Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in sharing my deep sense of shock and love for our beloved Julian Dixon. Julian was a warrior and a statesman. I met Julian in 1975 when I worked as a member of Congressman Ron Dellums' staff, who I know joins us today in remembering this great human being. I will always remember how Julian treated me as a staff member with dignity and with respect. I know today that his staff would want me to say that Julian was a wonderful boss, who demonstrated with them, like he did with us, his tough love, his quiet strength. But that is what really kept many of us centered and focused. As a new Member, Julian counseled me on many of the tips of this trade. Whenever an issue relating to an appropriations project came before the Committee on Appropriations with regard to my district, he always checked with me first. He would never let me get blindsided, and he always made sure that my views and my input with regard to my district were paramount in his negotiations. He never let me get blindsided. He was truly a gentleman. Some of my most special moments, however, with Julian were riding home with him, sometimes late at night. We lived right around the corner from each other, and during these rides he talked about things he really cared about: the issues and the people of his native Washington, D.C., and, of course, of his congressional district, and his family. But what he always reminded me during these very personal conversations was that I should not let the business of my life here in Washington, D.C. get in the way of my personal friendships. All of us really do need to remember his words of wisdom, and I thank him for this. I want to thank Bettye and Julian's family and his constituents for sharing this great leader with us. I want to wish them God's blessings. May Julian's soul rest in peace.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to an outstanding federal government employee, Ms. Yvonne A. Griffin. On January 4, 2001, Ms. Griffin will retire from the United States General Services Administration after a distinguished 28 year career marked by dedication, commitment to service and a superb work ethic. A native of San Francisco, Yvonne began her government service in April 1971, as an ``intermittent:'' GS-4 clerk-Steno for the General Services Administration's Space Management Division. In 1975 she began working in GSA's Federal Supply Service where she served as a Secretary, Administrative Assistant and Administrative Officer to the Regional Commissioner. Yvonne joined the Public Buildings Service in 1980 as a Program Analyst. In 1984, she made an important career move to the field of Property Management. She served as the Property Manager in Reno, Nevada where she worked until 1987. In April 1987, Yvonne came to Oakland, California as the East Bay Property Manager. Housed in leased space at 1333 Broadway in Downtown Oakland, Yvonne and her staff were responsible for numerous federal properties, including the Alameda Federal Center, the U.S. Geological Survey complex in Menlo Park, the United States Court of Appeals in San Francisco, the San Jose Federal Building and the John F. Shea Federal Building in Santa Rosa. More importantly, she was actively involved in the construction of what was to become the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and has served as Senior Property Manager to the present day. In architectural terms, buildings are said to have ``footprints''-- the physical outline of the ground they cover. Since its opening in 1993, the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building has had a ``footprint'': covering far more than physical space. Thanks to Yvonne, the building's footprint has extended to the East Bay community at large. ``1301 Clay Street'' is an address that has come to represent a spectacular gathering place always open to people of diverse philosophies. Following Yvonne's lead, the GSA staff have focused on making the people who, in fact, own this exquisite structure feel welcome and respected. Under Yvonne's management, the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building, has won numerous awards, the most prestigious being the 1997-98 Building Owners and Managers Association International Government Building of the Year, and the 2000 Energy Star Designation. The daughter of French immigrants, Yvonne inherited both an affinity for hard work and a devotion to family. Her daughters, Michelle and Suzanne Griffin, and her grandsons McKinley and Cameron Parker, are the stars in her life's constellation. As she ends her federal career, she takes with her our appreciation, respect and warmest best wishes for a happy retirement with those she loves.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding me this time and also for his steady and committed work and focus on behalf of affordable housing initiatives throughout our country. I also want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), also the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), our committee chair, and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio) for bringing this bill to the floor in such a bipartisan manner. I come from one of the areas in the country which is really quickly becoming the least affordable area to live in, the Bay Area of California. So as a Member of this subcommittee, I have been very pleased to work with our leadership to develop this bill. I want to just say a couple of things with regard to housing, because we know that housing is really not just a roof over one's head. Having a decent place to live can make all of the difference in the world in terms of the quality of life. Also, homeownership provides one with a stake in the American dream. It provides the average, ordinary American with the ability to develop equity so that he or she may develop a small business or send their children to college. Not everyone has stock options. Not everyone can accumulate wealth through mutual funds and through planning in the stock market. So homeownership is so integral and so serious in terms of the ability to realize the American dream. In a time when our country is experiencing a time of unprecedented economic growth, we must seize this opportunity to invest in those who need it the most. In communities across our Nation, like, again, in my district in Oakland, California, which, again, has been in the past been a very affordable city but now is becoming one of the least affordable cities, we have our nonprofits and developers and local governments working together to develop strategies to find solutions to our housing crisis. This bill will help us tremendously in our efforts. Clearly, the Federal Government must always fight hard to maintain what we believe is a very central part to the American dream, and that is homeownership. So I would like to thank both sides again for allowing us the opportunity to bring this bill forward. It is one of the most important pieces of legislation this year for my area. I want to thank my colleagues again for the opportunity to make my presentation.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening with deep respect, and with profound sadness in paying tribute to one of the greatest environmentalists of our time, Mr. David R. Brower, who passed away on Sunday, November 5, at his home in Berkeley, California. Mr. Brower's distinguished career of dedication and commitment to the preservation of our environment spanned more than fifty years. As a young man, Dave Brower fell in love with our planet, which he called Earth Island. He served as the executive director of the Sierra Club in 1952, and later, founded two important environmental organizations, the Friends of the Earth and the John Muir Institute for Environmental Studies. In addition, in 1982, he founded Earth Island Institute, an organization that promotes protection and conservation of wilderness around the world. During his lifetime, he led hard fought fights to establish numerous national parks and seashores, including Point Reyes in northern California, the Northern Cascades, and the California Redwoods. Among these accomplishments, in the 1960's, Mr. Brower's activism was instrumental in preventing the construction of two major dams in the Grand Canyon. He was also successful in stopping plans to build dams at the Green River in Utah that would have seriously altered the landscape of the Dinosaur National Monument. Furthermore, Mr. Brower played a crucial role in the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, which preserved millions of acres of public land so that its natural conditions will remain for future generations to enjoy. Mr. Brower's strong conviction and foresight did not come without personal sacrifice. He took many hard stances for environmental protection that he believed would benefit humanity, sometimes against his colleagues, and many times against governmental agencies. And these sacrifices make Mr. Brower truly heroic. The death of Mr. Brower is a great loss to our nation. I, along with Mr. Brower's immediate family, friends, admirers and supporters, feel this monumental loss. But as we mourn his death, we also remember the legacy of hope and inspiration David left behind for us as a true leader in conservation. His passion for preserving our planet's remaining wilderness, our national parks, and seashores is a remarkable model of how one person can mobilize people's consciousness to change and to better our lives and our world. I cannot fully express enough gratitude for the contributions David Brower has made to our society and to the viability of our planet, but I can say that he literally changed the world for the better. Mr. Speaker, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the late Mr. Brower's wife Anne, his four children Kenneth, Robert, Barbara, and John, his grandchildren, his friends, and supporters throughout the world. To Mr. Brower--May the Earth receive you with the love and compassion that you gave it, and may God Bless You.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support for the Water Resource Development Act Conference Report. The conference report authorizes various types of water resource development projects, including the Florida Everglades restoration project. I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a project to create a riparian and pedestrian corridor from Lake Merritt to the Oakland Estuary. Lake Merritt is home to the nation's oldest nationally registered wildlife refuge and is the jewel of Oakland. This project will allow for natural tidal flows into the lake and channel area that will significantly improve water quality, support wetlands habitat and provide for more environmentally sensitive flood control in the Lake Merritt watershed. The proposed project is intended to result in a restoration of the area into a new urban greenbelt corridor, comparable to such places as San Antonio's Riverwalk. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Ellen Tauscher, her staff and the committee for their help in securing this project. I am confident that this important project will restore wildlife habitat, allow for natural tidal flows, but will also provide for a new significant recreational attraction and create jobs in small businesses surrounding the lake area.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I wish to celebrate the one hundred and fortieth anniversary of the establishment of the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church in Oakland, California. This milestone will be commemorated on Sunday, November 12, 2000. Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church was founded in 1860 in Oakland, California, and is a member of the American Baptist Churches. This congregation first began as the First Baptist Church of Brooklyn, California, a community that was near Lake Merritt but is now a part of the City of Oakland, California. Once Brooklyn became a part of Oakland, the name of the church changed to the Tenth Avenue Baptist Church. Since that time, the church's structure was destroyed twice by fire, first in 1945 and again in 1955, but through the faith and dedication of the congregation, the present structure was built and dedicated in 1957 as the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church. Lakeshore is one of our most diverse congregations in our community with a membership of 55% African American, 40% Caucasian and 5% Asian Americans. Lakeshore contributes to the community in many ways. For sixty years, they have sponsored one of the oldest weekday religious radio programs. Lakeshore also worked to integrate the neighborhood surrounding the church, founded the Lakeshore Children's Center (now the Children's Peace Academy), established a Hunger Task Force which supports hunger relief programs in the Bay Area, assisted immigrants and refugees in settling in Oakland, and co-founded the Oakland Coalition of Congregations. Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church is a great source of civic pride and a valuable resource for the community, I proudly join the church's members, friends and neighbors in saluting and honoring the history and spirit of this landmark church.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 426, which states that ``The Palestinian leadership not only did too little for far too long to control the violence, but in fact encouraged it.'' Israel has been the United States' strongest ally in the Middle East, and I continue to support Israel's statehood and efforts to maintain secure borders. At the same time, I support the Palestinians' effort to have a homeland. Consequently, I support the peace process and I strongly believe a negotiated settlement is the only way Israel and the Palestinians will develop a lasting peace. It is specifically for that reason that I voted against H. Con. Res. 426. If the United States is to be able to maintain its role as a credible peace broker, it is my belief that we must maintain our legitimacy by avoiding adopting one-sided resolutions. For that same reason, I voted to condemn the United Nations Resolution ES-10-6, which singled out and opposed Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Israel's security is a priority in our foreign policy. As Israel's ally, we should do everything we can to help reduce tensions in that part of the world. This resolution will not stop the violence or end instability in the Middle East. The Primary objective of the United States should be to help end the current violence so that all parties can begin to resume peace talks. We must focus on supporting balanced measures that restore peace, stability, and the confidence of both parties. I urge my colleagues to support balanced measures that promote peace and stability during this dire time in the Middle East.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. The Export Administration Act has been the principal authority for the regulation in the export of dual-use items from the United States. When this bill lapsed in August of 1994, the President invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and other authorities, to continue the export control system, including the Export Administration Regulations. Now, there has been a recent court ruling that calls into question whether or not the government can essentially hide behind emergency powers to revive an expired law. Specifically, the case calls into question the Commerce Department's ability to keep sensitive export information provided by exporters from public disclosure using the confidentiality provision. We have got to pass this law to make sure that they can keep the information confidential so that the exporters will fully use the Commerce Department's assistance in exporting our products. We really do have a record trade imbalance. We need to export more. Exporting American products creates jobs for American workers. We need to pass this law as an important part of making sure that the Commerce Department is there to provide as much assistance as possible in moving products overseas. While we would have preferred the House-passed version, the Senate amendment we are taking up today does address this problem. It reauthorizes the Export Administration Act until October 20, 2001. By doing so, it will ensure that the Department of Commerce will be able to rely on the Export Administration Act to protect the confidentiality of the relevant documents received since 1994, as well as the documents that the Commerce Department receives between now and August 20 of next year. Mr. Speaker, for that reason we fully concur that this bill should be passed. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5239.

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

Ms. LEE

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

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution. The post-Soviet independence of the Central Asian states has not panned out in the way that benefited the population of these countries. Instead, it created wealthy and often corrupt elites and impoverished the population. Although all of these newly-independent states have joined the OSCE and appear, at least on paper, to be committed to OSCE principles, in reality the leaders of these countries have consistently fallen back on their OSCE commitments. The political development reinforced the Office of the President at the expense other branches of government. Parliaments are weak and the courts are not free. Presidents of some countries, such as Turkmenistan, have pushed laws through their rubber-stamp legislatures that extend their presidential powers for life. Other governments, like the government of Uzbekistan, have been using the justification of fighting terrorism and insurgency as a means to imprison and/or exile the opposition, censor the press, and control civic and religious activities. On the other hand, some countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have demonstrated varying degrees of progress. Until recently, opposition parties could function freely in Kyrgyzstan, while the OSCE agreed to Kazakhstan's 1999 parliamentary election, which they found falling short of international standards but, nevertheless, an improvement over the past. The stability of Central Asia is key to the stability of this region which borders on Afghanistan, Iran, China, and Pakistan. The governments of Central Asia cite the destabilizing influence of drugs and arms-trafficking from outside of their borders and the need to fight Islamic fundamentalism as justifications for their authoritarian regimes. The government of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have already been battling with the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a United States- recognized terrorist group. However, some have charged that the oppressive measures of these regimes may have driven their impoverished and marginalized population into the arms of terrorists. Although the Central Asian states do not have a strong tradition of democracy, free press, and free and fair elections, it is, however, important that our government and Congress continue to press for greater democratic reforms in these countries within the OSCE framework and on a bilateral basis. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Resolution 397. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, let me just say that it is with a deep sense of admiration and gratitude actually that I join my colleagues in honor and recognizing a true warrior and a giant of a man, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay). I have had the privilege of knowing the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) since 1975, actually, when I joined the staff of another great leader, the Honorable Ron Dellums. Then, as now, serving with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) in this great House, I continue to marvel at his intellect and his insight and his total commitment to social political and economic justice. Yet, his sense of humor, his compassion, and his big heart never ceases to amaze me. He is a true trail blazer. And I will actually miss his thoughtful reflections and analysis that really always kept us on track. The gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) understood the power of coalition building and the clout of a unified Black Caucus way back when. We today are benefitting from his insight, his clarity and his understanding. He is truly a Member who has not only talked the talk, but he has walked the walk and he has shown us what a true statesman can and should be. So I just want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for everything that he has done, for all that he has taught us, and just say that I will miss looking up there and seeing those votes oftentimes with that one or two red votes next to him being in the real minority in terms of doing the right thing in terms of standing for principle and honesty and integrity. I wish him a wonderful next chapter of his life.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of S. 2943, the International Malaria Control Act of 2000. Mr. Speaker, we are considering a number of bills here today, or this evening, really, as part of a package. Mr. Speaker, S. 2943 addresses some important issues facing the United States; and I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the chairman of the committee, for ensuring that the actual text of the bill that is included in this package accommodated certain concerns on this side of the aisle. For example, the underlying bill being considered today is an effort to control the spread of malaria abroad. Malaria has recently been making a resurgence around the world with more and more people being affected by this scourge and more and more people dying from it. According to the World Health Organization, more than one million persons, one million, one million persons die from malaria each year, and more than 90 percent of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Director General of the World Health Organization, malaria is taking a big bite out of Africa's economic growth. If we can control malaria, we will see an acceleration of Africa's development; and family incomes, of course, will rise. We have even seen treatment-resistance strains of malaria emerging in our own country here in the United States. Between 1970 and 1997, the malaria infection rate in the United States increased by about 40 percent. That is staggering. As we know from our experience with the West Nile virus, if we do not act quickly to break the back of a disease abroad, the inevitable result is outbreaks of the disease here in the United States. So I commend the chairman for working with us to focus this bill on malaria specifically. The bill also addresses the United States relationship with the former Portuguese colony of Macau. While Macau reverted to Chinese control last year, the United States must help the people of Macau to retain their basic freedoms to further develop economically and to deal with international crime and narcotics problems. This legislation ensures that the United States will continue to treat Macau under U.S. law the same way it was treated prior to its reversion to Chinese control and signal to the Chinese that we will closely watch how Macau and its people are being treated. This approach is really identical to the approach that we took with Hong Kong prior to its reversion to Chinese control and is long overdue in Macau's case. This is simply good government and ensures that Hong Kong and Macau are treated in a similar manner. The bill also contains text identical to H.R. 5357, a bill sponsored by the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis), which actually does the renaming of the Peace Corps World Wise program after the late great Senator Coverdell. This legislation also includes an authority to enter into an agreement with Canada to establish a commission to study the advisability and the feasibility of establishing a rail link between Alaska and the North American Rail Net. It also includes legislation that the House passed earlier this year establishing a commission to study United States policy in the Asia Pacific region. Mr. Speaker, we have worked to ensure that these bills address our concerns. We have no objection to them being included in the package. I want to once again thank our chairman for working with us. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

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

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), who is a very strong leader and advocate on the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment of our Committee on Commerce, and also our ranking member.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the Commerce, Justice, State and District of Columbia Appropriations conference report. In particular, this bill blatantly fails to address our nation's outstanding immigration issues. During the Reagan years, we supported wars in many Latin American countries. Thousands fled this violence. While many people have found sanctuary in the United States, America has not lived up to its commitment to provide resident status to these refugees. We made promises that we have not fulfilled. In fact, there are over 100,000 immigration cases that remain unresolved from the Reagan-Bush era. These cases are nearly 20 years old and have left many immigrants in legal limbo. They have been denied expedited status because they did not come from the ``right'' countries. It is past time to correct the unfair and unequal treatment among Central American, Latin American, Carribean and African refugees. Individuals and families who now have deeply imbedded roots in the United States must be given residency status. We are not, as some have charged, giving blanket amnesty to hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. Those people have played by the rules and they deserve fairness and justice. Immigrants are hardworking and have helped our country propser. They exemplify ``family values''. In my district and throughout America, the immigrant community has made significant contributions from which we all benefit. We must not shut our doors on them. I urge my colleagues to join me in opposing this conference report.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a great sense of loss as I pay tribute to Dr. Marvin Weinreb, a prominent East Bay community leader, friend and humanitarian, who left us on October 14, 2000, at the age of 74. Dr. Weinreb donated his time and efforts to areas throughout the world in need of his medical expertise. He both piloted planes and gave medical assistance for the organization Los Medicos Voladores (``The Flying Doctors''), which provides volunteer medical aid to people in Central America. A dedicated doctor, Dr. Weinreb took time to help educate other doctors and train and encourage people interested in the medical profession. Dr. Weinreb demonstrated a lifelong devotion to the Jewish, East Bay and International Communities. He was a former president of Temple Beth Shalom in San Leandro, the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, and the Judah L. Magnus Jewish Museum in Berkeley, as well as a former chair of the Southern Alameda County campaign for the United Jewish Welfare Fund. He also served as a school board trustee in Hayward from 1965 to 1977. Dr. Weinreb graduated from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, and attended medical school at the University of Chicago. He then practiced dermatology in the Bay Area, and held the post of clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School. Dr. Weinreb and five members of The Flying Doctors were en route to a conference when their plane went down near Ensenada, taking the lives of all the passengers. Services were held for Dr. Weinreb at Temple Beth Sholom, in San Leandro, California, on October 19, 2000. The community has lost a great person and dedicated humanitarian. My thoughts and prayers are with all of these families at this difficult time.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Foreign Operations conference report. I want to thank the gentleman from Alabama (Chairman Callahan) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), ranking member, for their tireless and dedicated work really on behalf of our human family. The funding in this bill signifies our Nation's commitment to peace and stability and to progress around the world. I am also pleased that the conference report includes funding for the flood victims of Mozambique and Madagascar and appeals the global gag rule so important to women in developing countries. It also includes debt relief funding, which is long overdue. I want to express a special thanks to Jubilee 2000, our faith-based organization, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach) for their successful efforts. Debt relief is so important to poverty alleviation and to fighting the HIV/AIDS pandemic. As we all know this pandemic is wreaking havoc in Africa like no other disease in the history of humankind. But Africa is only the epicenter of this pandemic. It is a ticking time bomb in India, Asia and the Caribbean. So that is why the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach) and myself offered the World Bank AIDS Trust Fund. I want to just thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), the gentleman from Alabama (Chairman Callahan), the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Kilpatrick), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), and all of those Members on the conference committee for reporting out $20 million for the trust fund, an excellent first start. But we must do more. We must continue to fight until we make sure that we eradicate AIDS from the face of the globe. Six thousand people are dying in Africa every day now of AIDS. There are 12 million children who are orphans in Africa. We must enlist our international partners in the private sector in a global international effort led by the United States, and we also must enhance the United States contribution to our joint U.N. program on AIDS. In closing, I would just like to once again thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Pelosi), ranking member, for her support, her commitment and her hard work. I want to encourage her to keep up the good fight. I want to also once again thank the gentleman from Iowa (Chairman Leach), the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the gentleman from New York (Mr. LaFalce), ranking member, and former Congressman Ron Dellums for all of their hard work and their leadership. I remind this Congress that fighting international AIDS is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is a moral issue that demands a moral response.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to recognize and to congratulate a distinguished member of the University of California at Berkeley, Professor Daniel J. McFadden. Last week, Professor McFadden, along with Professor James Heckman of the University of Chicago, received the Nobel Prize for Economics. Together, through their research and observations, they have contributed significantly to the understanding of individual and societal behavior. Their vital work cuts across disciplinary barriers and greatly enhances our understanding of economics and public policy. Prior to joining the world of the academic and social sciences community at the University of California at Berkeley in 1963, Professor McFadden, like many of us, attended public school. As a young man during his college years, he was always attracted to the studies of human behavior. His passion for the field of behavioral sciences and the drive to learn and analyze human behavior helped launch an ambitious career and a lifelong commitment to the study of behavioral and social sciences. Subsequently, Dr. McFadden developed and linked these behavioral theories to mathematics, statistics, and economics. Mr. Speaker, I am proud and honored to congratulate and recognize Professor McFadden for this lifetime of achievements. His dedication and his outstanding work in economics have contributed significantly to our society. The implications of his research extend far beyond the ivory tower. Because of his efforts, governmental agencies and city planners in the United States are able to make better decisions about health care services, social services, employment programs, transportation, and other critical areas of modern life. The cities of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay area, for example, owe a great deal of the work to Professor McFadden in terms of his research in helping to shape the design of our Bay Area Rapid Transit commuter train system, which is very crucial to tens of thousands of people for their daily commute to work. Professor Daniel McFadden joins 16 other Berkeley colleagues as Nobel Prize winners. This impressive roster of intellectuals also demonstrates the commitment of this university to the larger social and economic world. As an alumna of the University of California at Berkeley, I am especially proud of these accomplishments. Mr. Speaker, once again, I congratulate Professor McFadden for his Nobel Prize award. I appreciate having this opportunity to express my appreciation for the hard work and commitment of our most recent Nobel Prize winner in economics, Professor Daniel J. McFadden.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, for me, three key issues that we must as a community and a nation address are environmental justice, sprawl and livability, and the need to protect California's and the country's ecosystems. All three of these issues are linked to a crucial concern that is very much on Americans' minds right now: energy. Rising oil prices and falling home fuel oil supplies both point out one clear, absolute fact: fossil fuels represent a limited and gradually disappearing resource. We need to address this problem today. The answer to our oil problem does not lie in pillaging the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a precious, fragile, and unique ecosystem. It does not lie in keeping current lax standards for gas mileage. It does not lie in denying the basic fact that our planet is growing warmer and that the burning of fossil fuels is a significant factor in global warming. It does not lie in polluting our soil, our water, our air, and our children with toxins. The answers have to lie in conservation and innovation. One answer is to raise the corporate average fuel economy standards across the board: Detroit can build more efficient cars; we need to increase the incentives to buy them and increase the disincentives to use gasoline wastefully. California is leading the way in promoting greater fuel efficiency and searching for alternative energy technologies. We need to work toward fuel cells, hybrid cars, and other alternative technologies. We need to invest in mass transit. It will cost money but the dividends in reduced pollution, increased conservation, and reduced sprawl will be far greater than the initial price tags. And we need to undertake these efforts today. Our environment depends on it and in the long run so does our economy.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I recognize the participation of Berkeley activist and realtor Frank Davis in the establishment of the Over 60 Health Center in Berkeley, California. Mr. Davis has been a resident of Berkeley for over 50 years and owned the property where the Over 60 Clinic now calls home. While Mr. Davis had many offers to sell his property at a larger profit, he rejected those offers to sell until he was moved by the idea and challenge of a combination senior housing and health care project. Mr. Davis sold his property to the Over 60 Building Project, which ultimately helped create this unique facility that combines a health clinic downstairs with affordable housing for seniors upstairs. The Over 60 Building is a unique collaboration of three local non- profit organizations. Over 60, a division of LifeLong Medical Care, is the oldest community health center serving seniors in the United States; the Center for Elders Independence is one of 13 nationally- acclaimed ``Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly'' (PACE); and Resources for Community Development is a developer of low-income housing in Alameda County. This partnership offers medical and community-based long term care services for low-income elders while allowing them to remain independent, socially active and live in the same community throughout their life span. Mr. Davis is a native of Mississippi who came to California to ``seek a better quality of life and to get away from discrimination.'' He is the current Chair of the Black Property Owners Association, President of the Tyler King Neighborhood Association, and remains active in helping to improve the quality of life for South Berkeley. The Over 60 Building is truly an innovative model of care for seniors, quickly becoming a source of civic pride and a valuable resource for the citizens of Berkeley. I applaud the vision that Mr. Davis had to sell his property to this important project despite personal financial gains had he sold to for-profit developers.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to observe the third anniversary of the death of teenager LoEshe' Lacy, and to recognize the great accomplishments of the LoveLife Foundation, founded by her father in her memory. On October 27, 1997, LoEshe' Lacy was an innocent victim to a shooting across the street from her high school. The name LoEshe' is lbo/Nigerian and means ``Love Life.'' Donald Lacy founded the LoveLife Foundation in her honor to work with at-risk youth, and to help garner a greater appreciation for the value of human life. In its brief three-year history, the projects and successes of the LoveLife Foundation have been both numerous and varied. One particularly successful program is the LoveLife Arts and Media Training Academy. This program trains youth to produce television, radio, and theatrical performances that specifically address violence and its devastating effects on the community. The public service announcement, ``Precious Gift'', produced through this program, has received several national television awards, including a National Public Television Award, a Bay Area Cable Ace Award, and a Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Award. The student written and performed play, ``Legacy for LoEshe' '' has aired repeatedly on local television. The Mayor of Oakland has credited the LoveLife Foundation's efforts with contributing significantly to a 32-year low in the city's murder rate in 1999. The LoveLife Foundation will observe LoveLife Week October 16 through 22, 2000. The Foundation requests that people observe this week by performing random acts of kindness to family, friends, and even perfect strangers. Mr. Speaker, I am inspired by the dedication and commitment Mr. Lacy and members of the LoveLife Foundation have shown to improving Oakland and preventing more senseless deaths like that of LoEshe' Lacy. I want to thank the LoveLife Foundation for its efforts to increase appreciation for the value of human life, and I encourage people everywhere to honor this great organization by observing LoveLife Week.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Italian-American Federation of the East Bay, for its presentation of the 9th Annual Italian Festa, which took place on September 16 and 17, 2000, at Jack London Square in Oakland, California. Italian Festa is one of the largest celebrations of Italian heritage and culture on the West Coast. This year's visitors listened to accordion, opera and other traditional Italian music, while watching costumed dancers perform. Visitors were also treated to a demonstration by Tony Gemignani, the ``World Pizza Toss King'' and a food demonstration with Andy LoRusso, ``the Singing Chef.'' A photographic display detailing the Italian legacy in the California gold fields provided a fascinating local history lesson for visitors. ``Nostra Storia--The Italian Legacy in the Mother Lode'' tells the story of one of the earliest and most important, but often unrecognized, groups of people to settle in the California foothills of the Sierra Nevada. In the tradition of Italian street festivals, Italian Festa provided a great selection of Italian specialties such as sausage and peppers, biscotti, polenta, Sicilian pastries, handmade ice cream, tortas and cannoli. The food was prepared in the kitchen of the East Bay's Social Clubs, which donate a portion of the profits from beverage sales to a scholarship foundation for Italian-American Students. Mr. Speaker, I commend the Italian-American Federation of the East Bay for its efforts to celebrate Italian and Italian-American culture and history. On behalf of the residents of the 9th Congressional District, I congratulate the Foundation on the great success of the 9th Annual Italian Festa, and wish the organization luck in continuing to educate the community about Italian heritage and culture for years to come.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 4461 in its current form, but in strong support of ending the embargo on the sale of food and medicine to Cuba. Our current policy toward Cuba was created in the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall has now crumbled, the Soviet Union has vanished, but this archaic policy is still here. For 40 years, 40 years, we have maintained a blockade on trade and food and medicine with Cuba, and we have put severe restrictions on travel by American citizens. We must lift that blockade without imposing new barriers. However, this bill codifies current restrictions on Americans travel to Cuba. What, I must ask, is our country afraid of? How can it be against our interests for our citizens, our most effective ambassadors, to travel to Cuba? How can we live in the greatest democracy in the world and restrict the travel of our own citizens? Americans should have the right to see Cuba for themselves. They should have the right to form their own judgments about this Afro-Hispanic island 90 miles away from our shores. I have led and participated in many delegations to Cuba in an effort to promote education, understanding and cultural exchange between our countries. I have seen a child with kidney disease in grave danger because the embargo prevented the importation of a U.S.-made part for a dialysis machine at this hospital. And I have seen Cuba's health care system, which guarantees its own citizens universal health care, which we still cannot figure out how to do. We should allow anyone and everyone who wants to travel to Cuba to do so without fear of breaking the law and going to jail. I urge my colleagues to oppose restrictions on travel to Cuba in this bill and vote ``no'' on H.R. 4461.