Ray LaHood

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, when I had returned to my District, I received word of the death of Julian Dixon, and so I called this morning our cloakroom to set aside 5 minutes so I could make a few remarks. I was not here on Friday, and I know a number of Members did take the time to acknowledge the great work of Julian. I know that the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) subsequently had an hour set aside this evening to do that also. I really got to know Julian when I was a staffer working for Mr. Michel. He did extraordinary work as the chairman of the Committee on Ethics and worked so hard to bring a lot of, I think, civility and order and fairness to a process that was mired in controversy. Then after having been elected to this House in 1994, I had the great honor serving with Julian as the cochair of one of our seminars at the first bipartisan retreat that was held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Julian attended that bipartisan retreat, and he and I co-chaired or co-hosted a seminar with Members. Again, I got the opportunity to work closely with him. As I had known before, I realized what an outstanding human being Julian Dixon really has been throughout his life, and I also learned of his ability to really bring people together and get people to understand the importance of working together. Then I had the great opportunity 2 years ago to be appointed to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence by the Speaker of the House. Julian has been the ranking member of that committee during the 2 years that I have been on, and one of the most distinguished members of the committee, one of the most bipartisan members of the committee. He was a very, very thoughtful individual who cared very much about the importance of having a good intelligence-gathering capability in this country and worked very hard on the committee, worked in a very bipartisan way with the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss). So like all Members who have had the chance to work with Julian and to know his great talents, his wonderful talents, to know as importantly the fact that he is a marvelous human being, the House will miss him greatly. I know that all Members extend their sympathy to his family and to those who have worked with him, including his staff. I know that he will be missed greatly, not only on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, but in the whole House, because he is truly someone who brings to this House the importance of working together, of cooperation, of civility, of decency. So I am delighted to have this chance to pay my special tribute to a tremendous human being, someone who will be greatly missed, always admired, and really missed in the House and on the committee. So it is with great sadness that I say my fond farewells to Julian Dixon. I intend, along with I know a host of other Members, to attend the service for Julian on Wednesday in California and to personally offer my sympathy to his family. So I appreciate the opportunity to say my farewells to a wonderful human being, a great Member, someone who brought great distinction to this House of Representatives.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 2 p.m. December 13, 2000.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I also want to compliment the chairman for getting this bill to the floor and also our leadership for having this bill on the floor today and having a vote on it. I represent a district that has 200 miles of the Illinois River all along my district. This bill includes an authorization to really begin to clean up and fix up and stop the siltation that has occurred on the Illinois River that is inhibiting transportation, inhibiting recreation, and inhibiting the great ascetic value that the Illinois River provides from Chicago all the way to Alton. This is a very good project, and it is a project that has brought together a lot of agricultural interests, a lot of business interests, a lot of transportation interests, a lot of conservation interests. The Nature Conservancy has done a great job on the Illinois River. We have a great CREP program that sets aside land along the Illinois River. This really brings it all together. I want to thank the Lieutenant Governor of our State, the Governor of our State, and all Members of our delegation who have supported this every effort. I appreciate again the opportunity to have this included in this important bill.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, let me see if I can end the 1 minutes on a positive note and ask all Members who are watching and sitting in the Chamber as we conclude the session to say thanks to all the people who really make this House work; the clerks who are sitting behind me, the Sergeant at Arms people who are around us all day really helping us, the people from the Parliamentarian's office, the people who work in the cloakrooms, the people who take down every word that we say. These are the people who really make us look good and really are the people who continue day in and day out to keep the House of Representatives running so smoothly. We take it for granted, but they work hard. They work long hours. They are here long, long, long after we are gone out to dinner and have gone home. They are here while some people still want to speak on the House floor. They do such great work and really keep the House of Representatives going, and we owe them a big debt of gratitude as we conclude our session. I hope that every Member will say thank you as they pass through the doors, as they pass their statement to the Clerks, as they see the Parliamentarians. These are the people, the people in the cloakroom who are here; they are all the people who really make us look good and continue to make the House of Representatives the great institution that it is. I want to say thank you to all of you, and I hope every Member will do the same sometime before you leave here.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time that has been set aside here by the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) to honor our colleague, John Porter. Mr. Speaker, John deserves to be honored. John has been an outstanding Member of this body. Prior to coming to the House of Representatives, he served with great distinction in the Illinois House of Representatives. John has known political turmoil in his life because he has been through some very, very tough elections. I think people who have not really followed his career should know that John is probably as good a politician as there is. In order to get to this body, one has to be a politician, and John has been, particularly in the early days of his election to the House of Representatives, come through some very, very close elections in the district that he represents. John represents a district north of Chicago, primarily Lake and McHenry County, Lake County primarily, and it is an area that is not really considered a suburban area of Chicago but kind of an entity unto its own. His district runs right up against the Wisconsin border. John has done so well in representing his district that the last several years, he has had elections that were less contentious and the people of his district have recognized the many good things that he has been able to do. Serving on the Committee on Appropriations, John is known as a cardinal. What that means is that he is a chairman of a subcommittee. If not the most important, certainly one of the most important subcommittees of the Committee on Appropriations, the Labor-HHS subcommittee, which is the subcommittee that really looks very carefully at dollars that are provided for medical care and dollars that are provided for research. And John has really set a legacy for himself in terms of his commitment to cancer research, to Alzheimer's research, to AIDS research, and to so many of the real, real serious kinds of diseases that face our country. John Porter has been at the forefront of making a commitment of dollars to really find cures for these dreaded diseases; as I said, whether it be cancer or Alzheimer's or AIDS, or any other number of diseases. So he has been a leader in this area. And I really think it will be his legacy that he will be remembered for the enormous commitment that he made to research and particularly research to the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and so many of these programs here in Washington that try to reach out and find the very best people in America to help us find cures for these dreaded diseases. John has been a wonderful public servant not only for the 10th district but also for the State of Illinois and for the country. He has been a strong, strong leader in human rights and has lead the cause of human rights in many different parts of the world that go unrecognized in so many ways because they do not always get the headlines. But I think those people that have worked with John on human rights issues recognize the leadership that he has provided in that area. So an outstanding career, an outstanding career of leadership, an outstanding career of commitment to the people of Illinois, to the people of the 10th district, and to the people of this country. John has also been a regular attender of our delegation lunches. And those of us that attend those very regularly, as I know the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus), do enjoy sharing our apple pie with John. Because of all I guess the funny things I will remember about John is that he loves apple pie, and he cannot sit through a lunch with just one piece of apple pie. And so the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing) or myself or somebody is always passing him an additional piece of apple pie. That is something that I think I will always remember about John in terms of sort of the funny things, the humorous things, the human things that happen in this business. So we will miss John for his leadership and his commitment. I am delighted to have had a chance to say a word or two about his leadership, and I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois for setting aside this time to do that. I know that all of us wish John Porter good luck and Godspeed in whatever he does. We will surely miss him.

Mr. LaHOOD. I would agree.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding what the gentleman from Michigan just said, I am standing on this side of the well so I can say to all the Members of the House, this is one of the most bipartisan committees I have ever served on, and I serve on the Committee on Agriculture which is a bipartisan committee. This is one of the best, thanks to the leadership of the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Dixon). The staff people work together, and we work closely with the people from the CIA and the defense intelligence community and all the intelligence community because we care about the people who are out there around the world putting their lives on the line, in dark corners of the world. This is a bipartisan effort. People should be supporting this bill, notwithstanding what the gentleman from Michigan said. And I have a great deal of respect for him. This is a bipartisan bill. Every Member should support it. I know we are going to hear opposition to it. I want to dedicate just a couple of minutes to the human side, the human program of intelligence. It is often portrayed in books and movies. It is the spy versus spy story, the world's second oldest profession. I am glad to say that America has some excellent spies, and I am proud of what the conference report does to make them more productive and effective. And I am sorry, this is not a laughing matter, this is an important matter. After what has happened in the world today, I hope Members will think twice about supporting this bill. This is not a humorous matter. We are talking about people around the world who are offering up their lives in public service for all of us so that we can have a safe world. Anyone who reads the newspapers and watches the television, if anybody flips over to CNN right now will see reports on there about what happened. Five Americans were killed today and some people believe it was a terrorist attack. So this is important legislation. Criminal organizations use ever more sophistication to infiltrate our financial institutions and expand markets for illegal narcotics. The proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons remains a top-priority concern of all civilized countries. The cyberthreat becomes more and more real and ominous to Americans as our economy and our well-being become ever more dependent on computers and communication networks. What these threats have in common is the human factor. What this conference report does for our spies, the anonymous defenders of the United States, for one it will provide more funding for their overseas operations. And it does so in two ways. It provides continued but overdue increases in the budget for human operations; and, number two, it ensures that the funds that we allocate for these operations arrive in tact to those operating overseas. I encourage and advise all Members to vote for this bill today to send a strong message to the intelligence community all over the world and to public servants who offer up their lives on behalf of all of us that we stand behind them and with them on their important work.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Barrett) for yielding me this time. I also want to thank the staff of the Committee on Agriculture for the work they have done to develop this legislation. To put it simply, this legislation reauthorizes the Grain Standards Act and revises the U.S. Warehouse Act to bring them into line with the 21st century. Of particular interest to me are the provisions that update the U.S. Warehouse Act by allowing for the use of electronic receipts and other documents. I might add, parenthetically, that earlier this year, with the help of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), the chairman of the subcommittee, we were able to pass an e-file bill that I think will bring the U.S. Department of Agriculture into the 21st century. We could not have done it without the chairman and the ranking member and their support of our e-file bill. In this age of electronic commerce, I believe that there is a need for a Federal presence in electronic documents. But the U.S. Government should focus on establishing rules and regulations under which private operators of electronic document systems can compete. This legislation envisions the Federal Government acting as an umpire over multiple private electronic document systems. This is the type of system currently in place for electronic cotton warehouse receipts, and it has proven to work in that arena. Also, I realize there is a cost associated with administering this act, and that is why this legislation provides authority for the Department of Agriculture to charge fees to offset this cost. I believe that such fees should be as low as possible and that there should be a correlation between whatever fees are ultimately charged under the Act and the specific services being rendered by the USDA. In order to insure the viability of electronic receipts, I believe that fees should not be of such amount that they hinder the use of electronic warehouse receipts or any other electronic documents. Also, I do not believe that charging per transaction fees on electronic warehouse receipts is appropriate. Having made these points, I believe this is a good bill which will improve the efficiency and profitability of American agriculture, and I urge all Members to support this very important legislation that, again, brings the USDA and agriculture into the 21st century electronically.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Combest) for yielding time. I also want to thank the staff of the Agriculture Committee for the work they have done to develop this legislation. To put it simply, this legislation reauthorizes the Grains Standards Act and revises the U.S. Warehouse Act to bring them in-line with the 21st century. Of particular interest to me are the provisions that update the U.S. Warehouse Act by allowing for the use of electronic receipts and other documents. In this age of e-commerce, I believe that there is a need for a federal presence in electronic documents, but that the U.S. government should focus on establishing rules and regulations under which private operators of electronic document systems can compete. This legislation envisions the federal government acting as umpire over multiple private electronic document systems. This is the type of system currently in place for electronic cotton warehouse receipts, and it has proven to work in that arena. Also, I realize that there is a cost associated with administering this act, and that is why this legislation provides authority for the Department of Agriculture to charge fees to offset this cost. I believe that such fees should be as low as possible and that there should be a correlation between whatever fees are ultimately charged under the Act and the specific services being rendered by USDA. In order to insure the viability of electronic receipts, I believe that fees should not be of such amount that they hinder the use of electronic warehouse receipts or other electronic documents. Also, I do not believe that charging per transaction fees on electronic warehouse receipts is appropriate. Having made these points, I believe that this is a good bill, which will improve the efficiency and profitability of American agriculture. I urge my fellow members to support this legislation.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 777) to require the Department of Agriculture to establish an electronic filing and retrieval system to enable the public to file all required paperwork electronically with the Department and to have access to public information on farm programs, quarterly trade, economic, and production reports, and other similar information, with a Senate amendment to the House amendments thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on S. 777.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the conference report for H.R. 2559, the Agricultural Risk Protection Act of 2000. I believe that this legislation is paramount to providing much needed assistance to our nations farmers and ranchers. In 1996, Congress passed the Freedom to Farm bill, which was designed to limit government's role in agriculture. This legislation addresses some of the short falls of Freedom to Farm by providing temporary economic relief to our farm community, as well as implementing crop insurance reform. The reforms to the crop insurance program will strengthen the farm safety net by providing producers improved risk management tools to address the inherit risks associated with farming. I believe that these reforms are necessary, and that they will remove need for the type of emergency assistance Congress has provided agricultural producers over the past two years. I am especially appreciative that this conference report contains the House crop insurance reform language calling for the implementation of livestock pilot programs. These pilot programs would provide livestock producers with the necessary risk management tools to cope with disasters, weather shifts, and other natural acts beyond their control without fear that the cost of doing the right thing will put them out of business. I am also supportive of the anti-fraud provisions in the crop insurance legislation. These provisions direct the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation and the Farm Service Agency to work together to reconcile producer information on an annual basis, to identify producers and insurers who are abusing the program. As I stated earlier, I believe that this is sound legislation. I want to commend all the conferees and committee staff for their hard work and dedication, particularly Chairman Combest and Ranking Member Stenholm.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of granting normal trade relations to China. This measure is good policy for our Nation as a whole, and good policy for the people of the 18th district of Illinois. The choice we have before us today is whether we want to trade with China with our hand open in friendship, or with our hand closed in opposition. China is expected to join the WTO later this year, and today's vote will set the stage on how we will trade with China in the years to come. By passing NTR today, we will establish a first in U.S. trade policy. We will lock ourselves into a one-sided trade deal, which favors the United States. Last year, Ambassador Charlene Barshefsky and our trade representatives negotiated a bilateral agreement with China, which not only significantly lowers many of China's tariffs, but also provides for anti-surge guarantees to protect American manufacturers from Chinese dumping of goods into our markets. Failure to pass NTR will not prevent China from joining the WTO. It will, however, prevent us from benefiting from the bilateral agreement we negotiated, while at the same time concede the benefits of this agreement to our Asian, European, and Latin American competitors. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I recently joined with my colleagues in a series of field hearings throughout the country to get a sense of how agriculture is doing in America. The consensus is that unlike the rest of the country, our agriculture community is in trouble. Granting NTR to China will not cure the ills that face our agricultural economy, but it will help. The facts are that China has 20 percent of the world's population and approximately 7 percent of the world's arable land. It is shifting from an agrarian economy to an industrialized/manufacturing economy. China currently has a population of over 1.3 billion, with a steady rate of population growth. These facts indicate that over the long term, China represents a hug potential market for American agriculture products. In the near term, China is currently the sixth largest market for U.S. farm products. In 1999, the U.S. exported over $2 billion dollars worth of agricultural commodities to Mainland China and Hong Kong, in spite of high tariff rates and restrictive trade practices, designed to specifically prohibit importation of American agricultural products. Once China joins the WTO and accedes to the bilateral agreement, many of these high tariff rates and restrictive trade practices will be reduced, or phased out, by 2005. This agreement, as well as WTO rules, also contain provisions which allow the United States to act unilaterally if China violates the terms of the agreement. Granting NTR is not only good for agriculture--it is good for American business as well. As President Clinton stated in the State of the Union address, ``Our markets are already open to China. This agreement will open their markets to us.'' The Commerce Department recently announced that our trade deficit widened in March to an all time high of $30.2 billion. Granting NTR to China will help reverse our trade gap by leveling the playing field, and allowing American business to crack into this highly protected market. As I have indicated before, I believe that granting NTR is good for the country and good for the people of Illinois. In 1998, direct exports to China from the State of Illinois totaled over $505 million. If we pass the NTR legislation, I would expect this figure to grow significantly. In addition to the agricultural interests in my district, I am also proud to represent America's manufacturing industry. Caterpillar, Inc., one of nations' leading manufacturers of earth moving and construction equipment, is based in my hometown of Peoria, Illinois. Caterpillar employees over 67,000 workers worldwide, many of whom live in my district, and in 1999, exported $5.2 billion worth of equipment. For Caterpillar, and other heavy machinery manufacturers, China has always been a very difficult market in which to work. The bilateral agreement we negotiated would ease market restrictions, lower tariffs on heavy machinery, and, in general, make it easier for American companies to operate in China. Aside from the obvious economic benefits, I believe that granting NTR to China will lead to positive societal changes within China. It is my hope that improved economic conditions in China will result in a higher quality of life for Chinese workers. I also hope that greater interaction with Western culture, and its focus on human rights, will pressure the Chinese Government to continue with the liberalization of its economic and social structure. We need to approach China with an open hand, not with a closed fist. I urge my colleagues to support granting normal trade relations to China.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to salute outstanding young women who are being honored with the Girl Scout Gold Award by Girl Scouts-Kickapoo Council in Peoria, Illinois. They are Elizabeth Liddell of Girl Scout Troop #1000, Ann Schwingel of #301, Wendy Matheny of #581, Melissa Eman of #581, and Melody Blanch of #4. They are being honored on May 7, 2000 for earning the highest achievement award in U.S. Girl Scouting. The Girl Scout Gold Award symbolizes outstanding accomplishments in the areas of leadership, community service, career planning, and personal development. The award can be earned by girls aged 14-17 or in grades 9-12. Girl Scouts of the U.S.A., an organization serving over 2.5 million girls, has awarded more than 20,000 Girl Scout Gold Awards to Senior Girl Scouts since the inception of the program in 1980. To receive the award, a Girl Scout must earn four interest project patches, the Career Exploration Pin, the Senior Girl Scout Leadership Award, and the Senior Girl Scout Challenge, as well as design and implement a Girl Scout Gold Award project. A plan for fulfilling these requirements is created by the Senior Girl Scout and is carried out through close cooperation between the girl and an adult Girl Scout volunteer. As members of Girl Scouts-Kickapoo Council, Elizabeth, Ann, Wendy, Melissa, and Melody began working toward the Girl Scout Gold Award in 1996 and 1997. They completed various projects: Elizabeth built a short nature trail for a local elementary school, Ann organized games to be played during inclement weather, Wendy helped to make youth more aware of daily injustices and how they can respond, Melissa repaired and reorganized the books in the Kickapoo Council lending library and Melody rebuilt the fitness trail at the local Girl Scout camp. I believe all of these girls should receive the public recognition due them for their significant service to their community and their country.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank very much the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte) for his leadership as the chairman of the subcommittee that held hearings on the bill; and the ranking member of that subcommittee, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton), also for her leadership and support; and certainly the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), the ranking member of the full committee, for his encouragement over the last year to move ahead with this important legislation. To put it simply, this legislation will bring the Department of Agriculture into the 21st century by allowing farmers, producers, and people in rural America to do their business with the USDA over the Internet. Like any business, farmers are using computers for a variety of purposes, including financial management, accessing market information, and utilizing precision agriculture management systems. As I have traveled around the 14 counties that I represent in central Illinois, much of which is agriculture, and visited farm families and visited farm homes, every farmer has a computer today. Every farmer in America has access to the world. One of the first things that farmers do in the early morning hours is they get on their computer and they check the weather. Then in my area they check the price of corn and beans and livestock. Then they look and see how their stocks are doing, if they have the good fortune of having that kind of capability to own stocks. But then what we are offering them under this legislation is the fact that they do not have to hop in their truck and go down to the FS office to file their forms or to find out what the USDA has to offer them. All of this information will be available to them. After they check the price of corn and beans and after they check the weather, they can find out what else is going on at USDA, a marvelous opportunity. I believe, if given the opportunity, many farmers would choose to file necessary farm program paperwork from their home or office computer. The interesting thing is that, this year alone, 34 million taxpayers have already filed or will file their income taxes before April 15th over the Internet, electronically. The Internal Revenue Service has moved taxpayers into the 21st century; and we should be doing that for our farmers and ranchers, and particularly for those who represent large masses of agriculture area, Wyoming, the Dakotas, areas where farmers and ranchers have to travel long distances. This will avail them of wonderful opportunities to save time and energy by having access to this information and filing their forms electronically. Mr. Speaker, I say that the Freedom to E-File Act is a reasonable, sensible way to help farmers spend less time filling out paperwork and more time doing what they know how to do best, which is farming and ranching. This legislation will not only increase the efficiency of farmers and ranchers, it will also increase the efficiency of the USDA, as has been mentioned, by reducing the amount of paperwork that needs to be filled out in local county offices. USDA has already started down the road to providing some of the benefits of the Internet to the American farmer. Freedom to E-File will provide the Department with the necessary flexibility and resources to allow USDA to bring agriculture into the Internet age. Again, I want to thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Combest), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and all the staff people on both sides for your help in crafting this legislation, and also to USDA. We have kind of brought them along kicking and screaming in this process, but we think they are with us now; and we hope that they will be able to implement this legislation after it is signed by the President. Finally, Senator Peter Fitzgerald from the other body was most helpful in having this legislation pass there; and I want to acknowledge his work and encourage all Members to support this very, very important legislation.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this hour that has been set aside by the gentleman from Maryland to sort of commemorate and share a little bit about the trip that some of us took, much of which has been talked about already in such great detail as the gentleman from Maryland has done and then the gentleman from Georgia and also the gentleman from New York. I want to add my thanks to Doug Tanner for the work that he does with the Faith & Politics, to the gentleman from Maryland for this hour and really to say that normally these hours are set aside by Members to talk about issues that are near and dear to their heart and in particular in some cases that they feel very strongly about, and so for us to take this hour and talk about an opportunity that all of us had to share an experience in Selma, Alabama, to share the experience in Birmingham, to share the experience in Montgomery, to share the experience of walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge is an opportunity for us to say to the American people that we do come here to make laws, to pass bills, but we also come here from districts where we return to demonstrate leadership, and not always in the bills that we pass but more on the other things that we do. Part of what some of us have done was to travel to the Deep South and to observe in a very surreal fashion because we were there with the gentleman from Georgia and many of his friends and compatriots and colleagues that were there 35 years ago. And this opportunity was offered to many but only a few of us went. And so for some of us to be able to experience, the second year for me, I went last year, my wife and I went again this year, it was different. It was different this year because of the huge mass of people that were there, in large part I think because the President was there which again highlights the importance of the event and highlights the importance of what took place and highlights the importance of dialogue and race relations and faith and politics coming together. But it is important for us I think to go back to our districts and to share with our constituents and to meet with leaders in our districts and talk to them about the importance of dialogue, about the importance of race relations, about some things that have happened that we call progress but also talk about many things that we need to do to make further progress. I certainly intend to do that. I am hoping to invite the gentleman from Georgia to my hometown of Peoria, Illinois, to have him have a dialogue and to help conduct a dialogue and to be a part of a group of leaders in my community that can talk about race relations and the progress we have made but the long drive that we have ahead of us. Finally, let me say that we have 435 in this House. Each one brings a little different background, a little different dimension, a little different experience, but there is only one among us who has the kind of background and influence and standing in the civil rights movement, in the voting rights movement, in the race relations movement, in the faith and politics movement and that is the gentleman from Georgia. He is one unto his own when it comes to voting rights, race relations, civil rights, because of what he has done, because of what he has experienced and that he did not come here forgetting it, he came here to say to people, follow me, let me show you what we have been through and what we need to do in the future. So for the 434 of us who know the gentleman from Georgia and for the few of us who know him as a friend, as a brother, as somebody who is a leader, a power of one, I think if we do not take anything else away from our experience in the House, it will be the fact that we were a part of the experience of the gentleman from Georgia, and hopefully we will be a part of an experience of doing more and carrying on what the gentleman from Georgia has really begun earlier on in his life. John, thank you for being a part of this wonderful institution and doing more than just coming here and passing bills and giving speeches but setting an example and saying to us, come with me and share my experience and then go back into your communities and provide the leadership. Without your leadership, without what you have done, we would not be doing what we are doing, and so we are grateful to you for being more than just a Congressman from Atlanta, Georgia, but for being a leader and continuing to be a leader. So I say thank you to you, and we look forward to continuing to work with you hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, to improve race relations in this country and we do have much work ahead of us. I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) for devoting this hour to our experience and for articulating so well what we were able to experience in Selma and Birmingham and Montgomery. We look forward to working with all of the Members to carry on what we need to do here and back in our districts.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of myself and my colleague, Robert Matsui, I would like to pay tribute today to the life of former U.S. Attorney General Edward Levi. It is with great sorrow that I acknowledge his passing, but it is with great privilege and honor that I speak about him today. U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens recently said of Mr. Levi, ``Wisdom, wit, a quiet grace and tireless willingness to strive for excellence have seldom been combined in such measure in one individual.'' I could not have summed up a man who has meant so much, to so many, better myself. Author, professor, devoted father, and husband, Edward Levi is remembered by most as the U.S. Attorney General who helped to rebuild the Justice Department after Watergate and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. But, moreover, he was a man who accomplished more in his lifetime than most people dream of. Starting out during World War II as a special assistant in the U.S. Attorney General's office, Mr. Levi returned to his alma mater of the University of Chicago in 1945 to assume a professorship in their distinguished school of law. While at the university, Mr. Levi quickly rose through the ranks becoming the Dean of the Law School in 1950, provost in 1962, and president of the distinguished university in 1968, a position he held until 1975. He was the first member of the Jewish community to serve as a leader of a major U.S. university. In 1975, Mr. Levi was praised for his evenhanded response to the student uprising that culminated in the takeover of the school's administration building. His unique sense and display of leadership surrounding this incident did not go unnoticed. He was quickly appointed to the position of U.S. Attorney General, a post he served from 1975-1977. Former President Ford, said, ``Ed Levi, with his outstanding academic and administrative record at the University of Chicago, was a perfect choice. * * * When I assumed the Presidency in August 1974, it was essential that a new attorney general be appointed who would restore integrity and competence to the Department of Justice.'' Mr. Levi did just that. Mr. Speaker, words certainly cannot do justice to the life of this fine individual. He was an exemplary individual, and it goes unsaid that his unmatchable leadership will be missed. I want to express my condolences to the Levi family, particularly his wife Kate, sons John, David, and Michael, and brother Harry. Let us not forget his impressive accomplishments, but above all, let us never forget the kind-hearted man behind the distinguished titles.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for yielding this time to me, and also thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his remarks here today, his remarks in the committee, and his remarks when we previously considered this bill last year. They were most eloquent about President Lincoln. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to celebrate the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln by asking for my colleagues' support of H.R. 1451, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Act of 1999. The bill, which has passed the Senate, will establish a commission, the purpose of which would be to make recommendations to Congress for a national program to honor President Abraham Lincoln in the year 2009, the bicentennial celebration of his birth. For decades historians have acknowledged President Lincoln as one of our country's greatest presidents. As our 16th President, Lincoln served the country during a most precarious era. While most of the country looked to divide, President Lincoln fought for unity and eventually saved the Union. With the belief that all men are created equal, President Lincoln led the charge to end slavery in America. Without the determination and wisdom of President Lincoln, our country as we know it may not exist today. President Lincoln also serves as a national symbol of the American Dream. Born of humble roots on February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presidency through a legacy of honesty, integrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United States of America. In 1909, America celebrated the centennial of President Lincoln's birth in a manner deserving of the accomplishments. Congress approved placing the image of President Lincoln on the first-class stamp for the first time, made President Lincoln's birth a national holiday, and passed legislation leading to the construction of the Lincoln Memorial here in Washington, D.C. Further, President Theodore Roosevelt approved placing the image of President Lincoln on the penny. As in 1909, I am pleased that Congress will again honor President Lincoln in 2009 by establishing the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Through this commission, Congress will be able to demonstrate its appreciation for Abraham Lincoln's accomplishments and ultimate sacrifice for our country. The commission will identify and recommend to Congress appropriate actions to carry out this mission. And through the recommendations of this commission and subsequent acts of Congress, the American people will benefit by learning about the life of President Lincoln. As an Illinoisan, I am proud of the fact President Lincoln considered Illinois his home for virtually all his adult life. In one of his most famous acts, President Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect January 1, 1863. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his vital role as the leader in preserving the Union and beginning the process that led to the end of slavery in the United States. He is remembered for his character, his speeches, his letters, and as a man of humble origin whose determination, preservation, perseverance led him to the Nation's highest office. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of a man named Peter Kovler, who actually came to me with this idea of establishing the commission. And it was he, as a private citizen, because of his interest in Lincoln, that this idea was brought forth in the form of a bill which will become law. I would also like to thank Chuck Schierer of my staff and Chris Guidry of my staff for their help in drafting this bill. I also want to acknowledge the fact that I have spoken to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Lewis), and we both have agreed that the commission should strongly consider holding their first meeting in Kentucky, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, as the site of its inaugural meeting. And we hope that will be accomplished. I ask all my colleagues to join me today in honoring the memory of President Abraham Lincoln by supporting the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act of 1999.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move to lay the appeal on the table.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on August 5, 1999, I asked unanimous consent on the House floor to remove my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 850, the Security and Freedom through Encryption (SAFE) Act. However, as a result of House Report 106-117 being filed with the House Clerk, House rules prohibited further action on the bill. Consequently, my name was not removed as a cosponsor. Please let the Record show that it was my intent to no longer be listed as a cosponsor of H.R. 850.

Mr. LaHOOD

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. LaHOOD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for yielding this time to me, and I also thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for his remarks that he made in the committee which were very eloquent last week about President Lincoln. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to celebrate the life and legacy of President Abraham Lincoln by asking for my colleagues' support for H.R. 1451, the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act of 1999. The bill will establish a commission, the purpose of which would be to make recommendations to Congress for a national program to honor President Abraham Lincoln in the year 2009, the bicentennial celebration of his birth. For decades historians have acknowledged him as one of our country's greatest Presidents. As our 16th President, Lincoln served the country during a most precarious era. While most of the country looked to divide, President Lincoln fought for unity and eventually saved the Union. With the belief that all men are created equal, President Lincoln led the charge to free all slaves in America. Without the determination and wisdom of President Lincoln, our country, as we know it, may not exist today. President Lincoln also serves as a national symbol of the American dream. Born of humble roots in Hardin County, Kentucky, on February 12, 1809, Abraham Lincoln rose to the Presidency through a legacy of honesty, integrity, intelligence, and commitment to the United States of America. In 1909, America celebrated the centennial of President Lincoln's birth in a manner deserving of the accomplishments. Congress approved placing the image of President Lincoln on a first-class stamp for the first time, made President Lincoln's birth a national holiday, and passed legislation leading to the construction of the Lincoln Memorial here in Washington, D.C. Further, President Theodore Roosevelt approved placing the image of President Lincoln on the penny. As in 1909, the Congress again should honor President Lincoln in 2009 by establishing the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. Through this commission, Congress will be able to demonstrate its appreciation for Abraham Lincoln's accomplishments and ultimate sacrifice for our country. This commission will identify and recommend to Congress appropriate actions to carry out this mission and through the recommendations of this commission and subsequent acts of Congress, the American people will benefit by learning about the life of President Lincoln, and as an Illinoisan, I am proud of the fact that President Lincoln considered Illinois his home for virtually all of his adult life. In 1837 Lincoln moved to Springfield, Illinois, which is an area that I represent along with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) where he established a law office and quickly earned a reputation as an outstanding trial lawyer. He served in the State legislature from 1834 to 1842 and was elected to this House of Representatives in 1846 as a member of the Whig party, and 9 of the 14 counties that I currently represent were once represented by Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln joined the Republican party in 1856 and ran for the U.S. Senate from Illinois against Stephen Douglas in 1858. As a candidate for that office, Lincoln rose from relative obscurity to become a nationally known political figure. Throughout the campaign, Lincoln stated that the U.S. could not survive as half slave and half free States. In a famous campaign speech on June 17, Lincoln declared, I quote, ``a House divided against itself cannot stand,'' end quote. Additionally, the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates drew the attention of the entire Nation. Although Lincoln ultimately lost that campaign, he returned only 2 years later to run for the Presidency. Lincoln was elected the 16th President on November 6, 1860, defeating the previous Senate opponent, Stephen A. Douglas. In one of the most famous acts President Lincoln enacted, the emancipation proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863. After discussing this issue with Representative Ron Lewis of Kentucky, we both agree that the commission should strongly consider Hodgenville, Kentucky, the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, as the site for its inaugural meeting. Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his vital role as the leader in preserving the Union and beginning the process that led to the end of slavery in the United States. He also is remembered for his character, his speeches, his letters, and a man of humble origin whose determination and preservation led him to the Nation's highest office. I would like to acknowledge the assistance of the, as I mentioned earlier, to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), also Chuck Schierer and Peter Kovlar, who originally brought this idea of a Lincoln commission to me, and their research was invaluable to this important project. I ask all colleagues to join me in honoring the memory of President Abraham Lincoln by supporting the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Act of 1999.