Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, last year I joined my colleague, the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila), and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to introduce the Code Adam Act. Code Adam is a proven, successful program that has saved lives in the retail environment, and it is time that we bring that same measure of safety to children in Federal buildings, just as we have done with the effort to put bulletin boards throughout all Federal buildings and display the pictures of missing children. Code Adam was created, as we have already heard, by Wal-Mart as a special alert through a store's customer address system when a customer reports a missing child. Since Code Adam began in 1994, it has been a powerful tool against child abductions and lost children in more than 25,000 stores across the Nation. This amendment would require the implementation of this protocol in all Federal buildings. Wal-Mart started this fantastic program in the name of Adam Walsh, John Walsh's son, who was abducted and murdered in Florida over 20 years ago. Every day I see children walking through the halls of Congress and in Federal buildings back at home in Texas. God forbid, if a child would go missing in one of these buildings, this amendment would make sure a plan was in place to secure that building and find the child before something tragic occurs.

Mr. LAMPSON. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, as the chairman and founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I am proud to be part of this overall issue of child abduction. Missing and exploited children is an issue that I became critically aware of within a few months after coming to Congress when, in 1997, Laura Kate Smither was abducted from her neighborhood, and 2\1/2\ weeks later her body was found in a drainage ditch. Following that, I came back here and met with my staff, and one of my staff had been a volunteer with an organization called the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children during high school. I quickly went over to the center and met Ernie Allen and have become a good friend of Mr. Allen, who is the president and CEO of that wonderful organization. I think I have found more in that organization than what I ever dreamed of being able to find. It does some amazing work. They have helped raise the overall level of awareness, which is the goal of the congressional caucus since we have formed it in 1997, now with about 150 members. I am proud of the fact that there are bills, many different bills, plural, that are up on the floor and that are being discussed. Obviously, I too wish that we could take some of them separately. I think the AMBER Alert would instantly become law. We have had that debate; and now we are debating H.R. 1104, of which I am a cosponsor. And I do ask and urge the passage of H.R. 1104. The national center does so much varied work in providing their hotline, in providing assistance to communities, to families, to law enforcement, the magnificent work that it has done through its image enhancement activities that have helped find children years later after they were taken. There are a significant number of extremely dedicated, powerful people that they have put together and formed efforts to get information into our schools with curricula that will change the lives of children, with the law enforcement training through the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Center, which offers free training activity to any chief executive of any law enforcement agency in the United States, a powerful organization. The $20 million that we are asking for in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 will be some of the best money that this Congress can possibly spend. I urge the passage of H.R. 1104.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, the Nation grieved with the Smart family when Elizabeth disappeared 9 months ago. As chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, I, and our Nation, are overjoyed at her discovery. This is the light at the end of the tunnel for her family and friends, something that every parent who has a missing child would dream of. I want to thank the media, the citizens who paid attention and called in leads, and the law enforcement officials who worked so hard on this case. This is the ultimate example of the growing cooperation between law enforcement, the public, and the media. By working together, people become the eyes and ears of law enforcement, increasing their numbers by thousands. We can learn a great deal from this case. First of all, the parents did exactly the right thing and were prepared with current photos and information of Elizabeth. This is the most important thing for parents to have. Elizabeth's sister was an incredible witness and a wonderful example of how kids can play a part in their own and others' safety. And we also saw law enforcement officials that handled the case well. Through cooperation, like what we saw in this case, cooperation of the media, the public, witnesses, and the family, we will bring more children home.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, there are over 40,000 teachers across the State of Texas who could be adversely affected by this legislation. This bill includes provisions which I consider to be catastrophic for Texas teachers and many other government employees. Provisions in the legislation would, in effect, reduce the amount of combined benefits that the Texas teachers could depend upon after retirement, even for many teachers who have paid into both Social Security and the Texas teacher retirement system. I realize that many in this body characterize section 418, the section that would extend the last-day exemption to 6 years, as an issue of fundamental fairness. With that, I cannot entirely disagree. Those who are able to take advantage of a loophole in the law represent a small minority of Americans who pay into Social Security and a government pension; and there are other ways in which we can fix that, and we do have legislation that is pending. I do not object to this legislation on the grounds that it seeks to create an equitable system of payment for all citizens. I object to a process whereby Members of the Texas delegation and other delegations are not able to offer amendments or debate this bill on the floor of the House. This legislation will have broad implementations for teachers in Texas and will most likely force a mass exodus of experienced teachers from our public schools. Under this legislation, teachers will still be able to retire this year and use the last day exemption provision to draw their retirement. What impetus does an experienced teacher have to stay in the classroom and continue teaching if the government is, in effect, going to significantly reduce his or her retirement payment after this year? If we are to attract and retain qualified, caring teachers, then hidden procedures such as that in section 418 must be debated and considered in an open forum where amendments and debate are not stifled. Now is not the time to force experienced, caring teachers into retirement and demonstrate to the younger generation of educators our indifference to the livelihood of our Nation's educators. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we pull section 418, make the bill like it was last year, or defeat H.R. 743.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, after the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy, it is clear that we are now very dependent on the Russian space program as the sole means of support for the Space Station until the Shuttle fleet returns to service. It is certainly conceivable that the Shuttle fleet could be grounded for some time--after the Challenger accident in 1986, the Space Shuttle fleet was grounded for 32 months. While the Columbia investigation is moving forward, there is always a possibility that the root cause of the accident may never be determined with absolute certainty. In the aftermath of the Columbia accident, it may be impossible to maintain the Space Shuttle's viability without help from the Russians. Payments by NASA to Russia to cover the costs of purchasing additional Soyuz and Progress vehicles appear to be prohibited under the terms of the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000. The Iran Nonproliferation Act provides a narrow exception, allowing the President to request a waiver from Congress only to prevent the imminent loss of life or grievous injury to individuals aboard the International Space Station. But I believe the Administration needs even more flexibility under the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000 to cover the costs of additional Soyuz and Progress vehicles at this time. Therefore, I am introducing legislation today that amends the Iran Nonproliferation Act of 2000 to allow NASA to purchase additional Soyuz and Progress vehicles if the President notifies Congress they are needed to ensure the safety of the crew aboard the International Space Station and to maintain its operational viability while the Space Shuttle fleet is grounded. The safety of our astronauts should be paramount. NASA should not be prevented from doing whatever is necessary to ensure that safety is maintained.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost) in whose district the shuttle began to fall. I also ask unanimous consent that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green) control the balance of the time.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman, the minority leader, for yielding me the time, and also it is a pleasure to have joined her and our majority leader yesterday and all of our colleagues who came to Houston to express their condolences at the wonderful memorial service there. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution honoring the Columbia shuttle and her crew. Many of my colleagues have and will express the impact that this tragedy has had on our Nation far more eloquently than what I can. I share their feelings, but I would also like to talk about what the loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia means to the 9th Congressional District of Texas, the home of the Johnson Space Center. While the Clear Lake area shares the national vision for an aggressive and exciting manned space program, back home the space shuttle and the international space station take on even more personal dimension. All of the astronauts in the NASA program, including the seven aboard the Columbia, are part of our community. They are our friends and our neighbors. Their kids go to school with our kids. They shop at the same grocery stores and pray at the same churches and synagogues. The employees and contractors at the Johnson Space Center are connected to the astronauts not just at work but in their everyday life. The community at JSC is an extended family. Amidst all the lofty talk, ceremonies and resolutions, let us not forget that a community and seven families lost friends, brothers, fathers, sons, wives, sisters, mothers, and daughters. Back in Clear Lake, right off the Johnson Space Center campus, there is a place called Frenchy's. It is a place where the astronauts and employees often go for dinner, gather after work, share their experiences and bond in a very special way. I stopped by there Saturday evening and wanted to report back to my colleagues what I saw and heard. Ironically, the traditional after-mission autographed crew mission picture hung on the wall where it belonged. For some reason, they went by before their mission instead of after. There was a feeling of crushing sadness and loss but also a hope that the vision and dream that those seven heroes died for will not be lost but, instead, will be reborn; that their loss will remind the American people of the great challenge we face and the prospect of a better world that the space program gives us. I speak today not just as a Member of Congress but as part of a community that firmly believes in what Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Blair and Ilan Ramon gave their lives for. On behalf of the 9th District of Texas and the people of the Johnson Space Center, I urge this country and this body to go forward, support this resolution and support the continued presence of America in space. Mr. Speaker, I reserve my time.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), my colleague from the Committee on Science. (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), who is now the ranking member of the select Committee on Education and the Workforce. (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bell), who represents a great many employees of the Johnson Space Center.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm). (Mr. STENHOLM asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo). (Ms. BORDALLO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the National Amber Alert Network Act. As founder and chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus I am an original cosponsor, along with the gentlewoman from Washington (Ms. Dunn) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Frost), in this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. Similar legislation passed last year in the House and in the Senate in separate bills, but the 107th Congress ended before the final decisions were made. However, in October of 2002, President Bush endorsed the program and signed an executive order that set in place many of the provisions of the legislation. He also pledged $10 million for Amber Plan training and equipment upgrades, but still urges Congress to pass the bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to please bring this bill to the floor quickly and pass it. It is crucial to providing every community with the resources needed to set up the Amber Alert and to improving the effectiveness of existing Amber Plans. The Senate passed it last month. It is our duty to do so as quickly as possible.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, just a few minutes ago, we were notified that the Senate has passed the National AMBER Alert Network Act, and it will be introduced here in the House and will be taken up shortly. As founder and chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I am an original cosponsor of that piece of legislation, and I am here to encourage my colleagues to join me in that commonsense bipartisan legislation. The National AMBER Alert Network Act builds on the success of the AMBER Alert Plan, a voluntary, cooperative program between law enforcement agencies and local broadcasters to quickly send an emergency alert to the public when a child has been abducted. Thanks to the work of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and others, there are now 84 AMBER plans. Still, the vast majority of America's communities have not established an AMBER plan to protect their children. This legislation provides State and local entities grants through the Departments of Justice and Transportation for highway signage, education and training programs, and equipment to facilitate AMBER Alert systems. The bill offers States the resources they need to establish a seamless network of AMBER plans. Please join me in supporting the National AMBER Alert Network Act.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, we are all too familiar with the names Elizabeth Smart and Danielle Van Damm. As founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I invite all of our colleagues to join our caucus and help protect America's children. During the 105th Congress, a family in the Ninth Congressional District of Texas experienced an unthinkable tragedy. Laura Kate Smither, a 12-year-old, was abducted and brutally murdered. In Laura's name, the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children was founded. What Laura's dreadful tragedy has taught us is that we must do more to protect our children. As a society, our efforts to prevent crimes against children have not kept pace with the increasing vulnerability of our young citizens. Please join this very important caucus, if you have not already, and all of our new Members, please do so quickly. You have a letter coming to you today or tomorrow. Our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews are counting on you to give them a voice in Washington.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Family Week and the importance of strong families to the future of our communities and our country. The purpose of National Family Week, November 24-30, 2002, is to recognize that Connections Count when it comes to strengthening families and communities. Strong families are at the center of strong communities. Everyone has a role to play in making families successful, including neighborhood organizations, businesses, non-profits, policymakers, and, of course, families themselves. Families thrive when they are connected to the opportunities, networks, support, and services that enable them to succeed. This includes everyday access to high-quality transportation, technology, education, and child care; opportunities to build solid financial foundations; and positive social relationships within and among families, as well as quality support from community networks and institutions. National Family Week is a great time to honor the connections that support and strengthen families year-round. These connections can be as simple as the neighbor who watches the kids while parents work; the placement center that connects parents to new jobs; the place of worship or neighborhood organization that connects the family to others in the community; the community leader or policymaker who initiates policies, practices, and resources to better benefit families, and the parents who listen to their children and always have time for big hugs. For 32 years, the Alliance for Children and Families and its non- profit members have promoted National Family Week throughout the nation. Every day these child- and family-serving organizations make a difference for families of all shapes and sizes. National Family Week is a great time for all of us to recommit to enhancing and extending all families' connections. As we gather with our families this Thanksgiving, let us remember the special connections that help our families thrive, and encourage one another, our neighbors, our businesses, and our organizations to reach out to families in new ways, and honor the special gifts each can bring to our communities and to one another.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. I yield to the gentleman from Wisconsin.

Mr. LAMPSON. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I have a question regarding a visit I had just a few minutes ago from some physicians from the State of Texas asking me about the replacement of the Medicare funding into the CR. We know that on January 1, their Medicare payments, or payments to the doctors for treating Medicare payments, will go away. They will be notified at the beginning of December, we understand on December 1. What the doctors are saying is that they received information from us that we would as a Congress attempt to address this last year. We did not. That we would address it this year. We did not. They are afraid that when those letters in December go out asking those doctors to reup, to agree to continue to see Medicare patients, that the answer is going to be ``no way.'' We need to address this because it is going to affect an awful lot of people. Can the gentleman from Wisconsin tell me, or others, whether or not this language will indeed be put into this CR before we vote on it?

Mr. LAMPSON. Reclaiming the few seconds that I can take on this, it is a travesty to our citizens of this country who are going to need and want treatment within our health care system. If they cannot get access to the care that they need, they will be spending a huge amount of money on themselves, which we will more than likely be picking up as a country later on. My brother is just one of many physicians who will fall into that category. I think that it is terrible that we are having to consider this right now, and I hope and pray that somehow it could be fixed.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome our colleagues back and to remind everyone that while the media fervor of missing children has died down it does not mean that the cases have gone away. It is my hope that we will continue in this body to focus and work on the issue of missing and exploited children. There is much that is going to be done. It is going to be years before we will address all of the problems that face children, so it will not be accomplished during this session or even the next Congress as well. I would like to invite the new freshmen Members joining us to join the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Children from every walk of life and every circumstance imaginable, stranger abduction, parental abduction, international abduction, runaways, and children being exploited, all deserve the attention we can give them. Today as many of us return from the campaign trail where we have talked about our future and our children, I challenge my colleagues in Congress to move toward more proactive and helpful positions on missing kids, all missing kids.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the House passed H.R. 5422, the Child Abduction Prevention Act. As the founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I would like to thank my colleagues for coming together to pass this important piece of legislation. The provisions of a bill that I introduced, the Secret Service Child Protection Act, were included in the bill. Many people do not know this, but the Secret Service does more than protect the President. They help find missing kids. I wanted to make sure that they are able to continue assisting investigators, and I worked hard to have the Secret Service bill included in this overarching bill. The Secret Service is a key player in the effort to reunite families and to protect children. The U.S. Secret Service provides resources, expertise, and other assistance to local law enforcement agencies and to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in cases involving missing and exploited children. However, even though the partnership is strong, there was a clear need to provide explicit statutory jurisdiction to the Secret Service to continue this forensic and investigative support upon request from local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The bill that we passed on Monday will do just that. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for working together so that we may hopefully help prevent further abduction and exploitation of children across America.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, we have heard many times over the course of yesterday and today that this is the most important vote that we will be asked to make in our service in Congress. And I, as all the rest of my colleagues, take it very seriously. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Saddam Hussein poses a clear danger to the United States and to the world and he must be dealt with quickly and decisively. It is my hope that this resolution will send a message to Saddam Hussein that America means business, and in return we will hear that U.N. inspectors will be granted unfettered access to any location deemed necessary with no exceptions. I am pleased that the House leadership listened to the concerns of Members of both parties and developed a bipartisan resolution that does not give blanket approval to the President to carry this battle across the globe without consulting the American people, Congress, or our allies. I am also pleased that the President is continuing to enlist the support of other nations and that our action will not be unilateral. The intent of Congress must be clear that this is not an endorsement of a foreign policy of preemptive strikes, but instead a resolution authorizing the President to take specific action against a specific, demonstrated threat, Saddam Hussein. Action against Saddam Hussein is not a preemptive strike, it is a response to Saddam Hussein's blatant attacks, ranging from firing on our aircraft to the attempted assassination of a former President. Foreign policy is not an exact science. What we as Members of Congress must do is weigh the evidence and at some point we must trust the President, Colin Powell, Condoleezza Rice and others in the administration to use this resolution as a tool, not just as a club. After countless hours of briefings, soul searching and prayer, I am confident that this is our best course of action. I ask our President that, as I reach across this aisle to support him on this resolution, I must express in the strongest possible terms my disappointment with the President's handling of our economy. It is a disaster. Layoffs are occurring as we speak. The stock market is in a ditch, and the people of the 9th Congressional District of Texas and in this Nation are concerned for their family's future. There is a growing concern that the administration is asleep at the wheel on domestic issues. This cannot continue. Just as I have reached across the aisle to support the President on foreign policy, I am urging the President to reach back across this aisle to help me and my colleagues address the economic problems facing this Nation, because that, too, poses a clear and present danger to the United States of America. God bless America and all of the peoples of this world.