Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding me this time. Washington, D.C. City Council's Consensus Budget, as incorporated in the appropriations budget, is sound. However, it has been incumbered by some very obnoxious amendments. I oppose these amendments to the bill, especially the Tiahrt amendment, which viciously prohibits the District of Columbia from operating a local private needle exchange program. The residents of Washington, D.C. pay taxes. They have a right to spend the money the way they want to spend their money. We know now that the transmission of HIV from mother to child can be reduced and eliminated. Yes, I said eliminated, as demonstrated by San Francisco's needle exchange program and outreach program to pregnant women. Why would we want to place a death sentence on babies in Washington, D.C. when we know how to ensure their survival? For those who want to see drug addiction reduced, look at the data from needle exchange programs. Such programs lead addicts to the first steps toward recovery. We are not condoning IV drug use, just the opposite. We are saying that we want babies in Washington, D.C. to be born free of HIV infection, and we want to provide a proven option to eliminate drug addiction. Vote ``no'' on this amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Moakley amendment to prohibit the continued funding of the United States Army School of the Americas. I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Moakley) for his courageous leadership. This is not pure propaganda. Those of us who defend human rights in the world know that the School of the Americas' training has been strongly connected to a deplorable amount of atrocities in the world. Sixty percent of the military officers cited for human rights violations in El Salvador by the 1992 report of the United National Truth Commission are School of the Americas graduates. In Columbia, 50 percent of the 247 military officers cited for abuses in a definitive 1998 publication are School of the Americas graduates. What have these graduates been taught? They have learned the most sophisticated ways to commit torture, excessive abuses, and kidnaps in the middle of the night. Some of these graduates have been connected to the El Mozote massacre of 800 civilians, and the rape, torture, and murder of four American churchwomen. Furthermore, the School of the Americas has been connected to the murder of six Jesuits priests and two women, and even to the assassinations of Archbishop Oscar Romero, a man who dedicated his life to peace. How much longer will we continue to fund an institution whose teachings have been connected to so many needless deaths and sources of pain for so many people? Some of the defenders of School of the Americas say that it is a center for counternarcotics training, but do not allow them to cloak this school in a feel-good explanation. Its graduates have been implicated time and time and time again in drug- related crimes in Peru, Columbia, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Guatemala. Also, we must ask ourselves, what is the moral guiding principle for allowing the School of the Americas to remain open? The same supporters will state that the manuals of torture are a thing of the past and the curriculum has been reformed. However, they have not reformed enough. Only 10 percent of the School of the Americas students take part or attend classes in this new curriculum. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims a common standard of achievement for all peoples in all nations to the end that every individual and every organ of society keeping this declaration in mind shall strive by teaching and educating to promote these rights and freedoms. The document also vows to, if it is essential, that human rights should be protected by the state of the law. Surely we can discern that forced imprisonment, extortion, rape, torture, and murder are not a protection of human rights, but rather a gross violation. We have a collective promise to protect human rights. To allow continued funding is not meeting that promise. Let us take that first step by voting for the Moakley amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on the debt restructuring section of the Foreign Operations appropriations bill. This is $87 million less than the President's request, and $41 million less than the FY 1999 level. This bill does not provide the proposed $50 million U.S. contribution to the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative Trust Fund. There are 41 countries in Africa, Latin America and Asia that are so heavily indebted that they can barely function. The people there suffer from malnutrition, illiteracy, and lack of health care. Many of these debts were incurred in the 70's when we encouraged them to borrow heavily. Recession in the 70's dropped the price of oil, mineral and agricultural products; interest rose. These countries will remain in a vicious, losing cycle of perennial indebtedness just paying off interest unless we essentially allow them to file for bankruptcy and to rebuild their economies. These countries desperately need debt relief. Jubilee, an impressive coalition of churches from around the world, together with food assistance groups, have worked to call the world's attention to the extreme situation in these heavily indebted poor countries and have asked that the U.S. recognize the crippling effect that paying interest has on these countries. Additionally, HIV/AIDS stalks Africa. Thirty million people in the world are infected with HIV/AIDS--the vast majority live in these heavily indebted countries. While nearly every region of the world has been affected by the pandemic, Sub-Saharan Africa has been ravaged by the disease, suffering 11.5 million deaths since the epidemic emerged, with a projected 22.5 million more in the next ten years. In some countries, 30% of all working adults now have AIDS or carry the virus. Debt relief is essential. I ask my colleagues to vote against this appropriations bill.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California (Mr. Stark) for his consistent work on behalf of human rights throughout the world. Mr. Speaker, I am joined with my very courageous colleague from Oregon (Mr. Wu) in support of this resolution to not oppose normal trade relations with China. I do not cast this vote lightly. My district is part of the wonderful gateway to Asia. Our local economy is heavily dependent on our trade with China even with the trade deficit increasing from $63 billion to about $70 billion. However, I am acutely and painfully aware of the importance of basic human rights for people throughout the world. There continues to be major violations by the Chinese Government of the rights of the Chinese people. I am a firm believer of self-determination for China. China has chosen communism. That is their right. However, it is wrong to round up, to intimidate, and to arrest people, place them in slave labor camps with no due process. The time is now to send a strong, unyielding message that the United States will not condone mass suffering and oppression. We are not talking about cutting off our relationship with China. We want to modify our trade relations so that people of China and the United States can benefit from a fair and free trade policy.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the fiscal year 2000 budget. Adoption of the budget is the most important job that Congress performs. Like a sound business or well-run household, our budget establishes our priorities for the next year. The news of our income for the next year looks amazingly good. The President's Office of Management and Budget is estimating a $99 billion surplus, including Social Security monies. However, without Social Security, we have a deficit. If we protect Social Security incomes, the surplus drops to $5 billion. OMB's 10-year projection of $1 trillion surplus may be a dangerous phantom. There is a surplus only if we include Social Security funds. Without Social Security funds, we will have a deficit. The available surplus is much smaller than what we think. When all of the figures are calculated in a responsible manner, our surplus is more like $112 billion, hardly enough to afford the almost $800 billion 10- year tax cut package that the Republicans are considering. Two of this administration's enormous accomplishments are the substantial reduction of a deficit and a buoyant economy. In good economic times, a wise family makes certain that the essentials for a decent household is that the soundness of the physical foundations are in tact, a good roof, a good basement, sound plumbing and wiring, adequate nutrition, basic health care, excellent schools, a healthy neighborhood, adequate infrastructure, transportation, clean air and clean water. This is what we all want for our families. What a business aspires to have is a sound basis of operation, and that is what we want for our Nation. Congress' work is to look at our income of hard-earned tax money and use this money to provide a decent and functioning Nation; a Nation which we all can be proud of, a Nation of well-educated people, well housed, well fed, healthy, with a decent regard for themselves and for each other and the common good. We must have serious priorities for the serious business of being a sound Nation. Now, the majority cuts taxes for the rich and ignores problems that are screaming for attention. We must pay down our debts to lower our interest rates, but we must also respond to our housing problems. We have over 5.5 million households that are in substandard housing. In my district alone, the waiting list for housing assistance opened for 1 day in May of 1997, and 15,000 applicants stood in line for a waiting list running up to 5 years. In my county of Alameda, the wait list has been closed since 1991. Taking care of our housing stock should be one of our national priorities. Over 43 million do not have health coverage. In California, among working families of employed single adults with children, 55 percent have no insurance. The number of uninsured children has increased by 25 percent during these amazing economic times. About 8 million Californians are not covered at all. Prescription drugs are being priced out of the reach of seniors, and I fully support the President's plan to address this need. Provision of essential prescriptions should be one of our national priorities. There will be more students. Our classrooms are crowded. A record 52.7 million children are enrolled in elementary and secondary schools, and this number will climb to 54.3 million by 2008. We do not train our teachers sufficiently, and we do not pay our teachers sufficiently. We do not have enough teachers. We do not have enough counselors. We do not have enough school buildings, and much of what we have is aging and must be rehabilitated. Most of our schools are not connected to the Internet. The Republican tax bill is silent on these issues and all of these needs. These educational needs must be one of our national priorities for attention. Almost 70 percent of this tax freedom bill, as it is called, goes to reduce taxes of the wealthiest 10 percent of the people, with incomes over $204,000 a year. Only 9 percent of this bill goes toward reducing the taxes of about 70 percent of our people. There is hunger in our cities and there is hunger in many of our rural areas. The Washington Post reported that our military personnel and their families depend upon second and third jobs, food stamps, and cast-away furniture in order to feed and house their families. Eliminating hunger should be a national priority. Providing adequate wages for working people should be a national priority. This is our chance to do what is right. This is our chance. Our rivers can be cleaned, our air can be improved. This is our chance to take care of the physical conditions of our environs; a program to continue our Superfund and brown fields cleanup, reforestation, and preservation of endangered species. We have important and essential work to do together to recognize that the priorities of our country should be putting people first. It should ensure that we make our country strong, physically, socially and economically.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Eastmont Computing Center, located in East Oakland, California, on its grand opening. This multi-million dollar computing center is a project of The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR), which was established in Oakland, California in 1954 for the purpose of raising the quality of life for all of Oakland's residents, with the emphasis on serving those in the greatest need of a balanced delivery of goods, effective public policy, and services. OCCUR created the Eastmont Computing Center (ECC) to serve as a community resource on information technologies in order to provide universal computer and Internet access and employment focused training to Oakland citizens. The Eastmont Computing Center provides cutting-edge information technology training to youth and other residents of under-served communities. The Center provides a broad range of unique skills and employment training programs to youth, senior citizens, and community- based organizations. The Center is one of only three California recipients of the highly competitive U.S. Department of Commerce Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program grants. Additional funding for the Center is provided by a number of government, foundation, corporate and individual donors including the Eastmont Town Center, Pacific Gas and Electric, Chevron, Pacific Bell, The San Francisco Foundation, Oracle, Hewlett Packard and IBM. I wish to commend the management and staff of the Eastmont Computing Center for their tireless work and for their diligence. It has been through their perseverance that they have garnered the resources necessary to establish and operate this training facility for the benefit of all the citizens of Oakland. I wish to extend to the Eastmont Computing Center, its staff, donors and support volunteers sincere best wishes for success as they begin to deliver technology access and employment training services to the citizens of Oakland.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time. I rise in strong support of the United Nations Population Fund and in firm opposition to the Smith amendment. The United Nations Population Fund provides basic information on family planning. It is just that simple. It targets families in developing countries who otherwise would have to go without basic services such as prenatal and postnatal care. This United Nations program is also leading the charge in confronting the AIDS epidemic in Africa by working to prevent mother-to-child transmission of the AIDS virus. These types of infections account for roughly a third of new HIV infections. This program should be commended and not burdened with the irrelevant restrictions on China as found in the Smith amendment which will deprive women in dire economic and personal circumstances from receiving the essential family planning that this program provides. A vote for the Smith amendment is a vote against the thousands of refugees who are women in the Balkans who have received kits which help to prevent the infections and diseases associated with giving birth and in unsanitary conditions. Furthermore, we should not accept the fact that an estimated 1,200 additional women and 22,500 infants are projected to die if this House refuses to support the Nation's Population Fund. That would be immoral. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Smith amendment and for the Campbell - Maloney - Gilman - Crowley - Greenwood amendment for responsible family planning

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute and 10 seconds to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney).

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price). (Mr. PRICE of North Carolina asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Georgia for yielding me this time and for all her hard and dedicated work on behalf of women throughout the world. First, I rise today in support of the United Nation's Population Fund and in stern opposition to the Smith amendment, which will come up later this evening. The United Nation's Population Fund provides responsible family planning and information on reproductive services to families worldwide. It targets families in developing countries who otherwise would have to go without such basic services yet such crucial needs as pre- and post-natal care. The UNFPA is also leading the charge in confronting the AIDS epidemic in Africa. The Smith amendment will deprive women who are in dire economic and personal situations from receiving essential family planning which they need to survive. This is wrong. Furthermore, my conscience will not allow me to accept the deaths of an estimated 1,200 additional women and 22,500 infants who are projected to die if the House refuses to support the UNFPA. We must do everything to prevent the deaths of these women and children. It is our moral obligation to do so. I urge my colleagues to vote against the Smith amendment later and for the Campbell-Maloney-Gilman-Crowley-Greenwood amendment for responsible family planning.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me say any U.S. policy toward Africa must recognize that not only is HIV and AIDS a health issue, but it is an epidemic of enormous social and economic dimensions. Not only are there humanitarian concerns which we must morally embrace, we must attack this disease on a global basis, just as we did with polio and smallpox. It is in our national interest to do so. Diseases know no boundaries. This sense of the Congress resolution is an excellent first start, but we must put our money where our mouth is.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) for yielding this time to me, for his hard work and commitment to Africa and to America. I rise in opposition to H.R. 434. This is one of the most difficult no votes which I again will cast today, but I have attempted to dig beneath the surface of this legislation and analyze what its true impact will be. I was compelled to vote against this bill when it was examined in the House Committee on International Relations. As one who has historically encouraged and worked for a comprehensive trade and development policy for Africa, this is not a vote which I cast lightly. In opposing this legislation I part company with the President I strongly support and a number of congressional colleagues for whom I have the utmost respect. Now very troubling to me, the African Growth and Opportunity Act fails to respect African sovereignty. It threatens the rights of African nations to determine for themselves the economic priorities that are in the best interests of their people. H.R. 434 continues to carry harsh eligibility requirements. To obtain trade benefits, countries must reorder their spending priorities to suit the preferences of foreign investors and the International Monetary Fund. Now, considering the mystery and the destructive nature of many of the IMF structural adjustment programs in Africa, this eligibility requirement is one which I cannot in good conscience support. Other provisions in this legislation require countries to reduce taxes for corporations while at the same time cut domestic spending which will inevitably lead to further reductions in vital health care and education programs which are already starved for funds. Africa has been neglected for too long, and as I listened to this debate, the supporters of this bill say that it is a modest first step. Well, it should be a major first step. It should not be symbolic, as many are saying. Africa deserves better. In our enthusiasm to promote American business opportunities and forge new relationships with countries in Africa, we must remain focused on the paramount need at hand to support a free and fair trade policy which benefits Africa and America.

Mr. LEE

Mr. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon landing by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin ``Buzz'' Aldrin and Michael Collins. This milestone will be commemorated aboard the U.S.S. Hornet Museum with a nine-day festival, called ``Moonfest 1999.'' Moonfest 1999 is an event blending history, education and family entertainment together in celebration of one of the greatest achievements of the 20th Century. The festival will include an airshow, lectures, exhibits, moon and star gazing parties, a film series, receptions and youth activities beginning on Friday, July 16th and concluding on Saturday, July 24th, 1999. The dates of the festival have special meaning because July 16, 1969, is the date the Apollo 11 crew departed from earth, landing on the moon on July 20th, and recovered safely by the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Hornet in the Pacific Ocean on July 24th. Planning for the first human landing on the moon began in April 1957 and in July 1960, NASA named the program ``Project Apollo'' with five goals: (1) to land American explorers on the Moon and return them safely to Earth; (2) to establish the technology required to meet other national interests in space; (3) to achieve for the United States preeminence in space; (4) to carry out a program of scientific exploration of the Moon; and (5) to develop human kind's capability to work in the lunar environment. With Apollo 11's mission, these goals were met. On the morning of July 24, 1969, the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Hornet, as the Primary Recovery Carrier, successfully recovered the Apollo 11 astronauts. On board the Hornet to welcome the astronauts back was the President of the United States, NASA personnel, distinguished guests and the Hornet's crew. This historic landing, and the many that followed, was achieved in large part by the dedication and creatively of several California aerospace corporations and their subcontractors, as well as citizens, universities and government agencies of the State of California. I proudly join citizens throughout the world in celebrating the 30th anniversary of the monumental achievement of the first lunar landing. I also want to thank the U.S.S. Hornet, her crew and all of the people involved with the Apollo Program for successfully bringing the Apollo 11 crew home safely. I am excited and honored to join in this celebration and encourage all to participate in the Moonfest 1999 activities.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, on behalf of women, children and Barbara Lee, I thank my colleague from New York for her leadership. I rise in strong support of the Maloney, Shays, Morella, Lee amendment. It is a shame that women who breast-feed their babies have to worry about being told to leave federal property or that they are engaging in inappropriate behavior while breast-feeding on federal property. Children should not have to be uncomfortable with hunger because their mother cannot breast-feed them while on federal property. Breast- feeding reduces the risks of many diseases and promotes a child healthy development. We should not penalize women and babies by refusing to be clear that it is not a crime to breast-feed on federal property. I am proud to say that in 1997 a bill was signed into law in California that authorizes a mother to breast-feed her child in any location, public or private except in the private home or residence of another. This law has heightened public awareness of the need of breast-feeding. It is time that now in 1999, the federal government sends a strong message that no longer women can be asked or told to leave federal property if they are breast-feeding. This is an amendment that will go a long way in reassuring women that they have a right to breast-feed on federal property, that we support the healthy development of babies and in no way will allow mothers and children to be subject to harassment and intimidation any more for doing what is natural and necessary.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Shirley Ware, a longtime resident of East Oakland, CA whose strong voice for labor will be remembered by the many people whose lives she so positively affected. Ms. Ware was one of the first African-American women elected to lead a major union. She served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Oakland- based Health Care Workers Union/SEIU Local 250 for more than ten years, managing the multimillion dollar budget of the second largest health care union in the United States. As Secretary/Treasurer, Shirley Ware and the ``New Leadership Team'' brought Local 250 from the brink of financial disaster into an era of economic stability. During her leadership tenure, Local 250's membership grew from 21,000 to 46,000 members. Ms. Ware left SEIU stronger, bigger, and better. Ms. Ware was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on August 24, 1941 to Mary Jane Jones and the late Robert Wilson. When she was a child, her family moved to Oakland, where she attended Fremont High School; Ms. Ware later attended Chabot Community College, where she earned her certification as a licensed nurse. Shirley Ware entered the labor movement as an organizer in 1963, when her co-workers in an East Bay nursing home complained to her about working conditions. Her natural instincts as an activist said, ``organize.'' Her co-workers gathered around her. Confident and strong, Mrs. Ware knew what to do. They would organize, and, together, they did. Without knowing it at the time, Ms. Ware had begun a 30-year career in organizing, a calling to which she would dedicate the rest of her life. Shirley Ware was a unique and a special role model for young people, African-Americans, women, union activists, and for all of us. In the years following her initiation into union work, she became an LVN. Then, as one of the fist two women hired by Local 250 as a field representative, she worked diligently to present the workers' point of view on a full-time basis. For the next two decades, health care workers would see Shirley as a tenacious, hardworking fighter, and a critical voice for patients' and workers' rights. Her opponents saw her as a dynamic and powerful adversary. Ms. Ware was a member SEIU's Public Sector Board and, in 1998, was appointed as a trustee to the pension trust of the Service Employee International Union. Ms. Ware also was a delegate to the Alameda Central Labor Council for 31 years, was elected to the executive board in 1989, and was named ``Unionist of the Year'' in 1991. Since 1989, Ms. Ware was a delegate to the California State Democratic Central Committee and served as a delegate to the 1992 and 1996 Democratic National Conventions. In addition, Ms. Ware was a member of the Alameda County Human Relations Commission from 1970 to 1997, and served as the Commission's chair from 1992-1994. She was the Oakland Mayor's appointee to the Private Industry Council. ``Shirley dedicated her life to the cause of helping workers,'' said Sal Rosselli, president of Local 250. Throughout her career, even during the last year of her life, Ware expressed deep concern for the members of Local 250 as well as for other health care workers. Even after she learned last year that she had cancer, Shirley Ware remained fully engaged in the struggles and challenges of the Union. Ms. Shirley Ware, lifelong organizer and advocate for working people, passed away on April 23, 1999. Ware is survived by her mother, Mary J. Henson and her stepfather, Melton Henson of Calaveras County, CA; two daughters, Mary Marlene Williams and Jannis Tolvert Gideon; two sons, George Marvin Willoughby, Jr. and Jaddias O'Neil Franklin; one son-in- law, Andrew Williams; one daughter-in-law, Luctricia Franklin; 12 grandchildren: Dwayne Lawson, George M. Willoughby III, Dana Willoughby, Donald and Demerits Franklin III, Wakter A. Vachemin, V, and Marchael Gidion; one great-grandson, Solomon Tolvert; one stepbrother, Melton Ray Henson, Jr. and his wife, Shelia; one stepsister, Melinda Faye Henson; and other relatives and friends.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. We absolutely must show the distinction and difference, because I don't believe the American public knows that there is a difference. People just want to make sure that their medical decisions are made between themselves and their physicians. That is what they are asking us for. Also, people want to make sure that when they are denied, they know why they are denied and they can appeal this process. For the life of me, I know all of us have constituents who have called us and said, I just received a call back or a form in the mail saying that this procedure which my physician has designated as the appropriate procedure has been denied. What do I do? We cannot respond at all. I believe that under our bill, patients will be able to respond very effectively and will be able to receive the type of health care that they need. Under the Republican bill, they will not. The public needs to understand this. So I appreciate the gentleman's having this special order tonight, because this is the only way we can get the information out to the general public.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I think all of us here, regardless of party affiliation, can cite instances of patients who have either gotten sicker or who have died as a result of certain medical decisions that were not made on the basis of the health care benefit to them, but rather, based on the profit motive. That is just wrong. We want to see that stopped. I am convinced that this bill will stop that. We have to make sure that all of our people in this country have the best type of medical care, and in fact that they and their doctors are the ones making these decisions, not the business agents or insurance companies.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and also for conducting this special order tonight, and for his hard work on this. Mr. Speaker, let me just say that I rise in strong support of the Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights, which will provide fundamental measures to fix the current health insurance system, as well as provide patients with access to basic needed care. Patients should not have to face numerous obstructions when they seek basic health care services. The Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights will allow patients to have more access to the care that they need. With the passage of this bill, individuals will have more access and the ability to receive emergency medical services, essential medication, as well as necessary services from specialists and OB-GYN care. It also has provisions for women's and children's health benefits. Prescription drugs will be made more readily available to patients. Many patients cannot obtain certain prescription drugs because many HMOs refuse to pay for them. Unfortunately, patients do not get adequate medication needed to successfully treat their condition in these instances. The Democratic Patients' Bill of Rights allows patients to obtain the needed medications, even if their HMO does not have them on their approved list. We should not have to gamble with patients' health. The quality of life should be a priority in all debates surrounding health care issues. This bill will allow for more access and freedom for our patients and doctors when making decisions concerning an individual's health. Appropriate health care should be a medical decision, not a business decision. This bill addresses the importance of allowing patients to appeal their health plan's decision, as well as holding HMOs accountable for their actions. This only makes sense. It is outrageous that currently consumers have no recourse against HMOs that deny adequate health care to them, and they are paying for it. This is wrong. People are growing more and more frustrated with an inadequate health care system that does not listen to the needs of people. I support universal, accessible health care for all, but until we have the political will to say that health care is a basic right, and that our Federal Government must guarantee this right, regardless of income or employment status, this bill is a good first step. We must pass legislation with these very modest provisions. We have waited long enough and have allowed too many people to suffer. I urge my colleagues to support putting people rather than profits first by supporting H.R. 358.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the Eastmont Computing Center, located in East Oakland, California, on its grand opening. This multi-million dollar computing center is a project of The Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal (OCCUR), which was established in Oakland, California in 1954 for the purpose of raising the quality of life for all of Oakland's residents, with the emphasis on serving those in the greatest need of a balanced delivery of goods, effective public policy, and services. OCCUR created the Eastmont Computing Center (ECC) to serve as a community resource on information technologies in order to provide universal computer and Internet access and employment focused training to Oakland citizens. The Eastmont Computing Center provides cutting-edge information technology training to youth and other residents of under-served communities. The Center provides a broad range of unique skills and employment training programs to youth, senior citizens, and community- based organizations. The Center is one of only three California recipients of the highly competitive U.S. Department of Commerce Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance Program grants. Additional funding for the Center is provided by a number of government, foundation, corporate and individual donors including the Eastmont Town Center, Pacific Gas and Electric, Chevron, Pacific Bell, The San Francisco Foundation, Oracle, Hewlett Packard and IBM. I wish to commend the management and staff of the Eastmont Computing Center for their tireless work and for their diligence. It has been through their perseverance that they have garnered the resources necessary to establish and operate this training facility for the benefit of all the citizens of Oakland. I wish to extend to the Eastmont Computing Center, its staff, donors and support volunteers sincere best wishes for success as they begin to deliver technology access and employment training services to the citizens of Oakland.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. W. Hazaiah Williams, a great man of many talents who passed away from complications of diabetes April 24, 1999. Dr. Williams' accomplishments were considerable. Dr. Williams brought to the Bay Area some of the world's leading artists, including Marian Anderson, Roland Hayes, Dorothy Maynor, Veronica Tyler, Theresa Berganza, Sherrill Milnes, Grace Bumbry, Jean- Phillippe Collard, Cyprien Katsaris, Grant Johannesen, Leon Bates, Tatayana Nikolaeva, Natalie Hinderas among hundreds of others. William Hazaiah Williams Jr., was born in Columbus, Ohio, on May 14, 1930, and was the youngest of six children born to the Rev. W. Hazaiah Williams, Sr., and Cora Leon Williams. The Williams family moved to Detroit when William Hazaiah Williams, Jr., was 11 years old. He attended Adrian College in Adrian, MI, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wayne State University School of Theology in Detroit, MI, and a Master of Theology degree from Boston University's School of Theology in Boston, MA. Dr. Williams did postgraduate work in Sociology at the University of California at Berkeley, and received two honorary Doctorate of Divinity degrees, one from the Pacific School of Religion and the other from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, both located in Berkeley, CA. Dr. Williams founded the Church For Today in Berkeley, CA, in 1956, the church in which he was active as the pastor until his death. Dr. Williams formed the Center for Urban-Black Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in 1969, where he served as the president, in addition to his service as a full professor for 20 years. He also taught at the San Francisco Theological Seminary and at the College of San Mateo, CA, and was the founder and president of the Alamo Black Clergy, an East Bay, California, consortium of ministers of various denominations. Dr. Williams led civil rights causes in the San Francisco Bay Area and served as Executive Director of the East Bay Conference on Race, Religion, and Social Justice. His community work also included eight years of service on the Berkeley Board of Education, during the period in which the Berkeley schools were integrated. Dr. Williams lectured extensively at colleges, universities, and institutions throughout the United States, among them: the California Institute of Technology, Howard University, Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, University of Oklahoma, Lewis and Clark College, Beloit College, St. Procopius College, Georgia Technological University, University of Washington, Merritt College, Evergreen State College, University of Santa Clara, Claremont College, San Francisco Theological Seminary, American Baptist Seminary of the West, Interdenominational Theological Center, Gammon Theological Seminary, and the Pacific School of Religion. He delivered keynote addresses at conferences on racism for the National Protestant Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mission. In the mid-1970s, he was a delegate to the World Council of Churches' Symposium on Black and Liberation Theology in Geneva, Switzerland. In addition to religion and civil rights, Dr. Williams was profoundly devoted to music. Dr. Williams taught himself piano at the age of three, and held his first public performance at the age of five. Later, he studied piano at the Detroit Institute of Musical Art, the Detroit Conservatory of Music, and Detroit's Robert Nolan School of Music. At age 15, he was Concert Manager of the Robert Nolan Chorale. While in college in Adrian, MI, he hosted a musical program on local radio. In 1958, Dr. Williams founded Today's Artists Concerts. For over three decades, this organization presented an annual concert series in the Bay Area, as well as concerts in New York, Paris, and Haifa, Israel. In 1981, he established the annual Yachats Music Festival in Oregon. In 1993, Dr. Williams created Four Seasons Concerts, of which he was the President and Artistic Director until his death. Dr. Williams served on the Board of Directors of the Oakland, California Symphony and the Ross McKee Foundation for the Musical Arts, and was an honorary board member of the Chicago Sinfonietta. Dr. Williams leaves behind him a son, William Hazaiah III; a daughter-in-law, Linda Vanterpool; a granddaughter, Lauren of Elk Grove, CA; a daughter, Countess of Los Angeles, CA; a former wife, Countess of Berkeley, CA; a brother-in-law, Louis Irwin; sisters Ruth Williams and Naomi Sharp; brother William James Williams; and sister- in-law Rubye Williams of Detroit, MI; nephews Frederick Cornell Sharp of Southfield, MI, and Michael Hazaiah Williams of Detroit, MI; the members of the Church For Today; and the staff of Four Seasons Concerts. While Dr. Williams is sorely missed here, we honor and celebrate his legacy.