Carolyn McCarthy

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have named H. Frank Carey High School in Franklin Square School of the Month in the Fourth Congressional District for September 2000. Recently, Carey High received the prestigious Blue Ribbon School Award for 1999-2000 from the U.S. Department of Education. In addition, Carey High School is one of five high schools in the Sewanhaka Central High School District which was one of only three school districts to win the prestigious New York State Excelsior Award. I want to congratulate Carey High School not only on the Blue Ribbon Award, but also for the personal educational approach provided to Long Island's young adults. Thomas Dolan is the Principal of Carey, and Dr. George Goldstein is the Superintendent of Schools for the Sewanhaka Central School District. The school has 1,528 students, 137 staff members. The Blue Ribbon Award is bestowed on schools that excel in all areas of academic leadership, teaching and teacher development and school curriculum. In addition, schools must exhibit exceptional levels of community and parental involvement, high student achievement levels and rigorous safety and discipline programs. Schools selected for recognition have conducted a thorough self-evaluation, involving administrators, teachers, students, parents and community representatives, including developing a strategic plan for the future. Carey teaches students to learn, and also instills a sense of community responsibility. As a result, students excel academically and fully participate in the school community, whether in the fine arts or athletics. Carey High School approaches education as a never-ending way of life. Carey has an exemplary academic record, a dedicated staff, and is a great asset to Long Island education.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the conference report of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill, the Treasury-Postal Service-General Government Appropriations Bill and repeal of the telephone excise tax, H.R. 4516. The Appropriations Committee has agreed to hire 600 ATF agents and to fund DNA ballistics technology that will assist law enforcement in arresting criminals. The conference report extends the Youth Crime Gun Interdiction Initiative to 12 additional cities. My ENFORCE bill authorizes the same programs. The funding levels of this legislation are a victory for gun enforcement. It is the first time gun safety and pro-gun Members have decided to give law enforcement the tools necessary to enforce existing gun laws. Now we all agree gun enforcement equals more ATF agents and funding for ballistics technology. It is particularly gratifying that the conferees dropped the language that would have prohibited local law enforcement agencies from giving a buying preference to gun manufacturers which have agreed to make safer guns and to sell only to distributors that conduct background checks. Now, communities from Long Island to Hawaii will be able to purchase guns for their police officers that are safe and marketed through responsible dealers. This legislation contains the repeal of the Federal telephone tax. As a life-long resident of Nassau County, I know first-hand that our taxes are too high. I am grateful that the House of Representatives has recognized that the time has come to put an end to this unnecessary tax, which was originally imposed as a temporary luxury tax to help finance the Spanish-American War. Since the telephone is a necessity I am delighted the House is acting to remove this regressive tax that disproportionately affects lower income Americans.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to join the Gentleman from New Jersey, Representative Rush Holt. We know the Congress will soon adjourn and we have not done anything to approve commonsense gun legislation. That is why we are calling on Speaker Hastert to direct the Juvenile Justice Conferees to meet and complete action on the Juvenile Justice Bill. We request other colleagues to join us. Earlier this year, the Million Mom March came to Washington and to more than 60 cities around the country. I addressed this march that united moms, dads, sons and daughters behind a common goal. They urged the Congress to stop its delay and move forward with gun safety legislation. Now it is time for the Congress to stop stalling and to enact this gun safety legislation. To date, I regret the Congress has accomplished next to nothing to enact commonsense gun safety legislation. Have we closed the gun show loophole that permits criminals to get guns easily? No! Have we required gun manufacturers to install child safety locks on all new guns? No! Have we banned the importation of high-capacity ammunition clips on assault rifles? No! As Members of the Education and Workforce Committee, both of us are committed to reducing classroom size, ensuring after-school programs and increasing student achievement test scores. We can accomplish none of these things, unless we have safe schools first. In my home state of New York, I have worked closely with Gov. George Pataki and our state lawmakers so that we were able to enact strong commonsense gun safety legislation this year. I am proud our state now has a law that closes the gun show loophole and requires child safety locks on guns. Now we need national commonsense gun legislation. The House Leadership and the gun lobby have maintained their alliance to block the consideration of this commonsense gun legislation. I urge the American people to send a message to the House leadership to reject the gun lobby and enact real gun safety legislation before we adjourn for the year. Mr. Speaker, the new school year has just begun. We need to give parents greater assurance that their children will be safe while they are attending school. But the truth is the Congress must do more. We can close the gun show loophole. We can require child safety locks. We can ban high-capacity ammunition clips.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), also from the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close again saying there are many of us that support this amendment. I will also say that I have only been on the committee chaired by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Goodling) for 4 years. Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for him, for the work he has done, and I know he has always put the children first. I support what he is trying to do with this amendment. The gentleman and I agree 100 percent that if our children and parents cannot read, then we cannot lift up everyone. Again, it has been a pleasure working with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling). I am sure when I first got there he had no idea what kind of person I was going to be, but he found out I was actually the strong, quiet type, and only spoke when I found it was extremely important. He appreciated that, because I saved him time. We will miss you, Chairman Goodling, and it has been a pleasure being with you and learning from you over these 4 years.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling) and ask unanimous consent that he be allowed to control said time.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne). (Mr. PAYNE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by first thanking the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Goodling) for his wisdom and guidance as the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. It has been a pleasure working with the gentleman from Pennsylvania. I know that I speak for the entire House of Representatives when I wish him all the happiness and health in his retirement. I use that word loosely because we have already had some conversation, so I do not really think he will be retiring, he will just be starting on a new journey. But he will be missed here in the House. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3222 to express my support for the Literacy Involves Families Together Act. This bill strengthens Even Start in the focus of family literacy in Title I and our Native American Education Programs. This legislation will also define staff qualifications, which we know is so important for programs using Federal funds to support instructional staff. The bill will require that academic instructors have a post-secondary degree or meet State qualifications. By requiring a higher level of qualifications, we are ensuring the highest returns for our Even Start children and families. Mr. Speaker, this bill levels the playing field for our neediest families who often need special services to provide basic education to their children. Finally, this bill will strengthen the accountability of Even Start programs by ensuring that program performance is measured by local goals tied to State performance indicators. While I do support this program, Mr. Speaker, I do have some concerns about two changes that have been made to this bill. Both the amount of money that we are authorizing and the length of time we are authorizing this program have been reduced significantly. Mr. Speaker, just last year in Nassau County, part of my district, BOCES, which is as an educational school, served over 100 families. Can my colleagues imagine how many more families we could serve with the full reauthorization of this bill? I find in my district alone that more and more families are looking for services like this. As the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Chairman Goodling) has said, if we help educate the parent, certainly the children are only going to do better. It is my sincere hope that we can work out these issues in conference. Until then, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today the House considers legislation that will direct the Secretary of Education to notify the States that Federal money is available to set up school safety hotlines so teachers, students, and parents will be able to report threats of school violence to law enforcement. Many States already know these funds are available for school hotlines. Some House Members may question whether or not this legislation is really necessary. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce with my colleague, the gentleman from Colorado, I am committed to reducing classroom sizes, ensuring after-school programs, and increasing student achievement and test scores. We can accomplish none of these things unless we have safe schools first. Had the 106th Congress really addressed school violence, then this legislation would be an appropriate amendment in major gun safety legislation. I regret that Congress has accomplished next to nothing to enact commonsense gun safety legislation. Have we closed the gun show loophole that permits criminals to get guns easily? No. Have we required gun manufacturers to install safety locks on all new guns? No. Have we banned high-capacity ammunition clips on assault weapons? No. Do we even allow the Department of Education to collect specific information on gun violence in our schools? No. In my home State of New York, I have worked closely with Governor George Pataki and our State lawmakers so we were able to enact strong, commonsense gun safety legislation this summer. I am proud our State now has a law that closes the gun show loophole and requires child safety locks on guns. We need national commonsense gun legislation. This way we know all our schools will certainly be as safe as they can be. The House leadership and the gun lobby have maintained their ironclad alliance to block the consideration of this commonsense gun legislation. I urge the American people to send a message to the House leadership to reject the gun lobby and enact real gun safety legislation before we adjourn for the year. Mr. Speaker, the new school year has just begun. We need to give parents greater assurance that their children will be safe while they are attending school. I will support H.R. 5123, but the truth is, the Congress must do more. We can close the gun show loophole. We can require child safety locks. We can ban high-capacity ammunition clips. We can collect information on gun violence in our schools. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer), my colleague on the Committee on Education and the Workforce. (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to name Garden City resident Indu Jaiswal, the Director of Nutrition Services for the Promenade Rehabilitation and Health Care Center in Rockaway Park, as the Citizen of the Month in the Fourth Congressional District for August 2000. Indu is a prominent leader in both the Indian Community on Long Island and in her nutritional profession. As a nurse, I know how nutrition is directly related to the good health and extended lives of people. Indu also works as a Clinical Nutritionist for the Western Queens Health Associates and represents the Dietary Department at Administrative and Medical Board Meetings. She organizes treatment programs for patient education as well as for diabetic teams. She is involved in the planning, directing, implementing, and evaluating of all activities of the Food Service Department. Indu is a health care professional who is also interested in the health of her community. She actively participates in many community activities. She served as President of the India Association of Long Island, Secretary of the Federation of the Indian Association in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, and the Vice President of the India Study Center at Stony Brook University. She also serves as a Board member of the Youth Council of Nassau County. Along with caring for her Long Island patients in an office setting, Indu cares for all Long Islanders by sending out her good health messages on radio and television airways. The contributions that Indu has made to our community are astounding. Indu is a graduate of the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India. She completed her post graduate requirements at Long Island University, C.W. Post Campus. Before working for the Promenade Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, Indu worked for the Central Island Nursing Home in Plainview, The Health Related Nutrition Services, The Dialysis Clearing Center of Long Island, and Winthrop University Hospital. She is a resident of Garden City. The Citizen of the Month program is aimed at highlighting the work of community activists. Each month, I will recognize a different person or group that has contributed to the betterment of our Long Island community.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the New Markets Initiative before the House today. This bipartisan bill provides hope for distressed economic areas that have not benefited from the longest stretch of economic growth since World War II. Despite unprecedented economic expansion and sustained unemployment levels, many people in inner cities and rural areas continue to live in poverty. Job growth is virtually nonexistent while crime rates continue to increase. This legislation establishes 40 new ``renewal communities'' in areas with high poverty and unemployment levels. These distressed areas can qualify for various tax incentives and loan assistance programs. As a member of the House Small Business Committee, I believe the New Markets Initiative will help jumpstart these underserved communities. Specifically, the New Markets Venture Capital Program which creates a new class of venture capital funds that target low-to-moderate income communities. In addition to attracting investors and businesses to these distressed areas, this legislation addresses the housing needs of community residents. One provision, in particular, expands the low income housing credit from $1.25 per capita to $1.75 per capita. This tax credit, administered by the states, helps build 90,000 affordable housing units each year. However, the demand for the credits is greater than the supply by three to one. This proposal would help create an additional 180,000 units of affordable housing over the next 5 years for low-income families. In order to sustain this economic boom, it must benefit everyone. The New Markets Initiative helps achieve this goal by providing the tools and incentives to foster and sustain economic growth in distressed areas. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to name Don Dreyer, the director of the Nassau County Office for the Physically Challenged, as the Citizen of the Month in the Fourth Congressional District for June 2000. I admire Don's dedication. He has worked so hard to improve the lives of people with disabilities within our community, and nationally. Don has served in his current position for 22 years. Being disabled, Don understands the concerns and difficulties of physically challenged individuals. He has strongly advocated for local, state, and federal legislation to improve the independence and productivity of children and adults with disabilities. Don was a driving force behind the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. He attended the ADA signing ceremony at the White House with President Bush. In 1996, Nassau County was named the ``Model ADA Program'' by the National Association of Counties. This was a great honor for Don who, along with his compliance committee, developed the innovative $21 million project. The program works with organizations so that modifications in their policies and procedures include access by persons with visual, auditory, and other disabilities. Don developed an outreach program to the private sector on the ADA program. Since 1984, he has been teaching members of the Nassau County Police Academy a curriculum involving their correspondence with persons with disabilities. Don presents programs to the local Chambers of Commerce, as well as hosts and produces the Cablevision series entitled, ``Capabilities in Health.'' I commend Don for all he has overcome and all he has accomplished. I am honored to give him this recognition he well deserves. Don lives in Rockville Centre with his wife Barbara. He is a graduate of Hofstra University with a B.A. in English and an M.S. in Counselor Education. Dreyer has served as the Director of Media and Public Relations at the National Center for Disability Services, the Hofstra University Newsletter Editor, and the Assistant Director of University Relations at Hofstra University before becoming the director of the Nassau County Office for the Physically Challenged.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, last month my colleague, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler), attempted to turn back the clock on gun safety. He failed twice and the House bipartisanly rejected his amendments. Well, it is time to defeat this amendment again. The bill has changed, but the amendment is the same. Instead of the Department of Justice or HUD, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler) tries to prevent the Department of Treasury from spending any money related to the HUD-Smith & Wesson agreement. More than 500 communities across the Nation from Los Angeles to Long Island, New York, have endorsed this agreement. Secretary Cuomo and more than 10 of the Nation's mayors successfully negotiated the agreement with gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson in March. This agreement is making our communities safer, and we should allow it to continue without congressional tampering. Mr. Chairman, the Committee on Appropriations has agreed to hire 600 ATF agents and fund DNA ballistics technology that will assist law enforcement in arresting criminals. My ENFORCE bill authorizes the same programs. The funding levels of this bill are a victory for gun enforcement. It is the first time gun safety and pro-gun Members have decided to give law enforcement the tools necessary to enforce existing gun laws. Now we all agree gun enforcement equals more ATF agents and funding for ballistic technology. While the bill's funding level also increases gun enforcement, the Hostettler amendment cuts gun enforcement. It says that the ATF cannot enforce the Smith & Wesson agreement. Here is a quote from the mayor of Bloomington, Indiana. Mayor John Fernandez calls these efforts a ``direct attempt to preempt our ability,'' their ability, the mayors, ``to build these kinds of successful efforts in partnership with the Federal Government, partnerships that will save lives in our cities and help make our communities safer.'' Here is a quote from Police Chief Trevor Hampton of Flint, Michigan: ``The gun manufacturers, like Smith & Wesson, can help police departments do their jobs by adjusting the guns they produce. For example, by putting a second hidden serial number in the inside of every gun they make.'' This only helps our police officers track those guns. We constantly hear that Congress should not meddle in the affairs of our cities and our counties. The Hostettler amendment is meddling. It says local communities cannot work with the Federal Government to reduce gun violence. This amendment says the Department of Treasury should not keep their word. It says it is trivial that 12 children are killed every day by gun violence. The Department of Treasury reached an agreement with Smith & Wesson, and Congress should honor that agreement. I urge all Members, Republicans and Democrats, to again defeat this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to my colleague, the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I would like to speak as a nurse. I can tell my colleagues, in the last few months these are the bills that my senior citizens have sent to me. And I am telling my colleagues that the plan that is being put on the floor today will not help my senior citizens and that is a shame. I am here to fight for my seniors so they can take their medications. I think what everyone is forgetting, the majority of people that cannot buy their medications cannot also afford the premiums. When we see the insurance companies saying this plan cannot work, then I as a nurse have to stand up and say let us do something right. Let us take care of our seniors, and let us stop playing politics with this. This will help so many of my seniors if we could do something for them. Let us think about how much money we are going to end up saving if our seniors take their medications, so they do not end up calling for an ambulance, ending up in the emergency room causing our health care costs to go up even more than they are.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Sherwood amendment. But I must ask why this House continues to debate this issue? On April 13th of this year we voted 417-8 in favor of H.R. 2884 a bill that would provide for a Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve. This legislation, calls for the federal government to create a two million barrel home heating oil reserve in New York--which could be released by the President when oil prices rise sharply. It's now 75 days later and the only thing that has happened is that our gas prices have continued to rise. We have been working hard to make sure that our neighbors and family do not have to spend another winter being gouged by home heating oil prices--which is why the Senate must act today. Today I again ask for swift passage of H.R. 2884.

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York

Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chairman, again let us go through on what this amendment does. It will take away what Smith & Wesson, as far as I am concerned and we heard from my colleague from California, on good business sense. We see unfortunately in this country over 100,000 injuries. Those are the people that have been injured by guns but have not died. Across this country, billions of dollars are spent every single year for the health care services. We all end up paying for that. What Smith & Wesson is saying is they are going to work on technology, technology to make guns safer. Guns that are in 51 percent of the homes today, they will be a safer product. We strive here constantly on many manufacturers to have them come up with safer products. We see it with cars. We see it with our medications and bottles. We have done that for years and years and years. We see different manufacturers coming up with new, safer ways to make our citizens safe. Well, this is what Smith & Wesson is doing. We get lost in this debate all the time when we start talking about the Constitution, when we start talking about upholding the Constitution. All of us here, when we are sworn in as Congresspeople, swear to uphold the Constitution, and that is exactly what I do. I am not looking or trying to take away anyone's right to own a gun. That is certainly not my agenda. My agenda is to try to make this country safer than what it is. We lose police officers too much in this country, and we should be protecting them. How are we going to do that? By having an agreement like Smith & Wesson where we are making sure that there are background checks being made so those criminals that are falling through the cracks are not going to get their hands on guns and use them against our citizens and our police officers in this country. Smith & Wesson has done the right thing. They have done the right thing. I have to be honest, if someone had told me 3 years ago that I would be defending a gun manufacturer, I would probably have said they were crazy, Mr. Chairman, but here I am. When a company does the right thing, they certainly should be hearing from us to say we will support them on this. When we have mayors across this country, when we have communities, over 400 communities across this Nation, two mayors from the district of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Hostettler), saying they want to do their part on working to make their communities and their cities and certainly our States and our country safer, then we should be doing this. Last week we defended this amendment. The only difference was, it was in another appropriations. I am hoping that my colleagues here in this Congress will again stand with all of us and say Smith & Wesson is doing the right thing. We should stand behind them, make this a safer country for our citizens; certainly make it a safer place for our children and our police officers who are out there every single day risking their lives. We have to do something about trying to cut down how criminals get guns. Smith & Wesson has taken a step by doing that, with the background checks. Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to vote against this amendment.