Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. If the gentleman would yield to me again, he said earlier it is $8.9 billion that we have appropriated to help with homeland security.

Mr. LAMPSON. If the gentleman will yield further, they have a significant need. We know security and preparedness comes at a cost. Those suits these people have to wear to go in and check a hazardous material that has been leaked into the atmosphere costs about $800 or more a copy. That means a lot of fire departments or emergency management facilities or organizations do not have the ability to have access to this equipment, so we are expecting these people to go into situations that are dangerous to their own health; and we are not working with them. I have discussed this situation with my mayor, the mayor of Beaumont, Texas, my hometown. He happens to be in Washington, D.C. tonight. Mayor Moore is the co-chair of the Task Force on Emergency Preparedness for the United States Conference of Mayors. I want to be able to continue working with Mayor Moore and other elected officials in my district to ensure that our local emergency responders are fully prepared, equipped, and trained to respond to any future needs. That is why this legislation is so very important. The Municipal Preparation and Strategic Response Act of 2001 will provide a total of $1 billion in straight-out funding, and another half a billion or so, $250 million, to the very successful COPS program, and another $250 million or so to the firefighter programs within our communities. These are straight-out grants to the local governments to be able to take care of the needs of our citizens at home from the bottom up, not from Washington, D.C. down.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to be able to join the gentleman and so many other cosponsors as an original cosponsor on this bill, the Municipal Preparations Strategic Response Act of 2001. It is a critical piece of legislation, obviously; and the reason is that we all know that our cities and our local governments are the ones that are indeed on the front line of homeland security. I have been conducting meetings at the local level with airport officials, port officials, petrochemical people that run refineries and other facilities in southeast Texas; and each of these groups is committed to doing everything that they can possibly do to ensure the safety of their facilities and the people that work in them and live around them. We all want that. After all of those meetings, it is abundantly clear to me that we must take a bottom-up approach. I was listening to what the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) was saying in talking about the many different facilities. We can make it even simpler than talking about significant facilities like the petrochemical industry. We can look at our airports. Everybody sees those at home. We have police departments, sheriffs' departments, local people that local funds, local tax dollars are paying for being absolutely strapped in an effort to try to provide an adequate number of personnel to protect those airports. Those are mandates that come from us. We have to have people there keeping those facilities secure. Congress is saying, do it, the people want it done, yet they are having to pay for it. This is an opportunity for us to share that burden with all of those local governments, to the people that the gentleman just mentioned a minute ago, the cities, counties, towns, boroughs, tribes, the other municipalities and municipality authorities, for the strategic planning that is necessary to put these critical things into place.

Mr. LAMPSON. Let me just make one final point before we go to the gentleman from New Jersey. Just to commend the gentleman, I would tell him how proud I am to be able to join him as a cosponsor of the legislation. I would ask every one of our colleagues to join on as cosponsors of this legislation and let us move it forward. It is critical. It can make a difference in people's lives, and that is what we have to do. That is what we are about here. I thank the gentleman for his good work.

Mr. LAMPSON. What is unfortunate is that in some of those instances there are even people going out and raising money privately to accomplish some of these tasks. That is not appropriate. Many of these functions are of national scope and of national interest, and to have people in a local area having to go out and privately raise money on their own in order to achieve some of these specific tasks does not seem fair or right to me. That is why we have a government. That is why we choose to live in communities where we can all chip in and our few pennies mounted together turn into billions of dollars that can make a difference for all of the people of this country. That is what makes this a good bill, I think, and a very excellent direction in which we should be going to solve these problems.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, colleagues, as the Chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, most of you have heard me speak on the House floor about children's issues. Today, I want to wish a fond farewell to the member of my staff who has worked so hard on these issues during my years in Congress--Abby Hochberg- Shannon. Abby is leaving her position as my Legislative Director today to work for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. All of us who serve in Congress know how important our staff members are to us. Abby was one of the first people I hired when I came to Congress in 1997. She has a real passion for children's issues, which was so important when two young constituents were tragically abducted during my first term. Abby's hard work was integral to the establishment of the first-ever Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. Now the caucus includes over 150 Members of Congress who provide a loud and unified voice as advocates for missing children. Now Abby is going to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. I am proud that she will be continuing her work on these issues with such an outstanding organization. Although she will be sorely missed, I don't feel like I am losing a staff member. I know that I and other members of the Caucus will continue to work with Abby Hochberg-Shannon and the National Center on this issue so we can `bring our missing children home'. Thank you Abby for 5 years of dedicated work. The Hill will miss you.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, today I rise to let my colleagues know of my introduction of a concurrent resolution in support of the United States Government becoming actively involved in the recovery and return of Ludwig Koons, a boy who was abducted to Italy by his mother. Ludwig, son of Jeffrey Koons, an award-winning, internationally renowned artist, was abducted to Italy by his mother, Ilona Staller, on June 9, 1994. Mr. Koons has filed a petition against the Republic of Italy with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, and a preliminary decision regarding the admissibility of this petition is expected to be issued by the court in October 2001. I have respectfully requested that both the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of State file briefs in the European Court of Human Rights supporting Mr. Koons' petition, pursuant to article 36 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, which states the United States has a right to intervene in proceedings before the European court in Strasbourg, promoted by its citizens seeking relief from human rights violations. On May 29, 2001, Mrs. Staller was convicted in Italy for kidnapping their minor son, Ludwig, from his family residence in New York on June 9, 1994. In addition, with a judgment dated May 31, 2001, this year, Mrs. Staller was found guilty by the Rome Tribunal of repeated acts of defamation through the media against Mr. Koons. The delays of the Italian judicial authorities in finding Mrs. Staller guilty of international child kidnapping were instrumental in allowing the mother to retain custody of Ludwig in Italy illegitimately. Authorities have not taken into consideration the judgment of divorce entered by the New York Supreme Court, which had exclusive jurisdiction to decide the parties' custody dispute. The decision of the Italian judicial authorities to prohibit Ludwig, a native American citizen, from exercising his right of access to the United States, even for temporary visits, in order to maintain meaningful relations with his father and his paternal family is in violation of international principles of law and treaties to the detriment of a U.S. minor. My resolution states that the United States should request that the Italian Republic immediately return Ludwig Maximilian Koons to the custody of the father in the United States as established by the judgment of divorce in the Supreme Court of New York of December 9, 1994. Pending a final decision by the Republic of Italy regarding the permanent return of Ludwig to the United States, the United States should also request that Italy authorize Ludwig to visit his father in his New York residence on a temporary basis. As an American citizen, Ludwig has a right to preserve his identity, his nationality, and his family relations and to be raised by the parent who can best assure him a sound and healthy environment.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, these are unique and extraordinary times. Some of the steps that we take are not perfect. This is not a perfect piece of legislation. If the events of last Tuesday are any indication, this is not a perfect world. I support this assistance bill because I believe it is necessary to maintain our transportation and aviation infrastructure. Passing this legislation does not absolve Congress from moving forward with air travel safety and dislocated worker assistance. We must do both as soon as possible. There are other industries that have been and will be effected by the events of September 11, 2001. We must look at these issues in a broader context. This financial emergency assistance package will ensure the survival of a vital engine to our economy, the airline industry. We cannot afford to wait. By getting the aviation industry back on track, we will have a downstream effect that will provide a boost to all of the related industries that have been hit hard by this tragedy: the car rental agencies, travel agents, tourism, restaurants, theme parks, cruise lines and the list goes on and on and it even multiplies. By no means does passing this bill today end our work. This is only the first step. We must also address safety and displaced-worker protections immediately. It is essential that we address safety. We need to restore confidence in the flying public. No financial aid package will bring passengers back to the planes unless they feel safe. Passengers need to feel sure, or they will indeed stay home. I strongly believe that a worker-relief package must be addressed by this body as soon as possible. We must provide dislocated worker protections and extended health care coverage, not only for airline workers, but all workers affected by this tragedy; or, again, the costs will multiply. But I do believe that these issues should be addressed in a separate package. This is not the time to try to address every issue in one bill. These are not ordinary times. Congress is being called on to do extraordinary things, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation today.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend those associated with the fourth Pratham Gala held last month in Houston, Texas. Pratham was established in 1994 by UNICEF and the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, with the mission to achieve ``Universal Primary Education'' in Mumbai by the year 2000. This mission is now growing in scope and scale. Throughout India, individuals, corporations and the state governments are taking the initiative to further ensure that every child in their respective cities receives a formal education. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include a recent article from the Indo- American News regarding the recent successful Gala in Houston and again add my congratulations. [From the Indo-American News, Sept. 13, 2001] Pratham Continues To Build Momentum and Funds (By Bidisha Roy Banerjee) Houston--Targeted to reach out to the slum-children across India, Pratham has found tremendous amount of success in such a short time. The support Pratham received so far has been overwhelming and much more than anticipated. Since the last gala, Pratham has made great strides in both India and USA. Not only has Pratham doubled the number of children it reaches (180,000 to date), it has also successfully established programs in 12 cities and nine rural areas with another seven cities being initiated this year. Several Pratham chapters have spread in a number of cities and college campuses in America. The fourth Pratham Gala in Houston served as an evidence that a Emceed by radio show hostess Meena Dutt, the event started with an invocation by Uma Mantravadi, singer and attorney, who performed a beautiful selection of songs. The first speaker of the event, Vijay Goradia, Chairman of Pratham USA was introduced by Meena Dutt as the ``man who does not want to speak; a man who contributed the major chunk and the man who brought Pratham to Houston.'' Goradia amused the audience by mentioning a conversation that he overheard just before the program started. Three kids were discussing how they could contribute to Pratham. The first one said he would draw a circle, throw his allowance in the air, and donate to Pratham and keep the rest to himself. The second kid said the same. The third kid, a Gujarati boy, said he would draw a square, stand outside it and throw all of his allowances in the air. Whatever dropped outside the square, he would donate to Pratham and the rest of it inside the square, he would keep for himself. Goradia lauded Pratham for its tremendous achievement in the last four years and boasted that ``Houston is the leader in drawing the maximum amount in the last four years. Other cities are now taking cue and following initiative. It is replicable in lot of different cities. I hope and wish Houston will continue to lead the way and show what basic programs like Pratham can do for lives of others.'' Meena Dutt reminded the audience that ``Many say that he (Goradia) has money, so give it. But not everyone who has money wants to share it. A little sharing can go a long way.'' The next speaker was a 17-year-old Pratham volunteer who flew all the way from Mumbai to attend the gala, Disha Katharani. ``Vision without action is merely a dream, Action without vision is merely a passing time. But vision with action can change the world.'' Quoting Joel Barker, Disha went on to appall the audience by her wisdom, courage and her inspirational speech. A 12th grader in Ruparel College, Disha's interest in Pratham was initiated by her grandmother who took her to an orphanage and gave her the responsibility of teaching the children. After this incident, which had clearly left its impression on Disha's young mind, her father Harish Katharani Cofounder of Pratham, Dr. Madhav Chauhan is a man who eats, breathes, and sleeps Pratham. A former teacher in the University of Houston, Dr. Chauhan spoke about the birth of the Indian Education Initiative. ``When we started, we talked only to Balvadi but now we have increased to different categories such as 6-11 year old out-of-school children, children in school but not learning, and children from the streets and railway platforms. And in the next year, we should have 10 times this definition.'' ``Pratham programs such as the pretest, mid-test and the post-test are directed to gauge every child's learning ability. At the present level of our skills, about 60 percent children who entered Pratham without any learning background, learned to read and write in less than six months. I myself was amazed by the results. This, I am sure, will get better and better,'' exulted the founder. With the support from municipal government, Pratham added Lucknow to its program only three weeks ago, while Bhopal came into the picture just 10 days back. Dr. Chauhan said, ``The challenge in Bhopal is unique. Let's see if a child can stand up and read a story book.'' Turning to the Houstonians, Dr. Chauhan expressed his gratitude to the people who helped raise the most funds for Pratham USA. ``You give so selflessly that we are constantly encouraged by your compassionate nature. I hope you continue giving and make difference in the lives of these children.'' Dr. Chauhan's speech was followed by a screen presentation on Pratham in action. Happy kids in classroom, enjoying the learning process and laughing at the cartoons they play on the computers--little boys and girls, the future of India. Pratham sure has made a world of difference in the lives of people. Keynote speaker N. Vahul, Chairman, ICICI took out time from his undoubtedly busy schedule to attend the gala. Its amazing how a man of his stature can find the time to give generously. It is mainly due to his support that Pratham could reach out from 2,000 children to 200,000 children. Clearly impressed by the eloquent speech of Disha Katharani, Vaghul said that ``India is the world that binds us together. On one hand it evolves a sweetness and pride and on the other, sadness. A sadness because a country with so much potential cannot reach the top position due to poverty. The underlying cause for all this is selfishness and greed in every sector which is pulling our country down. Maybe it is the human nature but unless a counter balance is achieved, we will not be able to come up again. In Houston I see the counter balance. The element of selflessness, love and compassion which I see in Houston, travels across the oceans and lights the heart of hundreds. We have missed the industrial revolution of the 19th century because we were not the masters of our own destiny and we were afraid of being taken over. When we woke up, it was impossible to catch up with the revolution. But in the 21st century, we have 20 million qualified individuals, ready to race the Knowledge revolution. This time we are wide awake and we have the brain power. So we will not let this revolution bypass us. By the year 2010, my gut feeling tells me that we will turn this 20 million into 200 million and race with the entire universe. This is where Pratham is needed.'' Citing the example of New Yorker Abraham George who goes to rural India and tests the IQ of children to educate them, Vaghul said ``we have the same culture, same genes and same talents. Let us help Pratham make the rest of the people useful citizens of India. At least we made one Disha. If we can replicate Disha's commitment, then we have succeeded. Pratham will be fortunate of 10% of corporate India can express the same amount of compassion, love and commitment as shown by the people in Houston.'' Congressman Nick Lampson's commitment to the South Asian community goes much beyond the duties of his elected office. Pratham was honored to have him grace the event with his presence. Nine years as a teacher, Congressman Lampson believes that ``teachers are blessed because they see the future everyday from their spots.'' Congressman Lampson cited the example of Parveen Shaikh who is a Bridge Course teacher at Zakariya Bandar in Mumbai. Coming from an illiterate family, Parveen's dream was to become a teacher. And Pratham gave her that chance, encouraged her to pursue that dream by teaching at balvadis and following a vision. Applauding the committed community members who have played a key role in the fast expansion of Pratham, Lampson said ``You are touching the soul of mankind with every dollar that you donate. Your commitment is giving a person your vision and role.'' Congressman expressed his wish to travel to India to see if the same type of program can be initiated in other countries. Paul Lima of Northwest Mutual Financial Network, the sponsors of the Gala Event spoke about the high sense of social responsibility of his country. ``When I heard about Pratham and understood their cause, I felt humbled,'' said the VP, Emerging Markets. ``The high level of integrity and the fact that Pratham is considered the top organization in what it does, makes us at Northwest Mutual very honored to sponsor this event and we sincerely hope to be involved in this for many more years in the future.'' A vote of thanks was passed by Pratham President Yogi Patel. ``Pratham has a very special meaning to me because I can relate to those kids.'' Patel recollected his own childhood, growing up in a small town in India where his parents were illiterate. There was no formal Pratham in that town but there definitely were people with the Pratham spirit. These were the people who paid for Patel's tuition and books and tickets to USA when he got admitted to Rice at the tender age of 17. And today, due to these generous and compassionate people, he has been able to carry on the spirit through his two daughters, Shivani Yogendra Patel, M.D. and Anuja Yogendra Patel, B.A. Double Major. Thanking Dr. Madhav Chauhan, Patel said ``You are a modern day architect. You have created a beautiful vehicle.'' He thanked Mr. Vaghull and Vijay Goradia for their intensive support. He thanked all the donors who paid time and money and made Pratham a success story. ``If education has worked for my family and my kids, it sure should change the lives of every individual out there waiting for an opportunity.'' After dinner, cultural program was performed by Uma Mantravadi and her music group. The gala raised $390,000 with 560 ardent supporters attending the event promising their integrity to a cause so great that it can change the life of mankind and the destiny of a country. The current target of Pratham is now $500,000

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to express for the people of Southeast Texas and for myself our sympathy for those who have lost loved ones in the horrible tragedy our country suffered yesterday. I have received many messages of well wishes and sympathy from constituents and friends literally around the world. A member of the French parliament, for example, asked me to please transmit his profound sympathies to the U.S. Congress and the American people. We thank you all for your prayers and support. The United States of America is strong, and will not be shaken by such a cowardly act which killed so many of our countrymen. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a slightly different message than my colleagues have spoken of so far, a message about children. As adults, we have the ability to process this tragedy much differently than how our children process this. We must be sensitive to our children's needs, and give them an opportunity to discuss their feelings. I'd like to take a moment to paraphrase a column by Cordelia Anderson that I received this morning: As adults, we need to be calm and focused for the children. We need to receive support from other adults, so that we are able to effectively guide our children. We must talk with our kids and listen to them, find out what their fears are, what their concerns are, and then try to address them as directly and as calmly as possible. We must try to reassure them that there are adults there to help them and to protect them, and after giving them time to talk and to share, to return them to their regular routine of school. Our children are worth the time that we take to do this, and it is indeed important. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the police, the firefighters, the emergency personnel and the magnificent citizens who sacrificed their lives or who are still helping in this disaster. My heart and the hearts of my constituents go out to the people of New York and of Washington, DC. I urge my fellow citizens to support our President as we take swift and decisive action against the persons who perpetrated this tremendously horrendous act of cowardice. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I ask that God bless America.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to express for the people of Southeast Texas and for myself our sympathy for those who have lost loved ones in the horrible tragedy our country suffered yesterday. I have received many messages of well wishes and sympathy from constituents and friends literally around the world. A member of the French parliament, for example, asked me to please transmit his profound sympathies to the U.S. Congress and the American people. We thank you all for your prayers and support. The United States of America is strong, and will not be shaken by such a cowardly act which killed so many of our countrymen. But, Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about a slightly different message than my colleagues have spoken of so far, a message about children. As adults, we have the ability to process this tragedy much differently than how our young children do. As Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I wanted to ask the citizens of our country to be particularly sensitive to our children's needs and to give them an opportunity to discuss freely their feelings. As adults, we need to be calm and focused for the children. We need to receive support from other adults, so that we are able to effectively guide our children. We must talk with our kids and listen to them, find out what their fears are, what their concerns are, and then try to address them as directly and as calmly as possible. We must try to reassure them that there are adults there to help them and to protect them, and, after giving them time to talk and to share, to return them to their regular routine of school. Our children are worth the time that we take to do this, and it is indeed important. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the police, the firefighters, the emergency personnel and the magnificent citizens who sacrificed their lives or who are still helping in this disaster. My heart and the hearts of my constituents go out to the people of New York and of Washington, D.C. I urge my fellow citizens to support our President as we take swift and decisive action against the persons who perpetrated this tremendously horrendous act of cowardice. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this resolution, and I ask that God bless America.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding me this time. I am from Texas, and Texas is the land of oil and the land of energy. That energy does not just come from below the ground we walk on, it also comes from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. The amendment that my fellow Texan and I have introduced would direct the Secretary of Energy to take a good look at further developing the natural gas and oil deposits at existing drilling sites off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. It is important that the United States have a balanced energy research, development, and demonstration program to enhance fossil energy. The reports that come out of this amendment could possibly change the energy policy and production of the United States. The infrastructure for oil and gas exploration in the Gulf is already in place. We might be sitting on production possibilities that could solve our immediate energy problems, but without this amendment and the reports that it would require we might not ever find out. Texas and the Gulf of Mexico have been an energy supplier to the United States for generations, and I believe the resources are there to continue in that production as we develop the natural gas and oil reserves in the ultra- deepwater of the Central and Western Gulf of Mexico. With the further exploration of deposits in the Gulf, we will develop new technology that will affect the efficiency of production on offshore wells and the energy availability for the American public. Research and development on ultra-deepwater recovery will advance the safety and efficiency of production, lowering costs and protecting our environment at the same time. Exploration of new energy resources and protection of the environment can go hand in hand in the Gulf. With this amendment, we have the possibility to lower costs, do so safely, and provide thousands of well-paying jobs for our working men and women. New supplies are vital to long-term economic stability and to current and future employment. Exploration of the Western Gulf of Mexico will permit access to one of our largest sources of oil. This development would not only reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources but also create significant amounts of jobs for our workers. I thank the gentlewoman for working with me.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). It has been interesting listening to the gentleman and also the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner), my close neighbor from southeast Texas, talk about this most important issue and the concern we all have about bringing the Patients' Bill of Rights to the floor of the House of Representatives. I think my colleague from Texas has been too modest. He did not talk about the fact that it was he who played a significant role in the development of that legislation in the Texas senate. It is a lot of his words that became the law in the State of Texas. For him then to be able to have the ability to come to the United States House of Representatives and try to craft the same kind of legislation that he was able to mold in our great State I think is significant. I am proud of him and his service, and I am proud of the fact that he had the concern of people then in his mind when he tried to fix the problems that we faced in the State of Texas and now has the ability to come here to the United States House of Representatives and try to do the same thing for all of citizens of our country because this is a most, most important concern for everyone in this country. Mr. Speaker, we need to live up to the promises that we have made to the American people. Bring this truly bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights that will put medical decision-making back into the hands of physicians and patients here to the floor of the House of Representatives and let us have this debate properly. I know that we passed it overwhelmingly last year, and it got hung up in a conference committee where there was an intentional effort to appoint those people who had voted against the bill to guarantee that it would not move and it would not become the law of this land and that it would not help people, like a lady who was a friend of mine who was a schoolteacher in Needlewood, Texas, Regina Cowles. She contacted our office after she learned that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She found a treatment for that cancer that was growing in her body in Houston, but her insurance company said that that was one particular treatment that they did not recognize, and that they were not going to pay for it. If she wanted to have it, she had to do it on her own. That was one of many stories that I had heard, and my office became involved, and other offices as well became involved; and several months went by, but ultimately Regina was able to get that treatment that she needed. But unfortunately, it was too little too late, and she died of that ailment. I wondered then how many more people were going to have to die before we brought this issue to the people's House and resolved it; that we get our colleagues to realize that we are playing not with words on paper, but with people's lives. And to act on it. To change it, to make it right for me and you, everyone that is watching here. Mr. Speaker, I guess it came home to me in two ways. One of them was one day that I spent, and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) talked about the time doctors spend in trying to precertify patients based on what insurance companies will determine they are willing to pay to the doctor to make that treatment possible. I periodically do these programs called Worker for a Day, and one day I was working at a cardiologist's office in Texas, and the doctor had me spend some time with one of his aides in the office making telephone calls to insurance companies to precertify the patients that had come to his office for treatment. I was flabbergasted, to say the least. I spent a significant amount of time talking with people, and I intentionally asked what their background was; and oftentimes I was talking with people who had no medical training and they were making the decision as to whether Dr. de Leon would be able to treat the patients who walked into his office complaining about a particular problem. It does not take very long to realize that is not the way that these decisions need to be made in this country. I do not want someone who has not been to medical school or some particular program that gave them some serious knowledge about medical care, health care, telling a doctor what is going to happen in my life if I need help. I want a qualified health care professional making the decisions that are going to allow me to live and to allow me to live the kind of quality life that I want to be able to live. I quickly became involved in this piece of legislation following that. It was not long after that I had another incident occur. This time it happened within my own family. I had two different doctors tell my daughter that she was in need of an operation. My own insurance company, the one that represents us here in the House of Representatives, said no, that is cosmetic surgery, we are not going to pay for it. Two different doctors said it was important for her to have this operation. Well, I did everything that I could possibly do to help my daughter, and she got her operation and she is fine and the insurance company relented. But it made me wonder, what if most people, as most people are in this country, not as aggressive as I am or was in the case of my own daughter and fought for a week or 10 days or whatever it took me before we got the agreement to go forward with that operation. How many of them will take the answers that they get the first or second or third time and put it off and say, well, that is the rule and I guess I will have to go and mortgage my home to make this happen because I want my daughter to have the chance that other people's daughters will have in growing up. Those are not decisions that we need to be making in our lives. When someone works hard, does the right thing, provides for their families, makes sure that they have insurance coverage for catastrophic problems that face them, and then are turned down because someone decides that it is cosmetic or experimental or that it does not match their specific criteria that they laid down on their papers based on what profit they can make for their company, that is absolutely wrong and we cannot stand for it in the United States of America. Managed care reform is an issue of the absolute, utmost importance. As more and more stories about HMOs denying care are publicized, it brings it to the forefront of what we need to do to pass this legislation. The public and health care providers have witnessed firsthand that while managed care organizations such as HMOs may have helped to hold down the cost of medical care, they too have frequently done so at the cost of denying needed care to patients. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership continues to block consideration of the Ganske-Dingell-Norwood Patients' Bill of Rights that passed overwhelmingly, I think 275 votes last year. They continue to stall on a vote and have introduced their own bill, the Fletcher bill, that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) have talked about in an attempt to poison this Patients' Bill of Rights that we have been trying so hard to pass. The assertion that they have crafted a responsible plan is simply untrue. Their plan prevents doctors from disclosing all medical options to patients. It creates a review process that is stacked against the patient, and it removes medical decision-making power from the hands of doctors and patients. Mr. Speaker, I said a minute ago, 275 members of the House of Representatives voted for a Patients' Bill of Rights that would create a system of accountability for insurance companies and HMOs that routinely and unfairly deny care to patients. This year we again consider legislation that would hold HMOs liable for denial and delay of care. If insurers are going to practice medicine and determine the necessity of care, then they will be held accountable for their decisions. I join my colleagues and I again want to praise the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Turner) for the work that he did in Texas and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) for continuously bringing this important issue before us. I urge my Republican colleagues and President Bush both to quit stalling and do what Americans want and need, pass and sign a meaningful patient protection bill that puts control of medical decisions back into the hands of patients and doctors. I thank the gentleman for allowing me to participate this evening.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, one of the people who I think about when I listen to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) speak is Keely Woodruff, a 6-year-old girl who has a developmental age of only 2\1/2\ because of epileptic seizures, who now is progressing nicely because of a device invented through our efforts in space. The contributions NASA has made to our country and the world are absolutely priceless. This is an ill-conceived, ill-thought-out amendment. It actually works against the apparent interest of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer) of holding down costs as it requires construction without a thoughtful plan, a construction effort, I might add, comparable to our first trip to the Moon. It could actually cause deeper cuts in the station itself and cause the so-called cap to be a killing blow. Is that not the real intention? The annals of great events of history are not filled by those content to live in the present without vision, but by those who sought to understand the unknown and change their future. If we cancel this program, what will we say and what will that say to our partners in the international community about U.S. leadership in the 21st century? How can we begin to place a dollar value on the improvements and quality of life for all humanity that we know from the last 20 years of experience will come from space research. Vote down this killing amendment.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to invite my colleagues to join me as a member of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, and I choose to make yet another plea to my colleagues for them to join this caucus, because today marks the 20th anniversary of the abduction of Adam Walsh. Many of my colleagues are familiar with John Walsh, the host of America's Most Wanted. John and his wife, Reve, lived through the personal tragedy of having their 6-year-old son, Adam, abducted and murdered at the hands of a stranger in 1981. After suffering through this tremendously emotional ordeal, John became a dedicated advocate to end violence against children, to fight crime, and to expand victims' rights in our criminal justice system. John has shown, through his efforts and over 19 years of hard work, that one committed individual can make a difference to benefit all. Working with his wife, John became the Nation's leading advocate in the cause of protecting our children from violence and exploitation. He helped expand the powers of law enforcement authorities through the Missing Children Act of 1982, as well as working toward the creation of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Four years ago I came to Congress with what I thought was a very full agenda. However, in April of 1997, a 13-year-old constituent of mine was abducted and murdered, and my mission in Congress changed. I, along with the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Cramer) and former Congressman Bob Franks from New Jersey founded the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus. The purpose of this caucus is three-fold. One, 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. Two, 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. Three, 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 awareness of the issue and pool resources for the purpose of solving outstanding cases and preventing future abductions, hold briefings with the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children and other child advocacy organizations. Those are worthy goals. As a society, our efforts to prevent crimes against children have not kept pace with the increasing vulnerability of our young citizens. So I ask my colleagues to please contact my office if you are interested in joining this very important caucus. I ask the citizens of the United States of America to be aware of this dire problem that we face with our children in every community throughout our country. Our children, our grandchildren, our nieces, our nephews are counting on you to give them a voice in Washington, D.C.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to associate my words with those of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Pence) who made the comments about the NASA budget, and to urge our colleagues to continue to support the tremendous work that has been done by the Committee on Appropriations to make sure that we have adequate funding to keep the International Space Station on the path that we have set it on, to make sure that we have a full crew of seven researchers and astronauts there, and that we accomplish the goals that we set for that, with a safe crew return vehicle and continued operation of the space shuttle in a safe and effective manner.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to come here this evening and talk to my colleagues for a few minutes about the VA-HUD bill that is going to come up tomorrow and talk specifically about potential amendments that are going to be made. It is important for us to lend our support to the overall NASA budget and, specifically, manned space exploration and those items that center around the International Space Station. There has been an awful lot of talk in the last several weeks about potential cuts in the International Space Station because of the overruns that had been talked about for a long period of time. We are looking at building a facility that has never been built before and doing things that are absolutely new technology. The guesses in the expenditures of what it was going to take to create this facility have not always been right; and, unfortunately, we are facing more costs than what we originally anticipated. Something has to be done about that. We hope we will find a way in our committees to ask the tough questions of the contractors and of NASA to make sure that we get a better handle on what is going to be spent in the future with regard to any space activity, whether it is manned or robotic. But, right now, we are making some real serious decisions and potentially bad decisions with regard to the International Space Station. We are talking about taking parts of the International Space Station, such as the crew return vehicle, which allows a full crew of seven people to do the science necessary to get a return from our exploration in space. If we stop the construction of the crew return vehicle, then we will only be able to accommodate three to six people on the International Space Station. If we did six, a total of two Soyuz return vehicles, one commander for each vehicle, that would dramatically reduce our ability to do the science that we have built the International Space Station for in the first place. A lot has been done, and we have succeeded in getting significant amounts of monies put into the appropriations bill, which will be considered tomorrow in the VA-HUD and Independent Agencies appropriation bill. Some of those amendments will be Space Station-killing amendments, so I am here to ask my colleagues to give very serious consideration to anything that would stop this huge investment that we have made and the opportunity for us to get a significant return on that investment over the next many years, an investment in knowledge of what is out beyond Earth's surface; what we might be able to gain in knowledge as we explore space that could change our health, our lives, knowledge-wise as far as why human beings are here; or perhaps something as simple as a solution to or a cure for a particular illness. Those are the things we have gotten out of our space exploration for decades, and it is interesting to note some statistics: that in the 1960s, during the Apollo period, in the 1960s and 1970s, 4 percent of our Nation's budget went to NASA, 4 percent. Today, that amount is less than six-tenths of 1 percent. It is also interesting that some of these amendments that may be considered tomorrow that will replace money from NASA, take money away from NASA and put it either into the VA or HUD parts of that bill, let us consider what has happened to Housing and Urban Development, as an example. They have had an increase from $16 billion to $31 billion in the last several years. The Veterans Administration has had increases from $40 billion to $50 billion, a 25 percent increase only in the last 4 or 5 years. We want to support both of those. I will be supporting them. Both have had significant increases in this year's appropriation. The NASA budget has stayed flat, at $14 billion, for the last many years. It is time for our commitment to space to be reiterated, to be spoken of again in a way that we spoke of it in the 1960s. I remember when President Kennedy challenged our country to send a man to the moon and return him safely within a decade, and we did it. It changed the way we educated our children, it changed the way we did business. It brought huge returns to us. So, in wrapping this up, I ask my colleagues to pay very much attention to the VA-HUD appropriation tomorrow and to support NASA in every way they can.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I will withdraw my amendment, and thank the chairman for his good work.

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

Mr. LAMPSON. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) and I have agreed to a colloquy on my amendment to transfer $60,000 from title III relating to the Foreign Military Financing Program account to title IV relating to International Organizations and Programs account. Mr. Chairman, this $60,000 is intended to cover the cost of expenses relating to the development of a Guide to Best Practice by the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law to cover the application of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Many of my colleagues have heard my drumbeat over the past years regarding problems with the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. We must encourage uniform application of exceptions identified in the Hague Convention. This is jeopardizing the Hague Convention's effectiveness and perverting its original intent. A best practice guide might discuss training for legal professionals, encourage implementation of more effective civil enforcement systems, support for victim families, and improved access to noncustodial or left-behind parents. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) and I attended the Fourth Special Commission on the Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction this past March. The special commission recommended that a best practice guide be developed. The Hague Conference on Private International Law is seeking voluntary contributions from member states to assist in funding this best practice guide, which would cost approximately $60,000 for the United States's portion. The completion of a best practice guide would be an inventory of existing central authority practices and procedures that is a practical know-how-to guide to help practitioners, judges, central authorities to implement the Hague Convention in a better way and as it was originally intended. It will draw upon materials published and otherwise provided by the central authorities themselves, in addition to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and other nongovernmental organizations. My request is driven by the need to bring about greater consistency, but more importantly, to provide a mechanism for bringing more American children home. Unless urgent and rapid action is taken, more and more children will be denied their most basic human right, that of having access to both their parents. The challenge is now to find commitment at both the national and international levels to implement these actions. Abducting a child across border is never in a child's best interests. In the meantime, the Hague Convention must be applied uniformly, fairly, and above all, swiftly. Only when countries accept that child abduction is not to be tolerated will it become a thing of the past. Family disputes and divorce will never go away. Parental child abduction, however, must be eradicated. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for all his good work. I appreciate his offer to work with me as the foreign operations bill moves forward and goes to conference with the Senate to do everything in his power to make sure that $60,000 is designated for the purpose of developing and disseminating a best practice guide.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I concur; and I look forward to working with both of my colleagues on this.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I strongly urge my colleagues to support the Jackson-Lee-Lampson amendment that would appropriate $7.8 million to the Department of State to provide funds for legal representation for parents who are seeking the return of children abducted to or from the United States under The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. I am chairman and founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, and I have been active on this issue for over 3 years. Last year, this body passed H. Con. Res. 293, a resolution that called on signatories to The Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to abide by the provisions of The Hague and also recognized some weaknesses in certain provisions. What I hear over and over again from both American parents and non- American parents is that the financial burden of legal expenses is overwhelming. One father with whom I have spoken has spent over several million dollars in travel expenses, attorneys' fees and court fees in Italy, and I have heard from numerous parents who have spent over $200,000 in their fights for the return of their children or just the opportunity to see their children. Nearly every country signatory to The Hague Convention provides free legal assistance to parents seeking the return of internationally abducted children. The United States does not. Mr. Chairman, we must do more for these searching parents and aid them in obtaining the proper legal representation to facilitate the return of their children. In countries where legal aid is unavailable, a resource bank of low-fee, pro bono attorney's fees should be developed, and that is what this amendment does. Again, I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson-Lee-Lampson amendment to appropriate $7.8 million for our Nation's searching parents.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the author of the bill.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 4 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution; and I join the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the author, and all my colleagues in extending my sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the personnel throughout Southeast Texas who have devoted their lives to disaster recovery efforts. Having walked the streets of Friendswood, Texas, I saw the heartache and loss, both fiscal and emotional, and got a chance to see a lot of that devastation. The people of Friendswood are a strong and resilient people; but without the heroics of those individuals who devote their lives to disaster recovery, the casualties and destruction could have been much worse. This resolution recognizes the invaluable disaster relief of various agencies, organizations, businesses, and individuals who assisted the people of Houston and the surrounding areas during the devastating floods of Tropical Storm Allison. The resolution states that although 21 people died, the casualties and destruction would have been even worse, if not for the disaster relief given by American Red Cross centers, the voluntary donation of money and resources from individuals and private businesses of Texas, the heroics of the United States Coast Guard, the Houston police and fire departments, and the valiant efforts of many other hospitals and shelters. The bill also lauds the recovery actions of Houston Mayor Lee Brown and Texas Governor Rick Perry. Looking back to Monday, June 4, when the reconnaissance aircraft first reported the development of Allison, I realized that the main impact of this storm would not be the wind, but would be the rain. Rain totals throughout Harris County and in other portions of my Congressional district exceeded 30 inches during the week-long period when the remains of Allison brought relentless flooding to the upper Texas Gulf Coast. Of course, no words can adequately describe the devastation that the Greater Houston area felt in the wake of the storm. The Texas coast certainly had not seen flooding of this magnitude in decades. Clearly, this event was more than a wake-up call, it was a stark reminder of the impressive forces that still govern the Earth. In the midst of the disaster and periods of chaos, there were countless individuals and organizations responded almost instantaneously to help the victims caught by the flood waters. The plight of one became the concern of many, and people displayed an enormous humanitarian spirit that transcended all barriers. The American Red Cross placed its disaster relief plans into action and opened numerous service centers throughout Harris County and the Ninth Congressional District of Texas. The police, fire, sheriff, and emergency response teams worked quickly and without reservation to minimize injuries and render invaluable assistance. The disaster tragically claimed the lives of now 23 individuals from practically every walk of life and every part of the city. Deaths would have been in the hundreds, were it not for the heroism, professionalism, and dedication of all those who responded. The media broadcast around the clock to keep the public constantly informed of the dangerous situation by disseminating critical information. Volunteers, many of whom were also suffering, responded to the calls for help from the various agencies, who were critical to the response efforts. Our friends at FEMA also did a phenomenal job in a task that was as sobering as it was frustrating. Thousands of people were affected and the recovery and damage assessments still continue. I toured the devastation firsthand by helicopter and on the ground. The scenes were tragic: lost homes, lost businesses, lost medical research, and lost lives. Yet the human spirit continues throughout Texas, Louisiana, and across the Gulf Coast States and up the Eastern Seaboard, where Allison ravaged property and tore apart lives. So as I stand here today reflecting on the tragedy, I am forever grateful to all who assisted; and my prayers continue for the suffering and the afflicted. The strength that all have displayed is worthy of our recognition. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.