Jerry Lewis

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I so much appreciate my colleague for taking a moment to express his deep appreciation for truly one of the greatest Americans of all time, former governor of California and President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. I want to share with my colleagues just a couple of thoughts because my colleague has been kind enough to take this time. I will never forget, while a member of the State Legislature, one day listening to television as I heard for the first time Ronald Reagan giving a speech for then candidate for President Barry Goldwater. And I rolled over and said to my family, ``By golly, he ought to run for governor of California.'' And by golly, not very far after that, he did run and was successfully elected. During that period of time, it was my privilege to work very closely with the governor. And people should know this about Ronald Reagan, two items I would mention. The first is it was my privilege to work with him on what is now known as the Child Development Act of 1972. It was the first quality preschool day-care act in the country and now serves as a model for the country, a Ronald Reagan-signed bill in 1972. And 25 years later the Federal Government discovered it might be an issue. Another item: In the southland in my district in California, air quality is by far the most serious challenge we faced in the last 20 or 30 years. It was Ronald Reagan who signed model language developing a regional district that has developed the toughest clean air standards in the entire country, leading the country. Above and beyond that, let me say that the gentleman is correct at pointing to this great man as President of the United States.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I say to the President, our colleagues and all Americans join together in joining Ronald Reagan, our great President, a very happy 90th birthday.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn), for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, to my friends, many know that this has been a year of crisis for me personally. It is the tragedy of human life that causes us to focus and refocus on those things that are important. We talk often about crises around here, issues come and go, and it kind of makes up our life and our day. And we take too little time to think about the importance of the humankind who make up this body. This tragedy should remind all of us that there are many, many more important things about the work that we do than a single issue or a single day or a single crisis. We will be talking a lot about the need for our coming together; and perhaps this horrible tragedy will serve as a beginning point for us to once again try to reach out to each other and express that love that really makes this body what it can be and should be. Mr. Speaker, I have not had a closer friend in the House than Julian Dixon. We go back to the legislature together in California. We came here as classmates. We have served for years on the Committee on Appropriations together. As Steve indicated, he was a member of my Subcommittee on Defense. He did marvelous work in the Committee on Ethics. He served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in a way that few could begin to appreciate unless you watched him day in and day out. Julian Dixon is one of the great men of the House, a legislator who cares about people; and indeed, he and Bettye over the years became Arlene and my closest friends in terms of social contact. We traveled together. We loved one another. I would close my remarks by telling a story that relates much of what we did together. Many years ago as a young Member of the House on the minority side, I got used to staffers who think they run our life. And I talked to a young staffer on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services about the fact that there had been many, many years since we had had a gold coin in this country. I was concerned about the fact that that was symbolizing our trade deficits, et cetera; and I introduced a bill to create a new gold coin. And that staffer of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, when I took the idea to him, he literally mocked and said, Congressman, that bill will never get a hearing. And you know what, it did not through that Congress. The following year, I introduced a bill again and then I sat down with my friend, Julian Dixon, and talked about the trade deficit in gold with South Africa. And Julian Dixon cosponsored that bill, the entire Black Caucus sponsored that bill, almost the whole House did. You know what? When I hold up that gold eagle coin, forever now, I will always remember our friend, Julian Dixon, and what he meant to our potential on both sides of the aisle as human beings working together. Let us use this as a symbol of the work we must do together. God bless Julian and Bettye Dixon.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, in California's High Desert, water is one of the most valuable commodities, and the people who obtain and distribute this precious liquid are among the hardest working public servants in the 40th Congressional District. I would like today to offer a salute to an exemplary public servant who had spent years ensuring water is delivered in a dry place: Charles E. Bryant, general manager of the Hi-Desert Water District, which serves 25,000 people in Yucca Valley, California. Mr. Bryant came to the Hi-Desert Water District in 1992 after serving as city administrator for the City of Hawaiian Gardens, California and a member of the board of directors of the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District for 10 years. His extensive background prepared him to help run a far-flung but growing water district, but no amount of experience could prepare him for what happened within two weeks of his arrival. The Landers Earthquake, a massive 7.4 on the Richter Scale, damaged 40 percent of the district's 274 miles of pipelines. Working around the clock, Mr. Bryant and the dedicated staff of the district had everything repaired and working within two weeks. Under Chuck Bryant's leadership, the district has joined with the Mojave Water Agency to build and operate the Morongo Basin Pipeline and the Hi-Desert Pipeline Extension and a 5 million-gallon reservoir that brings the area's residents water from the California Aqueduct. Working with my office, the district has joined the Bureau of Reclamation's Title 16 Program, and could qualify for $12 million in grants for wastewater treatment facilities. The district has also sought and received other grants for wastewater facility construction and for removal of nitrates from local water. Looking ahead to the future, Mr. Bryant oversaw creation of an ``in- house capital replacement program'' to replace and modernize the district's delivery system over 12 years. Other efficiency measures have improved customer service and placed the district on its most stable financial foundation. Mr. Speaker, Chuck Bryant has decided to retire from the Hi-Desert Water District, and I would ask my colleagues to join me in thanking him for his years of public service, and wishing him well in his future endeavors.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague yielding. And, Mr. Speaker, I would like to join my colleagues this evening in paying tribute to our friend from the Committee on Appropriations, Ron Packard. Ron is retiring from the House after 18 years of service to his constituents. He has had the privilege of representing one of the most beautiful parts of our State in south Orange County and north San Diego County, a small piece of Riverside County as well, as he would remind us. It is understandable why Ron would want to spend more time at home. He has just completed the building of a new home with his wife, Jean, seven children and too many grandchildren to count. He has got plenty to look forward to as he goes back home to his district. Ron came to the Congress after serving in the U.S. Navy and later as a member of the school board, active in the chamber of commerce. He served on the city council and was mayor of Carlsbad. Ron was elected to Congress as a result of his success as a write-in candidate in 1982, one of the very few occasions in which a write-in candidate has been successful. I have worked most closely with Ron in the appropriations process where over the years he has been the chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative Appropriations, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Construction Appropriations, and is just completing a tour representing our State very well on the subcommittee that deals with energy and water appropriations, a most important appropriations bill. Mr. Speaker, we are going to miss Ron greatly as a member of our committee. He has been of great service to Southern California.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, when we are confronted by the despicable, cowardly attack on the U.S.S. Cole during a simple refueling stop in a troubled port, our first reaction is anger and a desire to punish those who are responsible. But today I believe we should put those thoughts aside and consider instead on the sacrifice made by those members of the Cole's crew, and reflect on how our country--and the entire world--depends on such sacrifices by all our men and women in uniform around the globe. These crew members put themselves at risk to bring peace to a region that could self-destruct at any time if our warships were not present. The U.S.S. Cole was in Yemen, a nation with a history of antagonism to the United States, to help establish a new relationship of trust and friendship. They put their lives on the line not only to keep the peace, but spread its benefits. The force of the explosion gouged a 40-foot-by-40 foot hole in the side of the Cole. If this attack had occurred to a ship of almost any other navy in the world, the ship would have sunk with many lives lost. But the Cole's crew showed the intense training, high skill level and sheer determination that we have come to expect of all of America's armed forces. Twice in three days they contained the damage, keeping the ship afloat and saving many of their injured colleagues. Because of the unselfish dedication of Americans like those on the U.S.S. Cole, the United States is one of the few nations in history that can reduce military tensions anywhere simply with the presence of our warships. The hearts of peace-loving people around the world are lifted at the sight of a U.S. Navy ship steaming into port. And sadly, the angry dreams of those who would disrupt the peace focus on destroying those peacekeepers, as well. The crew of the U.S.S. Cole knew that they could be in danger in an unsettled region, and would not be deterred from performing their duty as our front-line peacekeepers. We are aware that there are those who will go to any extreme, including trying to sink the Cole, in a desperate effort to undermine America's commitment to bring peace to this war-torn part of the world. When the attack came, the crew of the Cole would not allow their ship to sink. Our nation is deeply saddened by the loss of the brave men and women who gave their lives so that peace may spread around the world. But we say to the enemies who would attack us in the hopes of spreading war: Look carefully at the lesson of determination that is the U.S.S. Cole. We will not be deterred.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, when the millions of people who live in Southern California want to escape our perpetual summer for a little winter fun or cool mountain breezes, we head to a refuge thousands of feet above and a world away from the beaches that are our trademark. Just an hour from those beaches lies the San Bernardino National Forest, which today provides thousands of acres of recreational splendor thanks largely to the efforts of one dedicated public servant: Ernest T. Dierking. Ernest Dierking began his career with the U.S. Forest Service in June 1958, and has dedicated the last 22 years to expanding the San Bernardino National Forest and making sure the pines and mountain vistas are preserved for an appreciative public. He has served as the District Ranger in San Bernardino, and most recently he was Director of Lands and Minerals. In that role, he has acquired 15,990 acres worth $17 million to be preserved for the public's enjoyment. Through the efforts of Ernest Dierking, the public can now enjoy hundreds of miles of mountain trails, ski resorts, wildlife watching and peak climbing from the Cucamonga Wilderness on the Los Angeles County line to the Santa Rosa Wilderness in Riverside County. Mr. Speaker, Ernest Dierking retired from the Forest Service on Sept. 1, ending his 42-year career of accomplishment and public service. Please join me in thanking him for creating a mountain paradise on the edge of our nation's largest urban area, and wishing him well in his future plans.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4635) making appropriations for the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Madam Speaker, first let me express my appreciation to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) for his yielding me this time and further express my appreciation to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young); the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen); and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) for allowing this bill to move forward today. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe has lived in the harsh environment around Death Valley National Park for thousands of years. S. 2102 provides for the transfer of approximately 7,754 acres of land in trust for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. This land will allow the tribe to live permanently and govern its affairs in a modern community. In the past, the tribe has tried unsuccessfully to obtain trust land within its aboriginal homeland area. After 5 years of intense consultation and negotiations, a study report was completed in late 1999 that set forth recommendations for this legislation implementing a comprehensive integrated plan for a permanent homeland for the tribe. S. 2102 also formally recognizes the tribe's contributions to the history, culture and ecology of the Death Valley National Park and surrounding areas. S. 2102 ensures that the resources within the park are protected and enhanced by cooperative activities within the tribe's ancestral homeland and by partnerships between the tribe and the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Madam Speaker, I express my appreciation to the committee for its fine work. Madam Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in support of S. 2102, the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe has lived in the harsh environment in and around Death Valley National Park for thousands of years. This bill provides approximately 7,754 acres of land in trust for the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. The tribe will be able to use this land to live permanently and govern its affairs in a modern community within their ancestral homelands in the Mojave Desert. This legislation is consistent with the draft report prepared by the Secretary of the interior as required by section 705(b) of the California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-433). When the California Desert Protection Act was enacted in 1994, I included a provision that specifically directed the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and relevant Federal agencies, to conduct a study to identify lands suitable for reservation for the tribe that are located within the tribe's aboriginal homeland area within and outside the boundaries of the Death Valley National Monument and Death Valley National Park and file a report with Congress. Madam Speaker, the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe is a small tribe of about 300 Indians whose ancestral home is located within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. Their aboriginal use areas extended beyond the boundaries of the park to territories nearby, including lands within both California and Nevada. Their current tribal headquarters is at Furnace Creek where the park headquarters is also located. In the early 1930's the President of the United States signed an Executive order establishing a National Monument at Death Valley, California. By doing this, he placed the lands encompassed in the order under the administrative jurisdiction of the National Park Service. In the 1980's, the tribe was given formal recognition as a federally recognized tribe entitled to all the services and protections that are given to all federally recognized Indian tribes. What was not provided or granted by BIA or the Park Service was a reservation or permanent tribal home land base. This has created innumerable problems for this tribe ranging from housing, schools, health care facilities, ineligibility for grants and contracts, deprivation from, access to, or gathering of customary natural resources, and a total lack of economic development possibilities. S. 2102 is the product of an intense consultation and negotiation process that has taken place between the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe and the U.S. Park Service and Bureau of Land Management as required by section 705(b) of the California Desert Protection Act. There have been a number of public hearings in the local communities in California and Nevada. The Tribe and the Department of the Interior have worked closely with the National Parks Conservation Association; the Sierra Club; and the Wilderness Society to address their concerns. This bill enjoys the strong support of the department of Interior, the National Park Service and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. In addition, the tribe has received supporting resolutions from the three counties where the tribe's lands would be located--Inyo County, CA, and Nye and Esmeralda Counties in Nevada; the Town Board of Pahrump, NV; the Mojave-Southern Great Basin Resource Area Council; and a number of Indian tribes and tribal organizations located in both states and nationally. This is a good bill and I urge my colleagues to support this much- needed legislation.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, senior citizens across the country are setting an example for all of us of the value and virtue of volunteerism, but Ernie Armstead of San Bernardino is a standout even among these hard-working civic champions. The senior volunteers and those who work with them in San Bernardino County, who know the hard work of Ernie Armstead, were delighted this year when he was one of five recipients of the prestigious National Community Spirit Award from the American Association of Retired Persons. Mr. Armstead, who is retired from the Air Force and the U.S. Postal Service, has for the past six years been organizing programs to educate the senior population about everything from Medicare to legislative issues to how to get help with tax preparation. He now serves as community relations coordinator for 36 area AARP chapters, and has been a member of the County Senior Citizens Affairs Commission since 1995. He is chairman of the commission's Senior Housing Subcommittee, and as liaison between the commission and AARP. Among his accomplishments, Mr. Armstead created an innovative program in my hometown of Redlands known as Dinner and Dialogue, which brings together people in their 50s and 60s for a meal and discussion of issues that concern them. The popular dinners have brought in speakers from around the county to discuss senior programs and answer questions. It is one of many examples of opportunities Mr. Armstead seeks for seniors to create and expand networks across political, ethnic and age groups. Mr. Speaker, all of the people of San Bernardino County benefit from the hard work by exemplary senior volunteers like Ernie Annstead. I ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating him on being honored with the National Community Spirit Award, and wish him well in his continuing volunteer work in our county.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call your attention today to one of California's most unsung dedicated public servants: Mr. Jay R. Stroh, who has been director of California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for 17 years, during which time he has professionalized and modernized an extremely important and complex agency. Jay R. Stroh began his public career as a deputy with the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, rising through the ranks to become captain. He was Chief of Police for the City of Inglewood for 10 years, and Chief of Police of El Segundo for four and a half years. He was appointed by Governor Ronald Reagan to the Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training, served at the California State University Los Angeles as a member of the Institute Planning Committee on Police Science and Administration, School of Applied Arts and Sciences, and at El Camino College. Mr. Stroh was first appointed Director of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) by Governor George Deukmejian on February 3, 1983, reappointed by Governor Pete Wilson and again by Governor Gray Davis upon his election in 1999. Respected by the alcoholic beverage industry, law enforcement and community coalitions, Mr. Stroh has received recognition by State legislators, both Democrats and Republicans, as an effective leader. While he has been Director, Mr. Stroh has turned the ABC into a proactive agency with several innovative programs that brought merchants, law enforcement, youth, community leaders and alcoholic beverage industry members together. Mr. Stroh helped pass legislation elevating the Department's peace officer status to a classification equivalent to the California Highway Patrol. He increased by one-third the field enforcement activities of Department investigators and streamlined and modernized the Department's licensing and investigative procedures. Mr. Stroh's tenure is believed to be the longest continuous directorship in California state government. His retirement brings to a close 49 years as a public servant to the people of California. Mr. Speaker, please join me in thanking Jay R. Stroh for his dedicated service and numerous accomplishments, and in wishing he and his wife, Jackie, good luck in their future endeavors.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my colleague, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I have a magnificent speech that has been prepared carefully for this discussion today. I am not going to refer to the speech, but rather submit it. In the meantime, Mr. Speaker, I want to express my deep appreciation to my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon), with whom it has been my privilege to work for many, many years in the State legislature as well as here. He has done a fantastic job, in my view, providing the kind of balance that we need that makes the work of this committee such a nonpartisan piece of work. In turn, before coming to the committee, it had not been my privilege to know well the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss). The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) is a person of fabulous background, but very unique experience in this subject area. He comes to our committee at a most important time in our history. The leadership he has provided for us is very important to the security interests of this country, at home and abroad, but especially of significance to those who care about freedom in the world. The men and women who make up the personnel base of our intelligence community overall are fabulous people. They do wonderful work on our behalf. Most of it gets very, very little attention. From time to time, we have a problem where someone crosses the line, usually stupidly, sometimes overtly, and the work of the agency does come to public view. It ofttimes is of great disservice to this country. It is important, very important, that we secure those personnel who want to make sure that the work of the agencies take place as reflected in the direction of the law passed by the Congress. I very much wanted to focus upon the comments of my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr). Let me say that whistle-blowers are protected within this bill and within the law. So long as they come forward with matters that are security matters about which they are concerned and they disclose them to people who are cleared to receive such information, they can carry forward their conscience and their responsibility as they would see fit. There is no restriction there, and the law is very careful about that. I understand that lawyers, about presuming that only lawyers have these answers, but the committee has worked very carefully with the work done by the Senate, and I am comfortable with that work, as of that moment. The work of this bill is very, very critical work. Because of some of these questions that are being raised, the votes today may be very important. I urge the Members of the body to realize how significant the work of this committee is and how important it is that they give it their full support, as well as their attention. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to testify that this is a very fine piece of work done by both bodies, carried forward in a most positive way by the leadership of both the ranking member and the chairman. Mr. Speaker, this is my last year on the committee, and I want to express to our Chairman and to Mr. Dixon my sincerest thanks for their dedication in ensuring this nation has the intelligence capabilities critical to protecting our freedoms. It's not often thought of in these terms, but intelligence truly is our first line of defense, and the close, personal, working relationship Chairman Goss and Mr. Dixon have, has made our jobs all the easier. I want to thank you both, and I believe this entire body owes you a great deal of gratitude. Mr. Speaker, every year those of us who serve on the Intelligence Committee stand before this body to discuss the Intelligence Authorization bill. Because of very real national security issues, we cannot discuss the sensitive details of the bill. We simply have to ask our colleagues to ``trust us'' as we vote on the classified aspects of our intelligence agencies and activities. Mr. Speaker, let me assure you, and, most importantly, the American people, that each member of the committee takes that responsibility very seriously. The issues and debates we take up in committee about our intelligence programs are based solely on national security interests. Partisian politics is not a function in the conduct of committee business. This has earned the Intelligence Committee the trust that is required. Mr. Speaker, while the Members deserve much for their efforts to oversee our Nation's intelligence organizations, I would be remiss in not making mention of the superb committee staff. The staff deals with some of the most difficult issues facing our country. They do tough work, in a tough environment, and we ask much of them. I thank each member of the Intelligence Committee staff for the support they provide, and more importantly, for what they do for America. Mr. Speaker, a quick word about our magnificent intelligence community. It is a community of professionals who work in the background and who don't get much credit, if any, for successfully accomplishing the difficult tasks they are asked to carry out. The men and women of the intelligence community often bear the full brunt of public criticism for the rare, but inevitable intelligence shortfall-- after all ``perfect knowledge'' is a noble, but usually unobtainable, goal. So it is important that we, who know the details of the good work of this community, take every opportunity to thank them for their heroism publically. We can't, for example, publically acknowledge the Central Intelligence Agency for an operation that might stop a planned terrorist attack, or the National Security Agency for providing the piece of information that might allow military commanders to locate critical targets, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency for providing the proof that a foreign nation is developing weapons of mass destruction, or the FBI for locating and removing a Russian listening device in the State Department conference room. These and the other intelligence organizations and the analysts who make sense of the myriad information stand watch for all Americans day in and day out. I thank them for the jobs they do, for the professionals that they are, and for the sacrifices they make every single day. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this conference report. Indeed it provides the intelligence community with the resources it needs to carry out its mission, and it ensures that the American military forces deployed around the world have the best information resources we can provide them. That is not to say that I think we have done enough. The world is not a safe place. There are truly bad actors in the world and, in fact, we may be living in a more dangerous and unstable world today than we faced during the cold war: This past week's events in the former Yugoslavia are example; the increase in terrorism--as, tragically, we saw again this morning in the Persian Gulf; the proliferation of inexpensive weapons of mass destruction that puts unbelievable destructive power in the hands of small nations and non-nation groups; the number of countries with nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them is increasing. These threats present tough information challenges for our intelligence community; challenges that must be met. We have to make sure our intelligence organizations are given the proper resources to successful operate in this dangerous world. This conference report provides adequate resources that should be seen as a down payment on keeping our intelligence community capable and viable in this dangerous world. But to protect our national security, we must resolve to invest more in our ``intelligence first line of defense.'' I urge my colleagues to vote with me in support of this conference report.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I could not help but notice as I walked in the Chambers that the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha) was speaking and he talked about our interest in national defense. He probably does not know that I entered public affairs some years ago as a member of a local school board, running for that school board largely because at the time I had four children in the public schools. Mr. Speaker, I must say that the job that was being done for those kids and with those kids at a local public elementary school was truly just short of fantastic, and I ran for the school board in order to try to extend that kind of local education in my local community. Over the years, all of us have seen some significant change in education and the way it works and sometimes does not work so well. Upon arriving in the Congress, that interest in education continued. The first thing I did was to look for leadership on my side of the aisle. The first person I looked to was Bill Goodling. So it is a great privilege for me to rise today and express my strong feelings of not just support, but the reality that the House will dearly miss his leadership in this very, very important field. Bill has taught many of us many things. I remember in that first term, I was asking some of my colleagues about who provided the kind of leadership we needed in education, and I had a conversation with my friend, Dick Cheney, who was then a part of my freshman class, but he had been around Washington for a while. He pointed to Bill Goodling as the guy to seek out if I wanted some counsel. I wanted to share with Bill probably the most important lesson I think he has reminded me of during these years by way of a story that relates to my comments about Dick Cheney. Not very long ago in my home town of Redlands, Dick Cheney and his wife, Lynn, were present and they were involved in a panel in a classroom with about 90 people present, and of course the media is always there. But on the right-hand side there was this very interesting panel made up of two administrators, a Hispanic and an Anglo, a second grade teacher of Asian descent and a Hispanic mother. The reason they were there is because they had recently participated in a program where for some weeks they went to Texas to look at what was going on in education there and they brought it back to Redlands to implement those programs in our schools. They described the fantastic result of this effort, making the point that Bill Goodling has made for me that local schools run best when they are run by local people, and that we at the Federal level need to make sure we are careful about the way we spend those 10 cents on the dollar that we give to the schools and not try to dominate those schools from Washington, D.C. Mr. Speaker, I thank Bill Goodling for that and for all of his leadership for years in the Congress.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is accurate to say that for Americans headed West to Southern California, all roads pass through San Bernardino County. And for one weekend this month, a half-million people from across the United States will head straight to San Bernardino to celebrate the most storied road of all: Route 66. In Its 11th year, the Route 66 Rendezvous in downtown San Bernardino has grown from 300 cars and 4,000 people to 2,448 vehicles viewed by 600,000 visitors last year, making it one of the nation's largest free- admission events. Through the strong support of local businesses--led by chief sponsor Stater Bros. Markets--and thousands of volunteers, the city of San Bernardino has created one of the top family-oriented events in California, according to the state's Division of Tourism. Celebrating the car culture that has been such a part of modem American history, the Rendezvous invites the thousands of visitors to watch the classic vehicles parade, race their engines in a decibel- measured contest and burn out their tires at an abandoned raceway. Kids are given a chance to build and keep their own toys. It is no surprise that renewed interest in the fabled Route 66 has led America to San Bernardino County. Over 200 miles of the Mother Road carry travelers from the forbidding Mojave Desert to the doorstep of Southern California's cities. Those who are rediscovering the first cross-country highway have a tremendous resource in Barstow, where the newest and most exciting Route 66 museum has opened in the historic Harvey House railroad depot. Further along the highway West is another fine museum in Victorville. Children who grew up in San Bernardino knew Route 66 as the home of the Wigwam Motel--and eventually as the home of the nation's first McDonalds restaurant. It was the road that brought the nation to California, and helped create the most populous and vibrant state in the country. This year's celebration will be highlighted by the induction of four new members of the Cruisin' Hall of Fame, which enshrines the people, machines and institutions that have contributed the most to our nation of car lovers. The inductees this year are the toymaker Mattel, for the ubiquitous miniature Hot Wheels cars; the Beach Boys musical group; J.C. Agajanian, a legendary owner of the Ascot Speedway; and the Woody, the hand-built station wagon that was the sports utility vehicle of its day. Mr. Speaker, I ask that you and my colleagues join me in recognizing these new members of the Cruisin' Hall of Fame for their contributions to our nation's popular history and culture. And please join me in congratulating San Bernardino for hosting the Route 66 Rendezvous, a celebration of America's romance with the automobile.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me. I rise to express my support for the 25 million married couples in the country who will be negatively affected by the President's veto, and strongly urge that we override that veto. Mr. Speaker, Republicans and Democrats agree. Congress and the President agree. It is wrong to tax 25 million couples at a higher rate just because they are married. So why are we forced to override a veto to right this wrong? The answer is simple: partisan politics. The President and the Democrats say they can't support the effort to resolve this injustice because it ``doesn't help the right people.'' Here are the ``wrong people'' it would help: Nearly a million low-income working families who would receive up to $421 more a year from raising the phase-out level of the Earned Income Credit. 25 million taxpayers at all levels who would save up to $1,450 in federal taxes because the standard deduction for married couples would be made equal to two individuals. Millions more middle-income families who would save hundreds of dollars each year because the 15 percent tax bracket for couples filing jointly would be increased to twice that of single filers. Millions of married taxpayers at all levels would be treated fairly for the first time in nearly 40 years. These couples have been paying extra taxes every year since their wedding. The Democrats and the President have said they can't support this reform because it provides some relief to the taxpayers who pay 65 percent of the nation's taxes. These are the people who have funded the surplus that we are now blessed with. And when this fairness legislation is in place, they will still pay 65 percent of the nation's taxes. The Democrats and the administration clearly believe the federal budget surplus is their money. They cannot conceive of allowing the people who have already provided this surplus to pay less in future years. Instead, they would spend it on mammoth new federal programs, run by Washington bureaucrats. Or they would tell taxpayers now to spend their own money in order to qualify for any reduction in the taxes they pay. It's time for Congress to recognize that this money belongs to the taxpayers. At the very least, we should pass this legislation to provide tax justice to 25 million families.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, as California celebrates the 150th anniversary of statehood, I would like to share with my colleagues a little of the history and special characteristics of the 40th Congressional District--the largest in the state--which I am proud to represent. That history stretches long before California became a state--and indeed long before the history of the West was recorded. The 40th district stretches from the peaks of the Eastern Sierra Nevada to the fast-growing cities of the San Bernardino Valley, on the eastern edge of the Southern California urban area. The heart of the district is the Mojava Desert, which has long been known as a gateway to the Pacific Coast since the Mohava Indians forged a trail west from the Colorado River to trade with coastal tribes. The route eventually was followed by the Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads, and then by Route 66, the Mother Road that is still celebrated by tens of thousands of people at events in Barstow and San Bernardino. The 40th Congressional District today boasts the highest point and lowest point in the ``lower 48'' states. Mount Whitney, at 14,495 feet, is the highest peak along the towering mountain chain known as the Sierra Nevada. The lowest point at 282 feet below sea level, is the Badwater area of the desolately beautiful Death Valley National Park. The two points are among many that make the district an outdoor recreation paradise. Other desert parks include Joshua Tree National Park and Mojava National Preserve. The Owens Valley, where the mountains meet the desert, is the gateway to such nationally known treasures as Sequoia National Park and the Mammoth Lakes ski resorts. Southern California residents known that they can find world-class skiing and summer hiking trails much closer to home, in the 40th District's San Bernardino Mountains, which provide a snow-capped backdrop to the sunny Southland. Tucked under those mountains are some of the nation's fastest growing communities. Mr. Speaker, the 40th Congressional District makes a huge contribution to our nation's defense as the home of the Army's National Training Center at Fort Irwin, the Marine Corps Air-Command Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Edwards Air Force Base and China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center. Two recently closed installations--George Air Force and Norton Air Force Bases--are being transformed into new commercial air hubs to handle the region's burgeoning air cargo and passenger needs. The 40th Congressional District has a wealth of universities and colleges, including fast-growing California State University, San Bernardino, the prestigious University of Redlands, and Loma Linda University and Medical Center, known nationally for its infant heart transplant program and for the first proton beam accelerator used in ground-breaking cancer treatment. Mr. Speaker, from the discovery and mining of gold and silver to the training ground for Gen. George S. Patton's World War II tank brigades, the 40th Congressional District's history is intertwined with California's and the nation's. It is an honor to represent a district that contains such a wealth of resources, and such hard-working, forward-looking constituents.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer praise today for a man with whom I am proud to share a name, a man who has shown the world for 35 years that Americans will rally in huge numbers to help those in need. I am speaking, of course, of my friend Jerry Lewis, the consummate entertainer, and his world-renowned telethon for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. Since 1965, Jerry Lewis has taken to the airwaves to raise funds to fight neuromuscular disease, setting a standard for fund-raising that has become a part of our culture. In the 2000 version of the event on September 3-4, Lewis and his ``Jerry's Kids'' and a multitude of entertainers raised a record $54.1 million in pledges. The MDA will operate 183 offices and research centers nationwide with these and other private donations--the organization does not request or receive government funding. The diseases combated by Jerry Lewis and MDA--40 of them, including ``Lou Gehrig's disease'' and myasthenia gravis--affect tens of thousands of people throughout the United States. The MDA efforts can be found nationwide as well. I am proud to say the Loma Linda University Medical Center in my district has one of two Southern California clinics that serve 1,500 adults and children. The donations raised by Jerry Lewis for the MDA go much further than treating these diseases. Researchers funded by MDA have discovered a gene that controls one form of neuromuscular illness, and are now conducting tests on what forms of gene therapy might be possible. It is also through these donations that thousands of children each year can get out of their treatment rooms and go to summer camp, where they enjoy horse-back riding, canoeing and other activities. At one of those camps, in Big Bear Lake in the San Bernardino Mountains in my district, children who spend nearly all of their energy fighting neuromuscular disease can enjoy the great outdoors because MDA is able to pay for a counselor for every camper. Because he has been a sentimental success for three decades, and because he is very open with his thoughts and emotions, my good friend Jerry Lewis has often not been given the respect he deserves by the national media. But in cities and towns across the country young people, civic groups and many volunteers worked hard to help him make this year's telethon a great success. They know that he is a hero who is dedicated to saving millions of lives. Mr. Speaker, it is always a delight when I pick up the telephone and hear a buoyant voice say ``This is Jerry Lewis, how are you doing?'' I enjoy telling tourists who peer into my office: ``Of course, I'm the real Jerry Lewis.'' Sharing a name with someone who gives so much to help millions overcome disease is indeed an honor, and I urge my colleagues to honor this American institution by expressing our gratitude for his efforts.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, our Nation's capital is a much better place in which to live because of the many contributions made by David Gilmore. Since he has become the Director of the District of Columbia Housing Authority, we have a better understanding of those qualities that make up a dedicated public servant. Only a few years ago, our capital city was referred to as a ``broken city.'' Its poor housing was seen as a primary reflection of that reality. The local authority was burdened with dilapidated public housing projects, residents wary of any intervention and federal investigations that threatened severe funding cuts or total elimination of the department. Enter Judge Steffen Graae who appointed David Gilmore as a receiver of the local authority. Almost overnight, things began to change. With an intense commitment to the residents being served, he rebuilt much of the District's public housing. During the years I was privileged to chair the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies, I found I could always rely upon David Gilmore for his practical analysis of the challenges we face trying to improve those services that need to be provided in a public housing system. Because of his integrity, he rebuilt the trust and confidence of residents that the housing authority could provide quality service to those most in need. David insists that the interests of residents come first. Residents are treated with respect and encouraged to participate in training programs such as developing computer skills. Families are encouraged to focus upon children in school and residents to participate in helping to manage the properties in which they live. Mr. Speaker, if every major urban community had a housing director with the personal commitment and skills of David Gilmore, we would be much closer to solving the difficulties facing public housing. By showing that public housing can work, David Gilmore has done much to restore confidence in federal housing programs. David has made a major contribution to that effort to make our capital the ``shining city on the hill.''

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the conference report to accompany H.R. 4576, and that I may include tabular and extraneous material.

Mr. LEWIS of California

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

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. First, let me say that this conference report is, in my judgment, a fabulous piece of work. It provides funding for fiscal year 2001 at levels that reflect very much the legislation that was passed by the House only a few weeks ago. Indeed, as the Members may know, I was somewhat disconcerted by the supplemental bill that we passed some weeks ago, because it was my view that that legislation, while significant, failed to fully address certain critical areas of interest, such as our readiness needs, the contingency operations funding challenges that exist around the world, all the outstanding needs, military medical system, et cetera. We made up for much of that in an emergency funding title in their conference report. Indeed, in working with the other side of the aisle, we have had truly a hallmark year, in terms of laying the foundation for our future national defense. We need to make sure that America continues to lead the world as the strongest among the countries of the world and continue to play our role on behalf of freedom. Mr. Speaker, let me say that I would like to express to the Members my deepest appreciation for the work done with my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha); indeed, the cooperation of the ranking member of the full committee has been extremely helpful as well. I must say that the staff on both sides of the aisle, Kevin Roper and his gang of, it looks like 112 staff people, but it is actually only 13 women and men doing three dozen people's work. Beyond that, Mr. Speaker, let me say that the cooperation on the Senate side, in the other body's committee has been extremely valuable as well. The work of that staff, led by Steve Coatese, as well as Senator Stevens and the ranking member Senator Inouye, are very much appreciated. At this point I would like to insert for the Record a summary of the funding levels agreed to in the conference agreement. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY00.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY00.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY00.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TH19JY00.004 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 554, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 4576), making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Young), the chairman of the full committee.

Mr. LEWIS of California

Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the managers on the part of the House may have until midnight tonight, July 17, 2000, to file a conference report on the bill (H.R. 4576) making appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2001, and for other purposes.