Frank LoBiondo

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness and profound regret that I rise today. I rise to address the House about two heroes who died on Saturday morning. While patrolling the waters of Lake Ontario on Friday night, four Coast Guardsmen from Station Niagara were hit by a wave that capsized their boat. All the men were thrown into the frigid water of the Great Lakes where, even in their survival suits, they could not last longer than a few hours. Their fellow Coast Guardsmen, joined by members of the Lewiston Fire Department, Erie County Sheriff s office, and Canadian Coast Guard, searched for these men during the night and all four were eventually recovered. However, despite hours of intensive medical care, Boatswain's Mate Second Class Scott Chism of Lakeside, California and Seaman Chris Ferreby of Morristown New Jersey, both passed away on Saturday morning. The remaining two crewmen are recovering from their ordeal. Petty Officer Chism is survived by his wife Attalissa, his five-year old daughter Kelsey and his one-year old son Caleb. Seaman Ferreby is survived by his wife Amy and their seven-month-old son Tyler. As the chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, I want to extend our sympathies to these men's families, their ``shipmates'' at Station Niagara who sought them so valiantly through the dark night and to the entire Coast Guard community who shares our grief at their loss. Our thoughts and our prayers are with them at this difficult time. This tragedy underscores the hazardous nature of even routine operations of the Coast Guard and should serve as a stark reminder to all of us here in Congress that the watch our brave Coast Guard men and women stand each day in service to our nation is a dangerous one. Mr. Speaker, two heroes died Saturday morning but their lives exemplified the Coast Guard's core values of Honor, Respect and Devotion to Duty and their example lives on in the works of their fellow Guardsmen who risk their lives each day to protect each of us.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1099) to make changes in laws governing Coast Guard personnel, increase marine safety, renew certain groups that advise the Coast Guard on safety issues, make miscellaneous improvements to Coast Guard operations and policies, and for other purposes.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Coast Guard Personnel and Maritime Safety Act of 2001. This bill contains many important provisions related to Coast Guard personnel management, commercial and recreational vessel safety, and environmental protection. These provisions were developed during the conference negotiations on the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2000 in the last Congress, but were not enacted because of unrelated matters. We are aware of no controversies concerning any section in this bill and hope that the Senate will send this bill to the President as soon as possible. Section 103 of this bill gives the Coast Guard additional promotional authority to respond to retention problems in the Coast Guard officer corps. Section 203 of the bill allows the Coast Guard to borrow up to $100 million from the Oil Spill Liability trust fund to clean up oil spills in emergency situations. The bill also contains authority for the Coast Guard to acquire seven PC-170 patrol craft from the Navy for use in drug interdiction operations. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to commend the men and women of the Coast Guard for the exceptional service they provide to our country. All Americans benefit from a strong Coast Guard that is equipped to stop drug smugglers, support the country's defense, and respond to national emergencies. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard, like other military services, suffers from readiness problems related to deferred maintenance, aged equipment, and personnel training and retention. We must act to correct these problems and put the Coast Guard on sound financial footing to be ready to respond to increasing demands on Coast Guard resources, especially and I repeat, especially the needs to increase drug interdiction operations. Finally, the Coast Guard operations must be made whole next year, ending this destructive cycle of funding shortfalls and end-of-the-year supplemental funding bills. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I have a brief closing statement. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) and the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for their help in these matters, especially the gentleman from Alaska (Chairman Young) for his advocacy of the Coast Guard. I would like to urge each Member of this body to understand the job that the Coast Guard is doing every day, to stop making excuses for why we are not giving them the resources that they need to protect our environment, our natural resources, for drug interdiction, and all the other things that they do. I think this is the year when we can join together shoulder to shoulder to make sure that we recognize the fine men and women of the Coast Guard and the job that they do and give them the resources necessary to continue their mission as dictated by Congress. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1098.

Mr. LoBIONDO

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

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1098) to improve the recording and discharging of maritime liens and expand the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall of Honor, and for other purposes.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Maritime Policy Improvement Act of 2001. The provisions in this bill were developed during the conference negotiations on the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2000 but were not enacted because of unrelated matters. We are aware of no controversy surrounding this bill and hope that the Senate will send it to the President for his signature as soon as possible. The bill contains provisions to authorize an expansion of the American Merchant Marine Memorial Wall of Honor, to establish a new method for recording and discharging certain maritime liens, and to provide limited relief to certain vessel owners. Mr. Speaker, these men who braved enemy fire in all of our conflicts should be remembered for their actions to defend freedom and keep the supply lines open. Their sacrifices and battle should not be forgotten by a Nation that they served too well. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a part of this effort, and I urge all Members to support this bill Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Horn).

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 1099.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce H.R. 793, the Abel and Mary Nicholson House Historic Site Study Act. This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, located in Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New Jersey, in my congressional district, as a unit of the National Park System. As part of the study the Secretary would also be required to consider management alternatives to create an administrative association with the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. This study is the required first step in designating the site as a national park. The Abel and Mary Nicholson House was built in 1722 and is a rare surviving example of an unaltered early 18th century patterned brick building. The original portion of the house has existed for 280 years with only routine maintenance. This house is a unique resource which can provide significant opportunities for studying our nation's history and development. I was pleased to announce the designation of this house as a National Historic Landmark on March 1, 2000, which made it the first National Historic Landmark site in Salem or Gloucester Counties, in New Jersey. The U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Nicholson House as a National Historic Landmark because of it's historical importance to the entire nation and listed it in the National Register of Historic Places. As one of the most significant ``first period'' houses surviving in the Delaware Valley, the Nicholson House represents a piece of history from both Southern New Jersey and early American life, and should remain protected and preserved to continue as a valuable teaching tool for generations to come.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that language has been included in H.R. 5637, the bill before us today authorizing reimbursement to the owner of the former Coast Guard lighthouse facility at Cape May Point State Park in New Jersey for costs incurred for clean-up of lead contaminated soil at that facility. Since leasing this 1859 historic landmark in December, 1986, the Mid- Atlantic Center for the Arts, a non-profit cultural organization, has raised and spent nearly $2 million for restoration efforts. During the final work on the Lighthouse tower in the winter of 1998, the project was brought to a halt by the unexpected discovery of lead contamination in the soil. In order to open the facility to the more than 100,000 expected visitors during the 1998 season, the Mid-Atlantic Center diverted $98,953.00 from other projects to clean up the site. Two years later, the Center has still not received the appropriate reimbursement from the U.S. Coast Guard. Because the Coast Guard has accepted responsibility for the lead contamination and supports this request, it is imperative that Congress follow through with the appropriate provisions in law allowing the funds to be released. Section 202 of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1999 authorizes this appropriation to be used for this purpose and has previously passed the House. It is unfortunate this measure has been stalled in a House-Senate Conference Committee. The appropriated funds have already been included in the FY2001 Transportation Appropriations legislation signed into law last month. I commend the Chairman of the Transportation Committee for recognizing the urgency of this matter and allowing a separate bill to move forward. Congress must not let this funding commitment fall through the cracks again, and I urge passage of this legislation authorizing funding for this historic landmark.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to come before you today in support of S. 2413, the Bulletproof Vest Reauthorization Act of 2000. This very effective, bipartisan legislation, introduced by Senator Campbell of Colorado, passed the Senate by unanimous consent and is identical to H.R. 4033, legislation which I sponsored. As Members will recall, this chamber passed H.R. 4033, the House Bulletproof Vest Reauthorization bill, back in July of this year by an overwhelming majority vote of 413-3. At that time, I gave a more lengthy statement on the issue of bulletproof vests. Due to time constraints, I will abbreviate my remarks today. As I have said before, I firmly believe that when a police officer is issued a badge and a gun, they should also be issued a bulletproof vest. When police officers put their lives on the line everyday protecting our neighborhoods--they deserve the highest level of protection and security, which only a bulletproof vest can provide. I introduced the original Bulletproof Vest Authorization bill in the 105th Congress, which was signed into law by the President. This very successful and popular program authorized $25 million each year through Fiscal Year (FY) 2001 to assist law enforcement officers in purchasing body armor. The program proved to be more popular than initially expected, and we soon found out that $25 million each year was not adequate to fulfill the goal of providing every law enforcement officer with body armor. The bill before us today makes three major improvements to the existing Bulletproof Vest Program. First, the authorization will be doubled from $25 to $50 million each year through Fiscal Year 2004. Extending the authorization is critical in enabling officers across the nation to participate in the Bulletproof Vest Program, which has been proven to save lives. Second, language was included in the bill which guarantees smaller jurisdictions a fair portion of federal funding. Finally, this legislation improves the stab-proof standard for corrections officers who depend on these vests to protect them while on the job. The stab-proof issue is especially important to me and my District. A constituent of mine, Corrections Officer Fred Baker was stabbed to death while on duty at the Bayside State Prison. Officer Baker was not wearing a vest at the time. We can only speculate as to whether his life would have been spared had he been given an opportunity to wear a vest, but many of us believe that had he been given that opportunity, Officer Baker would be alive today and his wife and child would still have a husband and father to come home to. If Officer Baker had the chance to wear a vest, I am sure that he would not have hesitated to put that vest on. The legislation before us today will help ensure law enforcement offices receive federal assistance in purchasing body armor. It is critical that Members again vote in favor of this legislation.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate all those who have worked so hard to make the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA) a reality. This authorization means more than just the mechanics of legislation. It is about senior citizens, and how their lives have been changed for the better by the successful federal, state and local partnerships that have prospered under the OAA. OAA programs are critical to the long-term benefit of seniors. With the population of senior citizens about to skyrocket with the addition of the ``baby boom'' generation, OAA programs represent a cost- efficient and effective means to provide a community safety net for the elderly. The continuing popularity of Meals-on-Wheels and Green Thumb programs in states--which have been very successful in bringing isolated and idle elderly back into the community fold--are testimony to the continued need for a federal, state, and local partnership oriented to the care of senior citizens. These are programs I have seen working at home in my Congressional district, located in Southern New Jersey. I have delivered meals to seniors and can tell you from personal experience that the looks on their faces, when we come to their door with a hot meal, is by itself reason enough to reauthorize the OAA. I have seen countless numbers of senior citizens in my district whose lives have been enriched by Green Thumb. In utilizing their ample skills and experience, we are giving seniors a renewed purpose in their lives by offering them a chance to re-join the workforce. Mr. Speaker, the OAA is a federal program with two essential ingredients: cost-efficiency and a record of success. In short, OAA programs represent a safety net, and have kept seniors from sitting idle and becoming isolated from their community. By reauthorizing the OAA, Congress will re-affirm its commitment to caring for our seniors and retirees. I am very pleased that this important program will continue to enrich and improve the quality of life of America's seniors.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce H.R. 5399, the Abel and Mary Nicholson House Historic Site Study Act of 2000. This bill would require the Secretary of the Interior to study the suitability and feasibility of designating the Abel and Mary Nicholson House, located in Elsinboro Township, Salem County, New Jersey, in my Congressional district, as a unit of the National Park System. As part of the study the Secretary would also be required to consider management alternatives to create an administrative association with the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. This study is the required first step in designating the site as a national park. The Abel and Mary Nicholson House was built in 1722 and is a rare surviving example of an unaltered early 18th Century patterned brick building. The original portion of the house has existed for 280 years with only routine maintenance. This house is a unique resource which can provide significant opportunities for studying our nation's history and development. I was pleased to annoucne the designation of this house as a National Historic Landmark on March 1, 2000, which made it the first National Historic Landmark site in Salem or Gloucester Counties, in New Jersey. The U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Nicholson House as a National Historic Landmark because of it's historical importance to the entire nation and listed it in the National Register of Historic Places. As one of the most significant ``first period'' houses surviving in the Delaware Valley, the Nicholson House represents a piece of history from both Southern New Jersey and early American life, and should remain protected and preserved to continue as a valuable teaching tool for generations to come.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding to me, and I rise in very strong support of this legislation. Senator Lautenberg has been a great ally and friend to the citizens of New Jersey, and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), and I all join in urging this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to come before the House today in support of H.R. 4975, a bill designating the Post Office and Courthouse at 2 Federal Square in Newark, New Jersey the ``Frank R. Lautenberg Post Office and Courthouse.'' As many of you may know, Senator Lautenberg is retiring at the end of this year after 18 years of distinguished service in the United States Senate on behalf of the state and the citizens of New Jersey. Since I came to Congress in 1995, I have had the pleasure of working with Senator Lautenberg on several occasions. We have been able to work together in a bipartisan fashion on many issues of importance to my district--such as aviation funding, beach replenishment projects, protecting the interests of the coast guard and his work on behalf of the Coastal Heritage Trail. These are just some of the issues that we have been able to roll-up our sleeves on and make a meaningful difference that will benefit the lives of those who live in South Jersey. I would like to pay special attention to the Senator's work on protecting the New Jersey shore from erosion and the ocean water from contamination. As the Representative of the Second District in New Jersey, which has hundreds of miles of shoreline, protecting the shore is one of my highest legislative priorities. Recently, I had the opportunity to join with the Senator and the Mayor of Atlantic City, James Whelan, in urging the Senate to pass legislation that would require the EPA to use the latest technology available to sample and test ocean water at our beaches to ensure the public's health. I cosponsored and voted in favor of companion legislation, which passed the House in April of last year. In fact, there hasn't been an issue that the Senator and I have worked together on since 1995 that we haven't achieved results. We have been able to come together on numerous occasions to protect the interests of South Jersey residents. Although the Senator and I don't necessarily agree on every issue, I agree that naming the post office and courthouse in Newark after Senator Lautenberg is an excellent way to pay tribute to him on the eve of his retirement from public service. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4975 has gained the support of the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation, who have come together in a bipartisan fashion to support this bill and honor a distinguished public servant for the state of New Jersey. I would also like to thank the Majority Leader, Mr. Armey, for bringing this legislation before the full House today for consideration and my colleague Mr. Payne. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to come before you today in support of H.R. 4033, the Bulletproof Vest Reauthorization Act of 2000. This noncontroversial, bipartisan legislation was introduced by the gentleman from Indiana, Mr. Visclosky and myself on March 20, and passed out of the full Judiciary Committee by voice vote on July 20. To me, this is a very simple issue and one that I know well. I firmly believe that when a police officer is issued a badge and a gun, they should also be issued a bulletproof vest. When police officers put their lives on the line everyday protecting our neighborhoods--they deserve the highest level of protection and security, which only a bulletproof vest can provide. When I first introduced the original Bulletproof Vest bill during the 105th Congress, I modeled the program after the Vest-a-Cop and Shield- The-Blue programs established in Southern New Jersey many years ago. When I was first elected to Congress, then-Sergeant Rich Gray, an Atlantic County police officer in Pleasantville came to me telling me of a program that they had put together in Atlantic County, NJ. Sergeant Gray, who is now Chief Rich Gray of the Pleasantville Police Department, and a very dedicated group of police officers decided that it was time to do something about those who were defending our citizens every day without protection. They started a program called Vest-A-Cop. The Vest-A-Cop program began to grow in Atlantic County and it was the genesis for the idea that I had and subsequently found out that my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), had from his district in Indiana. At that time, the Vest-A-Cop program was actually raising money in a variety of different ways. They were reaching out to the community asking people to understand the needs of police officers and asking those in the community to contribute. We had Scouts who were basically baking cookies and cupcakes and selling them. We had events of all different kinds that were providing vests one and two and three at a time. This program is one that we modeled after at, and we realized that doing it piecemeal was not going to really cut it and protect our officers for what they needed. The current Bulletproof Vest Partnership program has enabled police jurisdictions across the nation to purchase over 180,000 bulletproof vests in the last 2 years--180,000 vests that probably would not have been purchased otherwise. However, due to the tremendous popularity of the program, and the program became much more popular than we ever anticipated, we were not able to meet all of the demands. None of the jurisdictions received the full 50-50 federal/state match this year, and, in fact, the Department of Justice reported that jurisdictions with under 100,000 residents received a disproportionately low share of federal funds--an average of only .22 cents on the dollar came from the federal government. Mr. Speaker, that is not what we in this House originally intended, and this legislation helps correct that. This bill before us today will extend and improve the current Bulletproof Vest program. First, the annual authorization will be doubled from $25 million to $50 million per year through the year 2004, extending the program for 3 more years. Extending this program is critical in enabling officers across the nation with the opportunity to take advantage of this program which has been proven to save lives. Second, language was included in the bill which guarantees smaller jurisdictions a fair portion of funding. Finally, those jurisdictions and corrections officers who have been waiting for the national stab-proof standard to be approved by the Department of Justice will be able to purchase state-approved bulletproof and stab-proof vests. This is a very big improvement from where we were on the last go-around. The stab-proof issue is of particular interest to me because it hits very close to home. Corrections Officer Fred Baker of my district in New Jersey was stabbed to death while on duty at the Bayside State Prison. Officer Baker was not wearing a vest at the time. We can only speculate as to whether his life would have been spared had he been given an opportunity to wear a vest, but many of us believe that he been given that opportunity, Officer Baker would be alive today and his wife and child would have a husband and father to come home to. If Officer Baker had the chance to wear a vest, I am sure that he would not have hesitated to put that vest on. It is critical that Members vote in favor of this legislation. According to the FBI, an average of over 100 officers are assaulted every day, and in 1999, 139 officers were slain while in the line of duty. There are still thousands of officers on duty who do not have access to these life-saving vests. This is an opportunity for us as Members of Congress, who talk so often about the importance of law enforcement, who talk about what we can do to protect themselves as they keep our citizens safe, this is our opportunity. This common-sense bill has gained the support of 264 bipartisan cosponsors as well as major law enforcement organizations across the Nation. I would like to commend those involved with bringing this bill to the floor today. I would first like to thank the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), who put up with my pleas and pestering for so very long about the importance of this bill; the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde); and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum). I would also like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), for his help in this effort. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) was influential on the Committee on the Judiciary as we were moving this bill through the legislative process; and saving for last, my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky). The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) and I have worked on this bill from the very beginning. This is probably a great example of a bipartisan partnership developed to move legislation that is meaningful and can do something in a very positive way to save lives. This is the bottom line here. Mr. Speaker, many times in the House when there are good ideas that come before us, we do not get a chance to act on them. I think, to reiterate what I mentioned earlier, this is a great example of a positive partnership. These are ideas that are generated within our districts from citizens and police officers and law enforcement officers and corrections officers who are in the real world every day, protecting our neighborhoods, as we heard our other colleagues talk about. Instead of having to have local community groups raise money just a little bit at a time, the officers in New Jersey in the Second District, officers like Dominic Romeo in Cape May County, in the city of Wildwood, Chief Rich Gray, Shield-the-Blue, the corrections officers of PBA-105, all those who are associated with the Vest-A-Cop program can look to us here in Washington and realize that we have joined together in a very special way, in a very bipartisan way, to generate legislation that means a great deal to law enforcement across this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members of this body to vote for this legislation and show their commitment to law enforcement officers by voting for H.R. 4033.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to recognize and pay tribute to the memory of fine young man, Ensign John R. Elliott, 22 of Egg Harbor Township who passed away on Saturday, July 22, 2000. I would like to offer my deepest sympathy to John's family and friends for their loss of a son, a brother, a grandson, a nephew, a cousin, and a friend. I am truly saddened by John's death and hope that his family and friends may experience peace and comfort in this time of sorrow. I met John in the fall of 1995 when he participated in the application process for admission to one of our nation's four academies. John expressed his desire to serve in the United States Navy. I had the privilege of nominating him to the United States Naval Academy. In the spring of 1996, he was appointed and accepted by the United States Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 2000. While at the Academy, John was designated to participate in the United States Navy Honors program, nothing new to a young man who was among the top five graduates in the 1996 Egg Harbor Township High School graduating class, a National Merit Scholar and class president. John was recognized for his exceptional achievement in the fields of math and science and graduated with a Bachelors in Science Degree with merit in systems engineering. Upon graduation, he received his commission as an ensign in the Navy and was to attend flight school in Pensacola, Florida. As his father has said, he was filled with hopes and dreams for his future. John's hopes and dreams can still be realized in the memory of John's accomplishments. John was an intelligent, hard-working and popular young man, respected and liked by his peers, a successful student and fine young man who had a bright future with the United States Navy. John was one of our best and brightest. He epitomized all that makes the United States of America the greatest nation on the face of the earth. My thoughts and prayers are with John's parents, Bill and Muriel Elliott of Egg Harbor Township, his sister Jennifer, his grandmother Audrey Moyer, his aunts and uncles Pamela and Randall Johns, Robert and Deborah Elliott, and Artis and Stephen Hoffman, and the rest of his family and friends during this time of grief.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to come before the House today in support of H.R. 4033, the Bulletproof Vest Reauthorization Act of 2000. This noncontroversial, bipartisan legislation was introduced by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) and myself in March, and it passed out of the full Committee on the Judiciary by voice vote on July 7. To me, this is a very simple issue and one that I know well. I firmly believe that when a police officer is issued a badge and a gun they should also be issued a bulletproof vest. When police officers put their lives on the line every day protecting our neighborhoods, they deserve the highest level of protection and security, which only a bulletproof vest can provide. When I first introduced the original bulletproof vest bill during the 105th Congress, I modeled the program after a Vest-a-Cop and Shield- the-Blue programs established in Southern New Jersey many years ago. When I was first elected to Congress, then Sergeant Rich Gray, an Atlantic County police officer in Pleasantville came to me telling me of a program that they had put together in Atlantic County, New Jersey. Sergeant Gray, who is now Chief Rich Gray of the Pleasantville Police Department, and a very dedicated group of police officers decided that it was time to do something about those who were defending our citizens every day who did not have protection. They started a program called Vest-a-Cop. That Vest-a-Cop program began to grow in Atlantic County and it was really the genesis for the idea that I had and subsequently found out that my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), had from his jurisdiction in Indiana. At that time, the Vest-a-Cop program was actually raising money in a variety of different ways. They were reaching out to the community asking people in the community to understand the needs of police officers and asking people in the community to contribute. We had Scouts who were basically baking cookies and cupcakes and selling them. We had events of all different kinds that were providing vests one and two and three at a time. This program is one that we modeled after that, and we realized that doing it piecemeal was not going to really cut it and protect our officers for what they needed. The current bulletproof vest partnership program has enabled police jurisdictions across the Nation to purchase over 180,000 bulletproof vests over the last 2 years, 180,000 vests that probably would not have been purchased otherwise. However, due to the tremendous popularity of the program, and actually the program became much more popular than we ever anticipated, we were not able to meet all of the demands. None of the jurisdictions received the full 50/50 Federal-State match this year; and, in fact, the Department of Justice reported that jurisdictions with under 100,000 residents received a disproportionately low share of Federal funds. An average of only 22 cents on the dollar came from the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, that is not what we in this House originally intended, and this legislation helps correct that. The bill before us today will extend and improve the current bulletproof vest program. First, the annual authorization will be doubled from $25 million to $50 million per year through the year 2004, extending the program for 3 more years. That is critical to enable all the officers across the Nation to be able to take advantage of this program which saves lives. Second, language was included in the bill which will guarantee that smaller jurisdictions receive a fair portion of the funding. Finally, those jurisdictions and corrections officers who have been waiting for the national stab-proof standard to be approved by the Department of Justice will be able to purchase state-approved bulletproof and stab-proof vests under this standard. That is a very big improvement from where we were on the last go-around. The stab-proof issue is of particular interest to me because it hits very close to home. Corrections Officer Fred Baker in my district in New Jersey was stabbed to death while on duty at Bayside State Prison. Officer Baker was not wearing a vest at the time. We can only speculate as to whether his life would have been spared had he had the opportunity to wear a vest, but many of us believe had he had that opportunity that Officer Baker would be alive today. If Officer Baker had the chance, I am sure he would not have hesitated to put that vest on. It is critical that Members vote in favor of this legislation. According to the FBI, an average of over 100 officers are assaulted every day and in 1999, 139 officers were slain while in the line of duty. There are still thousands of officers on duty who do not have access to these life-saving vests. This is an opportunity for us as Members of Congress, who talk so very often about the importance of law enforcement to us, who talk about what we want to do to provide law enforcement the opportunity to help protect themselves as they keep our citizens safe, this is our opportunity to do something. This common sense bill has gained the support of 264 bipartisan cosponsors, as well as major law enforcement organizations across this Nation. I would like to commend all of those who were involved in bringing this bill to the floor today. I would first like to thank the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), who put up with my pleas and pestering for so very long about the importance of this bill; the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde); and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum). I would also like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), for his help in this effort. The gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) was influential on the Committee on the Judiciary as we were moving this bill through; and saving for last, my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky). The gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky) and I have worked on this bill from the very beginning. This is probably a great example of a partnership to be developed to move legislation that is meaningful and can do something in a very positive way and save lives. That is the bottom line here. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. LoBIONDO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank my colleagues, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), all of those on the Committee on the Judiciary, and all of my colleagues who cosponsored this legislation. Mr. Speaker, many times in this House when there are good ideas that come before us, we do not get a chance to act on them. I think, to reiterate what I mentioned earlier, this is a great example of a positive partnership. These are ideas that generated within our districts from citizens and police officers and law enforcement officers and corrections officers who were in the real world every day, as we heard our other colleagues talk about. Instead of having to have local community groups raise money a little bit at a time, the officers in New Jersey in the second district, officers like Dominic Romeo in Cape May County, in the City of Wildwood, Sergeant Rich Gray, Shield-the-Blue, the corrections officers PBA-105, all those who are associated with the Vest-a-Cop program can look to us here in Washington and realize that we have joined together in a very special way, in a very bipartisan way, to generate legislation that means a great deal to law enforcement across this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all the Members of this body to vote for this legislation and show their commitment to law enforcement officers by voting for H.R. 4033. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LoBIONDO

Mr. LoBIONDO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 4923, the Community Renewal and New Markets Act. I want to thank all those who played such a crucial role in bringing this bill to the floor. I especially want to thank our speaker, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), for his work, his tireless efforts, to make sure this initiative moves forward. Three years ago, Congress authorized and the administration designated 20 Round II empowerment zones. My home county of Cumberland County, New Jersey, in the Second Congressional District, is one of those Round II empowerment zones. We have tremendous potential for our community to create new jobs, to retain existing jobs, to help both socially and economically in our community. However, Mr. Speaker, the Round II zones have not received full multiyear funding like the first round counterparts. Instead, they have received two installments in appropriation bills that were far below the Federal commitment. Now, although this particular bill does not specifically mention the funding for Round II zones directly, I am very pleased that the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House have reached an agreement that was announced at a press conference at the White House a short time ago, where $200 million for Round IIs were agreed to, and also I would like to say that I am very pleased that the Speaker has personally assured me that discretionary funding to keep our existing zones operational will be included in the final appropriations process. This is extremely important for all of our Round II zones and the hopes that our citizens have for the potential that this brings. The employer wage tax credit, already extended to Round I designations, is included in this bill and is an extremely important component of our ability to empower these communities. Those of us representing these distressed communities in Congress understand the vital need to have full funding in Round II. This bill helps us move toward that initiative, helps us bring to our communities renewed hope and empowerment to be able to create those jobs and do those things that so many of us want to see. Mr. Speaker, once again I want to congratulate and thank all of those who have been involved in this process. I look forward to this enactment. I urge strong support of this initiative.