Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 17 (H.R. 350), I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 18 (S. Con. Res. 7), honoring the life and legacy of King Hussein of Jordan, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 16, Waxman amendment to H.R. 350, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 14 (H.R. 435), I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 15, Boehlert amendment to H.R. 350, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 13 (H.R. 439), I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, if an action by a President poses a threat to our government, then he may be impeached for that action. The President's behavior was reprehensible, insensible, even unimaginable, but it is not impeachable. The punishment does not fit the crime. The authors of the Constitution never intended this result. Even the chairman, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), said that he intended to conduct bipartisan hearings. We have watched as these intentions have eroded into an unnecessary partisan battle. The President is accused of degrading his office. We must ask ourselves is the proper response to degrade the process by lowering the standard of impeachment? Our biggest responsibility is to the American people. The American people elected this President, and they have made it clear that they would like to keep him, warts and all. I join my Democrat colleagues in calling for a lesser punishment than a political death penalty. It is unfair, it is partisan, it is wrong.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Park Avenue Christian Church as it celebrates its 188th anniversary. The Church held a Homecoming Celebration on October 17 and 18. The Christian church, which traces its roots back to the Scottish reformation, first emerged on the American Frontier in the early 1800's. On October 10, 1810, nine members of the Ebenezer Baptist Church of New York City formed themselves as ``The Disciples of Christ.'' In 1945, the congregation moved to its present site at 1010 Park Avenue and renamed itself the Park Avenue Christian Church. As the oldest congregation within the Christian Church, the Park Avenue Christian Church delivers a progressive, positive message as an international, interracial, and inclusive community. Originally build as the old South Dutch Reformed Church in 1911, the sanctuary was inspired by La Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The Church is an impressive structure on Park Avenue with buttress-supports and Tiffany stained glass windows. In 1963, the Church built a new education building on the site of the original parish house; in 1982, a 56 rank organ was added to the Church. In 1989, the Park Avenue Christian Church embarked on a massive renovation. This restoration not only ensured the preservation of the Church into its third century of existence, but also helped to revitalize the congregation's commitment to its mission to the world founded on freedom, diversity, and tradition. The Park Avenue Christian Church plays an integral role in fostering a sense of community on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The congregation is deeply rooted in social responsibility, which greatly benefits the Park Avenue community. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to your attention the Park Avenue Christian Church, as it celebrates its 188th anniversary. I would also like to pay tribute to Senior Minister Reverend John Wade Payne and Associate minister Reverend Allen V. Harris for their dedication to the Park Avenue Christian Church and the surrounding community.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 597. The cruel and senseless torture and ultimate death of Matthew Shepard has lit a fire under the national discourse surrounding the prevention of hate crimes. It is a tragedy that such a horrible crime against humanity must serve as the rallying point for the passage of hate crimes prevention legislation. In fact, it is a tragedy that this country should even have the need for hate crimes prevention legislation. But sadly, we do. The murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming too vividly brings to mind the vicious assault of an African-American man, James Bryd, who was dragged to his death from the back of a pickup truck this past June in Texas. These are two cases that have grabbed national headlines because of their atrociousness. But these are only two of the far too many instances where people are singled out and victimized because of their race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability. No Federal law exists to address hate crimes. Ten states do not have any hate crime prevention laws. Of the 40 states that have passed hate crime legislation, 19 do not cover attacks motivated by sexual orientation. We need Federal legislation to provide a clear and consistent standard that outlines the offenses that comprise a heat crime. My friend and colleague Representative Charles Schumer introduced a bill that would establish a national standard to deal with hate crimes, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1997, H.R. 3081. This bill would expand existing law to facilitate the assistance of federal authorities in crimes motivated by hate. Unfortunately, failure to pass the Hate Crimes Prevention Act is yet another failure to act by the 105th Congress. But this issue will not die with this Congress. I intend to continue fighting for justice for everyone--for Matthew Shepard, for James Byrd, and for every other American who is a victim of a hate crime. Matthew Shepard's death was needless. Passing this legislation will not bring him back, nor will it erase the pain suffered by his family, his friends, and our nation as a whole. But with an explicit and consistent law outlining the offenses that constitute a hate crime, our Nation will be better armed to fight and prevent the prejudice and ignorance that result in tragic hate crimes.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Congressional Friends of Animals, I'd like to pay tribute to a very special constituent of mine. Cleveland Amory, noted author and founder of The Fund for Animals, died at his home in New York City on Wednesday night. Mr. Amory devoted the last 31 years of his life to ``speaking for those who can't'' as the unpaid President of The Fund for Animals. In his years at the helm of this national animal protection group, he has imprinted millions in our society with the notion that we should treat animals with both decency and dignity. During three decades of advocacy for animals, Mr. Amory and his group led the way in dramatic rescues of animals all over the country. He airlifted hundreds of wild burros from the Grand Canyon who were destined to be shot by the National Park Service. They joined thousands of other animals, all snatched out of harm's way by Mr. Amory, at his Black Beauty Ranch animal sanctuary in Texas. Black Beauty Ranch now stretches over 1,000 acres and will serve as the final resting place for a man who was known as the grandfather of the animal protection community. The world needs more people like Cleveland Amory and I hope his legacy of compassion will continue to live on.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank the dean of the New York delegation, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), for yielding me this time and being here with us as we all pay tribute to our dear friend and outstanding colleague, Tom Manton. It is always very good to have neighbors you can rely on. Tom Manton is my neighbor. He literally lives in my congressional district. It has been a pleasure working with him and sharing the New York Queens Borough with him. I know how the New York Police Department must have felt when officer, Police Officer Manton, left the force. We will truly miss this law enforcer, turned law maker on the front lines of this House of Representatives. The residents of Queens are now feeling the same loss as the entire New York delegation feels this loss. Tom Manton has made clear through his years of public service, first as a police officer and later as a fellow member of the New York City Council, his commitment to mankind. He has made, many contributions in his work for the residents of New York City on the New York City Council Housing Committee, and I worked with Tom on that committee. He was chairman of that committee. I had to work hard many years to even get on that committee. Madam Speaker, I can remember when Tom was elected to Congress. He came in late to a city council meeting and we sat there and waited about an hour or two for him to come in. He had been up all night and he came in and chaired his last meeting as chairman of the Housing Committee. Tom is also a leader and is chair of the Ad Hoc Committee for Ireland. He was grand marshal for the St. Patrick's Day Parade, and he told me that his mother was not particularly impressed when he became a Member of Congress but when he was grand marshal on St. Patrick's Day, that was really, really important to her. Tom and I had the good fortune of traveling to Northern Ireland and Ireland with President Clinton. I had the great opportunity of meeting his family, his aunts, his sisters, his extended family that still lived in Ireland, and Tom was really a leader in working with President Clinton for the Good Friday agreement and very recently working in a bipartisan way with the gentleman from New York Congressman (Mr. Walsh) in increasing the number of peace visas for the Irish to come here to New York. Tom is also, and has been for many years, the county chair of the great County of Queens. He has been recognized as the most outstanding county chair really, I believe, in New York City. He was the first county chair in the borough to endorse President Clinton. I personally think that he would make an outstanding State chair of New York State and bring the same balanced leadership and commitment and understanding and time that he gives to all of the problems of New York City and to this delegation daily in helping us work through our problems. He is a great friend. He has been a rock on which to lean. He has helped me and other Members of this delegation on so many issues that we work on. I remember also he is a very personal and wonderful friend. I remember being in his office one day, and he looked around the office, and he said, my father, when he came to this country, he worked on the House office buildings. He helped modernize them. He was tremendously proud that the building that he helped modernize and helped restore was the office that his son later took as a Member of Congress. He told me, on the day that his father was here when he was sworn in to this great body, that his father left the celebration and just walked around the buildings trying to find the exact spots that he had worked on many years ago and was deeply moved that his son later was elected to this body. Tom will leave many marks of achievement here in Washington, and he will be remembered for a long time to come. While we will miss him here in Washington and in New York, I admire his decision to pursue his personal dreams. So I wish you well, Thomas. All your constituents and friends do. I am sure that your goodwill and dedication will follow you as you enter this new world. Best of luck to you. Our friendship is always with you. Thank you for all that you have done for New York City, New York State, the great Borough of Queens and all your many friends and supporters.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the census lawsuits that will be argued before the Supreme Court on November 30 of 1998. Mr. Speaker, you sued the Department of Commerce to prevent it from carrying out its plans to use statistical methods in the 2000 Census. A similar case was filed by private citizens, including the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barr). Members must understand the importance of these cases, as my comments will demonstrate. I am confident that the Supreme Court will rule that the statutes and the Constitution permit the use of statistical methods. We must have the most accurate census possible and the use of statistical methods is the only way to ensure accuracy. Mr. Speaker, I ran across a very good example of why statistical methods are the only real solution to an accurate census. It appeared this morning in the New York Times, and it talked about the Welcome Wagon. It stated that the Welcome Wagon, this is a program that used to welcome new residents to their neighborhoods and also do a little marketing for local merchants. The article says that the Welcome Wagon is closing its doors. Why? Because people are not home. They cannot find people at home to welcome when they move into the neighborhoods, so they are no longer going to be doing it. They will be reaching out through the mail and other ways. Mr. Speaker, that is the problem with the census. Knocking on doors to get information, many people are not home in America. That is the case in very simple terms. Six months ago I came to this well to discuss procedural issues raised in the court cases. As many constitutional scholars suggest, the Supreme Court could rule on procedural grounds and dismiss the cases or remand them back to the District Court. The Supreme Court cannot give advisory opinions. The Constitution states that there must be a case in controversy in order for it to proceed on the merits. Today, however, I want to switch from the procedural issues and focus on the merits of these lawsuits. The lawsuits filed by the Speaker and by Representative Barr ask the Court to review the Census Act and in particular two sections which discuss the use of statistical methods. In addition to alleging that the Census Act prohibits the use of statistical methods, the Speaker and Representative Barr argue that the Constitution prohibits their use. Because neither the Census Act nor the Constitution creates such a prohibition, the Commerce Department may and should use statistical methods in the 2000 census. The Census Act does not prohibit the use of statistical methods for the purpose of apportionment. Two sections of the Census Act mention the use of statistical methods. Section 141 plainly allows for the broad use of statistics and section 195 states that statistics may be used. Yes, two district courts, the District court for the District of Columbia and the District court for the Eastern District of Virginia recently ruled otherwise. These are the two cases that the Supreme Court will hear on November 30 of this year. Both of these courts erred in their rulings. First they ignored the plain meaning of each of the words of section 141 and 195. Section 141 gives the Secretary broad discretion to take the census in such manner as he chooses, including the use of sampling. Section 195 limits that broad discretion by stating that if he considers it feasible, the Secretary must use statistical sampling for nonapportionment purposes. However, for apportionment purposes, the Secretary's broad discretion remains as afforded by section 141. Second, even if the courts determined that the Census Act provisions are unclear as to whether the use of statistical sampling is permissible, they should have deferred to the Census Bureau's reasonable interpretation of these provisions as required by law. No one disputes the definition of 141, but the real issue is section 195. Section 195 is clear with regard to the requirement of the Secretary to use statistical sampling for non-apportionment purposes if he deems it feasible. Obviously, Secretary Daley deems it feasible or we would not be where we are today. The question the courts reviewed was what Section 195 says with regard to statistical sampling for apportionment purposes. The Supreme Court has ruled on numerous occasions that if a statute is silent or anbiguous with respect to the specific issue, the question for the court is whether the agency's intrepretation is a permissible construction of the statute. It should not decide whether the intrepretation is the same intrepretation that the court would have made. Therefore, the District of Columbia Court and the Virginia Courts failed to give the Bureau the discretion it deserved. Three District Courts, the Eastern District of Michigan, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the District Court for the Eastern District of New York, have ruled correctly that the Census Act allows for the use of statistical methods. That is why I am pleased that the Supreme Court is reviewing the Speaker and Barr's lawsuits. The Constitution does not prohibit the use of statistical methods for the purposes of apportionment. Instead, it expressly delegates to Congress the authority to conduct the census ``in such Manner as they by law shall direct.'' Congress passed such a law which give the Secretary of Commerce the authority to take the census. THe Secretary of Commerce is doing just that, taking the census. The Secretary has chosen to take the census using the most modern technological advances available. Now Congress no longer likes the law it passed and no longer wants the Secretary to have the authority to take the census. Congress has the right to change its mind but it must do it by law, not by the Appropriations process and not through the court system. Until Congress passes such a law, the Secretary has the authority to use statistical methods. I should note that neither the District of Columbia Court nor the Eastern District of Virginia reviewed the constitutional issue. However, the Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York Courts did reach the constitutional issue and they all found that the use of statistical methods is constitutional. Mr. Speaker, neither the Census Act nor the Constitution prohibits the use of modern technology in the taking of the census. I look forward to the Supreme Court explaining this fact to the House of Representatives and to the American people. Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the following: [From the New York Times, Oct. 12, 1998] Welcome Wagon to Make Its Visits Via Post Office (By Constance L. Hays) The Welcome Wagon is rolling up the welcome mat. Since the 1920's, Welcome Wagon's sales representatives, almost always women, have gone house to house visiting newlyweds and the newly moved-in, bearing greeting baskets laden with coupons, magnets, ballpoint pens and other items sponsored by the local locksmith, the town optometrist and other merchants. But these old-fashioned visits are coming to an end, in a testament to changing life styles or perhaps that traditional corporate desire to cut costs. The owner of the Welcome Wagon, the Cendant Corporation, is dismissing most of its 2,200 representatives and will replace them with direct marketing through the mail. So rather than a lengthy visit with the possibility of real-time conversation, each of Welcome Wagon's targeted households will get a bound directory delivered to the doorstep, in which businesses will have paid to advertise. The point is to reach more people, Cendant spokesmen say, and these days, people are not at home as much as they used to be, because of busier families and a surge in working mothers. Cendant, which also owns Avis car rentals and Howard Johnson hotels, has found itself in financial turmoil this year, but the company says its problems are not related to its decision to change the Welcome Wagon. This change, however, appears to have taken many sales representatives by surprise and was met with sorrow by some of them. Although they were paid for their work, certain representatives regarded it as more of a social mission than a marketing one. For decades, Welcome Wagon thrived on that very ambiguity, getting over the threshold thanks to its neighborly demeanor when other marketers might not. ``My heart is in these home visits,'' said Dee Strilowich, the company's top-performing salesperson, who has worked for Welcome Wagon in Ridgefield, Conn., and nearby Redding for the last four years. ``I loved giving the welcome and greeting to those new movers, new parents, engaged women.'' But Cendant insisted that times had changed, which is why it decided last month to end the visits and lay off its representatives. ``It's a different world today,'' said Elliot Bloom, a spokesman for Cendant in Parsippany, N.J. ``In the past, 20 years ago, when you knocked on people's doors, Mom was home. Now she's in the work force.'' A vice president for Welcome Wagon in New York and two other states agreed. ``We had representatives who were beating their heads against the wall because they had the names of several people to go and visit but could never find them at home,'' said the vice president, Dinah Watson. She said she was offered a severance package, which she will be taking, and added that the 250 representatives she supervised have until the end of this month to decide whether they will stay with the company. About 500 people will be retained to work in ad sales for Welcome Wagon, Mr. Bloom said. It is being combined with another Cendant company, called Getting to Know You, that specializes in direct mail. ``Whenever you make a change like this, there is some displacement,'' said Christopher R. Jones, another Cendant spokesman. Representatives have until the end of the year to make their visits, and after that, ``we've asked them to stop.'' Mrs. Strilowich, who was greeted herself by a Welcome Wagon representative when she moved to Ridgefield 28 years ago, said she has about 200 visits scheduled through December and would complete them all. She said most of the representatives she had spoken to were sorry to see their jobs end so suddenly. ``A lot of them are in the same situation I was,'' she said, adding that she is the primary earner in her family. ``They were looking for at least two or three more years.'' Some Welcome Wagon representatives expressed anger over the loss of their jobs and the end of their visits with families. ``Cendant sacrificed us for the bottom line,'' said Wendy Amundsen, one of the company's top-selling representatives, in Stamford, Conn. ``Sometimes there are just more important things in life than money.'' Cendant has been struggling this year with other, much larger business problems, including an accounting error that stripped $115 million from its 1997 earnings, the subsequent resignations of a host of senior executives, and a stock price that has plunged from $41.69 in April to $9 on Friday. But Mr. Bloom dismissed as ``absolute nonsense'' any suggestion that Cendant's wider problems has led to the switch in strategy for Welcome Wagon. He said the company had peaked in 1968 with 1.5 million visits a year, but that the number had fallen to 580,000 last year. Still, Cendant has thought enough of the company to pay $20 million to acquire it in 1995, back when Cendant was known as CUC International and the number of visits was estimated at 500,000 a year. At the time, CUC said it planned to expand the sales force and did so, adding some 800 positions by this year. The company saw Welcome Wagon as a marketing device for a personal credit-history business it already owned. With little overhead beyond the 100-person management staff, a toll-free number and a World Wide Web site, profits were substantial. And sales representatives, who were paid by the amount of business they solicited from area merchants, could earn as much as $70,000 a year. Many received benefits as well. Welcome Wagon took its name from 19th century Conestoga covered wagons that would greet frontier settlers as they arrived, bringing food and fresh water from the nearest village. The company was founded in 1928 in Memphis. This summer, to mark its 70th anniversary, the governors of several states, including Wisconsin, declared part of July ``Welcome Wagon Week.'' ``You will visit households when they're celebrating a move, or an engagement, or the birth of a new child,'' promises the Welcome Wagon Web site, which so far has not been altered to reflect the newly impersonal nature of the operation. ``You will also introduce local businesses to Welcome Wagon's unique, personalized advertising program. What could be more fun.'' But now the fun is over, ``I thought Welcome Wagon would go on forever,'' Ms. Amundsen said. ``Welcome Wagon is like apple pie, baseball, hot dogs. It's an American institution. I thought I would retire in this job.''

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Frank E. Campbell Burial and Cremation Company on the occasion of its centennial anniversary. On Wednesday, October 21, Cardinal John O'Connor will be a special guest at Frank E. Campbell's 100th anniversary celebration. In 1898, when Frank E. Campbell first opened the doors of his funeral home, he revolutionized the way people thought about funeral service. In the late nineteenth century, most funerals were conducted in private homes. But since a majority of New York City residents were living in apartments by this time, they did not have the capacity to handle large events. Frank Campbell also understood the need of families to have time to grieve for their loved ones. By transferring the burden of planning a funeral from the families to a funeral home, Campbell eased the time of mourning. Frank Campbell's funeral home combines a peaceful and serene atmosphere with an attentive and courteous staff. Over the past one hundred years, the Frank E. Campbell Burial and Cremation Company has served families from every strata of society including royalty of many nations and members of the arts and entertainment world. Frank Campbell's makes a concerted effort to honor the individual in the style in which he or she lived. Over the past century, Frank E. Campbell has become a landmark on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to your attention the Frank E. Campbell Burial and Cremation Company as it celebrates 100 years of serving New Yorkers in their times of grief.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Athenian Federation of the United States of America and Canada. The Association is organizing the twentieth Archieratical Tedeum to commemorate the Liberation of Athens from the Nazis 54 years ago. The official Archieratical Tedeum will be held at the Greek Orthodox Church Cathedral in New York City on Sunday, October 11, in the presence of the Consular, officials of the Greek community, Greek organizations and members of the Greek community. The Tedeum commemorates the Liberation of Athens from Nazi occupation by the Allied Forces on October 12, 1944. On April 27, 1943, Nazi tanks entered Athens as the remnants of the British forces evacuated Greece. The citizens of Athens lived under the siege of Nazi terror and occupation for three and a half years until liberation when the Allied Forces hoisted a Greek flag on the holy rock of Acropolis, signaling the end of the occupation. The Greek flag replaced the flag of the Nazi regime which hung over the Acropolis of Athens throughout the occupation. The anniversary of the liberation is celebrated annually in Athens and amongst Greek communities here in the United States. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to your attention this important anniversary in the history of Greece, Greek citizens, and Greek- Americans. The Athenian Federation of U.S.A. and Canada makes a remarkable effort to keep the spirit of freedom alive with their annual Archieratical Tedeum. I am proud to have such a strong Greek community in my district and an organization such as the Athenians Federation of U.S.A. and Canada to promote issues of importance to this wonderful community.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Georgia Dimitrios Kaloidis. Mr. and Mrs. Kaloidis will be honored by Hellenic Public Radio-COSMOS FM at the Phidippides Award Dinner for their passionate advocacy of Hellenism on Friday, October 9. Dimitrios Elias Kaloidis and Georgia Christou Kaloidis (nee Manolakos) were born in Laconia, Greece. They graduated from high school in Athens. Dimitrios emigrated to the United States in 1955, followed by Georgia in 1963. Once in the U.S. Dimitrios became involved in the restaurant business and Georgia studied computers and business administration. They married in 1974. Together they founded a chain of restaurants and initiated major real estate ventures. Currently, the Kaloidises are developing the Terrace on the Park in Flushing Meadow, Queens, and one of the largest multiplex cinemas in the country. Georgia and Dimitrios Kaloidis' charitable endeavors are wide and varied. Most notably, the Kaloidises have made a strong investment in our youth, most specifically in their education through multimillion dollar gifts to primary schools, cultural and educational centers and scholarship trusts. His Eminence, Archbishop Spyridon, has charged Dimitrios to head the committee for the unification of the four Greek parochial schools in Brooklyn. The Hellenic Public Radio COSMOS FM Phidippides Award is presented to persons in recognition of their efforts in the advocacy of Hellenism. Recipients of this prestigious award have worked to sustain vitality of Hellenism. Dimitrios and Georgia Kaloids, who have no children of their own, have more than exemplified the characteristics of the Phidippides Award. Their involvement in education plays a substantial role in the growth of future generations of the Hellenic community. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to your attention the important charitable work Georgia and Dimitrios Kaloidis have done for the Hellenic community. I am proud to have such citizens in my district.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to St. Elias Post 1618 of the Catholic War Veterans on the occasion of their 50th anniversary. The date October 7, 1948 is very significant for members of St. Elias Church and the Catholic War Veterans community. On this date, St. Elias Post 1618 was installed as a Catholic War Veterans Post under the leadership of George Kudlak as Commander and Rev. Demetrius Yackanich as Chaplain. Stephen J. Zipay was a member of the initial Officers Roster and Charter Membership. Throughout the years, veterans of World War I and World War II were joined by veterans of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts to create a unified veterans organization in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. These veterans combined their Catholic heritage and patriotism as veterans of the United States Armed Forces. With the establishment of a headquarters building, many visitors joined in annual events sponsored by the St. Elias Post 1618. Special guests included sports figure Stan Musial and Bishop Fulton Sheen. St. Elias Post sponsors annual parades throughout the streets of Greenpoint. On November 15, 1998, St. Elias Post 1618 will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their post and of the installment of their officers. Stephen J. Zipay will maintain the exclusive honor of having been installed for the 50th time. He has maintained every position in St. Elias Post 1618 throughout his tenure, including an entire decade as post commander. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to bring to your attention this important anniversary in the history of St. Elias Post 1618 of the Catholic War Veterans. I am proud to have such a dedicated veterans organization in my district.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, in my State alone over 300,000 women and teens rely on Title X for their only reproductive health care. Studies show that 80 percent of teens who currently seek family planning advice at clinics would stop going if they had to tell their parents. The Istook language will cause many teens to delay or, even worse, avoid seeking essential health care services, placing their health at risk. How can we claim to be protecting the health of our young women if we pass legislation that damages their health by restricting access to the care they need? I agree that ideally teens should be encouraged to talk to their parents about their health care decisions, but we do not live in an ideal world, and millions of teens do not live in ideal families. The Greenwood-Castle substitute is the correct approach. It provides teens with the message that abstinence is the only way to avoid pregnancy, STDs and HIV infection without restricting their access to needed health care.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and I thank him for his leadership on this issue and so many other important issues before this House. I rise in opposition to this bill, because while it restores some of the necessary powers to the Federal Elections Commission, it takes power away from women. It discriminates against women by denying them access to the full range of contraception services. We are wasting no time in handing out over $50 million worth of Viagra to service members through the Pentagon this year, but we are denying women access to contraception. It is discriminatory and it is wrong. Some of my Republican colleagues have accused us of wanting things both ways. Well, they are absolutely right, because restoring power to the Federal Elections Commission as well as giving women proper access to contraception, these are the right things to do. Mr. Speaker, as we all know, this language, the contraception language has already been approved by the majority in both Houses. It passed this House twice. We should play by the rules. It has been approved by the House, approved by the Senate, and we have a great deal of additional work we need to do. We should not be undoing what this Congress has already passed, and I urge a ``no'' vote against this conference report.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, this week's issue of Time Magazine features what it calls a numbers column, and it quotes various expenditures and notable numbers like this one: Next year the Pentagon plans to spend $50 million for Viagra for troops and retirees. I think it is important to note that we are apparently willing to spend money for the potency of our armed services, but not willing to help prevent unwanted pregnancies by providing the full range of contraceptive services. But on the other hand, we were willing to help prevent unwanted pregnancies. This language already passed the House and the Senate. But there is a small minority on the conference committee that changed it. I believe that this language discriminates against women. When we defeated the rule for this conference report last week, it was clear that it could easily pass if only the language on the FEC were removed. Mr. Speaker, I am glad that we at least accomplished that, but I cannot support this bill, because it does not provide the full range of contraceptive services, thereby discriminating against women. I urge a ``no'' vote on the rule.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule and the conference report because it permits Congress to micro-manage the very agency that is charged to police our elections. It takes an organization, the Federal Election Commission, that has been called a toothless tiger, and turns it into a helpless kitten. It allows the accused to become the jury. The provision permits just three commissioners or just one party in a partisan way to fire the top officers at the Federal Election Commission. That means that the staff at the FEC had better not annoy anyone of either party or they are going to find themselves in an unemployment line. I believe that some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are just plain going after general counsel Lawrence Noble because he is doing his job, investigating GOPAC, investigating many campaign finance abuses. It is very frustrating to speak out against this appropriations bill because I am pleased that we won a victory for women's contraceptive rights, and I am pleased that the FEC will be fully funded. But how can the FEC go about its business of investigating campaign finance violations with a sledge hammer being held over its head? Mr. Speaker, we spent a great deal of this spring and summer months debating campaign finance reform. It passed the House; it was filibustered and killed in the Senate. Instead of moving forward with changes that would aid reform, this House leadership is rolling back reform. It is working to fire the one person who is actually trying to enforce the law in a bipartisan manner, and it is being done under the cover of night in this rule and this conference report. Mr. Speaker, I truly do believe that there is a vendetta by the leadership on the other side of the aisle against the FEC, and many, many editorial boards across this country agree. The Washington Post accuses Republicans of giving Mr. Noble ``the brush-off.'' The New York Times calls it ``an arrogant attack.'' The Minneapolis Star Tribune calls Noble a ``watchdog about to be muzzled by the Republican attack.'' I urge my colleagues to leave the FEC with the small amount of bite it has left by voting against this conference report and voting against this rule that would muzzle and defang the Federal Election Commission.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, and I will not object, but I would like very much for the gentleman to explain the bill.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I also rise in support of S. 2071. Extension of the authority of the Department of Commerce to conduct the Quarterly Financial Report is critical to the U.S. statistical system. This program provides financial data essential to the calculation of key government measures of the economy and has been designated by the Office of Management and Budget as one of the Nation's principal economic indicators. The Quarterly Financial Report Program provides the most current and comprehensive quarterly financial data on business conditions and financial activity of U.S. corporations. It is the primary source of current estimates of the corporate profits used to derive the quarterly estimates of the Gross Domestic Product. These corporate profits estimates are also included with those select series prepared monthly by the Council of Economic Advisors for the Joint Economic Committee to provide quick picture data of the domestic economy. Quarterly Financial Report data are a major building block for the Federal Reserve Board's Flow of Funds accounts and are the Federal Reserve Board's sole source of unconsolidated, nonfinancial data. Quarterly Financial Report data are also used by a host of private sector analysts to evaluate investment opportunities, compare their financial condition with industry trends, and analyze the performance of the small business sector. Mr. Speaker, the extension of the authority is needed to continue this important program without interruption. I strongly urge passage of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Dr. Robert Ruben on the occasion of his retirement as Chair of the Montefiore Medical Center Department of Otolaryngology. Tonight, Montefiore Medical Center is holding a gala salute in honor of Dr. Ruben's distinguished career. The gala will benefit hearing restoration research. Dr. Ruben has had a long and impressive career in medicine. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Princeton University and his M.D. from the John Hopkins School of Medicine. Although he is retiring from the post of Chair of the Department of Otolaryngology, Dr. Ruben will continue his dedicated work on behalf of people with hearing disorders at Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. When making his decision to retire from the position of department chair, Dr. Ruben took into consideration the time he will now have to continue his work on the protection, repair and regeneration of dead and damaged hearing cells. In his own words: ``The more effort, resources and time that we devote to understanding hearing disorders, the sooner we will enable communicatively deprived people to reach their full potential.'' Over the course of Dr. Ruben's career he has received numerous honors and distinctions that date back to his teenage years. As a high school student, Robert Ruben received an honorable mention in the Westinghouse Talent Search. He is the recipient of the American Academy of Ophdiahnology & Otolaryngology Research Award, the Schreiber Gold Medal of the National Association of the Deaf, an Honorary Professor and Advisor to the Peking Institute of Otolaryngology of the People's Republic of China, and recipient of the Presidential Citation, AAO/HNS, among others. His work on behalf of children and the disabled is extensive. He has served on the Head Start Medical Advisory committee, the National Task Force on Mentally Retarded Deaf, the National Institute of Health Advisory Council, the Advisory Council of the National Institute of Deafness & Other Communication Disorders, and as the director of the American Board of Otolaryngology, to name a few. Mr. Speaker, I am proud and honored to bring to your attention the important work Dr. Robert Ruben has done for communicatively deprived people and the field of Otolaryngology. Montefiore Medical Center and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine are privileged to have such an outstanding man on their staff.

Mrs. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay a respectful tribute to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration on the 90th anniversary of its founding . Throughout its history, the Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration has dedicated itself to providing spiritual guidance to the growing immigrant population of Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The Cathedral was founded in 1908, with construction beginning on the cathedral in 1916. In 1921 Archbishop Platon consecrated the church. This large, beautiful house or worship was listed in the National Registry of Historic Places in 1980. The Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration would not have grown and prospered without its dedicated parishioners and priests. The first Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Rev. Alexander Hotovitzky. The first assigned pastor was Rev. Theofan Buketoff. Since that time a number of distinguished theologians have had the privilege of serving the Greenpoint community through the Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration. The Cathedral has met the challenge presented by the diverse and growing immigrant population of the community by offering a variety of religious and spiritual services. Among these are Divine Liturgies, Vigil, panikhida and Vespers. The church encourages the active participation of its parishioners in its liturgical life. Additionally, the church provides myriad services for the community via various clubs and associations. These church sponsored organizations also provide a sense of community and belonging for their members. These organizations include the Brotherhood of the Holy Trinity, the Transfiguration Russian Orthodox Club, the Church School, the Parents Association and a special organization for new immigrants. These groups provide services ranging from church maintenance to youth educational programs. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues rise with me in this tribute to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Transfiguration as it celebrates its 90th anniversary. I am honored to have such a distinguished and important parish in my district continuing in a long tradition of spiritual and community service.