by June Ross' unselfish acts of caring, sharing, kindness and understanding of their plight. It is well known that June Ross will literally fight to the bitter end for the right thing, is bluntly and sometimes frighteningly honest about how to address the needs of the poor and does not mind sharing her unedited opinion on any subject that is placed on the table. We who know her and have been privileged to work with her always knew that we could count on her to go after grants for which her agency qualified and, once the money was received, to disburse it where it was most needed. I have enjoyed working with June Ross and always felt that she would make a fair assessment of any situation that she was confronted with and react accordingly. My one regret during our relationship is that I never got a chance to sample her cooking. Ms. Ross' radio cooking class was quite successful and listeners would bombard the station for her recipes. I am sure that she approached that job with the same diligence and commitment that she has given to the State of Texas and Galveston County throughout the years. I want to also take this opportunity to let her know that I am grateful for her service to our great nation as a member of the United States Military. Mr. Speaker, I salute June Ross for all she has done to make the community better (United Way, one of the original founders of Hospice) and hope she knows how much she is respected and loved.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor Mr. Gale Van Hoy, the current executive secretary of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council. Mr. Van Hoy will retire on December 31, 2000, and I thought it fitting to enter into the Congressional Record a mention of his contributions to Texas. He has served the working men and women of Texas well, and I thank him for that. Mr. Van Hoy has represented the interests of 50,000 skilled construction workers from across the state of Texas before labor, political and business leaders on a local, state and national level. He has worked to secure jobs, equal opportunity, fair wages and benefits, and on-the-job safety and health protection for members. Gale has been active in the labor movement throughout his entire adult life, serving as a member of the AFL-CIO, on the Oversight Committee of the Capitol Preservation Project, and serving on the National Advisory Committee that had oversight on the conduct of an OSHA-funded study of contract workers' safety in the U.S. petrochemical industry. The former mayor of Houston, Kathryn Whitmire, even declared October 22, 1983 as Gale E. Van Hoy Day--what an honor! Today I want to recognize Gale Van Hoy's great service to the people of Texas, and to this Nation, and to thank him, on behalf of the Ninth Congressional District for his 40 years of dedication.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding to me. I started my teaching career in San Antonio, and heard of Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez as I was a young teacher. I remember earlier than that even when he was first elected to Congress. I remember that as the first Hispanic elected to the House of Representatives from Texas, that he instantly became a role model, not only for Hispanics in my area, but for everyone who believed that our country was changing and that opportunities were opening up for all minorities. From his first day days in the House of Representatives, Chairman Gonzalez became known as a strong personality who was willing to listen to the other side of the argument, but in the end, was willing to fight for what he believed was right. Chairman Gonzalez gave a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, and belief in a future to all of us. As a college student, I had the opportunity to intern for Chairman Jack Brooks. Getting to see Henry B. during that time in action was one of the highlights of my summer here in Washington, D.C. in the late sixties. I know that that experience shaped how I approached being a Congressman. So much has been said today about Henry B.'s commitment to the homeless, to the disenfranchised, to the less fortunate. His legacy will live forever and his good work will be continued through his other great legacy, our good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gonzalez). I know Henry B. Gonzalez will live on through his work as a Congressman and the impact it had on many of us in this great body. The State of Texas is a better place, this Nation is a better place, and we are better people because of Henry B. Gonzalez' time on this Earth.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize the Texas State Spindletop 2001 Commission's celebration of the Centennial of the discovery of the Spindletop Oil Field and the Lucas Gusher. On January 10, 2001, at 10:32 am, a permanent reproduction of the Lucas Gusher will blow, and the excitement of that moment will be reenacted. The Lucas Gusher, located just south of Beaumont, Texas, marked the beginning of the Petroleum Age. On January 10, 1901, a team of investors and drillers led by Captain Anthony F. Lucas discovered the greatest oil well ever seen. The area upon which the gusher was discovered, Spindletop Hill, was to produce more oil per day than the annual production of oil in the entire United States. The discovery of oil at Spindletop drastically changed the country's economy. Within days thousands of speculators, sightseers and fortune seekers swarmed into the small town as news of the discovery spread. By 1902, hundreds of active wells were operating. The vast quantities of oil found at Spindletop first made possible the use of oil as an inexpensive, lightweight and efficient fuel to propel the world into the twentieth century. On January 10, 2001, I will be present at the Spindletop celebration, and be presenting a copy of this Congressional Record statement. Celebrating and honoring the beginning of a new age for the world is altogether fitting and appropriate and deserves the House of Representative's recognition.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the gentlewoman's comments. It is clear, there is a difference in commitment to this issue. The Democrats indeed want to attempt to make a real difference, and I hope that instead of asking, as the gentlewoman well stated, instead of asking the question, where were you while we were in control, well, why has there not been some commitment, some effort to truly explain what the Republican commitment is while they have been in control of this House of Representatives in the last several years. I think we are doing so, and we are doing so in a responsible manner; and I hope that with our continued push that we will achieve that.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I did not intend to address this issue earlier today, but I came over and after the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon) spoke just a minute ago, I felt it incumbent to do so. I too was a classroom teacher. I taught for 9 years, I say to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, 2 more than he did, and I have lived in those classrooms and even had the experiences of the roof falling in, only this was not a roof, it was only a blind that fell and cut my face. We had to evacuate students from classrooms in my building because the walls leaked so badly that the kids could not sit in there because there was so much water. Granted, that was a couple of decades back. I thought we had pretty much addressed all of that stuff. Interestingly enough, my daughter today teaches sixth grade math, in Beaumont, Texas, the same school district in which I taught. She has children who do not have chairs in her classroom. They will fix it. They are in portable buildings right now. They are making the repairs in the regular school building. The problem is that so many school districts do not have the ability to take care of these problems today, and it is incumbent upon this United States House of Representatives to try to help create the type of innovative financing to help school districts take care of themselves at home. In our State, there is a limit on how much one can raise in property taxes from a property taxpayer. I was a county school tax assessor collector also for a while following the time that I taught, and I know that they have difficulty raising those dollars. I know what it is like to be a taxpayer, a property taxpayer at home and not be able to pay or afford to pay all of the taxes that we have to try to accomplish the many things that we have to do within our schools to keep our children learning and give them the opportunity to be good productive citizens and not end up either victimizing somebody or being victims themselves or going to jail. Mr. Speaker, we have not made the right commitment, and that is what this debate is all about. Obviously, we all want to see our schools better. When are we going to make it the priority and do it? Our colleagues on the Republican side clearly have not done that. Our own State of Texas has a plan in the Republican platform for its State to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. That to me does not speak to a commitment to make education better in this country.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, that is what my daughter teaches.

Mr. LAMPSON. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, certainly not near as hard as what the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) has. The leadership that he has taken and put forth, both in the Texas legislature as a member of the Texas Senate, and then up here following through has been most appreciated. Without the effort that the gentleman has made, many of our colleagues would not have had the benefit of the knowledge, nor the encouragement to have played much of the role that we have. So we commend the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), and we thank him very much for that. Mr. Speaker, I was involved in the home health care business. I went to graduate school in hospital administration following college. Then after, I taught school for a number of years. I have basically done three things. I was a schoolteacher. I was involved in local politics. Then I, when I was very much involved with the area agency on aging for southeast Texas, became involved with home health care. I was a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging in 1995. One of our colleagues spoke a few minutes ago of our elderly seeking the opportunity to live out their years in dignity. Well, at that White House Conference on Aging in 1995, there were basically three goals that were set. They were to save social security, save Medicare, and save the Older Americans Act. It was felt that, through the 5,000 people or so that participated in that conference, through the many, many, many meetings that took place over 6 or 8 days that we were there, that the primary goal was to give people the opportunity to live in dignity and to be independent in their last years of their lives. That is what I want to talk about today. I guess it is the state of this Nation's health care that concerns me so greatly, all of us so greatly. We saw recently, after we passed H.R. 2614, that the Republican leadership combined five bills into a conference report, even though much of what was in those conference reports had not been even considered by the Senate. Some of the key components, like the Medicare provisions and even the, going back to education for a second, the school construction tax subsidized bonds, none of those were considered by either the House or the Senate. It is the Democrats who have taken the lead in proposing a balanced package of Medicare and Medicaid restorations. This package ignores the efforts of the President and congressional Democrats to get Republicans to the table to craft such bills. Instead, Republicans unilaterally put forward this partisan package. It truly bothers me. I am bothered by the Medicare, the Medicaid and the State CHIP provisions in this bill. This portion of the bill has never been acted on by either the House or the Senate. There are increases of some $31 billion over 5 years for Medicare, Medicaid and State CHIP providers. Of this, 41 percent goes to HMOs with no real guarantee that they will pass the funds on to beneficiaries in the form of enhanced benefits. In fact, there is not even a guarantee that they will have to stay in the communities that they now serve. So much of the money in this bill is spent on HMOs that there is not enough for hospitals or nursing homes or home health care agencies or hospices or even community mental health centers. Only about 7 percent of the net increase in Medicare spending in the bill will directly benefit Medicare beneficiaries. While I have my colleague's ear, and while I have the opportunity to visit for a few minutes up here, I would like to make a comment about prescription drugs. It was about a month ago, I think, that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), the Speaker of the House, sent a letter to the President outlining a number of health care issues that could be resolved before Congress adjourns. And the President wrote back, and his response said, ``I am extremely disappointed by your determination that it is impossible to pass a voluntary Medicare prescription drug benefit this year. I simply disagree. There is indeed time to act, and I urge you to use the final weeks of this Congress to get this important work done. It is the only way we can ensure rapid, substantial, and much-needed relief from the prescription drug costs for all seniors and people with disabilities, including low-income beneficiaries.'' That is what the President said. Similarly, I signed on to a letter to Speaker Hastert expressing my concern to learn that he had sent a letter to the President declaring his unwillingness to adopt a real Medicare prescription drug benefit before Congress adjourns this year. I disagreed that it is too late to pass real prescription drug legislation. I urged the Republican leadership to schedule for consideration legislation to improve meaningful drug coverage for all seniors. And has that been done yet? Is it on the schedule? No. The Republicans' low-income-only prescription drug plan is an empty promise to seniors because it is not a Medicare plan. It would exclude 25 million Medicare beneficiaries from coverage. It includes no real protections or guaranteed benefits. It would provide no help to a majority of even those who would be eligible. It would take years before its coverage provisions would be implemented. And even State officials, who would be responsible for implementing the program, said that they cannot do it. Well, this proposal is really no help at all to seniors who desperately need prescription drug coverage. We have a responsibility to the American people to act on important issues facing this Nation. It is time to listen to the thousands upon thousands of seniors who have deluged our offices, certainly mine, with heart-wrenching letters of outrageously expensive prescription bills; to hear the stories like that from my own constituent, a widower, of a lady who taught school and died because her insurance company would not pay for the treatment that she needed to save her life from breast cancer. It is this call for leadership that this Congress has so far refused to answer, and it is time to put the people's interests ahead of the special interests and pass a universal voluntary Medicare prescription drug benefit. One of the things that stuck out in my mind, and it has been a few years now, obviously; but back in that last Presidential campaign, Bob Dole made a comment at some point that in 1965 he voted against Medicare. I think that that was indicative to me of the difference in commitment to honoring the goals that were set by those seniors in the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. The gentleman asked the question properly a few minutes ago: Who is it that is going to be on the side of America and make these things reality for our Nation as we have enjoyed them over the last several decades; those things that have expanded our life-span; that has given us a quality of life to be able to enjoy the last years? It is going to be the Democrats and the Democratic proposals. I guess the final thing that I can say is that the work that we have done has been done in a manner and a way that families in southeast Texas make decisions, with common sense and fairness. That is what I think we represent, and what our efforts are trying to be. And I thank again and commend the gentleman for his efforts that he has made and the work of all my colleagues in trying to make this become a reality for the United States of America.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call to your attention the groundbreaking of a very important project based in Southeast Texas, the Neches River Saltwater Barrier. This barrier is critically important in protecting over 150 billion gallons of water per year from saltwater contamination. Saltwater threatens the freshwater intakes of lower Neches cities, industries and farms by moving upstream from the Gulf of Mexico through the deepwater channel to Beaumont. If downstream flows are insufficient, saltwater moves upriver and the lower Neches Valley Authority (LNVA) must take measures to protect the intakes. As part of the Greater Houston area, the lower Neches River and Neches-Trinity Coastal Basins are characterized by moderately dense populations; a heavy petroleum and petrochemical industry; a hub of highway, rail and deep-water transportation facilities; and a major rice-producing agricultural industry. The well-being and prosperity of all of these interests are dependent on an abundant supply of freshwater. Mr. Speaker, the Neches River Permanent Saltwater Barrier Project has become a reality. The Project, authorized by Congress in the Water Resources Development Act of 1976, provides benefits for salinity control, water supply, navigation, fish and wildlife enhancement, and recreation. The Lower Neches Valley Authority has worked hand in hand with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District, bringing the project to fruition, and I commend them both. The waters of the Neces River are used extensively for municipal, industrial and irrigation purposes and other water supply needs. These uses require an adequate supply of high quality water. During periods of low river flow, the saltwater travels up the river and if allowed to enter water intake structures, can cause damage to crops or contaminate water meant for consumption by humans or livestock. Traditionally, during these periods of low river flow, water has been released upstream from Sam Rayburn to ``flush'' the saltwater entering LNVA and City of Beaumont freshwater intakes. The new barrier will permanently replace the temporary structures and be operated such that the gates will be open 99% of the time and closed only on those occasions when the saltwater wedge makes its way up the Neches River to the project vicinity. At this time, I'd like to commend LNVA and the Corps. The Lower Neches Valley Authority has been an unusually committed, responsible, and cooperative local sponsor. They have worked tirelessly with the Corps of Engineers and Congress over the last several years towards completion of the saltwater barrier project and are deserving of much praise.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, Nadia Dabbagh was kidnapped in 1993 by her Syrian national father. She was 2 years old. Her mother has not seen her since. A Federal warrant was issued for the arrest of her abductor. Syria even issued a warrant for his arrest. Her mother, Maureen, went to the Islamic court in Syria in an effort to have her custody rights recognized in Syria. Amazingly, this American Christian woman also won, almost unheard of in Syria. In the last Congress, Senator Charles Robb sponsored a Senate resolution calling for the return of Nadia. It passed the Senate and has been ignored. With all of this effort, Nadia is still not home. Maureen has had no contact with her, no photos, nothing. She knows that Nadia is in Saudi Arabia. Even though she is not a Saudi, nor is her father, and even though her mother has custody orders and warrants from both the United States and Syria, she is no closer to bringing her daughter home. Nadia is now 10 years old. Her father has arranged a marriage to her cousin living in Syria. So even in adulthood she will not have the ability to come home if she so chooses. Nadia must be returned in order to protect her welfare and guarantee her American freedoms throughout her life. It is time now for us to act to bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, Uchechi Anyanwu is a U.S. citizen born of Nigerian nationals who were here with U.S. green cards. She had a younger sister, Ogechi, also born in the U.S. Because of marital problems, the family went back to Nigeria. When they arrived there, the father informed the mother that the marriage was over, took possession of the mother's passport and the children. He wanted to get a divorce in Nigeria to avoid having to pay child support. The mother was able to escape with her family's help. When she came back to the United States, the mother immediately got temporary custody. The father came back to the U.S. without the children. The mother and father appeared before a judge in August of 1997 and the judge ordered the return of the children. He refused, and has been in jail ever since. The children were allegedly with a paternal aunt and uncle in Lagos, Nigeria. In November 1997, the mother got word that the younger daughter, Ogechi, died of malnutrition. The uncle was jailed for 2\1/2\ months for the murder of his niece, but then was released. Interpol has verified the child's death, but the burial site is unknown. Interpol has checked at the aunt's and uncle's home for the surviving child, but has not found her there. Uchechi's mom has hired an attorney in Logos, who took all her money and disappeared. Mr. Speaker, do we have to wait until children die before this Congress takes notice of children being taken across our borders? It is time to bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the groundbreaking of a new comprehensive entertainment complex in Southeast Texas. I specifically want to commend Jefferson County Judge Carl Griffith for his efforts in making the establishment of this facility a reality. The development of the Southeast Texas Entertainment Complex means great things for the people of Southeast Texas. This 221 acre facility, which is scheduled to be completed by 2002, will contain a new fair grounds with 10 acres of midway; paved parking for 9000 vehicles; 80, 000 square feet of air-conditioned exhibit and convention space; an air-conditioned rodeo arena; an outdoor concert pavilion; Olympic- standard softball complexes; a recreational vehicle park; a Regional Visitor's Center; jogging trails; and a wildlife habitat. This facility truly presents great opportunity for the citizens of Jefferson County and Southeast Texas. This facility is slated to create an estimated 1,238 new jobs producing more than $121.9 million payed in salaries to new workers. In addition, an estimated $481 million will be pumped into the local economy. The Southeast Texas Entertainment Complex is expected to draw over 7.8 million visitors, nearly 3 million of them from outside the area. Mr. Speaker, I am truly excited about the creation of this park and what this presents to the citizens of Southeast Texas. This facility will present phenomenal cultural, economic, and recreational opportunities to the citizens of Texas. I would once again like to offer my sincere gratitude to those who have helped to make the Southeast Texas Entertainment Complex a reality.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 605, a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that communities should implement the Amber Plan to expedite the recovery of abducted children. Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old from Arlington, Texas, was abducted in front of witnesses in 1996. Her body was found 4 days later. After this tragedy, police and local radio station developed the ``Amber Plan'', named in honor of Amber Hagerman--which was the first use of the Emergency Alert System (EAS), formerly the Emergency Broadcast System, to report a missing child. Under the plan, television and radio stations interrupt programming to broadcast information about a child abduction by using the EAS, a system typically used for weather or other civil emergencies. Since the Amber plan was established in Texas, many areas across the country have adopted a similar emergency alert plan on the local, regional, and even statewide-level. Between 1996 and 2000, these plans have been credited with the safe return of at least nine children. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has endorsed the use of the ``AMBER Plan''--America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response--to assist in the recovery of missing children. The plan is simple--to alert the public as quickly as possible of a child abduction in hopes of gaining information leading to the safe recovery of that child and capture of the abductor. Mr. Speaker, children are snatched off the street everyday in America. Tragically, some are never returned to their caretakers, and many are victims of assault and murder. A 1997 study by the Washington States Attorney indicated that 74 percent of children abducted and murdered by strangers were killed within three hours of being taken. Realizing that time is of the essence in these cases, this resolution encourages states and communities to recognize that the abduction of a child is of the highest priority for response and investigation. In furtherance of this type of investigation, a carefully planned and quick notification of the public in the area of the abduction by commercial broadcast methods, the ``AMBER Plan'', can be a valuable tool in the quick recovery of abducted children. I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), for yielding me this time, and I also want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Myrick) for all the good work she has done on this bill, and others as well. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of this bill, I rise in support of Kristen's Act, a bill to authorize the Attorney General to make grants to public agencies or nonprofit private organizations to assist law enforcement and families in locating missing adults and to maintain a national interconnected database tracking missing adults who are determined by law enforcement to be in danger due to age, diminished mental capacity or the circumstances of disappearance when foul play might be suspected. This bill will also maintain statistical information of adults reported as missing; assist in public notification and victim advocacy related to missing adults, and establish and maintain a national clearinghouse for missing adults. As the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) said, I am the chairman and founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children and I work very closely with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I do realize, however, that specialized services to locate and recover missing adults are few and far between. While adults have a legal right to disappear without notifying friends and family, this does not lessen the frustration others face when determining whether foul play is involved. I met with Kristen Moderfferi's parents in 1999, and what they have lived through is tragic. Their daughter disappeared 3 weeks after her 18th birthday and while the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was able to refer them to other assisting organizations, the center was unable to work directly on the case as its mandate is for children under the age of 18. A congressionally authorized clearinghouse for missing adults is necessary to assist people like Kristen's parents. I do not want to look into the faces of any more parents whose grown-up children are missing or some place where they should not be. The tragedy is too difficult to live with. Mr. Speaker, I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support Kristen's Act.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the New Hope Baptist Church in Port Arthur, Texas, which will be receiving a State Historical Marker from the Texas Historical Commission on October 15, 2000. New Hope Baptist Church was the first African-American Baptist Church and was officially founded on August 12, 1906, but existed quite some time before that date. The church was first organized by the Rev. Stevenson, Sis. Copeland, Sis. Laura Hebert, and Sis. Sharlit Bill. New Hope was originally located on Titsingh Street (now known as Marian Anderson Avenue). As the African-American population grew, a larger place of worship was needed and a one-room building was rented on West 10th Street. The Rev. A.D. Hendon was the first official pastor and served one year and 11 months. Professor A.J. Criner was the first Chairman of the Deacon Board, as well as the Principal of the African-American public school. The New Hope Baptist Church had 14 charter members, and some of the early members included: Rev. Stevenson, Sis. Copeland, Sis. Sharlit Bill, Sis. Laura Hebert, Nora Wade (King), Will King, M.G. Glass, A.J. Criner, Nellie Jones, Rev. A.D. Hendon, W.M. Richardson, Vallie Brown, J.W. Willis, W.P. Powell, A.W. Edwards, and Willie Braxton. The one-room building was used as a stable during the week. On Saturdays, the members would start clearing out the stable and assembling makeshift benches with boxes and planks for members to sit on. There was no pulpit. The minister would stand in front of the congregation with his Bible in hand and preach. The building would often flood and leak when it rained. Rev. J.E. Nelson was the second pastor and served one year, through 1909. During his administration, the first church was built at the same spot where the old structure stood. Hurricanes reportedly blew down two church buildings and early records were lost in floods and storms. New Hope developed a close relationship with the first Methodist Church of Port Arthur and Israel Chapel A.M.E. Church on Texas Avenue. Each alternated its services to allow the other to hold worship services in its sanctuary during a building program. Rev. J.W. Williams came in 1910 and rebuilt the church that was destroyed by a hurricane. However, this building was soon destroyed. Mr. Speaker, throughout the 20th Century New Hope Baptist Church should serve as an example to us all--always keep the faith and hope to rebuild.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, on April 30, 2000, Maya and Omar Murad, ages 3 and 5, were forcibly abducted by their father, Ruwayn Murad, who had resided in the United States for nearly 20 years but retained dual citizenship in Lebanon. The children, who had spent only 2 weeks of their lives on Lebanese soil, were spirited to Lebanon where they have now been held for nearly 6 months. Their exact whereabouts are presently unknown. Prior to the abduction, the children's mother, Elizabeth Henry Murad, had been informed by a colleague of her husband that Mr. Murad was planning the abduction. After a judge in New York family court failed to take emergency action, a divorce action had been commenced by Mr. Murad, who ultimately abducted the children after having been granted an adjournment in the case. In advance of his flight, Mr. Murad also wired all the family's liquid assets from their accounts in the U.S. to Lebanon. Elizabeth Henry Murad, the custodial parent of Maya and Omar, is now waging a desperate battle for the return of her children to New York, the only home they have ever known. Mr. Speaker, it is time now to assist Mrs. Murad and others like her to bring our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today my story is about Mitchell Goldstein and his daughter, Kelly, age 8. Kelly was abducted from Atlanta, Georgia, to Switzerland when she was 4 years old by her mother, Sandra Gyr Pfisterer, during a court-ordered visitation in 1996. Since this time, Mr. Goldstein has been trying to have Kelly returned from Switzerland via the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Despite numerous court orders from the Swiss court, including from the Supreme Court, officials in Switzerland have refused to enforce the court orders and Kelly remains abroad without any contact from her father. Switzerland is our ally. Mr. Goldstein has full custody of Kelly. He has numerous court orders from Switzerland and the United States ordering Kelly's return home. Switzerland and the U.S. are parties to the Hague Convention, yet Kelly remains separated from her father. Mr. Speaker, children like Kelly deserve to have a relationship with both their parents, and parents deserve a relationship with their children. The House should make sure that the most sacred of bonds, that between a parent and child, is preserved. We must pressure signatory countries to comply with the Hague Convention, especially in cases such as these, where their own courts have ordered a return.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, October 9th is Columbus Day. Columbus Day is more than just a celebration of the great explorer, Christopher Columbus, it's about the achievements of Italian-American heritage and the vision of our entire nation. Italian-Americans came to this country with little, but we've left a large mark on our history and culture. I look at my own family and feel the same way--I started with little and hopefully will leave a mark on the Southeast, Texas area. My mother, who did not graduate from high school, but earned a G.E.D. on her 80th birthday, successfully raised six children by herself after my father died when I was young. She produced an artist, a doctor, a college teacher, successful business people, and a United States Congressman--not too bad. In 1492, a brave and noble explorer with nothing but dreams landed in a vast and foreign land full of promise--America. Although he can be considered a controversial figure because Americans born here in what is now the U.S. certainly lost during European expansion, his courage and desire for success made him a hero to all. Columbus Day celebrates our proud people and recognizes the unique Italian-American experience. With strong leadership and eternal pride, Italian-American communities not only in Southeast Texas, but also around the nation, have distinguished themselves through a strong sense of family and dedication to their youth. Mr. Speaker, I believe the most valuable and most powerful influence Christopher Columbus has on our nation and in our human history is vision. All Americans can draw inspiration from the character and accomplishments of Columbus. With his sense of vision, courage, imagination, and optimism, we can create a future bright with promise and a new world where all of us can pursue our dreams. For we have the power to shape the vision of this nation today, tomorrow, and into the next century.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to make note of and salute the upcoming 89th National Day of the Republic of China on Taiwan which will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 10, 2000. In recent years, Taiwan has emerged as a major economic power in the world. Much of the economic success is attributable to the efforts of its leaders. They understand that a strong economy is a necessary basis for political progress and reform. From its one-party past, Taiwan has become a true democracy with a number of political parties. In fact, Mr. Chen Shui-bian of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected president by the people of Taiwan last March. Since his inauguration as president on May 20, President Chen has impressed his people and the world with his leadership and vision for the future. Mr. Speaker, on this very special day to Taiwan, I extend my congratulations to both President Chen, and Representative C. J. Chen of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson) introduced a resolution that recognizes the importance of a community initiative, a successful and effective way to combat child abduction called the Amber Alert Plan. The Amber Alert is named after Amber Hagerman, a 9-year-old girl who was tragically abducted and murdered in Arlington, Texas, in 1996. The tragedy of Amber's case was felt throughout north Texas, and it led to a search for new and innovative community responses to help law enforcement officials find missing children. The Amber Alert is a partnership between broadcasters and law enforcement agencies. When law enforcement determines a child is missing, they activate the Amber Alert, by notifying area-participating radio stations. The stations agree to interrupt their programming and broadcast an emergency report, much like an emergency broadcast system. Their report gives details, like the description of a child or any cars involved. TV stations would broadcast Amber Alert crawlers across the front of their screen, which would resemble severe weather warnings. I unveiled the Amber Alert in my district. Please join me and the gentlewoman from New Mexico in our efforts to recover missing children and curb abductions as a cosponsor of the bill. The health and safety of our children is in Members' hands.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Yesterday I participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new location of the U.S. Customs Service Cybersmuggling Center. Child pornography was a worldwide industry that was all but eradicated in the 1980s. And unfortunately, it has resurfaced with vengeance thanks to computer technology. Although, I learned of the work of the U.S. Customs Service through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's leader, Ernie Allen, I was so impressed with the work of the Cybersmuggling Center and its agents that I introduced legislation that would authorize much needed funds specifically for the U.S. Customs Service, Child Pornography Enforcement Program. The U.S. Customs Service has long been recognized by law enforcement and the international community for its knowledge and skill in investigating cases of child pornography and child exploitation. Proper funding of the Cybersmuggling Center will allow the Customs Service to continue its worldwide leadership in the prevention of the sexual exploitation and abuse of children in the United States and abroad. Congress got the message and now we can commend the work done by the men and women who spend their days and nights protecting our most vulnerable citizens, our children.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am going to digress from my normal message on international child abduction to commend a new acquaintance, Jeff Schiefelbein. Jeff is founder of an organization called CarPool, a designated driver program that provides safe rides for the Texas A&M area to intoxicated or otherwise incapacitated students. After receiving a DWI, a driving while intoxicated charge, and while serving an 18-month probation sentence, Jeff and his friends created a program intended to decrease the amount of drivers under the influence in the community that would be good for the users and the helpers. This spring, CarPool received an award for the Outstanding Achievement for a New Committee at Texas A&M, and another award for the best Individual Contribution to Campus for his work on CarPool. In its first year of operation, CarPool gave 6,343 rides and is now in demand at other college universities, on other campuses. Great by great young people. Congratulations to Jeff Schiefelbein at Texas A&M University and his friends for their dedication in stopping drinking and driving.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I continue in my effort to bring to this House's attention my deepest concern for American families destroyed by cases of international child abduction. Since February I have been coming to the floor to tell the stories of the over 10,000 American children who have been abducted abroad. Today I will tell the story of Ms. Ildiko Gerbatsch and her two daughters, Naomi, who is 13, and her younger sister, Isabelle, who is now 10. In the summer of 1977, Naomi and Isabelle visited their father in Germany. The parents had divorced in 1994, and Ms. Gerbatsch had complied with the California Superior Court's decision allowing the father visitation rights. At the end of the children's visiting time, the father failed to return the children to their mother in the United States. To this date and after 3 years of legal disputes costing close to $100,000 in legal fees, the mother now has full custody of both children, but only on paper. Ms. Gerbatsch has only been allowed to visit with Naomi and Isabelle on three occasions. She has been mistreated by the German courts, who have failed to comply with the Hague Treaty. Mr. Speaker, I come back to the floor for these daily one minutes because I care about families and reuniting children and parents. Let us make it our duty to place pressure on the countries that are the Hague signatories and who choose not to abide by the Hague Treaty. I urge my colleagues to join me in spreading the message and taking a responsible role in bringing our children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I want to particularly start out by thanking the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) for introducing the Missing Children's Fairness Act. This is a piece of legislation that is indeed greatly needed. I was informed this morning, as the gentleman from Minnesota had stated, that under pressure from lawmakers the Internal Revenue Service has reversed a decision disqualifying parents from taking tax deductions for kidnapped children. While I am happy to hear that the IRS is reversing its decision, I am disheartened that it took the threat of legislation passing to go this route. I come from a part of Texas where there have been a significant number of stranger abductions and deaths, particularly of young girls. We have had 27 in the last 12 years. I know the pain and suffering that these families go through, and to have this other kind of hardship tossed on them through a thoughtless act, in my opinion, just further complicates the effort that we are trying our best to make here in the United States House of Representatives by bringing the bond of a parent and a child closer, by making it easier for parents to search for their children, and to keep the hope alive that exists when a child is missing and they do not know where that young person might be. This change in the form of an advisory opinion means that any parent whose child is abducted by a person outside the family may take the same deduction as any other parent with a dependent child: $2,800. People whose children are abducted suffer enough, and they should not have to have the IRS compound their suffering with more emotional or financial burden. This bill will help many parents who continue to maintain their children's room, and maintain hope, more importantly, that their children will be found; people like C.H. and Suzy Caine, whose daughter Jessica was taken away a little over 2 years ago and they still have no clue as to where she is. They spend hundreds of thousands of dollars searching for their children and then find themselves hit with the fact that their child cannot be claimed as a deduction after the first year. They are already living with a tragedy. I ask that we support this bill and thank the gentleman for introducing it.