Barbara Lee

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am here to share with you the life of a legendary Oaklander, Mr. Ian B. Zellick, television pioneer and civic leader, who died on July 27 after a brief illness at age 73. Mr. Zellick was the first staff member at a local television station in the City of Oakland KTVU-TV Channel 2 where he was hired in 1958 as employee number 001. He worked at Channel 2 for more than 32 years; first as a set designer and artist, but it is for his more than 20 years as Director of the Community Affairs Department that Mr. Zellick is best remembered. Under his direction, the Community Affairs Department's share of air time at KTVU grew from 30 minutes a week to more than six hours a week. Show topics ranged from politics to the concerns of various ethnic and minority communities. He opened the doors of the station to all corners of the community. If more than two people wanted to debate or discuss something, Mr. Zellick gave them air time. His enthusiasm for the community also took him outside the station to serve on dozens of boards and commissions. One year (1984) Mr. Zellick was on 26 community boards and commissions, including The Oakland Ballet, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra of the West, Booth Memorial Home, the displaced Homemakers, the Oakland Symphony, and the Oakland Opera. People who knew him described him as a self-styled one-man community network, involved in education, music, dance, mental health, and pregnant teens. He was able to form links between dissimilar agencies. For instance, when an important resident service for pregnant teens was threatened, he facilitated an arrangement between Oakland's YWCA and the Salvation Army's Booth Center, thus insuring the service would continue. After he retired from KTVU in 1990, Mr. Zellick concentrated on the Philharmonia Baroque, the San Francisco Early Music Society and the East Bay Agency for Children. EBAC runs residential and day care facilities for disturbed kids and he was honored by them for ``A Lifetime of Service to the East Bay Community.'' He received accolades and numerous awards, as a founding member of the Philharmonia and the Preceptor Award from the annual national Broadcasting Industry Conference in recognition of his work encouraging and supporting young people in the field of broadcasting. Mr. Zellick was born on June 7, 1925 in San Francisco. He got his BA from San Francisco State University and his MA from Mills College. As a Marine during WWII, he saw action in the South Pacific. He is survived by his wife Beverly, a daughter Kate; two sons: Vaughn and Arch; and five grandchildren.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am here to share with you the life of a legendary Oaklander, Ms. Florence LeCron Jurs, who died on July 24 after several months of failing health at age 85. Ms. Jurs, a well-known citizen of Oakland, has sought out ways to improve the city she called home for sixty-some years. In 1965 she was a founding member of Oakland Public School Volunteers which grew to a corps of 2,000 during the time of the late Superintendent Marcus A. Foster. In 1970 she was a delegate to the White House Conference on Children. In 1977 she was an original board member of A Central Place, where non-profit organizations shared downtown office space. The Oakland Potluck, a food salvage organization, was founded by her in 1986 and now feeds 600,000 meals a year. Florence LeCron Jurs was borne in Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 28, 1912 and grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, where she was exposed to stimulating conversations and experiences as a member of the Cowles publishing family. Her father, James LeCron, was the editor of The Des Moines Register and Tribune newspaper. Her mother, Helen Cowles LeCron, was a member of the Cowles Publishing family (Minneapolis Star Journal, and Look Magazine). She was schooled in Switzerland and France before matriculating at Stanford University. While in Stanford she met Gene Jurs and decided that California was to be her lifelong home. Ms. Jurs was involved in Oakland Public Schools, city of Oakland politics, the Lincoln Child Center, the Marcus Foster Institute, the Management Center, St. Paul's School and served on numerous Boards of Directors of nonprofit agencies dealing with board development and services for children, mental health, food for hungry people, to name a few. The California Legislature named her ``Woman of the Year'' in 1989. The Oakland City Council declared August 31, 1986 ``Eugene and Florence Jurs Day'' for outstanding service to the City of Oakland. Networking and hard work have been hallmarks of Florence Jurs' life. She involved herself in projects with a passion and inspired the same in others, a reason every group of which she was a member flourished. There are strong community-based organizations that would not exist today had it not been for her passion, inspiration, guidance, and leadership. The City of Oakland has been blessed with thousands of hours of her volunteer time and expertise. Her husband, Eugene; daughters; Karen, Emily, Christina and Cynthia, six grandchildren and one greatgrandchild, together with all the people she has touched in her life, take pride in her legacy.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of loss that I pay tribute to Mr. James Weldon Hadnot, Sr., a legend in the Bay Area and to the world of basketball, who left us on August 3, 1998. James was the father of my Oakland District Staff, Julie Hadnot. James Weldon Hadnot, Sr., was born in Jasper, Texas on January 5, 1940 to Roosevelt and Arvetter Hadnot, the third of five children. At the age of three, his family moved to Oakland, California. James attended Oakland Public Schools graduating from McClymonds' High School in 1958. At McClymonds' he was a premier athlete, leading his basketball team to three outstanding seasons. In 1958, his team won the Tournament of Champions with a 28-0 win. James received a basketball scholarship to attend Providence College in Rhode Island. While at Providence, he led his team to three consecutive NIT appearances, receiving First Team All-Tournament honors at each of these appearances. In 1961, James led the Friars to the NIT Championship award. His Providence Friars' team garnered a record of 68 and 16 during his career. In 1974, James was inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame. He graduated from Providence in 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Shortly thereafter, he was selected by the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 1963 he returned to Oakland to play for the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball League (ABL). He later played for the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association (ABA), which won an ABA Championship in 1969. Between 1982 and 1987 James coached basketball at Laney and Alameda Community Colleges and Holy Names College. In 1987, he rejoined the NBA as a Scout for the Sacramento Kings. In 1991 he began working with the New Jersey Nets as a Scout for the western region. James was also an entrepreneur with three liquor stores in 1963. The most notable was Hadnot Liquors on Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. He later sold them and opened the Safari Cocktail Lounge on Foothill Boulevard in Oakland. Throughout his life, James was actively involved in the civic and sports community. He was a member of the California State Package & Tavern Owners Association, the Grass Valley PTA, the Alameda County Cerebral Palsy Board, the American Basketball Association Alumni and the McClymonds' Alumni Association, just to name a few of the many. He also served as a Catholic Youth Organization Basketball Coach at St. Paschal's School in Oakland. He found great pleasure in spending time with his family and friends. James was an avid golfer, spending many days as a Marshall at the Lake Chabot Golf Course. James is survived by his wife Norma (Cookie), sons, Dorian, Shawn; daughters, Julie and Jana; daughter-in-law Ebony; grandson, James III; sister, Virgle Stringfield; brother, Benny Hadnot; mother-in-law, Edith Del Prete; brother-in-law, Gino Del Prete. He was preceded in death by his son James, Jr. He will be missed by his family, friends, colleagues and the community.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to any amendment which would pave the way for continued discrimination against gay and lesbian Federal employees. When President Clinton passed Executive Order 13087, he did so with the support of the vast majority of Americans who believe, as I do, that an employer should not be allowed to fire gay and lesbian employees simply because of their sexual orientation. Nonetheless, some in America have worked hard to prevent gays and lesbians from receiving the same basic protections that most Americans enjoy and take for granted. As a black woman who was forbidden from enrolling in public schools because of the color of my skin, I am especially troubled to witness this divisive, unfair, and un-American attack on the civil rights of our fellow citizens and our constituents. In a very high profile case in 1991 Cracker Barrel Restaurants fired several gay employees simply because they were gay. The employees had no legal recourse, because, according to the laws at that point and now, discrimination against gay and lesbian Americans is totally legal. Right now it is legal to discriminate against gays and lesbians in 40 of our States. Mr. Chairman, I encourage all of my fair-minded colleagues to stand on the right side of history.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Degette amendment, which would strike language banning the use of federal funds for abortion services for women in federal prisons. Women in prison have committed criminal activity, and through our judicial system we certainly need to seek appropriate responses to illegal actions. Women in prison are being punished for the crime that they committed. However, this is a separate issue from that which we are addressing. Today we discuss civil liberties and rights which are protected for all in America, and remain so even when an individual is incarcerated. Abortion is a legal health care option for women in America. Since women in prison are completely dependent on the federal Bureau of Prisons for all of their health care services, the ban on the use of federal funds is a cruel policy that traps women by denying them all reproductive decision-making. The ban is unconstitutional because freedom of choice is a right that has been protected under our constitution for twenty-five years. Furthermore, the great majority of women who enter our federal prison system are impoverished and often isolated from family, friends and resources. We are dealing with very complex histories that often, tragically, include drug abuse, homelessness, and physical and sexual abuse. Many women are pregnant upon entering the prison system. To deny basic reproductive choice would only make worse the crises faced by the women and the federal prison system. The ban on the use of federal funds is a deliberate attack by the anti-choice movement to ultimately derail all reproductive options. As we begin chipping away basic reproductive services for women, I ask you, what is next? Denial of OBGYN examinations and mammograms for women inmates? Who is next? Women in the military, women who work for the government, or all women who are insured by the Federal Employees Health Benefits plan? Limiting choice for incarcerated women puts other populations at great risk. This dangerous, slippery-slope erodes the right to choose, little by little. It is my undying belief that freedom of access must be unconditionally kept intact; therefore, I strongly urge my colleagues to protect this constitutional right for women in America and vote ``Yes'' on the Degette amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, as an Army brat, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 294. H. Con. Res. 294 is the resolution to recognize the 50th anniversary of the integration of the Armed Forces. The integration of the military was crucial to enhancing the quality of life not only for my family, but for the children of all Black military personnel. I am proud of my father, Lt. Col. (retired) Garvin A. Tutt. He fought for this country during World War II as a member of the 92nd battalion in Italy. He also served the United States with honor in the subsequent Korean conflict. Yet, I vividly remember that back in the States, my dad, my mother, my sisters and myself could not eat in restaurants, could not attend movie theaters in town, could not drink out of water fountains except those marked ``colored'' only. However, after Executive Order 9981, military bases became ``safe havens'' where at least recreational facilities on base were open to African American families. Oftentimes, Ft. Bliss, in which my dad was stationed, was the only ``Safe Haven'' for my family. As an adult, I have had the privilege to work for my predecessor, a former Marine and a great champion for justice, Congressman Ron Dellums, During my employment with Ron, I had the honor to work with great African American Heroes of the United States Armed Forces such as the Tuskegee airmen. They are loyal and dedicated Americans who sacrificed so much for their country, all the while suffering the degradation and humiliation of segregation. Mr. Speaker, I do not think that Americans who were born after the civil rights movement realize the extent of the overt, divisive and punishing discrimination against a group of people, African Americans, the extent of their alienation from the rest of the people of the United States. The United States Armed Forces, more than any other body of its size, is an institution based on a strict set of explicit and implicit rules of behavior. The act and process of integration of the armed services is a political, social, and legal phenomenon that must be appreciated, recognized, praised, honored, and made known to all Americans, all people who are committed to a just and fair society. When President Truman issued Executive Order 9981 in 1948, it was six years before Brown vs Board of Education and ten years before the nominal integration of some of our schools. Through his leadership, President Truman eradicated the legal structure of racism in our military force. The integration of the military had remarkable, positive consequences for American society. I believe that this is a story of success largely unknown to people outside of the Armed Forces. This is a story of the Government taking a series of steps to bring equality of access to all personnel. This work made training available; supported promotions, and allowed people to gain experience, which has led to the promotion of African American non-commissioned and commissioned officers. This is the successful story, still unfolding, of a major branch of the Government working to rid itself of the evils of racism and segregation. 50 years is not a long time, Mr. Speaker. The vestiges of racism and discrimination still exist. I hope that, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the integration of our Armed Forces, we recommit ourselves to ending bigotry in this country.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Mollohan amendment which provides full funding for the 2000 census, including the use of statistical sampling. Fundamental to our democracy is the notion that everyone counts. In 1990 the census missed millions of people. The Bureau believes it missed 1.8 million Americans. Most of those who were not counted were low-income people living in cities, in rural communities, African-Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, immigrants and children. Almost 50 percent of the individuals not counted in the 1990 census were children. Are they not a part of this country? Funding for many of our school programs depends on an accurate count of our children. The goal of the Census Bureau is to achieve the most accurate count possible using the most up-to-date scientific methods and the best technology available. We are not talking about polling as you do in political campaigns. The use of statistical sampling will ensure that people who have historically been left out are counted and are included. Our responsibility is to ensure that every American counts. If you are not counted, you are irrelevant. No one in this country should be rendered irrelevant. I urge passage of the Mollohan amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to this outrageous amendment. Mr. Speaker, this bill brings me memories from my childhood, but not a single good one. I remember how excited I was about going to school. The sad reality was that when I started school, I was unable to attend public schools because education was segregated. I was unable to attend public schools because of the color of my skin. I was unable to attend public schools because I was black. It did not matter that my father proudly served in the military with patriotism risking his life to protect my freedom and that of others regardless of skin color. No, it didn't matter. I, like many others, was subjected to the painful calvary of discrimination. It wasn't until many courageous men and women from all over the country decided to join forces to fight prejudice and the injustice of segregation that these barriers were broken. I learned so much from those experiences and there is one lesson I will never forget, discrimination--no matter what form it takes--is wrong. Mr. Speaker, this amendment has gone through four rewrites. Not one, not two, not three, but four rewrites and the latest version is still unfair, invasive, and unconstitutional. Mr. Speaker, the San Francisco's civil rights ordinance has the full support of the City and County of San Francisco, its elected mayor and Board of Supervisors. This amendment constitutes nothing but a chilling attack on San Francisco's civil rights laws. It sends out to undermine the civil rights laws of the City and County of San Francisco, a prospect that should sound alarm bells for anyone who supports the effort to attain civil rights in this nation. Mr. Speaker, I thought that our friends on the other side of the aisle were in favor of more powers for local government not against. Well, may be I'm reading the wrong papers or may be it is that some people have decided to be selective about who to attack, when to attack, and why. If we are the House of the people, we are not to violate their trust by launching a malicious attack on the City of San Francisco and its wonderful people. But the people of San Francisco are not the only ones opposing this amendment. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has indicated that they are ``* * * seriously concerned with this unwarranted intrusion into local decision making * * *'' Mr. Speaker, the passage of this amendment would establish a frightening precedent, which is why the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the City of Los Angeles, and others have voiced strong opposition to the amendment. Mr. Speaker, I come from a religious family and I continue to practice my faith. I learned early in life that if we believe in justice we also need to believe in tolerance and respect. Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt in my heart that every single Member of this House agrees with me that discrimination is wrong. Every single person is created equal! If that is the case we need to oppose this attack on civil rights. I encourage my fellow Members to vote no on this amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, it is with a tremendous sense of loss and sadness that I rise today to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of Detective John Gibson and Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut and to their colleagues in the Capitol Police. I would also like to offer my sincerest gratitude to all of our Capitol Hill security personnel who each and every day risk their lives for us, and whom oftentimes we take for granted. Thank you for your service, your commitment and your valor. Detective Gibson was truly an officer's officer. His work exemplified the truest meaning of service. He is remembered by colleagues, friends and neighbors alike as someone who would do whatever he could do to help, someone who always made people feel safe. Officer Chestnut was a stalwart of service and professionalism. He always exhibited genuine kindness and gentleness to all of us who were privileged to know him. My family and I remember his assistance during my swearing-in ceremony, his incredible kindness, his guidance, his tremendous warmth. These two heroes gave their lives in the line of duty in protecting their fellow citizens. They paid the supreme price so that others may live. They leave behind families, friends, coworkers, communities and Americans who will never forget their commitment and their sacrifice. Their passing leaves a void that will never be filled. We join with the families to remember the special times, and in doing so, Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut will have a permanent place in our hearts. May they rest in peace.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a tremendous sense of loss and sadness that I rise today to express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of Detective John Gibson and Capitol Police Officer Jacob Chestnut, and to their colleagues in the Capitol Police. I'd also like to offer my sincerest gratitude to all of our Capitol Hill security personnel, who each and every day risk their lives for us and whom we oftentimes take for granted. Thank you for your service, your commitment, and your valor. Detective Gibson was truly an officer's officer: his work exemplified the truest meaning of service. He is remembered by colleagues, friends, and neighbors alike as someone who would do whatever he could to help, someone who made people feel safe. Officer Chestnut was a stalwart of service and professionalism. He always exhibited genuine kindness and gentleness to all of us who were privileged to know him. My family and I remember his assistance during my swearing-in ceremony, his incredible kindness, his guidance, his tremendous warmth. These two heroes gave their lives in the line of duty protecting their fellow citizens. They leave behind families, friends, co-workers, communities, and Americans who will never forget their commitment and their sacrifice. Their passing leaves a void that will never be filled. We join with the families to remember special times and, in doing so, Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob Chestnut will have a permanent place in our hearts. May they rest in peace.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3605, The Patients' Bill of Rights. Today we see appalling, devastating problems with HMO's. Instead of concern for patients, too many HMO's focus on making money at the expense of quality health care. They have denied medical procedures that they decide ``unnecessary'', even though patients' lives may have depended on them. They have refused to pay for medical procedures for children with terrible deformities, calling the operations ``cosmetic''. They have even taken away a doctor's right to authorize crucial procedures, dangerously yielding the most important decision-making responsibilities to a bureaucrat in an office building 3,000 miles away. The Patients' Bill of Rights is a comprehensive bill which makes certain that health care providers do what is in the best interests of their customers, not their profits. It guarantees basic rights for all patients, placing health, well-being, and safety above all else, and valuing the patient-doctor relationship. Among the most important aspects of the bill is that it allows doctors, not insurance companies, to make crucial decisions regarding the health of patients. Another important safeguard in the bill guarantees that individuals are covered for all emergency services. No one should have to worry about insurance coverage for life-saving emergency care. Furthermore, and very significant, the Patients' Bill of Rights calls for internal and external appeals processes to adequately address patients' grievances. These processes are crucial because they ensure that insurance companies are held accountable for providing quality care to people, or required to pay the consequence. In contrast, H.R. 4250, the Republican version of a healthcare bill, is a vague and inadequate measure that fails to address many of the vital problems in the healthcare industry. Failing to focus on the needs of patients, it favors the multibillion-dollar insurance industry. Under H.R. 4250, insurance companies will not be held accountable for decisions that cause injury to a patient. Crucial health decisions will continue to be made by the patient's insurance company rather than the doctor. The Republican plan does not put patients first, but rather, serves insurance companies' interests at the cost of quality health care. Furthermore, whereas the Patients' Bill of Rights expands healthcare to include provisions for patients who are seriously ill or require the expertise of the specialist, such as victims of HIV and cancer, the Republican plan puts at risk even the most basic and necessary measures. In my home state of California, current benefits such as mammography and cervical cancer screening, prenatal care, and mental health care could be overridden by H.R. 4250. It is unthinkable to me that these essential, preventative measures are threatened in this legislation. This would be a drastic step backward in caring for our people, and a further example of cutting cost at the expense of patient care. Mr. Speaker, I have heard some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle connect our current U.S. health care system to capitalism, stating that capitalism produces excellence in health care. This misguided mentality is frightening to me. Capitalism affords excellent healthcare only to the select few who are able to pay the most for it, and leaves all others without. This principle of the profit-making, market system is a devastating policy for health care. Health care is not a luxury to be afforded to the highest bidder. Providing health care is not about striving to make the greatest amount of money. Health care is a basic right that all Americans deserve, yet the United States is the only Western industrialized country that does not have a national health program. In a wealthy nation such as ours, it is incredible to me that there are so many who lack access to this fundamental necessity. The Republican plan will serve only to increase the rift between those who have access to health care and those who are left behind, neglected and trapped without adequate care. I urge your opposition of H.R. 4250 and support of H.R. 3605, the Patients' Bill of Rights.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with honor that I share with you the accomplishments and religious commitment of Dr. Margaret Stortz and Rev. Victor Postolaki, who will be honored by the First Church Religious Science on Sunday, July 26 in Oakland, California. Dr. Stortz will be stepping down as senior minister after 14 years and Rev. Postolaki, as assistant minister after 12 years of service. As ministers each has provided guidance and support to its congregants and the residents of Oakland and the East Bay. As leaders of First Church, they encouraged community outreach on an economic level and have generated monies to assist the survivors of the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the Oakland Firestorm. Their fund-raising efforts such as the ``Love Project'' in conjunction with Allen Temple Baptist Church assisted in the rebuilding of the Black churches burned in the south, the North Dakota Flood, and the Mexico Earthquake. They have, through the church volunteer programs, arrange for the creation and distribution of grocery baskets and food vouchers for numerous economically disadvantaged families and organizations servicing this constituency. They worked with Bay Area Ministries to make Oakland a better community for all its residents. Both were concerned about youth and were actively involved in programs that educated our children specially the teen empowering program serving the East Bay. Dr. Stortz served as Assistant Minister in 1981 and as the senior minister since 1984. In 1983, she was elected President of the Northern California United Church of Religious Science. Over the years Dr. Stortz held numerous offices within the United Church of Religious Science organization as member of the International Board of Trustees and the President of the United Church of Religious Science. Besides her ministerial duties she is an author and has an extensive list of works. Her written works include Start Living Every Day of Your Life, How to Enjoy Life and Flight into Life. She has produced Seven Spiritual Laws of Success based on Deepak Chopra's Book of the You Prosper, We Prosper--a 10-day prosperity meditation series, and Here's to Your Health--a 10-day health meditation series. She has written articles for the Oakland Tribune regarding the local clergy. Dr. Stortz served as a member of the Oakland Police and Clergy Together, and trained numerous assistant ministers. Rev. Postolaki, originally from Romania, prior to coming to First Church, served the Santa Rosa Church, both as a Practitioner and as an Assistant Minister. In 1986 he became the assistant minister at First Church of Religious Science, Oakland. He conducted weekly circles of Prayer and headed the Pastoral Care. Rev. Postolaki has brought his spiritual strength, his creativity, and his artistic talents to First Church. He created unique banners reflecting the world's religious beliefs and ``The Season for Non- Violence'' banner honoring the anniversaries of the deaths of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. Stortz and Rev. Postolaki have been pillars whose commitment has established First Church as a fifty-year-old Oakland spiritual institution.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, it is really with a deep sense of honor that I join with my colleagues today to pay tribute to an exceptional man, a leader who has really been more than an example. Congressman Stokes has been a mentor and a guiding force not only to me but also to other congressional Members, to African-Americans and to America at large. A policy reformist, a health and education advocate. But he has really been a teacher. He has set the standard for quality in leadership. Mr. Stokes, as we have heard over the last couple of hours, has made an indelible mark on this institution. Throughout the years he has stood as a superior example for social advocates and activists. In the heat of the civil rights movement, he triumphed as the first African-American from the State of Ohio to be elected to Congress. When I was here as a staff member for my predecessor, this goes back to 1975, Lou, you were then during those years appointed to the House Select Committee on Assassinations where you served as chair and disclosed valuable information about the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Lou Stokes always sought the truth. I marveled at how he handled and chaired that committee. His invaluable influence guided many of us to stand up for underrepresented Americans, young and old, poor, black, white, yellow and red. His work has torn down barriers to health care and has saved lives. Congressman Stokes opened doors that would have been closed and expanded access that otherwise would have been denied. He is really what Dr. Martin Luther King called a drum major for justice. He was a trailblazer of the Congressional Black Caucus's reform efforts to reform health care. His Underground Railroad Network Freedom Act, an act to establish a memorial for African-American slaves, finally bringing them the honor that is long overdue, is historic. Last weekend I had the privilege to visit Seneca Falls and Rochester, New York with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. This is an area where many stops were on this underground railroad. Lou, I just want to thank you for your vision and your hard work. We all have got to ensure that this important history is preserved. Without your leadership, this institution would not be the same. Congressman Stokes leaves a rich legacy that will bring lasting change which has made a tremendous difference in the lives of all Americans. Today I just stand here to say thank you, Lou Stokes, thank you on behalf of the 9th Congressional District. I want to thank you for your tireless service, for your mentoring, for your guidance, for your feedback, for all of your assistance that you have provided to me as a new Member of Congress. Great challenges are ahead for all of us. But the ground that you have laid really provides a firm foundation from which we can meet those challenges. I wish you the best. I am confident that this next chapter of your life is going to be extremely exciting. God bless you.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Joint Resolution 121, the legislation to disapprove Normal Trade Relations with China (formerly Most Favored Nation Status), for several reasons. During the past several months I have had extensive discussions with individuals both in support and in opposition to Normal Trade Relation status for China including the United Auto Workers of America, the AFL-CIO, the U.S. Business and Industry Council, and the business community in the Bay Area. I do not cast this vote lightly, but with much thought and input from individuals and groups with many points of view. While in the California Legislature, I served as a member of the California State World Trade Commission and was appointed by the late Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown to serve as a member of the District Export Council. I led the effort to encourage commercial trade between the State of California and the Continent of Africa. I support fair and free trade and recognize the importance of trade in the creation of jobs for Americans, especially in my home state of California, where we are the 10th largest economy in the world. Essential to the creation of jobs for American workers, however, is the absolute requirement that the Chinese market be open for imports from the United States. The U.S. labor force is harmed by lack of access to China's markets for the majority of U.S. products and services. Trade with China has not been reciprocal. Existing trade barriers create a severe trade imbalance in which the United States imports many more goods from China than it exports. Last year alone, the United States imported $62.6 billion worth of goods from China, while exporting only $12.8 billion. Only 1.9% of all U.S. exports are allowed into China, whereas 34.3% of Chinese exports come to the United States. Normal Trade Relations Status with China hurts American workers by driving manufacturing industries abroad for cheaper labor, which is particularly damaging to women and minorities. In my state of California, the effect of trade with China is extremely damaging to agriculture, to aerospace, and to the garment industry. The software and high tech industries are also hit particularly hard due to China's theft of copyrighted material. According to the Software Publishers' Association, 96% of the business software in China is pirated from American companies. Mr. Speaker, U.S. companies and U.S. goods have very limited and restricted access to the Chinese market due to China's high tariffs, as well as its non tariff barriers. As I made my decision to vote for House Joint Resolution 121, I concluded that the current MFN China policy is a ``business loser'' and ``job loser'' here at home. In addition, as a person who supports human rights both in the United States and abroad, I cannot ignore the fact that in China there are at least 250 people still imprisoned since the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, that there are more than 2,000 political and religious prisoners, and that there are at least 230,000 prisoners being held without charge or trial in ``reeducation through labor'' camps. As a person who has been and will continue to be committed to world peace and to non proliferation of nuclear weapons, I cannot ignore China's assistance in building nuclear and ballistic missile programs in Pakistan and sale of missile test equipment to Iran. I cannot help but be extremely concerned about China's recent test fire of its newest long range missile during President Clinton's visit, illustrating China's lack of respect for nonproliferation. I support ending the trade embargo with countries such as Cuba, which many supporters of MFN oppose. There seems to be no logic or consistency in the arguments promoted by many of those who support trade relations with China, while simultaneously opposing trade with Cuba. I believe that our foreign policy objectives can be achieved, that democracy and human rights can be encouraged, and the jobs can be created for American workers through fair and free trade with countries, whether Communist or not. I believe that my colleagues of the California Bay Area Delegation, The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, The Honorable George Miller, The Honorable Pete Stark and The Honorable Lynn Woolsey are correct in their decision to oppose MFN for China. I unite with them in this effort to support U.S. workers and the U.S. labor.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, with gratitude, I rise today to pay tribute to a remarkable constituent of California's Ninth Congressional District, Dr. Scot D. Foster, the outgoing national President of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). In my opinion, it is appropriate at this time to recognize the outstanding career of this distinguished individual. Founded in 1931, the AANA represents over 27,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs, across the country who provide over 65% of the anesthesia in the United States each year. They work in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered, and for all types of surgical cases including hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, and plastic surgeons. As president, Dr. Foster was responsible for charting the policy and direction of the association from 1997-1998. Throughout his involvement with AANA, Dr. Foster has also held a variety of leadership positions prior to being elected President, including Treasurer and Vice President of the AANA. A learned scholar and expert in his field, Dr. Foster began his studies at the University of Kansas, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1974, and a CRNA certificate in 1976. He attained a Master of Arts degree in Educational Administration in 1977, a PhD in Higher Education in 1984, and a Masters of Science in Nursing in 1994. Dr. Foster currently is a Professor of Nursing at Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, California and is a former Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the UCLA School of Medicine in Los Angles, California. Dr. Foster is widely published and speaks often before professional groups and societies, which has earned him the esteem and respect of his peers and others in all professions. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join with me in recognizing Dr. Foster for his notable career and outstanding achievements. Congratulations, Dr. Foster, on a job well done.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 1050, which was a bill originally introduced by Representative Dellums of California, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 4 of rule XXII.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support this amendment. Let me just say that one of the most important parts of raising my two sons to become productive young men was the ability to find affordable and quality child care. But let me tell my colleagues, it was very, very difficult to find such services. The waiting lists were too long. The child care facilities were so far away from school or work, and the costs were barely affordable. Now this was in the 1960s and in the 1970s. Here we are in 1998, and rather than improving the availability of child care, it has become very, very difficult because, of course, wages have not kept up with inflation. We still have not figured out a way to ensure good and affordable child care for our Nation's children. It is a truism and a cliche, but nevertheless it is an universal truth, that our children are our future. Treat them well, treat them with love, attention and respect, and they have an excellent chance to become solid citizens of tomorrow. When we abandon our children to inadequate and substandard child care because we cannot obtain or pay for the appropriate care, we disadvantage and even incapacitate young people. We also run the high probable risk that we raise adults who have little commitment to their parents and to their society. It is a persistent national problem that continuing low wages, especially for child-bearing-age women, coupled with understandably high cost of child care, quality child care, produces a terrible dilemma within which mothers and fathers are too often caught. In 1996, 62 percent of mothers with young children were in the work force; in 1990 it was 58 percent; in 1980 it was 47 percent; in 1970 it was 32 percent, and these numbers will continue to grow. But reliable professional teachers and nurturers of young children are not available for the substandard wages that we pay our child care providers, nor should they be. So this amendment is a significant step that we can take to really help begin to alleviate this pressing need. It is an all-around winner. It matches the willingness of the Social Security Administration, the Department of Justice, the Department of Defense and the Office of Personnel Management to use their salary and expense accounts to help Federal employees to pay for child care. It is very simple. So I ask my colleagues, Mr. Chairman, to vote yes on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Morella amendment to the FY 99 Treasury-Postal appropriations bill. I commend the gentlewoman from Maryland, Representative Morella, for her efforts here today in assisting our Nation's Federal employees with the high cost of quality child care. Although the amendment has been stripped on a point of order I hope that the final version of the bill will contain the childcare provisions. Currently, child care costs for the average family can range between $4,000 and $10,000 a year--the same amount as college tuition at some public universities. In fact, some Federal child care facilities charge up to $10,000 or more per child per year. Most Federal employees simply cannot afford child care at these high prices. The Morella amendment would allow Federal agencies to make payments to child care providers to help lower income Federal employees meet their child care needs. Since it is the decision of the individual agency to determine whether to use funds from their salary and expense accounts, this amendment does not require any additional appropriation. These same child care benefits are already being provided to military employees. While finding affordable, quality daycare is a basic concern and serious dilemma for most working families, it is of special concern to Federal employees, who often work in service to the public for low pay and long or unusual hours. I urge my colleagues to vote ``Yes'' on the Morella amendment.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to congratulate the Greater Cooper African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church on its 100th anniversary of missionary and community involvement in West Oakland held July 11, 1998. The church, which in 1897 had its humble beginnings on Campbell Street, moved to Union Street in 1929 and is presently located since 1940 at 1429 Myrtle Street, one block west of Market Street amongst the beautiful Victorians of Old Oakland. Many Bay Area residents will recall the years during and after World War II when Greater Cooper's membership grew to more than 500 as many servicemen passing through the area made Cooper Zion their church home. In the 1950's and 1960's, under the leadership of Rev. G. Lynwood Fauntleroy, Greater Cooper shared a music and radio ministry. Fond memories come with thoughts of their renowned Cathedral Choir, which graced the airwaves with their melodious renditions of anthems and spirituals. Through the years this fine church has reached out to all segments of the community through summer youth programs, childcare centers, senior citizens' programs, food ministries for the less fortunate, and a mentoring program for young boys. The current pastor, the Reverend John A. Harrison, Jr., has the honor of heading this centennial celebration. Since November of 1997, the Greater Cooper has sponsored workshops, praise and worship services, and other ongoing activities to pronounce their joy in being blessed with such a long and rich history. Together with the Greater Cooper A.M.E. Zion Church, I salute the great multitude of lay persons, those great men and women of Zion whose faith, prayers, and courage have sustained the church through economic struggles, and have helped to secure a permanent place of worship for its posterity. It is significant that our community recognizes an important stable partner in our society that provides for the betterment and improvement in the quality of life, not only for its members, but the community and neighborhood they are situated. The Greater Cooper A.M.E. Zion Church has been that stable pillar and encouraged by its leadership and members, and it will continue to be a relevant contributor in the 21st century.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, Mayor Elihu Harris of Oakland has served the public for twenty- one years as an elected official at both the state and municipal levels. For thirteen years, Mr. Harris served as a California State Assemblyman; over the course of his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the Jurisdictional Committee, and sponsored many pieces of legislation that have had a direct impact on the City of Oakland and its citizens. For the past eight years, Mr. Harris has served as the Mayor of the City of Oakland, leading the drive to rebuild and strengthen our great City. In the wake of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm--two of the most devastating events in recent city history--among other significant challenges, Harris has provided invaluable leadership and vision, and levied resources to support redevelopment, growth, and community in Oakland. The Mayor's campaign to renew the City of Oakland has proved highly successful: in 1993, Oakland was designated an All American City by the National Civic League, and Money Magazine has ranked Oakland as one of the top places to live for two consecutive years. Under Harris' watch, crime rates and unemployment have dropped, and the City has experienced a tremendous influx of new business, construction, and jobs. Equally important is Mr. Harris' record as the People's Champion. Throughout his term, Mayor Harris has worked closely with Oakland's citizens to create new and innovative ways to address important community issues. By providing strong leadership in an atmosphere of inclusiveness, Mr. Harris has mobilized people to believe that they can and will make a difference. A true Citizen-Mayor, Elihu Harris is especially passionate about children and about education: while serving as Oakland's mayor, he launched several important endeavors to support education, among them Camp Read-A-Lot and Project 2000, Ready to Learn. On June 26, 1998, Mayor Harris will receive an Achievement Award from the Oakland East Bay Democratic Club. The 9th District joins the Oakland East Bay Democratic Club in honoring Mayor Elihu Harris for his years of dedicated service to our community.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first, I want to express my appreciation for the leadership that the distinguished gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior), the Democratic whip, has consistently given on the difficulties that working people experience in this country. The gentleman's deep commitment to economic justice for wage earners is reflected in the work that he has done in this House, of which the special order on ``A Day To Make Our Voice Heard'' is a part. This is my first time, really, that I have participated in a special order since being elected to the House of Representatives.

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is absolutely correct. But it was not only defeated by labor unions and workers, it was a coalition of young people and unemployed. It was a fabulous coalition. I believe that is a testament as to what is really going on in this country. This was an attempt to block employee contributions to unions. Yet, it would have continued to allow corporate contributions to political campaigns. The issue alarmed and energized voters all over California and all over the country and brought out 7 percent more voters actually in my district. Proposition 226 was defeated 53 percent to 47 percent. Flowing from that success is the failed attempt now to place a similar bill on Nevada's ballot. A Nevada court ruled that the proposal was a violation of the First Amendment right of free speech. But workers who try to gain decent, living wages and working conditions oftentimes have to pay dearly for their successes. Were working conditions and wages adequate, working people would not spend the time or the money or expose themselves to the dangers, and there are some real dangers that come with fighting for economic justice. A decision to strike only follows when workers collectively blow the whistle on work conditions. It is really the final straw used to get the attention of the employer. The employer's retaliatory lockouts, business closures, and transfers of operation to Mexico, Indonesia, and China, with their pools of exploited labor, threaten the very livelihood of workers and their families here in America. Workers take action knowing that the cost of gaining dignity at work is the likely destruction of their livelihood and family economic security. We need international unions to protect workers all over the world. Let me just tell you, in California, workers who live in my district and who work in Burlington Northern/Santa Fe's Richmond Intermodal Yard were fired because they joined the ILWU last September. As soon as they negotiated decent wage and benefits at $12 an hour, the railroad took away the contract to load and unload its trains and gave it to another contractor, Parsec, a company with a long history of union busting. According to the 1998 newsletter called Labor Notes, a worker named Sabrina Giles went to work 7 years ago keeping track of huge shipments at the yard. Over the years, she trained one worker after another in the difficult art of tracking the million-dollar cargos shipped by giant corporations. But while others moved up to better jobs and higher pay, she stayed on in one place watching her wages inch slowly from $8 to $9.50 an hour. The people she saw moving ahead were mostly white, she says, the friends and relatives of supervisors. According to Giles, who is an African American woman, this yard was full of favoritism, racism, and sexism. A couple of points on the farm workers in California I would like to mention. Farm workers have been struggling for decades for the right to organize and have minimally decent working conditions. The situation of the strawberry workers in Watsonville, California is extreme and has consequences not only for the workers but for their children. The most dangerous life-threatening aspect of their work is constant exposure to a wide range of very powerful pesticides and insecticides. Women farm workers suffer the additional burden of sexual harassment. A third problem concerns not only the health of the worker, but the health of the consumers of strawberries and other produce because of the lack of toilet facilities in the field. Why do we wait until we have a severe epidemic of hepatitis before we react? The problem has persisted over and over and over again. Also we are looking at the issue of janitors on the West Coast that are mostly immigrant men and women. They work for minimum wages, for no benefits, more than the normal workload, and many of these workers are employed by contractors who sometimes keep up to 50 percent of their wages. We held hearings when I was in the California Senate, and we found that contractors negotiated a dollar amount for the contract. Subsequent to that, they paid the workers about 50 percent less than what they were being reimbursed for. Unfortunately, these workers now have no benefits. And now they are trying to circumvent the unions by having their employees form company unions, which offer substantial benefits and circumvent any effort to improve the working conditions. So the Janitors for Justice effort to improve working conditions continues, and we will not rest until each and every janitor is treated with justice and with fairness. Finally, and let me just say, most of my colleagues I know serve constituents, the majority of whom are not CEOs and millionaires. So I urge this Congress to react by enacting legislation that supports working people. I want to thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Bonior) for allowing the American people to hear stories tonight of the importance of our labor union movement and the actual successes and the struggles of working men and women in this country.

Ms. LEE. Yes. I am proud that my first time out is about the importance of labor unions and working men and women and how they have enhanced and continue to struggle to enhance the quality of life for all Americans. On June 24, working women and men all over this country will rise to speak out about their efforts to improve their and their families' lives. Many of these working people have joined with others in unions to strengthen their individual efforts to better their lives. In organizing as groups of workers, there are many stories of successes, but there are also tragic stories of heartaches in these attempts. Some of us forget, and younger ones have not been taught, that part of the American economic miracle of our country is the value placed on labor. With the enormous exception of the labor forced from captured, enslaved Africans and indentured labor from Asia and other continents, the price of labor in the United States, as compared to the rest of the world, was high. African Americans have a proud history of organizing. We know that early labor organizers suffered broken bones and death on the picket line. As difficult as these battles were, we know that it was even more trying for African Americans. We can be proud of brother C. L. Dellums, the uncle of my predecessor, Congressman Ronald V. Dellums. C. L. Dellums, from Oakland, California, was one of the primary organizers of the Sleeping Car Porters Union and the California counterpart to the A. Philip Randolph Trade Union Movement. The Sleeping Car Porters Union was the first black union. The establishment of this union changed the perception of African Americans in America. Prior to that time, African Americans were brought in to break strikes by taking advantage of their financial oppression. We just heard from the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) that this is still occurring in this country. Employers use the classic strategy of pitting oppressed worker against oppressed worker, black, white, Asian, Latino. The formation of this black union changed the whole labor dynamic in America because black labor could see that we could be part of a union movement, and thus this was a very significant step in the American labor movement. These bloody battles waged by our labor progenitors brought better wages, health care, pensions, housing for workers. But we also know that battles, even those that were won at great costs, were not known or valued by those who did not struggle. So we have to learn and fight anew. We do have recent successes. One, of course, is the defeat of Proposition 226 in California in the last June primary.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to congratulate the Oakland Private Industry Council as it celebrates the official launch of EASTBAY Works, a one-stop career and human resources center. A total of seventeen one-stop centers will operate throughout the East Bay and the Oakland Private Industry Council is proud to have an EASTBAY Works site located at their Oakland Career Center. EASTBAY Works is the direct result of a collaborative effort among organizations which recognized the need for coordinated, comprehensive services from the work force development community. Its purpose is to advance the economic well-being of the region by developing and maintaining a skilled workforce. This will be accomplished through a customer-focused collaboration of employment, training, economic development and educational partners working together to meet the needs of employers, job seekers and workers. EASTBAY Works will serve a wide range of individuals, such as, career changers, welfare recipients looking to enter the workplace, down-sized middle managers, under-employed workers, recent graduates, youth and more. It will offer a broad range of free services and resources, including: a career resource room, with telephones, faxes, and computers; job listings; job search skills training; information about and referral to job training programs; labor market information and on- line access to the state of California's Employment Development Department. Employers will also receive services through EASTBAY Works. These employers will be matched with an employer representative who will provide services including; job posting capability in the career center and through the Internet, recruiting assistance with access to a large diverse pool of job applicants, labor market data and information about tax credits, hiring incentives and business permits. EASTBAY Works is an exciting and innovative endeavor which will serve as a model for career centers across the entire nation.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Shays-Meehan substitute. This bipartisan effort to begin the process of mending a flawed system is necessary and appropriate and long overdue. When I was sworn in as a newly elected Member of Congress 2 months ago, my first official act was to join over 200 of our colleagues in signing the discharge petition which would allow us to engage in meaningful debate on campaign finance reform. I am pleased that today has arrived, despite the fact that the past few weeks have seen a deliberate effort to divert our attention away from real campaign finance reform. In the spirit of democracy, campaigns should be about ideas, not money. Of course, I personally firmly believe that public financing of political campaigns is the ultimate answer to access and full participation by grassroots organization, women, and people of color. However, the Shays-Meehan substitute is a major step forward in taking us closer to ensuring a fair and equitable approach to financing elections.

Ms. LEE

Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for giving me the opportunity to speak in strong opposition to the Tax Code Termination Act, H.R. 3097. It is really difficult to believe that Republicans would actually submit this unworkable, impractical legislation. Yes, Democrats and Republicans have different values and support policies that have significant impacts which are different on all of us, but historically, legislation that has been introduced by a majority party most often has merited serious consideration, especially on controversial issues like taxes. It is important for all Americans to know that this extreme bill has had no committee deliberations, no hearings, and thus has had no input from Democrats and the public. Mr. Speaker, when I served on the Revenue and Taxation Committee in the California State Senate, one of our most important responsibilities was to determine the fiscal and economic impact of tax policy. Committee deliberation was an essential part of our responsibility as legislators. This bill to sunset the Tax Code cannot be serious. The impact of this bill, were it to pass, would make planning impossible for anyone who plans to make a financial transaction, such as selling a house. The bill sunsets most of the Tax Code effective in the year 2002, and there is no replacement tax system. Does our country actually need another threat such as this one? The bill could knock out municipal and State bonds which offer tax- exempt status and are a significant part of our economy. School construction cannot be financed. Companies will not be able to make sound investment plans. This is not the way our democracy should work. Our work here has serious, profound consequences. So I ask that we defeat this obviously unworkable, foolish and foolhardy proposal.