William Lipinski

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Day of Prayer, which takes place this year on Thursday, May 7th. This unique annual observance offers an opportunity for all Americans to join together in prayer. The National Day of Prayer has been celebrated annually ever since its introduction in 1952 by Congress. In 1988, the National Day of Prayer was set on the first Thursday of each May. For over 45 years, the National Day of Prayer has been an occasion for countless Americans to give thanks for their blessings and ask for God's assistance. The theme of this year's National Day of Prayer is ``America, Return to God.'' It is a theme that is undoubtedly shared by Americans of all faiths. One of the most important values promoted by the National Day of Prayer is unity among people of different faiths. Americans of all faiths are encouraged to take time during the day to offer their prayers before God. The National Day of Prayer is a time to thank God for the many gifts and blessings that have been bestowed upon us, individually and as a nation. It is also a time to ask for stability and wisdom, and for God's guidance today so that we may restore moral values in our communities. My fellow colleagues, I urge you to join me and Americans from every state in praying for America, its leaders, and its people on the National Day of Prayer.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my heartfelt congratulations to a wonderful couple from my district, Mr. & Mrs. James Ruzicka. Mr. & Mrs. Ruzicka celebrate 50 years of devoted love, honor and respect. As Mr. & Mrs. James Ruzicka celebrate their anniversary, their 50 years of committed love, friendship and respect shows how love grows deeper and stronger through the years. I would like to extend my warmest congratulations on their love and success to Mr. & Mrs. James Ruzicka as they celebrate their anniversary. May happiness be theirs in everything they do.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today and would like to extent my warmest congratulations to two dear friends of mine from my district, Joseph and Dorothy Buchta, as they celebrate 50 years of married life. Joseph and Dorothy Buchta were married on June 12, 1948 at Our Lady of Holy Mount Church in Cicero, Illinois. They will soon be celebrating with their family and friends their 50th wedding anniversary. As Joseph and Dorothy Buchta celebrate their anniversary, their example of 50 years of married life tells the world and each other that their love has grown deeper and stronger over the years. Their commitment to each other is an inspiration to all of us who will celebrate this happy occasion with them. I would like to congratulate Joseph and Dorothy Buchta on their success and may their love, friendship and happiness grow more beautiful with every year that they share together.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to an outstanding group of dedicated health care professionals--the 2.6 million registered nurses in the United States. These outstanding men and women, who stand at the forefront of modern medicine, will celebrate National Nurses Week, May 6-12, 1998. As far as this Member is concerned, all Americans who have ever been cared for or comforted by a nurse should celebrate during National Nurses Week. According to the American Nurses Association, National Nurse Week was first observed October 11-16, 1954, the 100th Anniversary of the founding of modern nursing by Florence Nightingale during the Crimean War. National Nurses Day and Week was eventually moved to May to incorporate Florence Nightingale's birthday, which is May 12. Registered nurses are in many ways the backbone of our health care system. In many states they now safely prescribe medicine and deliver babies. Studies have shown that higher the ratio of nurse-to-patients in a hospital, the lower the patient death rate. In short, registered nurses provide top-quality, cost-effective health care services for their patients. Mr. Speaker, I salute America's nurses during the week of May 6-12, 1998 and encourage my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to acknowledge the very special contributions to my community and to humanity in general by an outstanding individual, Ms. Lynn O'Shea. Lynn O'Shea is best known for her dedication to enriching the lives of people with disabilities, especially in her 15 years of work as Executive Director of Seguin Services. On May 1, 1998, Lynn is leaving Seguin to become Executive Director of a similar agency that is closer to her home. As an employee of Seguin for 15 years, Lynn has served in many roles. Under her leadership, Seguin has been fiscally sound in the face of continuing funding crises and has grown into a $15 million organization that provides jobs for over 400 people. More notably, Lynn has responded to the growing needs of foster care homes for infants and children with disabilities and severe medical conditions by launching a foster care program that is now recognized as a model in Illinois. Most importantly, Lynn has helped people with developmental disabilities to live and work in the same way their neighbors do, she has broken down barriers to community integration by supporting developmentally disabled adults find jobs in the community, and she has established small single family homes with permanent foster parents. Lynn is a role model not only for the citizens of Illinois, but for all workers in the social work industry. She is highly regarded in her field among her colleagues in Illinois. Her leadership style and never- say-no attitudes have earned her respect, admiration and love from her management team. It is with great pleasure that I ask my colleagues to recognize her accomplishments and to thank Lynn for her extraordinary work, leadership and dedication to helping citizens throughout the state of Illinois.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a piece of legislation entitled the Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act. The Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act is a bill that will require Congressional approval of all U.S. aviation bilateral agreements. International aviation is governed by a series of bilateral civil aviation agreements between countries. Unlike other sectors of the economy that tend to be handled through multilateral agreements, such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, issues regarding international aviation are resolved through government-to-government negotiations. For example, if a U.S. air carrier wants to fly into and out of another country, the American government must first negotiate with the government of that country to determine the terms under which the carriers from both countries will operate. Terms of bilateral civil aviation agreements include, among other things, route assignments, capacity and frequency limitations, carrier designations, and pricing controls. U.S. bilateral aviation agreements are executive agreements. They are negotiated and signed by representatives from the Department of State and the Department of Transportation. Unfortunately, Congress does not play any official role in the approval of bilateral aviation agreements. As the Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, I strongly believe that Congress deserves to play a role in approving bilateral aviation agreements. As Members of Congress, we represent the businessperson, the leisure traveler, the consumer--the flying public in general. We should have the right to make sure that bilateral aviation agreements are negotiated to give U.S. consumers the most access to international aviation markets at the best price. For this reason, I introduced the Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act, a bill to require Congressional approval of all U.S. aviation bilateral agreements. International aviation, which is based on bilateral aviation agreements, has a tremendous impact on the U.S. economy and U.S. citizens. Congress should not be excluded from agreements of such magnitude. As elected Representatives of the people, we owe it to the American consumer to look out for his or her best interests. My legislation will help Members of Congress better represent the flying public by giving Congress an integral role in the approval of U.S. bilateral aviation agreements. The Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act will require implementing legislation for each U.S. bilateral aviation agreement, similar to the legislation required for trade agreements such as NAFTA. Under the bill, each bilateral agreement would be presented to Congress by the Secretaries involved in the negotiations. An approval resolution would then be introduced and referred for a limited number of days to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee. After Committee review, a straight up-or-down vote would then be required in both chambers. Finally, once the approval resolution passes both the House and the Senate, and is signed into law, then the bilateral aviation agreement would be official. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank the gentleman from Oregon, Representative Peter DeFazio, for joining me as an original co- sponsor of this important legislation. In addition, I urge all my colleagues to co-sponsor the Aviation Bilateral Accountability Act.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that I have been an opponent of NAFTA since its inception. I have voted against the free trade pact, and I have opposed efforts to expand it. Many have accused me of being out of touch with modern economics and the ``global economy.'' Nonetheless, I believe the facts have supported my position. NAFTA has been a disaster. Americans jobs have been lost and our trade deficit has exploded with Mexico. I am further heartened in my opposition to NAFTA by the recent conversion of one of America's leading journalists to my point of view: Hedrick Smith of the Public Broadcasting System. Smith, who produces or hosts many important news programs and documentaries on PBS, recently showed NAFTA's ill effects on his excellent series, ``Surviving the Bottom Line.'' In addition, Smith wrote an analysis of NAFTA in Washington Monthly magazine based on his research for the documentary. Both show a damning picture painted a self-described ``long time free trader.'' Smith mentions the familiar problems with NAFTA: The U.S. has lost several hundred thousand jobs and our balance of trade has gone from a $5.4 billion surplus to a $18 billion deficit with Mexico in four years. However, Smith has also uncovered some interesting reasons as to why this happened. His reporting showed that some of the blame goes all the way across the pacific Ocean to Japan and South Korea, where Pacific Rim industrial giants like Sony, Samsung and Panasonic have discovered a backdoor to the U.S. market. By setting up plants south of the border and exporting products made there to us they are able to avoid paying import duties because NAFTA eliminated those tariffs between Mexico and the United States. Just when many foreign-based firms, such as Honda, Toyota and BMW, has discovered the prudence in investing in plants in the United States to avoid import tariffs, while also paying good wages to American workers who in turn can afford to purchase the products they make, NAFTA has given these companies a huge pool of one-dollar-an-hour workers who can also help them avoid the same tariffs. Smith's reporting also confirms that rather than bringing the average Mexican worker up. NAFTA has had the reverse effect of depressing the living standard of American workers. The major culprit here is the notoriously weak Mexican labor unions, which are usually controlled by the government, and the power of the maquiladora trade associations in collusion with that government, which conspire to keep wages down lest the Mexican workers actually try to share in the wealth they help create. These low wages have a chilling effect that reaches far north of the border. Smith's conclusion is not hopeful: ``As long as Mexican wages are kept low as a matter of government policy, inadequate labor rights or collusion among employers, the living standard of the American middle class will continue to erode.'' For the sake of our nation and for the sake of American working families, we must take a long, hard look at our nation's trade policies and the currently fashionable mentality that all free trade must be good trade. If we don't, I strongly suspect that Hendrick Smith's prophecy will come true.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute today to a dedicated police officer who has spent 36 years protecting the lives and property of his fellow citizens, Lieutenant John T. Regan of the Chicago Police Department. Since 1962, Lieutenant Regan has served the city of Chicago and his community, including many people from my district, as a member of the Chicago Police Department. Most recently, he has worked in the Violent Crimes Office of the Area One Detective Division. On March 5, 1998, however, Lieutenant Regan retired from the police force. His presence will certainly be missed, both by his fellow officers and by the members of the community who he has served diligently for many years. Mr. Speaker, I salute Lieutenant John T. Regan on his 36 years as a police officer. I would like to extend my very best wishes for continued success and happiness in retirement and in the years to come.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, today the House of Representatives will consider H.R. 2400, the surface transportation bill known as BESTEA. I rise today to simply say that BESTEA is a good, bipartisan bill. It will provide better, safer roads. It will provide new and improved public transit systems. It will improve air quality by reducing traffic congestion and by promoting public transit. It will provide good jobs for middle-class Americans. It will ensure America's future as a world leader by maintaining and improving our world class transportation system. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to vote to invest in America's future and vote in favor of H.R. 2400 today.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), for this time. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2400, the Building Efficiency Surface Transportation and Equity Act, commonly referred to as BESTEA. First, I want to thank our chairman and ranking members for all of their hard work, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall). They have worked together to create a strong bipartisan bill that provides the necessary funding to maintain and improve our Nation's infrastructure. I am sure that during the debate today, a few of our colleagues will try to say that this important bill busts the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. This is simply not true. This bill is paid for out of the Highway Trust Fund. The Highway Trust Fund is supported by fuel taxes paid by motorists. Therefore, this bill is paid for each time motorists go to pay for their gasoline. BESTEA does not bust the balanced budget. BESTEA simply spends down the large unspent surplus in the Highway Trust Fund. Under this bill, dedicated gas taxes are used for their dedicated purpose, to address the transportation needs of cities and States throughout this Nation. This is absolutely necessary because America's transportation needs are staggering. Our Nation's transportation infrastructure in many areas is crumbling and it is in urgent need of repair, mainly because we as a Nation have not invested enough to maintain and improve our transportation system. In fact, in the last 30 years transportation spending as a percentage of the Federal budget has been cut in half. Yet investing in transportation means investing in America's future. Economic studies show that every dollar invested in the highway system yields $2.60 in economic benefit. Other countries are already investing billions in their core infrastructure. Fortunately, BESTEA does the same for America. Mr. Chairman, as I said this morning, BESTEA is a good bipartisan bill. It will provide better, safer roads. It will provide new and improved public transportation systems. It will improve air quality by reducing traffic congestion and by promoting public transit. It will provide good jobs for middle-class Americans. It will ensure America's future as a world leader by maintaining and improving our world class surface transportation system. I strongly urge all my colleagues to vote to invest in America's future and vote in favor of H.R. 2400.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to bring to the attention of my colleagues an outstanding young individual from the 3rd Congressional District of Illinois who has completed a major goal in his Scouting career. Kevin J. Zielinski, a young man from Boy Scout Troop 358, Midlothian, Illinois will be honored at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor. It is important to note that less than two percent of all Scouts in America attain the rank of Eagle Scout. This high honor can only be earned by those Scouts demonstrating extraordinary leadership abilities. Kevin has clearly demonstrated such leadership abilities. When flood victims in North Dakota were in need of basic necessities, he took action. Kevin Zielinski led a group of volunteers that collected household cleaning supplies and personal care items for these victims of adverse circumstances. Through his achievements in Scouting, Kevin has shown that he is the kind of young man who can be counted upon to provide leadership in the community throughout his life. Kevin also has the honor of being the 40th Eagle Scout from Troop 358. This shows that he has been successful in a highly disciplined organization of young men, promoting the kinds of values and achievements that we will always need to keep America a great nation. In light of the commendable leadership and courageous activities performed by this fine young man, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Kevin J. Zielinski for attaining the highest honor in Scouting--the Rank of Eagle. Let us wish him the very best in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this time to honor an outstanding individual on his service to the success of citizen diplomacy, Mr. Fred Quellmalz. Mr. Quellmalz has been dedicated to service with the Sister Cities International for the past 40 years. In 1956, Mr. Quellmalz and a select group of people met with President Dwight D. Eisenhower at the White House to discuss a people- to-people citizen diplomacy program. This program grew and became Sister Cities International. Mr. Quellmalz has been an active member of this program for the past 40 years and has helped to get people in the community involved with citizen diplomacy. On April 18, 1998 the Illinois Chapter of Sister Cities International will honor Fred Quellmalz with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding dedicated service to the people in the community and to the life of the citizen diplomacy program. Mr. Quellmalz not only watched the program grow, but was actively involved in its progress. In fact, Mr. Quellmalz was founder of two chapters in Illinois, the Des Plaines and the Illinois State Chapter, as well as Treasurer for both organizations. I would like to extend my very best wishes to Mr. Fred Quellmalz on his achievements with Sister Cities International as well as his dedicated community service.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the amount of time I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan) for introducing such an important bill. After our excellent Subcommittee on Aviation hearing on this issue last session, it was obvious that something needed to be done to address the increasing number of medical emergencies in the sky. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 2843, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act. The number of airline passengers traveling both domestically and internationally is growing by leaps and bounds each year. As more people fly, and fly longer distances, there is a greater chance of serious medical emergencies occurring during flight. Unfortunately, because the Federal Aviation Administration does not require airlines to report the number of in-flight medical emergencies, we can only make an educated guess that the number of medical emergencies has increased each year with the number of airline passengers. Fortunately, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act will require major airlines to report their on-board medical incidents to the FAA. This reporting requirement will provide data on the number and types of in- flight medical emergencies. This data can then be used to determine exactly what the major airlines need to have on board to help prevent the most common types of in-flight medical emergencies. Without this data provided by this reporting requirement, the airlines and the FAA would have to continue to guess about how to best prevent an in-flight medical tragedy. H.R. 2843 also directs the FAA to use the in-flight medical incident data reported by the airlines to determine whether to require defibrillators aboard aircraft and, if so, what type of aircraft. Recent technology improvements have made defibrillators portable, compact, and easy to use. In fact, at the Subcommittee on Aviation hearing last May, we saw the new smaller defibrillator, and it is amazing how easy this lifesaving device is to use. Several major air carriers have already agreed to voluntarily place defibrillators on their aircraft. I want to commend American Airlines, Delta Airlines, United, and Alaskan Airlines for voluntarily taking this step forward in passenger safety. I believe that the FAA will quickly see from the in-flight medical data that defibrillators are lifesaving devices that should be required on all major carriers and at all major airports. Hopefully, the FAA will act quickly and make a decision to require defibrillators on all major carriers in the near future. Finally, the bill includes a Good Samaritan provision. This provision would protect from legal liability the Good Samaritan, such as the doctor on board the flight who volunteers to help in a medical emergency. When a medical emergency happens during flight, the flight crew must often rely on the help of passengers who are medical professionals. Unfortunately, many doctors on board are often weary of volunteering their services for fear of being sued. This Good Samaritan provision protects passengers who volunteer to help, unless, of course, they are grossly negligent or engaged in willful misconduct. The Good Samaritan provision also generally protects the airlines from legal liability for the actions of their passengers. When passengers get on a plane, they assume that they will be safe. H.R. 2843, the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, will make sure that all passengers are safe when they board a plane. H.R. 2843 will help ensure that in-flight medical emergencies do not become in-flight medical tragedies. Again, I am a proud cosponsor of this bill, and I want to urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on this very important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the young gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Kennelly).

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume to close for our side. I simply want to say this is really a very important piece of legislation and a piece of legislation that will help make the skies much safer than they are at the present time. I want to compliment the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation. As usual, he has been enormously generous in sharing the credit on this bill with everybody else on the subcommittee. His usual cooperation has once again been there. It is a pleasure and a great opportunity, really, for me to continue to work with him on the Subcommittee on Aviation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a dedicated police officer who has spent 36 years protecting the lives and property of his fellow citizens, Lieutenant John T. Reagan of the Chicago Police Department. Since 1962, Lieutenant Reagan has served the city of Chicago and his community, including many people from my district, as a member of the Chicago Police Department. Most recently he has worked in the Violent Crimes Office One Detective Division. On March 5, 1998, however, Lieutenant John Reagan retired from the police force. His presence will certainly be missed, both by his fellow officers and by the members of his community who he has served diligently for many years. Mr. Speaker, I salute Lieutenant John T. Reagan on his 36 years of service as a police officer. I would like to extend my very best wishes for continued success and happiness on his retirement and in the years to come.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize an outstanding individual from my district, Christopher Jackson. Christopher, a senior at Marist High School, has proven himself time and time again to be an intelligent, energetic and multi- talented individual. I have been acquainted with Christopher for several years now. For the past 28 years I have sponsored an ``All American Boy, All American Girl'' which annually recognizes outstanding seventh and eighth grade students in my district on their accomplishments both academically and service within the community. Christopher is the first and only participant of the ``All American Boy'' competition to have won twice. Christopher Jackson possesses strong qualities as a leader amongst his peers and as a role model for others. He is a caring person who is always willing to lend a helping hand in the community. Christopher remains active both academically and athletically in school and performs various community service duties throughout the community, has excelled remarkably in his scholastic and athletic areas. In the fall of 1997, Christopher was honored as a finalist of the Wendy's High School Heisman award. Out of a pool of 10,020 chosen for the competition, 12 national finalists were invited to New York City for the awards program and banquet. Students are nominated for this award based on their individual academic achievements, athletic accomplishments, and community service. Mr. Jackson has demonstrated all of the above with great performance and is a truly well developed individual. I would like to extend my best wishes as Christopher graduates from Marist High School in May 1998 and with all his future endeavors. Christopher is an energetic and intelligent individual who will have a bright future with all he chooses to accomplish. I would also like to extend my warmest wishes to his family as Christopher is headed toward success.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an outstanding gentleman who for many years has served the people of my district in the field of dentistry, Dr. Walter F. Lamacki, DDS. Dr. Lamacki has been practicing dentistry for 35 years, and 24 years have been spent in the town of Burbank, Illinois. However, on March 1, 1998, Dr. Lamacki retired, and his practice will undoubtedly be missed by many people. Before entering general practice, Dr. Lamacki attended the University of Illinois and Loyola University and served in the United States Army Dental Corp. Over the years, Dr. Lamacki has held numerous positions in the Chicago Dental Society, including the position of President. He has served on several committees of the Illinois State Dental Society and the American Dental Association. Dr. Lamacki also has served on the Board of Governors of Loyola Alumni Dental School and as President of the Loyola Alumni Association. Dr. Lamacki is a respected member of the Chicago dental community. More importantly, he is a respected member of his community, both for the service he has given in dentistry and his commitment to civic concerns. He has taken on responsibilities as the President of the Burbank Chapter of the American Cancer Society, as a member of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, and as a Member of the Palos Gardens Civic Association. Mr. Speaker, I would like to applaud Dr. Lamacki on behalf of the many people he has treated and befriended in his years of practicing dentistry. I would like to extend my very best wishes for continued success and happiness in retirement and in the years to come.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I pay tribute to an outstanding entertainer who has amused and enlightened radio listeners throughout the Chicago community for 20 years, Mr. Steve Dahl. Mr. Dahl, who recently celebrated 20 years in Chicago broadcasting on February 23, 1998, is a true innovator in modern radio. His rapier wit and tell-it-like-it-is style have kept his listeners glued to their radios for the past two decades. Even though Steve Dahl has changed radio stations throughout the years, one thing has remained constant for Mr. Dahl, his love and respect for the power of radio as both a medium and art form, and his respect for his listeners. Mr. Dahl is truly a great American success story. As native of California, he tirelessly honed his craft at stations throughout his home state. When he came to Chicago in 1978 at age 23, Steve Dahl was already a seasoned pro and immediately drew large audiences with his outsider's perspective and boundless humor and energy. Throughout his 20 years in Chicago, Mr. Dahl has shown that a radio personality can be creative and funny, while remaining the consummate professional. Part of the attraction his listeners have with Mr. Dahl has been his relationship with his family. Unlike many broadcast personalities who manufacture a professional on-air persona from their real lives, Mr. Dahl has woven ups and downs of marriage and raising a family into most of his shows in a way in which any family can relate. It is not unusual for the Mr. Dahl's wife, Janet and three sons, Patrick, Matthew, and Michael to have discussions, debates and even the occasional argument over the airways. Mr. Dahl not only takes his profession seriously, but his obligation to his community as well. He has donated his talents and countless hours of his time to worthy causes throughout the Chicago area, especially in his suburban hometown where Janet Dahl serves as a member of the Board of Education. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate Mr. Dahl on his 20th Anniversary of entertaining Chicago. I would like to extend my very best wishes for continued success in the years to come.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Leon H. Fields, an outstanding public servant. Mr. Fields has spent nearly 28 years helping Chicagoans get here to there and back again. Mr. Leon Fields of Glenwood, Illinois is retiring from the Chicago Transit Authority, which operates the bus and rail system in the city. The service Mr. Fields has offered to the CTA is a real ``up-by-the- bootstraps'' story. He began his career with the authority in 1969 as a rail car service and repairman. He steadily rose through the ranks at the CTA. Mr. Fields worked as a Maintenance Instructor, a Repair Shop Foreman, a Liaison to the Executive Director, Manager of Field Operations, Director of Rail Vehicle Light Maintenance and finally, General Manager of the CTA's orange line, which runs through the heart of my congressional district. I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Fields for more than five years, and I can tell you that his family's gain will be a loss for the people of Chicago who rely on the CTA. His knowledge, experience and dedication are second to none. I would like to extend to Mr. Fields and his wife Denosia, and their children, Leon Jr., Angela, Tarsha and Latryce my best wishes on his retirement and my hope that they have many, many years together to enjoy the important things in life.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor a fine businessman of the automobile industry, Mr. Stanley Balzekas, Jr. Mr. Balzekas Jr., a businessman in the Chicagoland area, delivers great service to families and individuals in the Chicagoland community. Stanley Balzekas Jr., president of Balzekas Motor Sales, was honored by TIME Magazine with the 29th annual TIME Magazine Quality Dealer Award (TMQDA). Mr. Balzekas received this award on January 31, 1998 for his outstanding business achievements in the automobile industry. As part of the award, TIME Magazine makes an annual grant of scholarship funds to the University of Michigan Business School in the names of TIME, Goodyear, the National Automobiles Dealers Association, and the TMQDA recipients. Stanley Balzekas Jr., a native of Chicago, Illinois, began his career in the automobile industry working part time for his father during high school and college. Upon graduation from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, and his completion of a masters degree of business and marketing, Mr. Balzekas climbed his way through the ranks to become president of Balzekas Motor Sales. Currently, Stanley Balzekas resides in Chicago with his wife, three children and three wonderful grandchildren. I would like to extend my congratulations to Mr. Stanley Balzekas Jr. on his great accomplishments as a businessman and friend to the community bringing families and individuals ``the American dream'' of purchasing a new automobile.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H.R. 2021.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise because several speakers have talked about this being a very partisan issue. I do not really think it is that partisan of an issue, and what I am going to say here is what I said not too long ago at the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure markup of this legislation. That is that certainly, from my perspective, I am opposed to the renaming of Washington National Airport for Ronald Reagan. Not because I oppose Ronald Reagan. In fact, there are a few people on this side of the aisle, if any, that supported Ronald Reagan more than I did in the 6 years that I was here while he was President of the United States. In fact, there are some people on the other side of the aisle who were here, and still are here, who probably supported Ronald Reagan less than I did. I remember back when we were debating the situation on Nicaragua and the President had a piece of legislation in to give military aid to the Contras, and that passed this floor by one vote. Poor Tip O'Neill was the Speaker of the House at that time, and he came very close to having a heart attack when I voted on behalf of President Reagan and the military aid to the Contras. There were numerous other things that I supported the President on. So I come to this floor today to express to everyone listening that I am not opposed to Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan is the only President that I served under that I have asked to have a picture taken of, my wife and I, Rose Marie, in the Oval Office of the White House. That is how enthusiastic I was of Ronald Reagan. I have been a fan of his since I first saw him play George Gipp in ``The Knute Rockne Story.'' But Ronald Reagan's greatest memorial is not an airport or a building here in Washington or in other States throughout the Union. His real memorial is in, as the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) said, in Central Europe, in Eastern Europe, through the former Soviet Union where democracy is starting to grow or in some cases democracy has already bloomed, where the free markets, where capitalism are taking hold. Someone said earlier that, because of Ronald Reagan, more people on this planet are freer than ever before in the history of the world; and I believe that to be absolutely true. I, myself, would have no problem seeing Ronald Reagan put up on Mount Rushmore. But I do not believe that it is appropriate to rename Washington National Airport after Ronald Reagan, simply because it has a name and there are many other monuments that we can name for former President Reagan.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate one of my constituents from the Third Congressional District of Illinois, Dr. Martin Marty of Riverside, IL. Dr. Marty was awarded the National Medal of Humanities for his work in theology. Dr. Marty was presented his Medal by President Clinton on September 29, 1997. Dr. Marty is a prolific writer and is the author of 50 books and over 4,300 articles. He is the senior editor of the weekly magazine Christian Century. In addition to his column in the Christian Century, Dr. Marty circulates his own biweekly newsletter entitled Context. Dr. Marty also teaches a class in religion twice a week at the University of Chicago. The National Medal of Humanities was not the first time Dr. Marty has been recognized for his outstanding work. Dr. Marty is the holder of 56 honorary degrees from prestigious universities throughout the world. Dr. Marty is happily married to his wife Harriet, who accompanied him to dinner at the White House. The Martys also have a son, Micah. Father and son have collaborated on several books, with father supplying the text to the spectacular photos taken by the son. The family are members of Ascension Lutheran Church in Riverside. I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to join me in congratulating Dr. Marty for his fine work. He is a man of incredible spiritual insight with a gift for fine writing. Dr. Marty, I commend you for all your literary contributions and I congratulate you on your National Medal of the Humanities. I hope you continue your work and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

Mr. LIPINSKI

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 2476, the Foreign Airlines Family Assistance Act. This bill would amend the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act which was passed last year as a result of several tragic accidents last year. It came to the attention of the subcommittee that the treatment of the families of airline accident victims needed to be improved. Last year's legislation required all airlines to submit accident action plans to the Department of Transportation. It also designated the National Transportation Safety Board to act as a liaison between various Federal, State, and local government agencies, the airlines, and the families to ensure that they were receiving accurate and timely information. Last year's legislation attempted to address the many concerns that the subcommittee heard in the two hearings that were held on this issue. What the subcommittee neglected to appreciate was that every day U.S. citizens fly on foreign carriers, which was not included in that legislation. This omission was tragically highlighted when a Korean Airline flight crashed short of the runway in Guam earlier this year. The support and coordination that the legislation would have required to have been in place did not exist for the families of those victims. The gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood] saw this inequity and worked with the subcommittee and administration to expand the applicability of the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act to foreign carriers and flights between the United States and a foreign point. Thanks to his efforts, the subcommittee's omission last year is being corrected today. This bill has broad support, bipartisan support, as well as the support of the administration. I would like to say at this particular time I appreciate the work of the gentleman from Guam [Mr. Underwood] and I thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan], the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Chairman Shuster], and the ranking Democratic member, and the gentleman from Minnesota [Mr. Oberstar] for their assistance in this effort. I urge all my colleagues to pass this very important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, at this time I want to say it has been a pleasure once again this year working with the chairman of the Subcommittee on Aviation, my very good friend, the gentleman from Tennessee [Mr. Duncan]. I look forward to another very productive year next year, and I am sure that our bipartisan spirit will continue to pave the way in the area of aviation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. [Mr. LIPINSKI asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.]