Sander Levin

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, we are going to debate the tax bill tomorrow, and we will show how their bill on the majority side would blow a hole in the budget, and we will show how they are using phony figures. But today we are debating the spending resolution. I voted for the budget resolution. Trouble with this spending resolution is it violates the budget agreement, purely and simply. It does so on legal immigrants. It draws an irrational and inhumane line, contrary to what they agreed to. It also goes beyond the budget agreement, and it withdraws from people moving from welfare to work the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act. All they put back is a minimum wage standard, but there is no Federal protection to be sure that that is paid, and they do not provide against sexual harassment and employment discrimination. Mr. Speaker, second class citizenship is not the answer for people moving from welfare to work. We ask the Committee on Rules to grant us amendments to cure these, they turned us down. We should turn down this budget resolution.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the disapproval resolution. On critical issues relating to China we need a policy, not a protest. We do have serious problems with China; let us not paper them over: human rights, national security, trade. But for too long we have gone through the annual spasm over MFN only to more or less forget about China the rest of the year. It is time for more sustained and serious effort. Congress needs to roll up its sleeves, not throw up its hands. On economics and trade, our problems with China are rooted in a fundamental change that has taken place in the nature of international trade. In earlier decades trade was mainly among industrialized nations, and the focus of trade negotiations was on tariffs and later market access. But today economic competition is increasingly between industrialized and developing nations, often with centrally managed economies with dramatically lower wage and salary levels sustained by government intervention. These fundamental economic issues with China cannot be addressed through the annual MFN debate; they can be addressed directly through negotiations about China's accession to WTO, and they can be addressed as to other developing nations through comprehensive, hardheaded fast track legislation. I urge all of my colleagues to confront these key issues, persuade the media to shine the light on them and help the administration play a central role by addressing them as we take up fast track and China's WTO accession. MFN has become a diversion rather than an answer. I oppose this resolution.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Buyer and Hilleary amendments. What is the purpose of these amendments? Why should Congress get involved at this point? Clearly United States actions in the NATO-led Bosnia mission have saved lives and not lost lives. A target date for withdrawal has been set. Yesterday, the President reiterated that he expects the mission should be completed on schedule by June 1998. Do we want to eliminate any flexibility, even though the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say it would be harmful to both the military and civilian effort in Bosnia? Secretary Cohen and General Shalikashvili have stated that a fixed, statutorily mandated date for the withdrawal of U.S. forces could undercut the safety of our troops. When the consequences of a false step could be severe, Congress should be extremely careful how and where it treads. In this case, the stakes are high: the danger of renewed genocide. We speak out on this floor about the horrors of genocide. Let's not take an action that might increase the chances of a renewed nightmare.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, let me talk about facts, not labels. The gentleman from Arizona, a colleague on the committee, has cited the canard of the Republicans: Fully 71 percent of the tax relief provided will be for people making between $20,000 and $75,000 a year. Let me tell my colleagues why that is simply inaccurate. First of all, that stops at the 5th year. It does not take into account years 6 through 10 of the budget agreement that relates to 10 years. So the impact of the capital gains and the IRA's are not taken into account. Second, that miscalculation does not include the impact of the corporate tax or the estate tax. Third, it counts as taxes paid, amounts paid by taxpayers to take advantage of the IRA provisions and the capital gains provisions that are going to save them taxes in the long run. It is a phony figure. The Treasury Department has it right.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Fox amendment regarding to Ukraine and adopted by the House. Since its independence in 1991, Ukraine has made some significant progress in advancing both democracy and stability in the region. It has held free and fair elections without violence for both Parliament and the President, adopted a new democratic constitution, and made significant strides toward reorganizing its economy from command-and- control to market-driven. Under the reform plan and the leadership of President Kuchma, Ukraine has tackled its runaway inflation, which has dropped from an overwhelming level of 10,000 percent in 1993 to 181 percent in 1995 to 3.5 percent for the first quarter of this year. In addition, privatization efforts have begun to move at an accelerated rate. Ukraine has also made significant contributions to the future peace and stability of Eastern and Central Europe. First and foremost, Ukraine lived up to its agreement to completely dismantle its entire nuclear arsenal which it inherited from the former Soviet Union and has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Ukraine is also in full compliance with the Conventional Forces in Europe Agreement, is an active participant in NATO's Partnership for Peace Program, and has given its full support for the soon to be announced expansion of the NATO alliance. Ukraine has also agreed not to participate in any program to help build a nuclear powerplant in Iran. These achievements deserve acknowledgment and appreciation from this body. Instead of facing a potentially hostile and nuclear armed country situated on the edge of Europe, the United States benefits from cooperative arrangement with an emerging democracy. There remain, of course, serious challenges and problems. I am disturbed by press reports in recent months of widespread government corruption and informal barriers to U.S. investment. These are allegations that warrant careful and deliberate consideration. The answer to these concerns is not to sever relations and threaten to cut off aid as some have proposed. Such proposals run counter to our national and strategic interests in this region and would leave us without leverage to encourage change with Ukraine. Ukraine is beginning to take some steps to solve these problems. We must encourage this process. President Kuchma has formed an international advisory committee on investment made up of Ukrainians of unquestioned reputation and corporate leaders from around the world. He has established a commission that will work directly out of his office to investigate and prosecute reported corruption. In addition, President Kuchma has removed several Ministers for questionable actions while putting others on notice that he will not accept this behavior. President Clinton and the administration have indicated their concern over the issue of corruption and clearly communicated that progress needs to be swift. These concerns are clearly laid out in a joint statement from the United States-Ukraine Binational Commission. Mr. Chairman, with the facts in mind, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Fox amendment and commend Ukraine for its contributions to Europe. As President Clinton said at the close of the first session of the United States-Ukraine Binational Commission. The United States values its partnership with Ukraine and believes that we cannot have a successful, undivided, democratic Europe, without a successful, democratic, progressive Ukraine.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Engel amendment on Albania. Albania suffered greatly under the misguided rule of its previous Government and needs international support to get back on the path to democracy. Albania endured many harsh years of totalitarian rule and isolation. It was the last country in Eastern Europe to throw off the yoke of communism and open its borders to the world. It still struggles today. Albania is the poorest nation in Europe. Matters worsened when high- risk pyramid investment schemes collapsed, robbing tens of thousands of Albanians of their life savings. The result has been mass chaos and anarchy. The Government fell and demonstrations and unrest turned to open rebellion. Today, the rebellion has been quieted by an international peacekeeping force deployed by the United Nations. A coalition government that includes elements from both the former government and its opposition has been formed to get the country back on track. This new government has promised to hold elections for President and Parliament at the end of this month. The international community, spearheaded by the Red Cross, has committed humanitarian aid to help Albanians get back on their feet and get on with their lives. The Engel amendment directs the United States to encourage and support the new unity government and urge it to guarantee human rights and free and fair elections. In addition, the amendment commends the U.S. military and diplomatic personnel who evacuated U.S. citizens from the country during violent uproar. Finally, the amendment commends our negotiators. Mr. Speaker, I support the Engel amendment because restoring stability to Albania is vital to our national interests in this region. We cannot allow chaos and unrest to overtake Albania again because it would have a devastating effect on the already delicate situation in this turbulent corner of the world.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, this has to be emphasized. The vote today is not about whether we are pro-choice or pro-life on abortion, it is about whether life for thousands, hundreds of thousands of families who choose to plan their families will include a real chance to do so, not whether or not abortion is available to that family. I say to the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Stearns], yes, I think most Americans support U.S. assistance for voluntary family planning. Since 1973 the Helms amendment has prohibited the use of U.S. dollars to perform, support, or encourage abortion overseas. That mandate has been followed in good faith by the U.S. Government. And in order to ensure its implementation and sensitive to the argument about fungibility of moneys, when I was assistant administrator of AID, we instituted in the late 1970's a rigorous system to separate out U.S. moneys from other funds spent by organizations receiving American funds, and that practice has been followed assiduously by every administration. Audits show not one dollar of American funds is being used for abortion-related activities overseas. So this is the basic question. When the United States is fully abiding by the Helms amendment, when the Government has taken every possible step to separate American funds so no American money is being used for abortion-related activities, and when there is no real fungibility as to U.S. dollars, do we want to stop the availability of critical funds for voluntary family planning for millions of families in fast-growing developing countries? Mr. Chairman, I urge that the answer for each of these is no. I urge a vote against the Smith amendment and for Campbell-Greenwood.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. We have a major problem in this country. This is an effort to address it. Surveys show, for example, in high schools in the last month, in many cases a third of the students have used illegal drugs. We have been losing ground. This is an effort to say we are going to start to reverse the trend. The gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. Portman] and I put this bill together with the help of others, based on the experiences within our own communities. This is a bill that springs from the communities to Washington. The gentleman from Ohio has described the experiences within Cincinnati. Within the 12th District I represent, led by the city of Troy and early pioneering coalitions, we have seen that the best way to fight this effort, to make this a successful one, is to draw on all the resources of the community, every resource: religious leaders, law enforcement leaders, business leaders, parents, teachers, kids. Everybody has to be pulled together to work on this. We have seen this in both Macomb and Oakland Counties, as I said led by Troy. And an amazing fact in a recent survey, half of the residents of the city of Troy knew of the Troy Community Coalition and its work on drugs. So the gentleman from Ohio and I said to ourselves, in working with others, how do we replicate the experiences within our communities? That is the issue, not just to have a successful experiment here or a successful experiment there but to spread it throughout this country. And this is an effort through matching grants to try to replicate the experiences within these communities. I have enjoyed so much working with him and the gentleman from Illinois, [Mr. Hastert], who helped us shepherd this through the subcommittee; with the gentleman from New York, [Mr. Rangel], the gentleman from Wisconsin, [Mr. Barrett], and others; and with the staffs, as mentioned by the gentleman from Ohio, and Drew Setter of our office. Our local staff goes to every single coalition meeting within our communities. This is a battle we have no choice but to win, and this act, this proposal, is an important step to pull us all together to pull this off. We have no choice. I am proud to be working with the gentleman from Ohio, and I urge all of us to vote for this and, more importantly, for every Member to work to stimulate, if it does not exist, a coalition within our districts. When we all work together, I think this effort will work.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on January 12, Capt. Jerry Linenger flew into orbit on the space shuttle Atlantis to begin a 5-month stay aboard the Russian Space Station Mir. This weekend, more than 130 days later, Atlantis is bringing Jerry Linenger home. It is with no small amount of hometown pride that we note that Captain Linenger was born and raised in Eastpointe, MI, which is split between our two congressional districts. He attended East Detroit High School and went on to receive a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Naval Academy. Thereafter, he earned a number of advanced degrees, including a doctorate in medicine from Wayne State University in Detroit. He joined NASA in 1992 and flew a mission on the space shuttle Discovery 2 years later. Captain Linenger is the fourth U.S. astronaut to live aboard the Mir station. All of these missions are important, both in terms of their contributions to science as well as to the advancement of United States/Russian cooperation in space. This particular mission has resonated with many people because of a series of letters Captain Lingenger wrote to his 1-year-old son John, for him to read when he's older. Some of these letters have been published on NASA's Internet site with Captain Linenger's permission so the public could get a feel for his experience. These letters describe Captain Linenger's day-to-day activities aboard Mir, his early memories of his grandparents and his own experience growing up in Michigan, his fondness for geography, and his enthusiasm concerning the exploration of space. The constant theme through all these letters is his affection for his wife and son. We would like to highlight one of these letters: Dear John: Just received a note from Mommy--who said you've really been a great little boy lately. Says that you are at the age where you try to mimic everything anyone does. And that you're laughing lots. And everyone thinks you are so cute. Mommy agrees. Me too. You're the best, John. But the big news was that you had [your] first trip to the corner park. Mommy says that the rocking horse was your favorite, but you also did okay on your first swing ride. Alright, John. I can help you some on this. Some tips from your Dad. Never get on a teeter totter with someone bigger than you. No matter how hard you try, you will never succeed at doing a loop-the-loop on the swing. For added speed down the slide, find an old waxed potato chip bag lying around (they are always blown against the fence nearby), sit on the bag, and then slide down. After a few times you'll really be moving, and all the girls will hold you in awe. And talk about speed--your Daddy was really flying today! Whizzed across Isla de Chiloe, the crest of the Ande (three or four of the taller peaks still snowcapped), across Patagonia and out Golfo San Jorge in two minutes flat. Del Fuego in the distance. Clear. Spectacular. Maybe someday you'll be a geography nut like your father. For now, just make sure you can find your way home from the park. And John, pay serious attention to those books Mommy always reads you at night. Keep those eyes open--don't go fading off half way through the story like you usually do. If some day you go on a trip like I'm on, you'll be trying tdraw on every bit of information, every bit of training, every morsel of practical stuff you've ever learned in your whole life in order to succeed. Now that I think about it, they don't make waxed potato chip bags anymore. Scratch that idea, John. Maybe it'll be better to start off slowly and savor the ride all the way down. . . . Love you John. Tell Mommy that Daddy sure was happy to get her note. And that I'm just fine. Dad. The last 5 months have been eventful and challenging ones for the crew of Mir as they have confronted a series of equipment breakdowns aboard the space station, including a fire, high temperatures due to a carbon dioxide removal system that overheated, leaking fumes, and broken oxygen generators. Even so, from these letters, there is little doubt that the biggest challenge Captain Linenger faced was being absent from his 14-month-old son. We want to congratulate Captain Linenger on the successful completion of his mission and express our best wishes to him and his family.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on, May 19 a wonderful human being and a truly great American passed away in Clarksdale, MS--Aaron Henry. I mention first his human qualities because of the unusual warmth of his personality and capacity for friendship. Had he only been a friend, as he was for so many of us from many walks of life, he would remain indelibly etched in our thoughts and memories. Of course, his life went far beyond private relationships and friendships. He dedicated so much of his time to the public arena, pursuing the American Dream of equal opportunity for all Americans. He started in this pursuit, in the Army during World War II where he fought for integration and next as he obtained a degree in pharmacy under the GI bill. He then set up shop on Fourth Street in Clarksdale, which became his source of livelihood and a major hub for those working with him to bring equal opportunity and justice to Mississippi. I first saw Aaron Henry in action at the 1964 Democratic Convention. The Michigan delegation was seated near that of Mississippi, and we witnessed his valiant efforts with Fannie Lou Hamer and others to end segregation in the Democratic Party of his home State. He failed then, but never lost hope. A few years later I saw that first hand when I spent a week with Aaron Henry and his coworkers in Clarksdale in a project--the Mississippi-Michigan Alliance--which he and I had set up to obtain help in efforts to register voters in his hometown. It was a grassroot endeavor, succeeding in registering hundreds of new voters though failing to break down other barriers. There was an election held while I was there and I remember visiting one precinct where there were no minority voters and a minority candidate for the State legislature did not receive a single vote from that particular precinct. I had never before visited a precinct in a contested election where a unanimous vote had been cast for one of the candidates, whatever the nature of the contest. But though personally involved in the election, Aaron Henry refused to give up or lose hope. Indeed, one reason he was such a great American was because he believed America's greatness would ultimately lead to the realization of the dreams of all of its people. So I left Clarksdale a few pounds heavier from all of the ice cream consumed at the old-fashioned soda fountain in his Fourth Street Pharmacy but also many degrees uplifted by the spirit and determination of Aaron Henry. As we met and talked now and then over the years, none of this ever ebbed. Aaron Henry's death will be deeply mourned by the many of us privileged to be his friend and blessed by his example of fighting hard, with good will. Hopefully, his native State will mourn him across its cities and farms. He was born in its rural land, toiled in one of its important towns and journeyed it throughout, from border to border. His legacy is his hopefulness. The task now of his beloved State, of his beloved Nation and of all of us who loved him is to keep his faith and continue his battle.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, this budget agreement has potential for much good. It also has the potential for considerable ill. In the decades of the 1990s, we started on the path toward fiscal responsibility after a decade of fiscal recklessness. This resolution has the promise of moving us ahead further, but whether it fulfills that promise will depend mostly on its implementation, much of which will occur within the Committee on Ways and Means, on which I sit. Our committee will take the first crack as to whether the tax package is fiscally responsible or will blow the budget, thereby threatening continued economic growth; whether the tax package will be aimed at those who stood still or slipped back these last two decades, or at those who have stood on the top rungs of the economic ladder; whether action now is a stepping stone toward still more difficult decisions or an excuse for long-term inaction. I will be especially vigilant from the outset about the implementation of the budget agreement. How it is written will determine my vote on the ultimate product, the reconciliation bill.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my congratulations and best wishes to the Catholic Services of Macomb on the occasion of their 40th anniversary, and to His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida, the keynote speaker at their anniversary dinner which took place on January 9, 1997. Catholic Services of Macomb, a non-profit health and human service agency has touched so many individuals since its inception in December, 1957, when the Rev. Robert Monticello was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Detroit to open a Catholic social service agency in Macomb County. The agency's mission and work provide family and individual counseling services, senior programs, and child welfare initiatives. Indeed, through the dedication of this humanitarian agency, Macomb County is a better place to live and work. On this joyous occasion, I extend my very best wishes for continued success to the Catholic Services of Macomb as they go forward in their compassionate effort to service those in need.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, the legal immigrant provisions never should have been in the welfare bill. When the President signed it, he said he was going to work to take out these provisions, as did a number of us who voted for this bill. This is the first step to redeem that promise. Welfare reform was always about moving younger people off of welfare to work, not penalizing elderly legal immigrants. We have to go further than this. This is the first step, and I congratulate all who joined in this overcoming the initial resistance to this effort. Mr. Chairman, this has been a long haul. When the President announced his decision to sign a welfare bill, substantially reshaped after his two earlier vetoes, he promised to work to change several parts he disliked, particularly those relating to legal immigrants. When a number of us spoke on the Floor who voted for the bill, we made the same promise. Today, we take the first step to redeem that promise. Welfare reform was about moving mostly younger parents with children off welfare into work, safeguarding the health and care of their children--not about penalizing elderly, often disabled legal immigrants. To right this wrong, we have had to overcome considerable resistance. That we are moving in this direction now is a tribute to many of those unnamed, either in the indicated sponsorship of this amendment or in membership in this Congress; to the voluntary organizations throughout this country who raised their voices, often when some of the elected officials in their own state were silent; and to the legal immigrants themselves, who came to this nation, sometimes as refugees from persecution, from a variety of nations--Iraq, the Soviet Union, Vietnam, Latin America and China, among others, and who spoke out to all of America, reminding us that we built this nation with the brains and labors of legal immigrants, and that we should not turn our backs on them in 1997.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, May 28, the Detroit chapter of the American Jewish Committee will present its prestigious Learned Hand Award to David Page. It is a richly deserved recognition of David Page's many decades of community service. He has honored his chosen profession within the traditions embodied in Judge Learned Hand's love of the law as an instrument of justice. His active partnership over the years in the law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn has been his anchor, and he has blended with it an exceptionally broad and diverse range of activity. His concern for the health of the residents of Metropolitan Detroit, especially its children, is reflected in his chairmanship of the board of the Children's Hospital of Michigan, and more recently as the vice- chair of the Detroit Medical Center and director of the Karamanos Center Institute and chair of the Board of Visitors of the Wayne State University School of Medicine. His community activities in the United Way, United Fund Drive, the Boy Scouts, University of Michigan, Marygrove College, the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan, and the Greater Downtown Partnership have impacted the lives of Michigan residents from numerous walks of life. He has also been a pillar within his own Jewish community and nationally as director of the Council of Jewish Federations, president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit his director posts in American and Detroit, ORT, and his work with the Allied Jewish Campaign, the Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Family and Children's Service, among others. Clearly, this recital of some of David Page's civic endeavors manifests a person of extraordinary interest in and concern for all of humanity. In his quiet, but sparkling way, he has brought light to many lives. I have been privileged to see some of his public accomplishments and to be a friend in his private life. The recognition bestowed on him through the Learned Hand Award is the kind he would never seek, but is richly deserved.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, the substitute addresses the real concerns of my constituents. On Tuesday in Warren, the third largest city in the State, concerned officials and residents held the first meeting of the city's new antigang task force to discuss their concerns about increased gang activity and juvenile crime in their neighborhoods. Concerned residents spoke about the need for measures that get violent juvenile offenders off the streets and in prevention programs. Police officials asked for more support to help hire more backup personnel to free up front-line officers to patrol the streets. And police officials and educators both called for more money to help fund after and in- school prevention programs. This substitute legislation does what residents in Warren and other communities are asking for. Mr. Chairman, we need to pass a bill that gets at the real problems. Most juvenile crime is State and local. What we need is a bill that gives local communities and States flexibility to handle these problems, not a bill that forces States to accept a one-size-fits-all fix. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the community-based Democratic substitute.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Sterling Heights Lions Club today, in recognition of their dedication of their new facility in Sterling Heights, MI. For over 26 years, the Sterling Heights Lions Club has been dedicated to serving their community and helping those in need. They have undertaken countless projects, ranging from fundraising at festivals, raffles, and fairs to building playgrounds for disabled children to supporting students in youth exchange programs. Their efforts are as varied as their talents. Truly, our community is privileged to have in our midst such a dedicated group of individuals whose tremendous contributions have assisted so many in need of support. It is especially fitting, as many of our public leaders have recently addressed our Nation on the importance of volunteering, that my brother, Senator Carl Levin, joins me in recognizing the Sterling Heights Lions Club. Their many years of service to the community are truly commendable and we wish them many more in their new facility.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I am adamantly opposed to H.R. 478. This legislation is a transparent effort to gut the Endangered Species Act. Supporters of this bill would have us believe that the Endangered Species Act was somehow responsible for the tragic floods that occurred earlier this year in the Midwest and California. There is simply no evidence to support their claim that the Endangered Species Act was in any way linked to these events. Both the Interior and Commerce Departments have emphatically stated that there were no cases where it could be demonstrated that the implementation of the Endangered Species Act caused any flood structure to fail. The truth is that the floods in California and the Midwest were the result of storms that were unprecedented in recent history. Reservoirs and levees were simply overwhelmed. It should be noted the Endangered Species Act already contains emergency waiver provisions that permit the President to grant exemptions to ESA regulations in major disaster areas. The legislation before us would undermine the basic protections of the Endangered Species Act. H.R. 478 would prevent species protection from being taken into account at any existing dam, levee or flood control project, even in cases where there is no conceivable threat to public safety. Earlier this week, I received a letter from the sponsor of this legislation that contained a picture of water pouring over a breached levee with the admonition, ``Let's work to Prevent this from Happening. Support H.R. 478.'' I wonder that the author of this letter did not also attempt to link the Endangered Species Act to last summer's crash of TWA Flight 800 or, for that matter, the sinking of the Titanic. Even the name of this bill is misleading. The ``Flood Prevention and Family Protection Act'' will neither prevent floods or protect families. We should do everything humanly possible to reduce the possibility of future flooding. To that end, we must look to the real causes of these disasters. We should not use these tragedies to undercut the Endangered Species Act. I will support the substitute offer by Mr. Boehlert which allows repairs to flood control projects to go forward anywhere there is an imminent threat to human lives or property. Should the Boehlert substitute fail, I urge the defeat of H.R. 478.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I very much support this bill and am glad to rise in support of it. It is a common sense proposal that hopefully will bring to fruition the goal of a permanent home for kids in foster care. This is a balanced, activist approach. Right now there is stagnation. Kids stagnate or sometimes just move from place to place while they are stagnating. Family reunification is the primary goal, but a recognition that in some circumstances this is not workable and beneficial for the child. In some circumstances, such as abandonment, chronic abuse or sexual abuse, efforts to keep the family together, those efforts do not serve the interest of the child. So there is a redefinition of the requirement of reasonable effort to make sure that the child's interest is primary. The bill also requires more frequent status reviews for children in foster care, and it gives foster parents the opportunity to be heard at the hearings. I want to thank, if I might, and express on behalf of so many the appreciation to the gentleman from Michigan [Mr. Camp] and to the gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly] for their work and the efforts of the chairman, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw]. I hope we will keep our eye on the ball here and not go overboard one way or the other, but keep a balanced position here. That is what will keep in mind the key goal, the interest of the child. Making termination of the parental interest occur too soon will not help the child. On the other hand, going the other way is not going to help the kid. Also we have to remember the importance of the services that are necessary to help these children and the parents; to delete the provisions in this bill that relate to those services would also be a mistake. This has been carefully crafted, and I hope we will maintain it.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Cantor Norman Rose who is celebrating his 40th year in the Cantorate and his 25th year as Cantor of Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, MI. Born in New York and inspired by his father, a tenor who sang in choirs, young Norman was raised in a home where music was a constant force. He received a scholarship to the prestigious Curtis School of Music in Philadelphia, and studied there until World War II. The 15th Air Force called him to duty in Italy where he served over 50 missions as a radio operator and gunner. At the conclusion of the war, Norman Rose obtained his BA and MA degrees in music from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, and in 1949 he received 1 of 10 scholarships to the renowned La Scala Opera House in Milan, Italy. These scholarships were La Scala's way of saying thank you to the Americans for having totally restored their opera house that had been bombed during the war. In 1952, Norman Rose entered the newly opened Hebrew Union College of Sacred Music where he was invested as Cantor. Cantor Rose has served Temple Emanu-El for the past 25 years and has brought music and music appreciation to all its members--young and old. His warmth, his dedication, and his friendship have been deeply appreciated by all his congregants, and especially by the young boys and girls whom he prepares for their Bar/Bat Mitzvah. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Cantor Rose's accomplishments and years of service to his congregation. We wish him and his wife, Euni, many more years of joyful participation at Temple Emanu-El, and good health and happiness along the way.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Meehan].

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Let me just say in response to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. DeLay] that this matter is really not within the purview of this technical corrections bill. The administration is considering this matter and is taking time to make sure that it arrives at an appropriate answer. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut [Mrs. Kennelly].

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Today we are considering the Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act of 1997. This legislation will correct technical problems that impact implementation of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. Last year's bill carried out significant changes in the structure of our Nation's welfare system. As we all know, it is inevitable when we pass comprehensive legislation that we must go back and correct technical errors. The basis of this bill began with a list of recommended corrections submitted by the administration early in the year. From the outset, the process of formulating this bill was always open. States, municipalities and advocacy groups contributed extensively to the process to ensure that this bill clears up any ambiguities due to drafting errors or oversight. By agreement among Republicans and Democrats on the committee, as mentioned by the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee, this bill only addresses strictly technical problems which have been identified since the bill's passage. Each of the measures in this bill is technical in nature and does not change the substance of the new law. If a proposed change was considered substantive or controversial by either Republicans or Democrats, it was not included in this legislation. For example, the bill clarifies that Social Security benefits are denied to prison inmates and prohibits them from receiving Old Age Disability Insurance benefits. The bill also clarifies the sharing of the 35-hour work requirement and the provision for child care in cases of two-parent families who must work a combined 35 hours plus 20 hours, or 55 hours, per week to be counted toward meeting the work requirement. Another example, the bill also extends until February 22, 1998, the deadline for the Social Security Administration to determine the eligibility of children for certain benefits and gives States an additional 3 months to submit their biennial welfare plans. The noncontroversial nature of these corrections is reflected in the committee vote. The Welfare Reform Technical Corrections Act passed the Committee on Ways and Means unanimously, 33 to zero. All Members, those who voted for the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act and those who did not, supported this technical corrections legislation. There are still substantive issues regarding the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which very much need bipartisan attention. I would cite as examples disability benefits for elderly legal immigrants and certain food stamp benefits. Negotiations on these matters are taking place within the context of budget discussions. This bill was not the intended vehicle for these outstanding concerns. This bill represents the culmination of a long process. I would like to thank the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Shaw], chairman of the Subcommittee on Human Resources, for the manner in which this bill was handled from beginning to end. The staff also did an exemplary job in working together to keep the bill technical in nature, and the staff on both sides of the aisle is here with us this afternoon. Finally, the administration should be commended for the stellar job done in assembling the technical corrections that form the basis of this bill, specifically the Department of Health and Human Services and the Social Security Administration. Throughout this process, we have put aside our differences and focused on crafting a truly technical bill. In this spirit, as was true in the Committee on Ways and Means by unanimous vote, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this necessary technical correction legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on May 5, 1997, the Ecumenical Institute for Jewish-Christian Studies will present its Dove Award to two outstanding religious and community leaders, His Eminence Adam Cardinal Maida and Rabbi Irwin Groner. All of the citizens of Michigan are blessed to have in our active presence Cardinal Maida and Rabbi Groner. Through their individual endeavors and their friendship and collaborative efforts, they have enriched the entire State in many ways and deepened goodwill. They were instrumental in the establishment of the Religious Leaders Forum, which has stimulated dialog between the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim communities. Each has encouraged the spread of voluntarism to touch the lives of those beyond their own communities. They have been outspoken on society's need to attack bigotry and racism, wherever either might appear in our midst. Of course, for both Cardinal Maida and Rabbi Groner, the wellspring of their ecumenical work has been their deep spiritual commitment to their faith. Since his appointment by his Holiness John Paul II to be archbishop of Detroit on June 12, 1990, Cardinal Maida has maintained a focus, during a period of relative prosperity for citizens living within the diocese, on the less fortunate, whether children without health care or otherwise at risk, retired priests or the seriously ill. Rabbi Groner is the spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a religious home for my family over many decades. He has been preeminent in the conservative Jewish movement in our Nation, through his writings and sermons and his executive positions on various boards. In this day and age without global conflict but with persistent conflict and violence in daily life, it is rewarding for us all that these two distinguished people of peace are awarded for their work by the Ecumenical Institute. As one privileged to know them both, it is my honor to be able to ask today all of my colleagues to join in expressing congratulations and wishing to Cardinal Maida and Rabbi Groner many more years of service to their parishioners and to the public at large.

Mr. LEVIN

Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, in less than 100 days many thousands of elderly and disabled legal immigrants in our country will lose their only source of financial support unless Congress acts. This is not about welfare reform; it is about community responsibility. It is not about moving young parents from welfare to work, but about elderly people who cannot work. It is not about people who came here illegally, but people who came here under our laws. They now find themselves disabled, most often by age and illness: Asian-Americans caught up in the Vietnam war, often fighting on our side; Arab-Americans many of whom fled the land of Sadam Hussein; People who, despite in numerous cases having defended their native land against the Nazi invaders, left because of Soviet persecution against Jewish families; and Hispanic-Americans dislocated by war or in pursuit of family reunification. When President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act he made it completely clear that he would propose legislation this year to correct the provisions on legal immigrants; today I am introducing a bill similar to the President's proposal. As a nation of immigrants, we must face up to this issue, as the faces of these elderly legal immigrants come more and more into focus for all the Nation to see.