Nick Lampson

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee), the author of the bill.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from East Texas (Mr. Turner).

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton).

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Houston, Texas (Mr. Green), who toured the devastation with us. (Mr. GREEN of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Houston, Texas (Mr. Bentsen), who suffered probably the largest amount of damage there.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Eleven days ago I had a shovel in my hands and I was in my backyard trying to clear drains to save my own house. My neighbors were not as lucky as me. Nine days ago I joined the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Bentsen) and some of my other colleagues, along with Joe Allbaugh, the Administrator of FEMA, to tour the devastation we saw throughout southeast Texas. We saw lost businesses, lost houses, lost research, wrecked lives, lost lives, and yet today we are having a debate on allocating disaster funds. Unbelievable. Our question is do we put back into the budget the $339 million the Committee on Appropriations took out. How can any cut be justified in light of the fact that we just had a $4 billion disaster in one part of our country? My colleagues of the House, please do not turn your backs on these people or anyone else who needs help recovering from a catastrophe. Support the Bentsen amendment or support the Obey recommittal.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. If the gentleman will yield, those who are making those decisions need to be held accountable for those decisions, and that is what is going to change the complexion of health care in this country.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) for yielding to me. I wanted to come here tonight, Mr. Speaker, to speak on the Patients' Bill of Rights, which is currently being debated in Congress, and primarily to join my other friend from Texas here and talk specifically about some of the applicability of issues facing the Hispanic community in Texas and across the Nation. But as I listened to the gentleman talk, I wanted to make another comment before I get into these particular remarks, because as the gentleman talked about the accessibility, about a person who might want to be treated for an illness that they know there is a cure for but to which they have no access, it reminds me of a friend of mine in Nederland, Texas, right by Beaumont in the heart of the 9th Congressional District, who is a school teacher, Regina Cowles; and Regina contracted breast cancer just a couple of years ago, and she found a treatment for that cancer in Houston. But because her insurance company made the decision that this was not an appropriate treatment for her, they refused to make a payment. And consequently, she did not have access to the treatment. We worked with that insurance company and ultimately got them to relent. They made the treatment available. And she went to Houston, and she got the treatment. Unfortunately, it was started much, much too late and she died. Those are the kinds of things about which the gentleman is speaking; that is what we are concerned with, with people across the United States of America. And we hear these stories over and over again about someone other than a physician making a decision about treatment for a person's health care problem. Soon after I came to the United States House of Representatives, I was asked by Dr. Joe DeLeon, a cardiologist in Port Arthur, Texas, for me to come and do one of my worker-for-a-day program, and I went to Dr. DeLeon's office; and I did a number of things with him during the course of the several hours that I spent there, but at one point in time, he asked me to go with one of his nurses and pre-certify the patients that were on his list, so that he could get permission from the insurance company to be able to see them. I did that. I sat down and made 10 or 12 telephone calls and, interestingly enough, a large number of the people with whom I was speaking at those insurance companies were not health care-trained professionals. They were making decisions based on lists of information that were put there. More a part of it was the bottom line of that insurance company than was the health of the people who were wanting to see the doctors. Mr. Speaker, that is what has to change, I say to my colleagues in the House of Representatives. We have to make sure that our effort to produce legislation is going to reach those persons whose lives can be affected by the work that we are doing and make sure that we make policy that will reach those people, because they choose to have and want to have and deserve to have the quality of life that they can have in the United States of America. While I said that I came to talk about those issues affecting the Hispanic community particularly, as far as we have come as a Nation, obstacles to equality still exist; and we continue pushing forward to provide opportunities for all. Currently in Texas, more than 1 million children lack health insurance, Hispanics representing a disproportionate number of that number of children. A restrictive enrollment to the interview and an interview process, coupled with a burdensome application process has helped to produce this disparity. A lack of access particularly with Spanish-speaking providers and services has caused difficulty in what has become a cumbersome and bureaucratic managed-care system. Nationwide, Hispanics constitute 35.3 percent of the total uninsured population. This is a disparity which is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions. Much of the problem can be attributed to lack of funding for prevention and education initiatives, absence of culturally- competent information available for Hispanic communities to make educated health care decisions, and inadequate representation of Latinos in the health care professions. This is a trend which absolutely must be curtailed. And as we begin to, again, debate the Patients' Bill of Rights, we must be mindful of the issues facing all of our communities and work toward a bill that will provide protections for every citizen. The time for political posturing has passed, and now it is time to deliver on a Patients' Bill of Rights. I support the Dingell-Ganske Patients' Bill of Rights as a comprehensive approach that provides enforceable protections to all Americans and ensures health care decisions that are made by patients and doctors and not those insurance companies about which we were talking. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for allowing me to come and join him, and I thank him for the good work that the gentleman is doing in helping us get the word out on this bill and make sure that we come up with provisions that will indeed make a difference in all Americans' lives.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate my constituents, Bob and Gay Smither, on receiving the Texas Young Lawyers Association Liberty Bell Award on behalf of their work with the Laura Recovery Center Foundation. I couldn't think of two more worthy people to receive this award. I met the Smithers just over four years ago, after the disappearance of their daughter, Laura Kate. Sadly, Laura's body was recovered a couple of weeks later. The Smithers chose to turn this terrible tragedy into something positive, the founding of the Laura Recovery Center. It is because of Laura and her parents' inspiration, that I founded the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Through this harrowing experience, we have learned of thousands of families who suffer this same tragedy every year in this nation. Bob and Gay have dedicated their lives to protecting our children and keeping our families safe. So many in their community worked so hard to bring Laura home that I can't imagine a stronger outpouring of love and support by a community. The Smithers have told me that they intend to accept it on behalf of all of their volunteers. This is just one more indication of their commitment to their community and their selflessness--they choose to share this honor rather than accept it only on behalf of themselves. The Foundation has recently received Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education certification for their training program on rapid response to child abduction and have been invited to present monthly training courses at the Houston Police Academy and Galveston County Sheriff's Department. I am honored to call Bob and Gay Smither my constituents, and am honored that they have been selected to receive the Liberty Bell Award.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee) for yielding me this time, and I also thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) and other leaders on this important piece of legislation. As chairman and founder of the Congressional Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, I have much too often had the occasion to look into the eyes of a parent who has lost a child. I spend a great deal of my time, along with so many of my other colleagues, trying to ask parents to be prepared, and hopefully not ever have to need to have been prepared, and therefore I rise today to commend the American Football Coaches Association and Clear Channel Communications for their dedication and efforts that they are making in protecting children by providing a vital means for locating the Nation's missing, kidnapped, and runaway children, and to urge a yes vote on this important resolution. The National Child Identification Program was created in 1997, with the goal of fingerprinting 20 million children. This program provides a free fingerprint kit to parents who then take and store their child's fingerprints in their own homes. If this information is ever needed, fingerprints would be given to the police to help them in locating a missing child, being prepared and hoping they do not ever have to be. The American Football Coaches Association, in partnership with Clear Channel Communications, a large chain of radio stations, has pledged to raise funds to help provide such a fingerprint kit for every child in America. Well, having just recognized National Missing Children's Day on May 25, the thought of keeping our children safe remains fresh in our minds. We must all work together to raise awareness about the power of fingerprinting in the search for missing children. Clear Channel Communications and the American Football Coaches Association have taken raising the importance of fingerprinting to a whole new level, and they are to be commended for their leadership in the broadcast and sports industries. Once again, I urge a yes vote on this important resolution.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to first compliment the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon) for the comments he just made, and I want to talk also about space. Obviously, some of us are significantly dedicated to this issue in this Congress and in this country of ours. The work the gentleman has done and the work I have the honor to be able to participate in is most appreciated, and that has to be infectious and carry over to every Member of this House of Representatives and our Senate to move forward with this. In starting, I want to talk first about a little girl whose name is Keely Woodruff. She is a little beyond this now, but when she came to me a couple of years ago, at 6 years old, she was having in excess of 50 epileptic seizures a day. This little girl had been to the emergency room so many times that her parents could not even count them. She had the developmental age of about 2\1/2\ and did not have much to live for in her life. Interestingly enough, her doctor found a company in Clear Lake, Texas, in Houston, Texas, called Cyberonics; and Cyberonics had developed and markets today a takeoff on one of those spinoffs from space, a spinoff from a heart pacemaker called a vagus nerve stimulator. This little device was implanted under Keely's skin, with a little wire run up to the vagus nerve in her brain which began to control the impulses in her brain, and it changed her life. She has now set out on normalcy within that life of hers. What a magnificent thing space did for Keely Woodruff. She had no idea what space even was. Mr. Speaker, all of that got started 40 years ago when John Kennedy stood here in this room and told this body, ``With the approval of this Congress, we have undertaken in the past year a great new effort in outer space. Our aim is not simply to be the first on the moon, any more than Charles Lindbergh's real aim was to be the first in Paris. His aim was to develop the techniques of our own country and other countries in the field of air and the atmosphere, and our objective in making this effort, which we hope will place one of our citizens on the moon is to develop in a new frontier of science, commerce and cooperation, the position of the United States and the Free World. This Nation belongs among the first to explore it, and among the first, if not the first, we shall be.'' John Kennedy later challenged this country by saying that we would be able to send a man to the moon and bring him home safely within 10 years from the time he challenged us. And our country rose magnificently to that challenge, and we created a whole new world in the conveniences that we receive, our ability today to communicate instantly from anywhere we stand around the world, and medical advances that cannot be compared to any other time in our world. What a magnificent legacy he left us. Today we have satellites that spin above our atmosphere around the Earth. We have the International Space Station that the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon) spoke of, but today that dream is somewhat clouded. Mr. Speaker, I want to challenge my colleagues today that it is time for us to change that vision back to what our country shared in the 1960s and the 1970s through the Apollo program, when our commitment budgetarily was 4 percent of the budget to go into space. And my colleagues in the House today, we are doing much more in space than we were doing then, but we are doing it with six-tenths of 1 percent of our budget. The commitment that we made to change the world is not as strong today as it was 40 years ago. Something is wrong there. We have to change that lack of commitment back into the vision that can make the difference for the little girls that are going to follow, like Keely Woodruff, who might need the advance to save their life. Instead of it being a vagus nerve stimulator, what else might it be able to be to change that life? If we fail to enact that vision that we planned at the International Space Station, to have seven scientists up there, to have a vehicle that can return them safely if there needs to be, like a crew return vehicle which we have begun to work on, if we fail to make the commitment, even to find the extra $300 million that we have asked for in this Congress, then something is wrong. Then that is our challenge, colleagues, and ladies and gentlemen of this country. It is time to reaffirm our commitment and to go forward and see our dream accomplished in space.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and congratulate a team of individuals who worked together to recover a missing child. Marissa Meuse was a year old when her noncustodial father abducted her from Florida in October 2000. Posters of Marissa and her father were created by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and distributed around the country. On March 22, 2001, Alberta Morris and Glenda Kay Thomas recognized pictures of Marissa and her father on a NCMEC poster displayed on the bulletin board in a Wal-Mart store in Ada, Oklahoma. The witnesses remembered that they had seen the little girl and her father earlier at a local laundromat. The poster indicated a felony warrant had been filed for the father and that the case was being handled by the Haverhill, Massachusetts Police Department in Haverhill and Federal Bureau of Investigation in Boston. The witnesses alerted authorities in Ada, Oklahoma and then proceeded to call a lead into NCMEC's hotline. The witnesses stated that the child was going by the name of Camille. Law Enforcement responded and after a short investigation were able to locate Marissa and her father living in a house in Ada, Oklahoma. On March 23, Marissa was reunited with her searching mother thanks to these two Ada, Oklahoma, Wal-Mart shoppers. This successful recovery, part of Wal-Mart's Missing Children's Network, was the 50th for Wal- Mart in the six years since it began to feature missing child images in their store lobbies. This morning I'd like to recognize individuals from Wal-Mart, Ernie Allen, the President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Alberta Morris and Glenda Kay Thomas, and especially Susan Pane, Marissa's mother, and Marissa herself. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children has found that one out of every six children featured in is photo distribution program is recovered as a direct result of someone in the public recognizing the image and reporting to authorities. NCMEC's annual May campaign, Picture Them Home, is a reminder to the public to look at missing child flyers. This recovery is an example of how taking the time to look at a child's face can lead to a happy ending. Again, congratulations to all involved and welcome home to Marissa.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great sadness to honor James Edwards Jr., who passed away at age 68. James Edwards Jr. was a man who not only talked the talk, but walked the walk. He was a true visionary with a vision of a better life for all Americans. He spent his life fighting for equality, justice, and opportunity and was one of the first African-Ameicans elected to political office in Galveston County in modern times. He was a community activist who believed in opportunity for all, and was always looking to the future of the Southeast Texas-Gulf Coast area. Throughout his long and successful career he provided opportunity to many. James was a long time union leader who joined the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union in 1964 when he went to work at the Marathon Oil Co. Refinery in Texas City. He was named Texas state legislative director by OCAW's District 4 Council in 1983 and served as secretary-treasurer of the Texas City local from 1986 until the early 1990's. James was a tremendous influence on the labor and political community in Texas, and those in that arena often sought his advice. James was a family man. He is survived by his wife, Johnnie Mae; their son, James Edwards III; and her children from a previous marriage, Deborah Boone, Pierce Boone and Joseph Boone. Mr. Speaker, despite his great success, James Edwards Jr. remained a man of the people, honest and forthright. His was of the utmost character, and his attributes of selflessness and commitment to others are rare gifts that the Southeast Texas-Gulf Coast area was lucky to have. His work and his dedication to the people of this great country is unparalleled. James Edwards Jr. will be sorely missed.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), for his willingness to fold the Lampson-Jackson Lee-Chabot amendment regarding international child abduction into his en bloc amendment. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) for their earlier comments and their hard work on this issue that affects so many parents and children in the United States of America. In the fall of 2000, I wrote to former Secretary of State Albright to express my strong concern regarding the U.S. State Department's adherence to the reports required in section 202 of the consolidated appropriations act of last year. Congress takes this reporting requirement very seriously, as it is designed to strengthen the implementation of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. In the past, the Department of State has submitted reports to Congress that in my mind have not been meeting the statutory requirements required by the reports and has not helped the cause of many parents left behind in the United States. As H.R. 1646 is currently written, there is no reporting requirement of the U.S. Department of State on the compliance with the provisions of the Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction done at the Hague in 1980, and this amendment simply extends the reporting requirement in last year's State Department authorization bill from the current requirement of 2001 for 2 years, to 2003. The entire purpose of this report is to educate judges, attorneys, and the public to promote remedial actions in current cases and to prevent as many new ones as possible. This depends on full disclosure by the State Department of information sought by Congress and the sort of widespread dissemination of the report that was called for in the last Congress' law. So again I thank the chairman for accepting this as part of the en bloc amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to commend to the attention of my colleagues and the public at large the accomplishments of Mr. Russ Carroll, Boeing's Director of Supplier Management and Procurement, in being named 2001 Buyer of the Year by the Houston Minority Business Council. This is an outstanding accomplishment that reflects the dedicated efforts of Mr. Carroll and The Boeing Company. Mr. Carroll--who supports Boeing's International Space Station program office in Houston--was selected from a field of fifty nominees representing twenty-three, Fortune 500 companies throughout Houston. The award is presented annually to an individual who, in the past three years, has successfully increased expenditures and efforts towards the growth and development of minority businesses. The Houston Business Council is involved in increasing and expanding opportunities and growth for minority business enterprises. Mr. Carroll joined The Boeing Company in 1978 as a material planner in commercial airplanes. He held numerous positions on the commercial side of Boeing's business before being transferred to Houston in 1993 to support the International Space Station program. His efforts in Houston have included doubling dollar expenditures with minority business enterprises from $13.2 million in 1998 to $26.5 million in 2000. Mr. Carroll has also been proactive in providing minority suppliers the opportunity to compete exclusively for $25 million on engineering and technical services for the International Space Station; creating a forum to communicate specific procurement needs to the local community; and establishing an ISS Supplier of the Year award to recognize and celebrate the exceptional accomplishments of suppliers. Mr. Speaker, we have debated the merits of Space Station many times over on the floor of the House. Indeed, we continue to debate Station issues even today. But the Station is more that a collection of technical, cost, and schedule considerations, it is also the day-do-day work that is done by people like Russ Carroll who labor more often than not in relative obscurity, yet whose contributions to the success of this international undertaking are incalculable. Congratulations, Russ Carroll. We hope to see you and The Boeing Company back in the winner's circle again next year.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure for me today to welcome Rabbi Jimmy Kessler to Washington and to thank him for his inspirational invocation. Rabbi Kessler, a native Houstonian, is rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel of Galveston, the oldest Reform congregation in Texas. I am proud that he is a part of my congressional district and proud that he can be here today. Rabbi Kessler is not only a spiritual leader in Galveston County and throughout Texas, but he is a civic leader as well. People of all faiths turn to him for his counsel and his wisdom. He and his wife, Shelley Nussenblatt Kessler, are personal friends of my wife Susan and me. They are people who we count on for guidance and support. Rabbi Kessler is a leader throughout Texas when it comes to speaking out against discrimination and bigotry. He is a shining example of the diversity that makes the 9th Congressional District the beautiful mosaic that it is. Some of my colleagues may not know this, but the word ``rabbi'' in Hebrew means teacher, and that Rabbi Kessler truly is. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, regardless of their faith, to reflect on the words that the rabbi said today when he addressed this body. I think my colleagues will see the wisdom in this teacher's words.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio not only for his work on this, which was a yeoman's effort to bring up, but all the work that he has done on behalf of missing and exploited children. The Congressional Caucus is very proud to have him as one of its members; and many other Members, about 147 of us, have worked diligently to bring this issue to the absolute forefront of the American people. We are making progress. As the gentleman said, he and I will be attending the Fourth Special Commission on The Hague Convention on Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. It is imperative that we demonstrate a level of commitment by the United States House of Representatives on this issue. Should this resolution pass, the gentleman from Ohio and I will present it to the 60 member countries represented at The Hague and urge their delegations to support a best-practices guide. This resolution urges that all contracting states to The Hague Convention adopt a resolution drafted by the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children as well as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that would recommend that the Permanent Bureau of The Hague produce and promote practice guides to assist in the implementation and operation of the Convention. As travel becomes faster and easier and as multinational marriages become more frequent, The Hague Convention is more significant today than ever before. The International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children and the National Center have convened professionals and experts in international child abduction to examine their experiences with The Hague Convention. Participants in both of these forums affirmed their overwhelming commitment to the Convention but were also unified in the conclusion that there are serious shortcomings in its implementation, including the lack of awareness of the Convention and the problem of international child abduction by policymakers and the general public. In too many instances, the processes are too slow; there is a lack of uniformity from country to country; there is growing concern that key exceptions provided within the treaty to ensure reason and common sense have in some cases ceased to be viewed as exceptions and instead have become the rule; there is great concern about the growing difficulty involved with enforcing access rights for parents; and in many instances, even where courts order returns, the enforcement of those orders is lacking or nonexistent. We do not believe that the treaty itself should be modified, but practice guides would build upon recognized best practices under the Convention and provide a framework for applying the Convention. The practices identified and included in the guides would not be legally binding upon signatory countries but would serve as guidance to countries based upon research and the advice of experts in order to help ensure the most effective process possible. Mr. Speaker, I urge the Members of the House of Representatives to vote for H. Con. Res. 69. I want to also recognize and thank so very much those Members who signed on to this resolution as a cosponsor when we needed them. I introduced the bill on Tuesday with the hope that my colleagues would recognize the importance of this statement and rush it to the floor by the end of the week. My colleagues stepped up to the plate. I want to especially recognize those Members of Congress and staff who worked to move this along. After the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) obviously, it is the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), Tom Mooney, David Abramowitz, Dan Turton, Tim Friedman, Kirk Boyle, Nisha Desai and Hillel Weinberg. I know it was not easy, but I sincerely appreciate the efforts put forth by Members and staff on both sides of the aisle to bring this to the floor. It is indeed a nonpartisan issue and one that we can all embrace.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, next week the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot) and I will be attending the Fourth Special Commission on The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Later this morning we will have the opportunity to vote on a resolution that urges all contracting states to The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction to adopt a resolution drafted by the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children that would recommend that the Permanent Bureau of The Hague produce and promote Practice Guides to assist in the implementation and operation of the Convention. While great strides have been made, we recognize that there are serious shortcomings in its implementation. These Practice Guides, therefore, are necessary. There will be no parents included from the U.S. on the trip to The Hague. So at this time I would like to let the parents of abducted children, including people like Lady Catherine Meyer, Joseph Cooke, Jim Rinaman, Tom Sylvester, Tom Johnson and others know that I have heard their stories, I have heard their voices, and I will be representing them and their concerns before the 60 contracting parties. Their voices will be heard there.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor local citizens from the 9th District of Texas who were chosen during Black History Month for their work. While the dedication of African-American leaders is well-known throughout the United States, local citizens, right here in the Southeast Gulf Coast region, are just as important to ensuring equal rights for all Texans. Last month I asked members of the communities in the 9th District to nominate individuals for my ``Unsung Heroes'' award that gives special recognition to those unsung heroes, willing workers, and individuals who are so much a part of our nation's rich history. Recipients were chosen because they embodied a giving and sharing spirit, and had made a contribution to our nation. These individuals have not only talked the talk, but they have walked the walk. They have worked long and hard for equal rights in their churches, schools, and in their communities. While their efforts may not make the headlines every day, their pioneering struggle for equality and justice is nevertheless vital to our entire region. This region of Southeast Texas is not successful in spite of our diversity; we are successful because of it. Please join me in recognizing and congratulating these community leaders for their support of bringing justice and equality to Southeast Texas. It is leaders like these men and women that continue to be a source of pride not only during Black History Month, but all year long. The winners of this years ``Unsung Heroes'' award are: Mrs. Ursula Arceneaux, John R. Bolt, Joanne Broussard, Octavia Brown- Reed, Arthur Charles III, Dalton Domingue, John T. Dooley, Tudy Duriso, Jacqueline Duriso, Willie Mae Elmore, Dr. Anthony Gambrah, Mrs. Doris Jean Gill, Ms. Lillie T. Green, Charles Hall, Rachel Hebert, Miss Dorothy M. Ingram, Beverly Jackson-Brown, Chester Johnson, Mrs. Priscilla Jones, Barbara Pernell Joseph, Marilyn Keedy-Wall, Emerson A. Kincade, Mrs. Beverly King, Sandra LaDay, Igalious Mills, Rev. Brenda Payne, L.G. Slider, Jr., Rev. Oveal Walker III, Ella Walker, Gethrel Hall Williams, and Norris Batiste Jr. Mr. Speaker, the recipients of the ``Unsung Heroes'' award are dedicated and hardworking individuals who have done so much for their neighbors and for this nation as a whole. Today, I stand to recognize their spirit and to say that I am honored to be their Representative.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor local citizens from the 9th District of Texas who were chosen during Black History Month for their work. While the dedication of African-American leaders is well-known throughout the United States, local citizens, right here in the Southeast Gulf Coast region, are just as important to ensuring equal rights for all Texans. Last month I asked members of the communities in the 9th District to nominate individuals for my ``Unsung Heroes'' award that gives special recognition to those unsung heroes, willing workers, and individuals who are so much a part of our nation's rich history. Recipients were chosen because they embodied a giving and sharing spirit, and had made a contribution to our nation. These individuals have not only talked the talk, but they have walked the walk. They have worked long and hard for equal rights in their churches, schools, and in their communities. While their efforts may not make the headlines every day, their pioneering struggle for equality and justice is nevertheless vital to our entire region. This region of Southeast Texas is not successful in spite of our diversity; we are successful because of it. Please join me in recognizing and congratulating these community leaders for their support of bringing Justice and equality to Southeast Texas. It is leaders like, these men and women that continue to be a source of pride not only during Black History Month, but all year long. The winners of this year's ``Unsung Heroes'' award are: Mrs. Myrtle Giles Davis, Mrs. Mattie Dansby Ford, Mr. William Andrew Harris, Mr. V. H. Haynes, Mr. Tony Johnson, and Mrs. Annie Mae Shanklin. Mr. Speaker, the recipients of the ``Unsung Heroes'' award are dedicated and hardworking individuals who have done so much for their neighbors and for this nation as a whole. Today, I stand to recognize their spirit and to say that I am honored to be their Representative.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Chairman, today I rise in support of Congressman Green's amendment would prevent the name of a child from being disclosed during a bankruptcy proceeding. Although this is a small part of the bigger picture of privacy, this amendment will have an immediate effect in protecting innocent children. Last Congress, our former colleague and my former co-chairman of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus, Congressman Bob Franks, introduced legislation that would have amended the Federal criminal code to prohibit and set penalties for specified activities relating to personal information about a child including knowingly selling such information (by a list broker) without the written consent of a parent of that child, knowing that such information pertains to a child; and distributing or soliciting any such information, knowing or having reason to believe that the information will be used to abuse or physically harm the child. How easily could a pedophile construct a list of names, ages and addresses of children simply by obtaining a list of bankruptcy filings over the Internet? Very easily. I contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children just to be certain that NCMEC doesn't use bankruptcy filings in aiding their searches for missing children. Few, if any, of these filings are used. While it may not be very common practice for a child predator to use these filings to his or her advantage, I would rather not take that chance. I urge my colleagues to support Congressman Green's amendment to keep our children safe.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 1, rule I, I demand a vote on agreeing to the Speaker's approval of the Journal.

Mr. LAMPSON

Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the first time to address the 107th Congress. Representing southeast Texas has been an honor and a privilege, and I look forward to two more years of service. My grandson Nicholas joined me at the swearing-in ceremony this year and that was great; but unfortunately, there are many grandparents and parents who have not been so lucky and do not have the opportunity to share their lives with their children and grandchildren. During my first year in office, I founded the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus in response to the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old girl in Friendswood, Texas. The devastation felt by her family and the determination of the volunteers who searched for her inspired me to found this caucus, which includes 138 members and provides a loud and unified voice for missing children within Congress. Mr. Speaker, as we begin the first session of the 107th Congress, I ask my colleagues who are not already members of the caucus to join me and to encourage those who are already members to continue fighting with me for our children and for our families. Let us work together as parents, grandparents, and Members of Congress to keep our children safe.