Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Singapore bilateral trade agreement. Singapore is a valued U.S. ally and a supporter in the war on terrorism. While Singapore is a good friend and a responsible world citizen I am voting for this agreement because it is a good deal for my constituents. The bilateral trade deal allows increased access to a number of important markets such as financial services, telecom and technology. Much of our country's exports are now products of intellectual capital. From movies and records produced in New York City's arts community, to software developed by city programmers, protecting intellectual property is an elemental key to future trade agreements. Accordingly, I am pleased that this agreement contains strong intellectual property protections. With the U.S. trade deficit at more than $500 billion annually it is notable that the U.S. has a $2.7 billion trade surplus with Singapore. Today the House is also considering the bilateral trade agreement with Chile which I support for similar reasons including the fact that Chile has reached trade agreements with Europe and other U.S. competitors. As a result, the U.S. has lost one third of its Chilean market share since 1997. One other reason I am talking about both these agreements together is there is one provision in each that I oppose and that I do not want to see as a precedent in future agreements. The trade agreements contain investor-state dispute settlement procedures that determine how U.S. investors can win damages if Chile or Singapore violate the ``free transfer'' provisions in each agreement. As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade and Technology, I was part of a hearing on this issue and have worked closely with Financial Services Ranking Member Barney Frank on it. Effectively, these provisions allow U.S. investors to seek damages in the event that Chile or Singapore take measures to limit capital flight in the event of a reoccurrence of an Asian financial crisis-like calamity. While Chile and Singapore are unlikely to need to impose capital controls, many economists have expressed the concern that the Administration will insist on these provisions as a template in future trade negotiations with less stable countries. Such a policy could lead to a situation where wealthy U.S. bondholders have legal claims against a country that has imposed capital controls while all other investors face losses and where the country's own people are suffering through an economic collapse. This special status for U.S. investors sends the wrong message about promoting free trade and could increase anti-American feelings. I will support these agreements but urge the Administration and Treasury not to include the capital control provisions in future agreements.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I hope the chairman of the subcommittee agrees also.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the gentleman from Arizona's (Mr. Kolbe) and the gentleman from New Jersey's (Mr. Andrews) initiative to include language stating that the State Department should not have allowed the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to sign the article 98 agreement as Macedonia. FYROM is the country's name, not Macedonia. All historical and archaeological evidence demonstrates that the ancient Macedonians were Greek. Macedonia is a Greek name that has designated the northern area of Greece for over 2,000 years. In 1944, the name of the Skopje region was changed to Macedonia as part of Tito's imperialist campaign to gain control of the Greek province of Macedonia. The United States opposed Tito's use of the name Macedonia at that time and has now stated that it will recognize FYROM only as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia while negotiations between Greece and FYROM continue. Since 1995, bilateral relations between Greece and FYROM have improved significantly, especially in investment and trade. Currently, Greece is the largest foreign investor in FYROM. As a result, FYROM amended its constitution and removed the clauses about taking over and invading Greece, and they removed the emblem of Greece, the ancient symbol of Verjina, from its flag, and they removed the ancient tower, the white tower in the geographical area of Greece, from their money. However, the dispute over the official name of FYROM still continues today between Athens and Skopje under the negotiations with the United Nations. I am concerned that any implied recognition of FYROM as Macedonia, however seemingly insignificant, may very well prove destabilizing for the region and possibly derail the United States effort at finding a solution between FYROM and Greece. Those who may think that Macedonia is Greek and this is merely a semantics issue should consider what it would have been like if at the height of the Cold War the former Soviet Union had drawn in Alaska as part of its territory and put the Washington monument on its flag. So I strongly support the commitment by the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe) and my colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews) and their efforts, and hope that their language clarifying U.S. policy on FYROM will be included and that the State Department will be urged not to allow FYROM or any other nation to use Macedonia as a designation for FYROM. Macedonia is geographically in Greece, historically and presently. I applaud the chairman on this bill and the ranking member, and I ask for their support with this.

Mrs. MALONEY. I yield to the gentleman from Arizona.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, there are currently 35 hospitals in the aforementioned countries that have the capacity to conduct fistula repair surgery, but are without the financial resources. The Hamlin Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which has successfully performed fistula repairs since 1974, is the only known medical establishment focusing solely on fistula repair and has long been regarded as a model center for those involved in such care. I would encourage USAID to follow the letter of the committee's language and initiate programs in the most heavily affected areas, which would include the aforementioned nine sub-Saharan countries and Ethiopia, in addition to Sierra Leone.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, the Engender Health/UNFPA report details widespread fistula occurrence in nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa: Benin, Chad, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, the Engender Health/UNFPA report highlighted the problem of obstetric fistulas in sub-Saharan Africa. This report provided valuable information that led us to understand that this condition is far more serious and widespread than previously noted. I commend the gentlewoman for her work on this issue and am seeking clarification of the phrase ``most heavily affected areas.''

Mrs. MALONEY. I yield to the gentlewoman from New York.

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I first would like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) for their hard work on this important bill. I am extremely pleased that there is funding included in this bill in a number of important programs, including development assistance for the Child Survival and Disease Fund, the World Bank, funds for peace initiatives in the Middle East, the Fund for Ireland and many other important programs. I thank my colleagues and appreciate their work. However, I would like to raise my concern about one issue that is of particular importance to the women of the world, UNFPA. This body debated the issue just last week, but I must repeat the facts: UNFPA provides reproductive health care, including family planning services, but not abortion, to the world's poorest women, and specializes in caring for refugees and prevention of HIV/AIDS. The loss of funds is hurting millions of women in the world's poorest countries. UNFPA estimates that $69 million, the amount Congress appropriated these last 2 years but the administration then canceled, could prevent 4 million unwanted pregnancies, 1.6 million abortions, 9,400 maternal deaths, 120,000 cases of serious maternal injury and illness and more than 150,000 infant deaths. Even though this bill contains $25 million for UNFPA, the money will never get to those in need because the President's cancellation of the funds remains in force. I urge my colleagues to remove the harmful language that continues the blockage on money going to UNFPA and to help save the lives of millions of women and children around the world. Mr. Chairman, I also rise to engage the gentleman from Arizona (Chairman Kolbe) in a colloquy to clarify language contained in the foreign operations report on behalf of my dear friend and colleague, the gentleman from new York (Mr. Towns), who was called back to New York on important business. Mr. Chairman, I am concerned about the language that appears on page 18 where the committee notes, ``USAID does not currently fund any programs specifically aimed at obstetric fistula repair, and urges USAID to initiate programs in the most heavily affected areas.''

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Ose/ Burton/Lampson/Maloney amendment. This amendment speaks directly to the American children who have been torn apart from their parents and are being held against their will in a foreign country that does not observe the many rights American citizens enjoy in this country. Between 1973 and 1991, roughly 4,000 American children were reported to the U.S. State Department as abducted by a parent and taken across an international border. We have heard from the worst of these cases in the Government Reform Committee which include young children, American mothers, and Saudi fathers. Saudi men wield an extraordinary amount of control and power over women and children in Saudi Arabia. Children cannot travel without the approval of their father, often, the very person who kidnaped them to a foreign country. Women are not allowed to drive a car. They cannot walk outside without completely covering themselves with an abaya. And, women are prohibited from studying certain subjects in school. These are just a few examples of the breach of basic human rights that is at the root of the problem of child abduction. Women in Saudi Arabia have very few rights and the result is the tragic child custody cases where families are broken apart and children are stripped from one of their parents. The United States has long taken a lead in creating a mechanism for the return of children abducted internationally and was instrumental in the negotiation of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. The Convention provides a civil legal mechanism in the country where the child is located for parents to seek the return of, and access to, their child. Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is not a signatory to the Convention, these rules do not apply, and the result is that children suffer. I remind my colleagues that we must not forget that we are talking about real people, real daughters and sons who are separated from a parent. Each time a parent abducts, or wrongfully retains a child from his or her home, and prevents the child from having a relationship with the other parent, the trauma to the child is immediate and compounded each day the child is not returned home. This amendment will provide a tool for the State Department to help American children reunite with their families. It is the least we can do. I urge a ``yes' vote on this amendment. Mr. Ose's amendment would bar funding by the State Department to issue entry visas for anyone who violates U.S. child abduction laws and those relatives who aid and abet them.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule. This rule has been designated as ``Open'' but the truth is that a number of important amendments were defeated in Committee on a party line vote. I am disappointed that the Maloney/Crowley amendment that would direct the $25 million appropriated in this bill for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to prevent, treat, and repair obstetric fistula was ruled out of order. Two weeks ago, President Bush visited Senegal, South Africa, Botswana, Uganda and Nigeria. This was an important visit which demonstrated that this Administration is willing to work with and commit resources to the continent of Africa. Two of the countries he visited, Uganda and Nigeria, were included in a recent report released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and EngenderHealth, Obstetric Fistula Needs Assessment: Findings from Nine African Countries. The report determines the capacity of 35 hospitals in Benin, Chad, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Uganda, and Zambia to treat patients with obstetric fistula and assess their need for additional supplies, staff, and surgical supplies. Obstetric fistula is a horrible condition. More than two million woman world-wide are living in shame and suffering with this devastating condition, which results from obstructed labor during childbirth. In the United States and the rest of the developed world, fistula was once as common as it is now in Africa--the Waldorf Astoria in New York was built on the site of a fistula repair hospital. But Caesarean section changed history in the wealthier countries, and it is now our automatic response to obstructed labor. In poor areas of Africa and elsewhere, where health care is scarce and where undernourished and stunted young girls may be required to marry before their bodies have matured, a pregnant woman (usually a young girl) may be in agonizing labor for days. The baby usually dies, and if the woman survives, her birth canal may be damaged, creating an opening between her vagina and her bladder or her rectum, sometimes both. The result is an uncontrollable leakage of urine or feces, or both. The women is constantly wet and highly unpleasant; she suffers recurrent infections and shame, and is usually abandoned and ostracized by her community. No one knows the true extent of this problem, for the women tend to hide, not knowing that help is available--from programs supported by UNFPA. Fortunately, UNFPA provides the very maternal health care that helps save the lives of women and their babies and avoids medical complications like fistula. I have always said that USAID does important work, but one thing they don't do is prevent and combat the incidence of fistula. In my opinion, it is a terrible lapse on the part of our government and gives added incentive and reason to fund UNFPA. This amendment is a positive compromise. If it has been ruled in order, I am confident that this is the kind of program that no one would object to. It would have been a dramatic initiative demonstrating a commitment to Africa' poor and in particular to saving the lives of African women. Providing funding to UNFPA to fight fistula would have shown immediate results in the form of thousands of grateful women whose lives could resume. And it would have resolved the contentious issue of UNFPA funding that has repeatedly stalled the passage of urgent State Department initiatives and international aid programs worldwide. Once again, I would like to say that I am very disappointed that the full House will not be allowed to consider this important, thoughtful compromise that will help save the lives of millions of women around the world. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the Access to Books for Children Act (ABC Act), which would amend the Child Nutrition Act of 1966. Under the ABC Act, a five dollar voucher would be provided for the purchase of educational books for infants and children participating in the special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children. Research has shown that the effects of childhood literacy on the futures of children are extraordinary. Children who are exposed to reading before they start school are more likely to graduate high school than those who are not.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, while I voted in favor of H.R. 2691, the FY04 Department of the Interior Appropriations bill, I am hopeful that more funding for conservation programs will be included in the conference report. I am pleased that a critical amendment to increase the funding for the arts and humanities was passed by the House of Representatives. We must continue our commitment to providing the necessary funding for programs that would preserve our nation's environment and natural treasures.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my strong support for the Slaughter-Shays-Dicks amendment. This important amendment increases funding for the National Endowment for the Arts by $10 million and the National Endowment for the Humanities by $5 million. It will continue the process of restoring federal arts funding to appropriate levels by simply providing the funding that the House passed last year. This money will allow millions of young people and children to be exposed to the arts. In addition to the enjoyment and life-enrichment that each participant in the arts experiences, the exposure of children to the arts has been shown to improve reading and language development, mathematics skills, fundamental cognitive skills, motivation to learn, and social behavior. It is crucial that we provide enough funds for our children to have the best chance to succeed. Sufficient funding for the arts is particularly important in these years following the tragic events of September 11. In my city of New York and across the nation, the arts have provided important outlets for the host of emotions brought on by the traumatic experiences and tremendous losses that we have all experienced. But the arts not only help us to heal as individuals, they contribute to the economic health of our nation. The non-profit art industry generates $134 billion in economic activity each year, providing nearly 5 million full-time equivalent jobs and over $24 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenue. We can improve our economy, aid in the healing of our nation, help our children, and create and enduring cultural legacy--all by passing this necessary amendment. I support the Slaughter-Shays-Dicks amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to this rule. While I am extremely pleased that my amendment to help women and girls in Afghanistan was included, I am disappointed that an amendment to help all women and girls in MCA eligible countries was not ruled in order. My amendment would have simply ensured that the equal rights of women and girls are included in the Millennium Challenge Account principal objectives. Statistics show that when we help a woman out of poverty, we help her family out of poverty. Women are key to sustainable development--a primary goal of the MCA. Countries that actively discriminate against women and girls should not become eligible to receive MCA funding. If we had included women and girls as part of the principal MCA objectives, we would have made a much more powerful difference in ensuring that our programs have the greatest impact. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chairman, it includes simple things like a plastic mat, a razor, soap; basic items that can provide the necessary items that prevent the death of a woman in childbirth. That is what UNFPA is about. Madam Chairman, 150 countries cannot be wrong. They support the efforts of UNFPA. Our country should be there too, helping the poor women and children around the world, not cutting off needed supplies like this birthing kit that only saves the lives of women in childbirth. And if my friends on the other side support life so much, they would support UNFPA's efforts to save the lives of women and children around the world. The President's own handpicked investigatory team found that UNFPA was not participating in coercion. In sum, based in what we saw, heard, and read, we find no evidence that UNFPA has knowingly supported or participated in the management of a program of coercive abortion or involuntary sterilization in the PRC. Indeed, UNFPA has registered its strong opposition to such practices. (Team Report to Colin Powell, July 22, 2002) A team composed of members of Parliament from the UK in July 2002 found that UNFPA was not participating in coercion. The [delegation] was convinced that the UNFPA program is a force for good, in moving China away from abuses such as forced-family planning, sterilizations, and abortions . . . It is vitally important that the UNFPA remains actively involved in China, with continued financial support from the UK and other Western Governments. (Report filed by MPs Christine McCafferty, Edward Leigh, and Norman Lamb (July 2, 2002) and forwarded to the U.S. State Department)

Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chairman, I thank my colleagues, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), for their extraordinary leadership in saving the lives of women and children around the world. I will place in the Record two reports that will help clarify this debate. Members on the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith) and others, have talked about the China policy; and I will place in the Record the report from the British Government and the report from the President's own hand-picked investigatory team which found that UNFPA was not participating in any way in coercion or forced abortion in China, so it is clear and in the Record. Now, let me tell my colleagues what this debate is really about. This debate is about saving women's lives around the world through international family planning. Over 1,600 women die each day in childbirth. That is roughly 600,000 women, at a minimum, each year. It is equivalent to two Boeing jets crashing each day. What UNFPA is about is about handing out safe birthing kits to needy, poor women.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. I thank the gentleman for yielding time and for his extraordinary leadership on international affairs and so many issues that are important to this country. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to support the en bloc amendment and to note that the amendment which the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) and I put forward to help women and girls in Afghanistan was included. I thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde). The amendment creates the Afghan Women's Fund of not less than $22 million per year for the years 2003, 2004, and 2005. The Afghan Women's Fund will support the efforts of the Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs, other government ministries, and independent commissions to increase women and girls' access to health care, education, and income- earning opportunities, as well as to programs to prevent trafficking in girls and women. This amendment also ensures that not less than 15 percent of the Afghan Women's Fund will reach organizations run by Afghans, especially Afghan women. These organizations and civil society leaders are ideal partners, as they offer extensive development experience, knowledge of the local culture, and deep connections with the people they serve. Their success is also very closely tied to the success of efforts in Afghanistan for democracy because democracies cannot stabilize without a strong civil society. The Afghan women's amendment will support Afghan women and girls as they endeavor to make their country a more stable, safer, and better place. I thank the leadership on the Democrat and Republican side for including this important amendment.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the veterans of the Vietnam War and to honor in particular the members of the Queens Chapter #32 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. All of us owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the Americans who served abroad in the armed forces during our nation's longest and perhaps most difficult military conflict. I am pleased to recognize the service to our country of all the members of Queens Chapter #32 of the Vietnam Veterans of America and of its President, Pastor Toro, Jr. This month, in recognition of their service to our nation and to our city, the Queens Chapter #32 of the Vietnam Veterans of America is being honored by the rededication of a portion of 76th Avenue as ``Vietnam Veterans Lane.'' This thoroughfare, located between Woodhaven Boulevard and 88th Street in the Glendale neighborhood of the Borough of Queens in New York City, is the permanent location of Queens Chapter #32 of the Vietnam Veterans of America. The members of the Queens Chapter #32 have truly earned our gratitude, admiration, and appreciation. At the dedication ceremony for Vietnam Veterans Lane, the ``Order of the Silver Rose'' will be presented to several Chapter members who have suffered from a multitude of illnesses and symptoms associated with exposure to ``Agent Orange.'' These veterans continue to pay a price for their willingness to serve our country, and it is only fitting that we acknowledge their sacrifice on behalf of all of us. Although it has been just over three decades since our troops engaged in active combat in Vietnam, we will never forget the bravery of all those who served and the ultimate sacrifice of the more than 58,000 military personnel who gave their lives in service to their country. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me honoring the veterans of the Vietnam War. It is a fitting tribute that New York City is naming a street in honor of those who served in Vietnam.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Reverend Father George I. Paulson on the occasion of his retirement. Father Paulson is a trail-blazing leader who has selflessly devoted himself in service to our nation, his faith, his students and colleagues, and his family throughout his life. The first Navy Chaplain to represent the Greek Orthodox faith, Father Paulson is retiring after 59 years of ministering to congregations and believers around the nation. In his long and distinguished career, he helped countless individuals in both military and civilian life to cope with religious, family, and personal concerns. During nearly three decades of service to our country, Father Paulson rose to the rank of Captain in the United States Navy. His compassion and dedication to the spiritual well-being of the men and women serving in the armed forces is legendary. Among many notable accomplishments in his distinguished military career, he organized and for six years directed a Leadership School at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina following his tour of duty in Vietnam. Designed to improve the quality of leadership in the U.S. armed forces, the School trained facilitators to lead sessions that ultimately involved over 15,000 Marine and Navy officers during the difficult final years of that military conflict. It was credited with helping to reduce racial tensions among members of the armed forces and improving morale. Father Paulson also was responsible for reducing sick calls to the Base Rehabilitation Center by two-thirds, a remarkable achievement for which he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal by the Secretary of the Navy. In addition to this honor, Father Paulson also received a Navy Unit Commendation; a National Defense Service Medal; an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; a Vietnam Service Medal; a Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal; a Combat Action Ribbon; and a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry Unit Citation. By special appointment of His Eminence Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America Father Paulson was named the ecclesiastical endorsing agent for the Armed Forces of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas. In addition to 28 years of military service, he served two decades as a pastor at St. Nicholas Church in Virginia Beach as well as four-year terms as pastor to congregations in Tacoma and San Francisco. For almost a quarter century, he taught numerous courses in religious studies at St. Leo College in Virginia and served as Chairman of the Psychology and Theology Departments. Graduating from Holy Cross Seminary in Connecticut in 1944, Father Paulson went on to Boston University to earn a Masters Degree in Education and a Doctorate in Ministry with a concentration in Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics. He earned his doctorate in 1993 at the age of 75. And his family always maintained its primacy in Father Paulson's life. In 1944, he married his beloved, Evangeline Kertiles Paulson. Together they raised four wonderful sons, who in turn blessed them with eight grandchildren; Ned and his wife Susan raised George and Carl; Louis and his wife Jeannette raised Elias, John, and Matthew; Bill and his wife Margaret raised Billy, Jr. and Leah; and George, Jr. and his wife Regina raised Jon and Christopher. In recognition of his outstanding accomplishments, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Reverend Father George Paulson on the occasion of his retirement.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the underlying bill and to the shortchanging of the nation's students, teachers, and schools. We often hear about the need to leave no child behind. Yet, this budget leaves millions of children behind by underfunding vital education programs. This bill falls short of providing funds to improve teacher quality, student achievement, and special education programs. The costs of higher education continue to increase, but this bill freezes the maximum Pell Grant award. We should do more to help students who face the daunting task of paying for a college education. During these uncertain economic times, many families must rely on the incomes of two parents or on a single parent working more than one job. This bill does not provide enough funding for after-school programs which provides children with valuable learning opportunities and also helps children constructively use their time at the end of the school day. While this bill will provide some funding to critical education programs, the bill does not do enough. It's time that we fulfill the promise to ``leave no child behind.'' This nation's families and schoolchildren deserve more. On a separate issue, I oppose this bill because it undermines the nation's progress on scientific and medical research at the National Institutes of Health. With a bipartisan effort in Congress and the leadership of the past two administrations, we have succeeded in doubling the budget for the National Institutes of Health over the last 5 years, increasing it from $13.6 billion in 1998 to $27.2 billion in fiscal year 2003. The hope, and in many instances the reality, is that these strong investments in biomedical research will encourage scientific advances that will ultimately translate into better health care for the American people, including better treatment and cures of devastating diseases like Parkinson's. I am proud of this past national investment. However, I am very troubled that today's appropriations bill does not fully support the work and research of the National Institutes of Health. We should maintain a robust level of funding for NIH. We must continue a strong commitment to biomedical research funding so that medical advances can continue. Yet, this bill includes only a 2.5 percent increase--the smallest percentage increase in more than 15 years. The doubling effort was inspired, we should not reverse course and starve the research that we helped to spur.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduce legislation to subject operators of push polls or phone banks to the same disclosure requirements as other types of political communication. It will not ban push polls or phone banking--it will simply create a level playing field for all types of political communication. Under this bill, any person conducting these types of calls would be required to disclose to each recipient of a call the identity of the organization paying for the call. In addition, the bill would require that campaigns and other organizations that conduct advocacy phone calls report to the Federal Election Commission, FEC, the number of households they have contacted and the script they used in making the calls. The bill would not interfere with legitimate polling, conducted either by candidates or independent organizations, as it would only apply to phone banks in which more than 1,500 households are contacted within the 25 days preceding a Federal election.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to one of our nation's most beloved cultural treasures, the great actress Katharine Hepburn, whose death on June 29th has been an occasion for mourning around the globe. Appearing in forty-three films and countless plays and television productions, she received four Academy Awards for her acting abilities, a feat unmatched by any actor in cinematic history. The author of a best-selling memoir, she was one of the most recognized and cherished American women in all the world. Katharine Hepburn was also beloved by her friends and neighbors on Manhattan's East Side, where she maintained a residence for many years in addition to her home in eastern Connecticut. For over six decades she lived in a townhouse on East 49th Street in the Turtle Bay neighborhood near the United Nations headquarters. Even after she retired permanently to Connecticut, she remained a generous and loyal dues-paying member of the local community group, the Turtle Bay Association to the end of her life. Her efforts on behalf of the Turtle Bay community led local residents to name a garden in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza on East 47th Street in her honor in 1997. Every year, on her birthday of May 12, the community continues to celebrate their pride in their illustrious neighbor's achievements and character with a display and a ceremony in her honor. Following the news of her death at the age of 96, the Turtle Bay Association and Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Plaza immediately established a memorial in the Katharine Hepburn Garden in tribute to their illustrious and beloved neighbor, complete with photographs, candles and flowers. Because of her notable achievements on stage and screen and her indomitable and distinctive presence, Katharine Hepburn's spirit and presence will live on forever. It is only fitting that we salute her remarkable life and career and recognize her as a great American.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this Republican Medicare bill, and I urge every woman, man, every American to read the fine print. There are gaping holes. There are problems. I will put this into the Record and I am totally opposed to this bill. Mr. Speaker, the health of America's older women is at serious risk. Whatever Medicare Prescription Drug bill we pass will have an enormous impact on older women, both now and in the future, and women are concerned. More than half of Medicare recipients age 65 are women; by age 85, 71 percent are women. And most older women live on fixed incomes. Older women tend to have more chronic health conditions than men, and eight of ten women on Medicare use prescription drugs regularly. In the face of these facts, the ``bait and switch'' tactics of the Republican Medicare Prescription Drug bill are simply outrageous. Seniors think we're giving them help with high cost drugs. They think we're offering them supplemental insurance--guaranteed, cheaper and permanent--to ease their burden of skyrocketing drug costs on fixed incomes. But the Republican bill is a cruel trick. Seniors who are sickest and taking expensive medications--mostly women on fixed incomes--get a little bit of help with the first 2000 bucks of drug expenses. But then they get the ``donut hole''--a big fat zero until they pay a $3000 ransom to get more help with their drug bills. The fiscal irresponsibility of the Republican bill is stunning and illogical. Instead of putting the purchasing power of America's seniors to work as a huge bargaining chip to lower prescription drug costs, the Republicans prohibit the Secretary of HHS from negotiating for lower drug prices on behalf of seniors. The Democrats believe prescription drugs should be affordable for seniors--but our amendments to have the Secretary negotiate on seniors' behalf were defeated. The height of hypocrisy in the Republican bill is the fact that it actually discourages employers from continuing to offer drug coverage for retired seniors who have already paid health insurance premiums throughout their working lives. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a third of employers will drop retiree drug benefit coverage if the Republic bill becomes law. Frankly, the Republican Medicare Prescription Drug bill is cruel. This is not compassionate conservatism. It is blatant bias against elderly, against women, and against the poor. It is the first step in doing away with Medicare as an entitlement and it is the first step toward dividing our elderly into the needy and those who can afford to ``buy out''. The purpose of Medicare was to help the elderly with needed care as they age, and to do it with dignity and not on the basis of ability to pay. Prescription drug coverage would save money in the long term because drug therapies can be substituted for more costly treatments like hospitalization and surgery. But what seniors--men and women--need and want is help that they can understand and can rely on, not the ``bait and switch'' of the Republican plan.

Mrs. MALONEY

Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge my colleagues to support legislation I have introduced with the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Leach), H.R. 2482, the Iraqi Freedom from Debt Act. This bill will require the United States to negotiate in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank for these institutions to relieve the debt owed them by Iraq. This legislation also includes a sense of Congress that France and Russia and all other creditors should relieve the debts owed by Iraq. While estimates of Iraq's debt range from one hundred billion to several hundred billion, the combined debt owed the IMF and World Bank is just $150 million. These institutions have the resources to relieve this debt, setting an important precedent for the rest of the world. The case for debt relief in Iraq is especially compelling, given the fact that much of the debt can be characterized as odious. Odious debt is recognized as debt that is taken on by a country for the personal benefit of corrupt leaders or for the oppression of a people. By taking the lead on debt relief, the U.S. has an opportunity to boost the Iraqi economy and to prove to the world that a major reason for U.S. action in Iraq was to benefit the Iraqi people. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.