Mike McIntyre

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, for the record, this is to clarify that the ``no'' vote I cast on November 5, 1999, against the foreign Operations Appropriations bill is by no means an indication that I am opposed to foreign aid for Israel, India, Greece, or Cyprus. Indeed, my voting record with regard to aid for these countries clearly exemplifies my strong support for them. Our country should value our relationships with these and other nations who are allies and partners for peace. In fact, I voted for the Young Amendment to the Foreign Operations bill because it is critical to our national security interests that we provide assistance to implement the Wye River Accord between Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan. The reason I voted against the Foreign Appropriations bill is because we, as a Nation, have an obligation to take care of our own families first and provide them with the aid they need especially in times of dire emergencies. The citizens of North Carolina are facing an imminent crisis in the wake of three major hurricanes that must be addressed immediately by Congress with the passage of an emergency relief bill. Until that happens, it is improper for us to place the needs of other countries ahead of the needs of our own taxpayers.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, November 1, 1999 I was unavoidably absent and therefore missed rollcall votes 550 through 552. Had I been present I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall vote 550, ``yes'' on rollcall vote 551, and ``yes'' on rollcall vote 552.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio for yielding me the time, and I thank all of my fellow North Carolinians on both sides of the aisle for working together to bring this resolution to the floor today. When we think about just 46 days ago Hurricane Floyd hit the Tarheel State with 15 inches of rain in an area already saturated by Hurricane Dennis and then later, just in the last 2 weeks, to be hit again by a third, Hurricane Irene, we realize that this is a natural disaster truly of Biblical proportions when we talk about flooding, something that has been unseen in this Nation literally since the first settlers arrived, with the 50 lives lost and over 47,000 homes damaged, a thousand roads closed, schools, waste water treatment plants, farmers, our beaches, all of these areas affected in negative ways. Governor Hunt of North Carolina has put together a very well done package to help this devastation, and he has worked with this administration to reduce the price tag of emergency requests to $17.6 billion. For that we are thankful. We are thankful also for the hard work of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh), the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Taylor) and others who have worked on the Committee on Appropriations to help FEMA get the funding that it has received. But my fellow colleagues here in the House, there is more that needs to be done. Our farmers need help. Our coastal communities need relief and protection. Our small businesses need aid. Back in September, on the 29th of the month, all 12 members of our North Carolina delegation from both sides of the aisle asked the President to forward a relief package to Congress by October 15. Obviously, that request has not yet been met. But let us keep pushing together. Let us push the administration to get some of these needs met. And let us push ourselves to do the job. Let us indeed do not play a blame game. But let us find a way, instead of to complain, a way to help each other. Recently chosen as the greatest inventor of this century, Henry Ford once said that coming together is a beginning. And we have begun the process. And then he said keeping together is progress. And we have made some progress. But then he said that working together is success. And that is the challenge we have now, to work together with the White House, yes, and to work together here in the Congress, yes, that we allow both tracks to be running parallel, and that indeed we find a way not to find fault but we find a way to get the job done. This is the people's House and we are here, first and foremost, to represent the people. People that come to America or that have grown up in America realize that, when they have lost their home, there is not anywhere that they can retreat to. They are looking to us to make the advance to help those who have lost so much. May God grant us the wisdom and the will to find a way to work together and we will succeed.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, let us talk about this one penny for every dollar. There was an amendment to this bill that would have given $508 million to help farmers who have lost everything. These are hours of desperation, not a time of celebration. This is a time of shame, shame on those who claim this helps American families. Let us talk about substance and reality, when in fact it takes $423 million of our money to give to foreign refugees, and you will not give one penny to our farmers who have lost their homes, their equipment? They do not have a future. This is the People's House. We are elected to serve our people first, and may God help us honor that commitment to the American people with every penny of every dollar.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and my other North Carolina colleagues on both sides of the aisle for bringing this resolution to the floor. The flooding with Hurricanes Dennis and Floyd is unprecedented in the history of North Carolina. This disaster met or exceeded the 500-year floodplain for many communities, and 500 years is before settlers had even arrived here in our country. While the economic losses have been enormous, it cannot touch upon the loss of life that so many fellow Tar Heels have suffered. Hurricane Floyd resulted in 48 confirmed fatalities, and this figure could still rise as search and rescue teams continue to reach isolated communities and flooded homes, cars, and businesses. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow once said that noble souls, through dust and heat, rise from disaster and defeat, the stronger. Indeed, nature's actions have tested our patience, our souls, our will, but we should not break our resolve to recover from this horrific event. We will be stronger, now, more than ever, if we work with the sense of community. After all, what are we here for? This is the People's House. Our first duty is to help the people of this country. If during this time of crisis, we cannot reach out to our countrymen and women, our children, our senior citizens, we do not have a future. Many of them do not even have today, if we do not unite together, reach across the aisle, not only in our expression of sympathy, but our expression of desire to help. That is our duty. That is our calling as the people who have been elected here to serve the people in this Nation. Mr. Speaker, I ask that every one of our colleagues join us in expressing our deepest sympathy to those individuals and families who have lost loved ones and lost property. I want to thank all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for standing together as we reach those who need help at life's most desperate hour.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, eastern and southeastern North Carolina have been decimated by the recent hurricanes which have come through our area. Thousands of homes are under water as we speak right now, or have been destroyed. Roads are closed. The State's agriculture industry has been severely hit, and our beautiful beaches have been eroded. Congress' help is greatly needed in order for the citizens of our State to begin rebuilding their lives once more. I urge my colleagues not to delay in working with us from the North Carolina delegation and our colleagues up and down the East Coast to pass a relief package. Let me give the Members a sense of what has happened alone in my district, the Seventh Congressional District of North Carolina, the southeastern part of our State where this terrible storm came ashore, Hurricane Floyd, last week when we adjourned to go and work with our citizens in this part of our country. Brunswick County has estimated damage amounts of more than $100 million for the 200 homes along the ocean. Local landfills have been closed. Piers have been destroyed. In Columbus County, 2,300 homes have water and septic problems. There has been extensive damage to sweet potato and corn crops. In Duplin County, millions of hogs, turkeys, and chickens have been lost, creating severe environmental concerns. The southern area of this county has had several incidents of stranded persons requiring helicopter and boat assistance. Rescue workers have been working around the clock, and are experiencing danger to themselves. There have been reports of persons in the flood area with guns threatening others. Two thousand acres of the tobacco crops for our farmers have also been lost while still in the field. People's homes have become islands in all three of these counties, Brunswick, Columbus, and Duplin, that I have just described. In New Hanover County, Wilmington, North Carolina, near where the storm came ashore at Cape Fear near Bald Head Island, contamination of surface water has occurred from the heavy rainfall. The county in that area recommends no swimming or other bodily contact with all coastal and inland water areas until further notice. Residents in many areas have to boil or drink bottled water. There have been contaminated wells. People have been stranded in rural areas. Even Interstate 40, one of our premier new superhighways in eastern North Carolina, has been closed because of heavy flooding. Eighty feet of beach have been lost in areas such as Bald Head Island near Cape Fear. In Robeson County, my home county, and in my hometown, Lumberton, North Carolina, damage estimates have been at $20 million. Bladen and Pender Counties have suffered almost immeasurable damage with regard to people's homes, businesses, farms, and livestock. The Black River has caused extensive flooding from this terrible storm. Sampson and Cumberland Counties have also suffered from this vicious storm, especially with regard to agriculture. Other needs throughout this area include more than 400 roads that have been impassable due to flooding, nearly 600 sections of highway washed out, ten bridges and drainage systems destroyed, many more under water and not yet accessible, and 600 pipelines damaged. Water and sewage systems have bacteria, nitrates, and other pollutants that have contaminated them and many wells in the area. We are facing agricultural losses of more than $577 million in crops and $230 million in rural development needs. Forestry, 40,000 acres of trees have been blown down or destroyed, and 400,000 acres of our forest area is flooded. More than 30,000 homes have been flooded. Nearly 6,500 people are still in shelters. The problems for health include raw sewage and animal waste. We have found dead animals on dry land attracting diseases and attracting flies, spreading disease. Our rivers and estuaries are facing raw and untreated sewage. Our beaches, of course, have obviously faced significant erosion, thus adding and complicating the problem of future damage, as this area alone in the last 3 years has unfortunately seen five hurricanes. This is a disaster of truly gargantuan proportions. The quick response by State and Federal emergency agencies has been tremendous. Once we know the full extent of the damage which we are even now assessing, it will be imperative that our fellow colleagues join us here in the U.S. Congress together to pass an emergency relief bill to address the devastation to our fellow American citizens, and especially those who have suffered such dire consequences in North Carolina. We need help. I reach out to my colleagues from across the Nation. I rushed out of here last Wednesday as the hurricane was getting ready to strike. As I went home and saw again the devastation that our area and our homeland has faced in North Carolina, we are asking for help. We are grateful for those who have responded personally with time and treasure and talent, for the help that we have seen come across the country, from electrical power workers to rescue workers to those in military positions to those who have given of their own food, and sent water to people who do not even have clean water to drink, much less to bathe in. This is a disaster that has affected everyone. We ask for help, we ask for common sense, and we ask for encouragement to help those who have suffered so much.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the McIntyre-Cramer amendment and would like to express my appreciation to the chairman, the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spence), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) for their inclusion of this amendment in the en bloc package. I thank my colleagues for allowing this amendment to go forward. I am committed to working with all parties concerned. The thrust of the amendment is good government, three components: a positive relationship between our national laboratories and small business; a proper technology transfer program that enhances efficiency and integrity and maintains our global competitiveness in technology; and a productive partnership and level playing field between the Federal Government and the private sector. A positive relationship, proper technology transfer, productive partnership, three ingredients that will have a successful relationship between the Federal Government and small business. I look forward to working with my colleagues in a continuing, constructive dialogue as we move forward to conference and including this in the DOD bill.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Chairman, health care is a front burner issue this year, and it does not matter what one's race or age or sex or where one is from or even what one's party affiliation is. If we do not have good health care, we cannot do any of the other things that people have been up here talking about. In the Blue Dog budget, we provide $8.6 billion more than the Republican budget over the next 5-year period. Our budget preserves funding for discretionary programs through the year 2002 and then allows for increases after 2002, whereas the Republican budget makes deeper cuts in discretionary spending for health care. The health and well-being of our Nation cannot stand for that. The Blue Dog budget would allow increases for research, for funding, for NIH, and make sure that our rural health care areas of concern are not left on the back burner. These higher increases are made within the context of a balanced budget and do not cut other health programs like the Republican budget does. Let us not overlook or undercut the very health and well-being of our country. Without good health, we cannot do anything else.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, we know that education is the key to the future of this country. And when I think about the words of Robert H. Jackson, the Supreme Court Associate Justice, who once said that, ``Education should be a lifelong process, the formal period serving as a foundation on which life's structure may rest and rise.'' We realize when we talk about this foundation and the structure of life we have to ask ourselves what kind of message are we sending to our children? What are they learning now that will make them the leaders of tomorrow? Mr. Speaker, I think there are three important ingredients that we here in the Congress and we here in the Nation should consider, that it does take the people, the purpose, and the partnership in working together. First of all, the people. We realize that it is not just up to the educators alone. They need our help and support. But it is also up to the people of the community and the people in government, the people in business, the people in all sectors of society who will come together and provide that positive example of commitment. People who are willing to go and help the teacher, call up a teacher and say, I want to know how I can come help. And when we decry the lack of role models for our children today and we wonder what are they seeing? Are they just seeing the athletic heroes and the movie stars? But where are the future businesspeople and the future nurses and doctors and the future teachers, the future people that will be working in the communities? Mr. Speaker, they are out there in the communities now, and our children are looking at us, and they are wondering, are we going to provide some kind of example for them? Are we volunteering our time to go into the schools and help? I know the last 18 years that I have been spending as a volunteer in the school, I continue to do so even now in Congress when I am home during a recess, to spend time with kids, to volunteer personal time, to show support for our teachers and, most of all, support for our children. With the people working together, we can share a common purpose, a purpose that instills and inspires in our children the idea that they can become what they dream they might become one day because they see in us an example of coming to them. Why would that person come and spend time in our schools? He is too busy. He is a doctor. Or why would that businessperson take time to come talk to us about marketing? Mr. Speaker, when we take time to invest ourselves, we set an example that pays more than money could buy. Third, we put together with that a partnership. We here in Congress are looking at issues affecting school construction. We are looking at issues affecting the reduction of class size. We are looking at issues that will affect private business being able to donate computers and being able to get tax deductions for doing that, much like they can for other charities and other organizations now. So the question is, will we be willing to work together in that partnership? I know it is a challenge for us here in Congress, but it is a challenge that we are well up to and that we can do on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I know that Robin Cooke once wrote that, ``Education is more than a luxury, it is a responsibility that society owes itself.'' Education is something we cannot just leave up to one group or one organization and expect them to handle it for us. It is an investment that has to come from the heart and from the hands and from the heads of all of us putting ourselves into the educational process to work together to strengthen the foundation of the future of this society.

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I just wanted to say two other things briefly. We in the Congress can also support our local school districts where we have military bases. As a member of the Committee on Armed Services, I hope that we will challenge ourselves to support impact aid for direct appropriations to school districts with military children. Secondly, I hope all of my colleagues will do something that we did, and that is host an education summit in your district. I have held two over the last 2 years. We even had the U.S. Secretary of Education come down. Listen to the parents and the children themselves talk about their needs, and that way we will know that what we are doing is making a difference back home.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, Lord Chesterfield once said that health is the first and greatest of all blessings, and how true it is. This year health care will be a hot topic here in Congress. But the one thing we should not do is forget our roots, that America began from rural areas and that many citizens, from the small coastal communities to the mountain hamlets to country crossroads, depend on quality health care. How can the administration talk about saving Medicare and, on the other hand, have $9 million in cuts that would be taken away from Medicare. We cannot have this kind of double-talk. I urge my colleagues to consider the citizens of rural America. Do not allow the $9 million in cuts from Medicare. We realize that rural hospitals depend on Medicare and that our citizens' needs will not be met if they are not able to survive. Now is the time to have the debate on Social Security, but now is also the time to make sure we do right by our citizens in rural America on Medicare. Let there be no discrimination among any of our citizens. Let us stand up and do right for quality health care for all Americans.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, there are three issues in this matter before us tonight. First on the question of values, the President has clearly failed. Second, on the question of law, the Constitution says that regardless of what the Congress may do the President shall ``nevertheless be liable and subject to indictment, trial, judgment and punishment according to law.'' But it is the third question that we must decide, the constitutional question of removal from office. This is the only question that we are permitted to decide, and let us follow our Nation's charter in making this decision. Let us make known our great respect for the Constitution by realizing that while President Clinton's behavior was wrong and unacceptable, impeaching him is the wrong punishment. Moving forward with impeachment is not consistent with the intent of the Constitution and the duty we are charged to follow as the great statesman and former congressman and senator Daniel Webster once said, his words about the Constitution could not be truer today, ``We may be tossed upon an ocean where we can see no land or perhaps even the sun or the stars, but there is a chart and a compass for us to study, consult and obey and that chart is the Constitution.'' May God help us keep it strong and may we resolve to uphold it.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. I rise today in strong support of HR 1154--the Indian Federal Recognition Administrative Procedures Act of 1997. I would like to thank Congressman Eni Faleomavaega for his hard work and support of this measure, as well as the Chairman of the Resources Committee, Congressman Don Young. Both of these men have been very helpful and encouraging to me as I have sought in moving this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have the privilege of representing in Congress approximately 40,000 Native Americans known as the Lumbees--the largest tribe east of the Mississippi River! The Lumbee people are important to the success of everyday life in my home country of North Carolina-- Robeson County. Their contributions to our society are numerous and endless--from medicine and law to business and banking, from the farms and factories to the schools and the churches, from the government, military, and community service to entertainment and athletic accomplishments, the Lumbees have made tremendous contributions to our county, state, and nation. For 100 years, these Native Americans have sought recognition. However , the Lumbee Tribe is the largest non- federally recognized tribe in the nation. Throughout the 20th Century, the tribe has renewed its appeal for federal recognition. Twice, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a free standing bill for Lumbee recognition only to have it die in the Senate. This is about fundamental fairness; it is about stopping discrimination. It's time for discrimination to end and recognition to begin! Mr. Speaker, shortly after my taking office in January, 1997, I met with local Native American leaders in my district, and we concluded that the congressional and federal procedures currently in place have not been working, and a new approach is needed to give the Lumbee people their much deserved Federal recognition. And this would help not only the Lumbee, but potentially other tribes as well. That approach is HR 1154. Mr. Speaker, HR 1154 streamlines and takes the politics out of the federal recognition process. By establishing an independent commission with strict time lines to evaluate and approve Native American applications, all non-federally recognized tribes will have a fair shot at receiving federal recognition. Mr. Speaker, again let me thank Congressman Faleomavaega and Chairman Young for their effort on this bill. I look forward to working with them and our colleagues in the Senate to enact this important piece of legislation without further delay.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a man who, since 1948, has given half a century of devotion to rebuilding his community of Lumberton and his county of Robeson in southeastern North Carolina. An empowering, inspirational leader, Dr. E.B. Turner has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of those around him. He has encouraged all citizens, especially African-Americans, to find the courage to use their voices to break an oppressive silence. Dr. Turner has given all people in our community, county and state an example of faith in God, faith in the potential of our area, and the faith to cultivate a land where equality and opportunity flourish. In addition to his countless gifts to our community, he has given my family and me true friendship, by which I have been enormously honored. This month, our community celebrated Dr. Turner's 50-year commitment to ending social injustice. Even at the age of 72, this continues to be his vision. It was when Dr. Turner arrived to Lumberton as a preacher at the age of 22, that he first discovered the harsh living conditions African-Americans were force to endure. There were no paved streets in the black sections of town, and most blacks lived in poor housing with little opportunity for upward movement. Not intending to enter the political realm, but responding to the need to reform a decrepit social structure, Dr. Turner accepted the challenges around him as opportunities for a better future for our area. He began his life in the political sphere by working for homes for the elderly and disabled, as well as housing developments for the poor. Since then, he has been actively involved in local government and community organizations. Serving on the Board of Directors of Lumberton Economic Advancement for Downtown, Inc., the Lumberton Housing Authority, and the Lumberton Community and Economic Development Committee are only a few of the ways he has made a difference. He was also the first chairman of the Lumberton Commission for Youth and the Family, an innovative board that has started a variety of programs which have benefitted our citizens and their children. He has been actively involved in the Lumberton Civic Committee, the Youth Fellowship Society, the Lumberton Visitors Bureau and Historic Robeson, Inc. In addition to his civic role in the community, Dr. Turner has been an influential voice for education by serving both on the Board of Trustees for Fayetteville State University and on the Board of Governors for the University of North Carolina. Politically, Dr. Turner has served as chairman of the Robeson County Democratic Party and on the Lumberton City Council, to which he was first elected in 1962 and served for 30 years. He also served as Mayor Pro-Tempore of Lumberton. Currently, Dr. Turner serves on the Robeson County Board of Commissioners, to which he was first elected in 1992. Dr. Turner still lives next door to the First Baptist Church that brought him to Lumberton years ago with his wife of 47 years, Georgia McNeill Turner. In addition to his priceless contributions to society, Dr. Turner and Mrs. Turner carry the added accomplishment of rearing their two daughters, Andrea and Rosalind. Dr. Turner has been a symbol of hope and humanity to all races and to every individual he has ever encountered. Often called a trailblazer for blacks in politics, Dr. Turner's fire continues to burn with as much vigor and boldness as it did on that day our community was first blessed with his services 50 years ago. I am proud to call Dr. Turner my friend, and I look forward to his continuing presence and service to our area. May God's blessings be upon him and his family.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as an original cosponsor of House Resolution 417, which recognizes the importance of fathers in the rearing and development of their children. This resolution makes it clear that a better America depends on a better job at home, a more active, positive role model of our fathers in the rearing and development of their children, and honoring those who do. This resolution also calls on fathers to continually accept their fair share of responsibility in rearing children. I am grateful for the example of love and leadership that my father has provided me throughout the years in the church and the community, and in civic, recreational, and political activities as well. I am also grateful for the many wonderful loving gifts of time, talent, and treasure that my mother has given me in my life. And how appropriate it is for me to have this opportunity to say ``thank you'' to them as they celebrate the beginning of their union fifty years ago tomorrow, June 10th, when they have their golden wedding anniversary. As one who served both as a charter member of the North Carolina Commission on the Family and a charter member of the North Carolina Commission on Children and Youth, I have looked at several legislative studies, considered several proposals. I am excited today to think that here in the United States that we are giving this long-taken-for-granted role that the father plays, a much emphasized one, that we can honor fathers and encourage fathers to fulfill that important role in the lives of children. This resolution emphasizes that family, faith, and future are the critical ingredients to the success of fathers here in America. First, unfortunately, the family often takes a back seat in many fathers' lives. Society itself has created an atmosphere in which job demands, commitments to various organizations and groups, and ambition often precede the responsibility at home. The number of men who complain that work conflicts with family responsibilities has risen from 12 percent in 1977 to a staggering 72 percent in 1989. Other surveys show that 74 percent of fathers who live with their children prefer a ``daddy track'' job to a ``fast track'' job. Other studies show that positive father figures in the home clearly help reduce teen crime, reduce the dropout rate, and help reduce teen pregnancy. Second, in addition to family, we, as Americans, must have faith that fatherhood can bring positive change to society. That is why, as cochairman of the Fatherhood Promotion Task Force, along with my colleagues here today who have spoken, and as a father of two boys, support efforts to make fathers a more positive influence in their children's lives. Through a bipartisan effort such as you are witnessing right here before your eyes today, we can help focus national attention on the importance of the father in the home, or, where there may not be a father in the home for whatever reason, a positive male adult role model that can help fulfill that role. One step in this pursuit is H. Res. 417. Third, with family and faith, we can work toward a better future for our children and for our country. This resolution sends an important message to America that the U.S. House supports fatherhood and the upcoming National Summit on Fatherhood to be held right here in Washington next Monday, June 15. This resolution and the National Summit on Fatherhood can be just a beginning in mobilizing our society toward a positive and constructive response to the absence of fathers in home life. I urge my colleagues to support this measure and to join me and to join all of us in the call for a positive force of fathers in the families, the faith, and the future of America.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, if any legislative body in the world should stand up for families, it is the United States Congress. Suddenly, in a mad rush to pursue political agendas, this body has nearly forgotten a certain group of families who, since the very beginning days of this Nation, have known for generations tobacco production as a way of life; a way of life that pays their bills, that helps build their communities' schools and hospitals and roads, and provides a way for thousands of hard working farmers throughout the Southeast to support their families. Just a short while ago those farmers left their fields, after a full day of tending their crops, and right now, at this moment, they are wondering if they have any future. Suddenly a hefty and regressive tax is being pushed that will hit hardest those in low- and middle-income brackets. Will families be first or last in this tax-and-spend agenda that will destroy the livelihood of honest working people? May God help this body if it turns its back on the farmers, their families and their communities.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to represent Cumberland and Robinson and seven other counties that are in our home area, particularly because, as I thank my distinguished dean of our delegation, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hefner), and distinguished colleague, and join these other distinguished colleagues from the Tarheel State, because Terry Sanford did spend much of his time in our congressional district that I represent currently, in Fayetteville and Fort Bragg, and grew up in the town not far west of my hometown of Lumberton in the neighboring district of the gentleman from Laurinburg, North Carolina (Mr. Hefner). When we think about Terry Sanford, we think about the influence, I would dare say, from another angle of an educator, knowing that his influence was, indeed, infinite; that a great educator knows how to pass on his ideals from generation to generation; that he can improve and uplift the lives of scores of other folks long after the original teacher has moved on or passed on. Terry Sanford was the consummate educator and, fortunately, for us, his influence is, indeed, infinite. A few weeks ago, when I joined my distinguished colleagues, not only from North Carolina, but other colleagues who serve in government and education and civic activities and church activities and in the military and from so many other spheres of influence back home in North Carolina and also here in Washington, we had 2,000 people gathered in Duke Chapel to honor a man whose power and influence was not only while he was sitting in the offices that he held, and we have heard the laundry list of those great offices tonight, but also by his influence personally. When we think about those who were touched by him, we cannot help but think about the students at his beloved Duke University, where he was affectionately known as Uncle Terry. As an educator, they love nothing more than to see his boundless energy and exuberance that comes with youth. He was blessed throughout his life to influence folks of all ages but especially the young in my generation, to empower scores and scores of young people, to be involved, yes, in politics, but beyond politics, to be involved in their communities, to be involved in serving their State and their country and whatever their calling might be. When Terry Sanford entered into the North Carolina Governor's mansion in 1961, North Carolina ranked next to last in national per-capita income and was mired in the social and racial morass that plagued all other southern States. At a time when other governors across the South resigned themselves to the moment and were closing the door to all but a selected few in society, Terry Sanford opened the door. He saw through the fog of hatred and repression and put North Carolina on a course where it is today, a leading center for technology development in the South, and now a State that ranks among the top 30 in the Nation for per-capita income. The resources that he helped generate to improve public education were for all North Carolina students and established a statewide system of community colleges so that every student in the North Carolina public schools would have that opportunity to attend an institution of higher learning. I dare say that the HOPE Scholarship passed by this body just last year in North Carolina would have not been anywhere nearly as meaningful if it were not for the fact that this crowning jewel in Terry Sanford's tenure as Governor came to being during his watch, our great community college system. Indeed, Sanford's commitment to education led to his moniker as the original education Governor. It also led to the creation of the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Governor's School in Winston-Salem, the Learning Institute of North Carolina, the North Carolina Fund, and also higher teacher salaries for men and women who play such an integral role in the lives of our children. When we think about the opportunity for education, for economic development, we think about Terry Sanford. Terry Sanford loved challenges. He loved also to issue them because he was a master at challenging people in a manner that would ultimately result from those around him realizing greatness themselves or at least recognizing that the things that they sought to achieve were, indeed, obtainable. Terry Sanford taught us that democracy is not a spectator support. He spoke often of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, two documents that serve as both the cornerstone and foundation of our Nation and government. These two documents are filled with words such as ensure, promote, establish, provide, and secure, words that, as Terry Sanford himself pointed out in his own writings, and I quote, connote action and all suggest, he said, that we must constantly be striving to improve the opportunities of all people. Terry Sanford set a high bar in that effort. While some politicians see political office as an end to a means, the fulfillment of a desire for their own fame or power, Terry Sanford viewed it purely as a means to an end. He viewed public office for what it should be, as the most effective means to fix what was wrong, to serve the public, to improve the lives of citizens of North Carolina and the South, and, indeed, the United States. His unfaltering belief in people, his rock-solid fidelity to his ideals and values, his boundless energy in fighting for those ideals and values, proved to be the right mix for nearly half a century of public service that has left so many positive marks on our State and, indeed, our Nation. Yes, Terry Sanford set a high bar, but he never did appreciate easy challenges, and nothing would please him more than for us to pick up that challenge and to aim for that bar, no matter how high it may be set, so that we ourselves can attain those things which seem unattainable, for it is in that quest that we will undoubtedly recognize achievements that we may have thought were impossible; it is in that quest that we will provide a better life and improved opportunities for the people we represent; and it is in that quest that we will ensure that the legacy of a man instrumental in the history and future, not only of our great State of North Carolina, but, indeed, of our great Nation, lives on forever, just as the teachings of a true educator should. I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hefner) for yielding to me.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, during the month of February our great Nation's schools, businesses, churches, and civic organizations are making a special effort to proclaim the importance of African-Americans to this Nation's progress and success. We make this special effort for two fundamentally important reasons: First, Black people of this Nation have suffered unfairly through generations of slavery and oppression. Today, I am grateful that we are working together to ensure that all people are treated equally, both in word and deed. The second reason we mark this time with Black History Month is that African-Americans have made substantive and vitally important contributions to this Nation's progress and success. Quite simply, we would be much diminished as a nation if it were not for the hard work, insight, activism, leadership, and excellence found within the African- American community. At the base of the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol Dome in Washington is the Latin phrase ``E Pluribus Unum''--Out of many, one. This motto expresses very simply the key to success for our great Nation. Out of the many citizens of the United States, we must come together to form one America. Building a united America is vital to the success of our great democracy. This phrase--``Out of many, one''--is also a great challenge. If we meet the challenge to build a better America, we must face three very important questions: How should we unite as a people? What is our purpose in seeking a united American people? And what kind of partnership do we need to achieve our purpose? people: recognizing what is important for america President Woodrow Wilson, who led our Nation during the first half of this century, has a message for us as we enter the 21st century: It was . . . an historical accident . . . that this great country was called the ``United States;'' yet, I am very thankful that it has the word `United' in its title, and the man who seeks to divide man from man, group from group, interest from interest in this great Union is striking at its very heart! His words remind us that people matter and that we are doomed as a nation if we allow one race to oppress the other. However, unity has not always been the case in America. For too long, issues of unfair treatment have divided the citizens of the United States. If we are to ever be united in the good sense of the word, we must ensure that all individuals, regardless of race, share the same rights and are granted equal protection under the law. The African American people--whose heritage we celebrate here and now--have fought long and hard for fair treatment and equal opportunity while working to make a better united America. The great Black leader Frederick Douglas was right when he said, ``Liberty given is never so precious as liberty sought for and fought for.'' The founders fought for their freedom from Britain during the American Revolution, but they left the American people less than totally free. It is up to us to work for liberty for all people in this Nation. To accept anything less diminishes the greatness of our Nation. As your federal representative in Washington, I want to tell you about several important pieces of legislation that I am cosponsoring that will provide long overdue recognition to the African-American community. Recognition of the varied and numerous contributions of the African-American people to this country is crucial to achieving our goal of unity and understanding the complete--not partial--history of our Nation's African-American citizens. H.R. 773, the National African-American Museum Act, seeks to remember the people who have shaped this country's history. This bill would authorize the establishment of the National African-American Museum within the Smithsonian Institution and thereby provide a center for scholarship and location for exhibits related to African-American art, history, and culture. That museum will be a wonderful starting point for recognizing and respecting the African-American people and their history of suffering and accomplishment. Consider the impact African-Americans have had in politics and civil rights. Of course, Blacks have always been politically active. Today, we should call special attention to Blacks who serve their Nation and communities in ways unimaginable one hundred years or even fifty years ago. Blacks now serve in unprecedented numbers in elected and appointed positions at all levels of government. In our Congressional district, several black leaders have served on the city council, school board, board of county commissioners, community college board members, state board of transportation, numerous other state boards and commissions, state legislature, and in government positions at all levels, including Congress, for many years with distinction. The civil rights advances in our nation could not have been made without these fine citizens. We must recognize the importance Blacks have in shaping our political lives. We should also recognize Blacks for their contributions to advancing American science and technology. Blacks have been vitally important inventors and scientists from our nation's earliest days. Did you know that Onesimus, a black slave, was experimenting with smallpox vaccines in the 1720s? This pioneer of modern medicine was followed by others such as Dr. Charles Drew, who engineered blood transfusions; and Samuel Kountz, who made kidney transplants more successful. Elijah McCoy's perfection of the locomotive engine led to people saying they wanted his product--not some cheap imitation. They wanted ``the real McCoy''-- a saying which became popular in society for those who want the real thing, the best there is! In technology, Blacks have invented the incandescent light bulb, truck refrigeration, polymer fabrics, and automated manufacturing machines used in making shoes, telephones, and other items essential to our daily lives. In space, Lt. Colonel Guion Bluford was the first Black to fly in space. Hoping to advance human sciences, astronaut Ronald McNair tragically died in the Challenger shuttle explosion. These individuals and many many other African- Americans must be fully recognized for their contributions to American life. Once we recognize African-Americans for their accomplishments, we must respect them as valuable contributors to American society. In North Carolina, the African-American community emerged from the shadows of slavery to quickly take positions in government, education, entertainment, and media. Take, for example, two North Carolinians who should have our respect. First, in the early 1900s Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown founded a school for African-American children. Although she was attacked and oppressed with Jim Crow laws, her faith in God and her commitment to her community gave her the strength to ensure that her school, known as the Palmer Institute, educated Black children in the sciences, language, and culture. She received many honors, and was a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, W.E.B. DuBouis, Booker T. Washington, and other leaders of the day. I have nothing but respect for people like Dr. Hawkins, who spend their lives committed to God and community. There is one more person who exemplifies the sort of success that we should respect. Hiram Rhoades Revels is especially significant to me for three reasons. First, he committed his life to God and proclaiming the truth of the Christian Gospel. Second, he was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina, only 30 miles from where I was born. Third, he was the first Black member of the United States Congress. It is remarkable that his adult life spanned the Civil War, Reconstruction, and ended in 1901 during the Progressive Era. He was a true pioneer of American political life. All the people I have mentioned today--the scientists, teachers, inventors, politicians, and every African-American--should be respected members of our Nation. And they would make wonderful additions to our nation's official African-American museum. Purpose: Living Up To America's Ideals As we have seen, it is critically important that we work to make America a united country of diverse people. Yet it is also important that our work have a worthy purpose. We cannot satisfy ourselves with a united America that fails to live up to our guiding ideals. As the great American President Abraham Lincoln told the nation at Gettysburg in 1863, ``we are here highly resolved that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.'' In the 133 years since the end of slavery in America, all of the races in America have had to confront the struggles and successes of a nation working to better itself in difficult times. We joined together to defeat the racist rulers of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, and African Americans were emboldened to insist that America live up to our values. On September 25, 1957, nine African-American children pioneered the civil rights movement by voluntarily integrating the all-white high school in Little Rock, Arkansas. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H.R. 2560, which seeks to award the Congressional Gold Medal to each of those nine brave souls. Later, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., led the mass civil rights movement that gave us a chance to redeem our nation's soul by embracing freedom and opportunity instead of hate and oppression. Our nation's ideals made Dr. King love America. He often spoke about the ``great glory of America, with all its faults.'' On the night before his assassination, Dr. King prophetically said, ``Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land . . .'' Today we remain committed to fulfilling Dr. King's dream of reaching the promised land--a land where all citizens regardless of their race-- are treated equally. We have come a long way in reaching this land, but we still have a long way to go. Today, we live in a country where African Americans are narrowing the gaps in salaries and education between themselves and the majority of Americans. Today, African-American employment is at its highest level in history, and African-American poverty is at its lowest in history. Yet black people still earn about 40% less than most whites, unemployment for blacks is still about twice the level for whites, and fewer blacks graduate from college than whites of similar backgrounds. Clearly, we must stay true to America's purpose because we still have work to do. partnership: building a better america Once we recognize the importance of the African-American people, we must continue to live up to America's purpose. But our great Nation's purpose will never be realized unless we enter into partnership with one another to build a better America. A partnership can be a powerful and positive influence on our lives when it is between people who are able to bring their own unique gifts to our nation's progress. God has given the people of this nation a mission to prove to men and women throughout the world that people of different races and ethnic backgrounds can not only work and live together, but can enrich and ennoble both themselves and our common purpose. In the 7th Congressional district, we have the great opportunity to bring into partnership all the different peoples who live here: African and Native Americans, new immigrants, and whites. Together--and there are over a half million citizens in this district--we can make a real difference in America's future. With a strong people, a guiding purpose, and a powerful partnership, we can create better schools, better families, and better jobs for everyone. My very first job while in college was a delivery boy for a black- owned business, Wesley's Florist, in Lumberton. Not only did I need that job, I found that being the only white employee required a special partnership between me and his family! When I was a student at Lumberton Senior High School, I worked in partnership to help the first black female be elected as president of the student body. I have had the honor to coach black boys and girls on local sports teams and to work with children of all races as a volunteer in the schools for the last 17 years. The first person I hired on my congressional staff was a black woman. Why? Because she was the most experienced caseworker on Capitol Hill that I knew, and she deserved it! Today, as your Congressman, I know full well how powerful partnerships can be. That is why I am fighting to recognize the importance of African-Americans, working to build better schools, and striving to bring fair treatment and economic security to every American in our district. Education and the best public schools possible are at the foundation of our efforts to build a lasting and positive partnership for America. That is why I am committing my time and energy in Washington and at home in North Carolina to better schools, better teachers, and better opportunities for our students. I have cosponsored: HR 1154 The Partnership to Rebuild America's Schools Act. This bill would provide $77.1 million for school construction in North Carolina. Our district would be eligible to receive nearly $21 million. The money would go toward paying up to 50% of the interest on school bonds. I am also an original Cosponsor of the State Infrastructure Bank Act. This legislation would establish State Infrastructure Banks (SIBs) for school construction. The proposal is based on the SIBs for the transportation program established through the National Highway System Act during the 104th Congress and is also similar to the widely successful State Revolving Funds (SRFs) used for Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act infrastructure improvements. The Computer Donation Incentive Act, HR 1278, will allow companies to donate computer equipment and software, as well as training related thereto, to elementary and secondary schools for use in their educational programs. It will also allow donations to organizations that work with the disabled. This bill is designed to provide an incentive for businesses to donate equipment to local public schools. I also supported HR 2264, the bill that appropriates funds for Education programs. Impact Aid was funded at $796 million, $66 million more than FY 1997. $1.1 BILLION for education reform programs. $531 million in block grants for Safe and Drug-Free Schools Programs. Over $1.5 BILLION for higher education programs such-as work study and Pell Grants. $435 million for Education Technology programs and installing computers in our schools. On November 3, 1997, I hosted parents, teachers, school administrators, and local leaders at a summit entitled ``Successful Schools for the 21st Century.'' Three themes that focus our attention on critically important factors in education--commitment, construction, and computers--were highlighted. I am excited about what the future holds for our district and our schools. But we should not lose sight of schools and colleges as places where we learn about character and values. Respect, responsibility, and hard work are all things that our schools can help us better understand and experience. In fact, the concern and commitment required for success, which begins in our families, should be nurtured in our schools. With God's help, we can not only share His love, but also have His strength: to continue to recognize and respect our country's unique people, to re-commit ourselves to America's purpose, and to work together in partnership for a better future. Will you join me in respecting America's people? Will you join me in living up to America's purpose? Will you join me in the partnership for a better America? Together, we can take the steps toward a 21st century full of appreciation and hope. Much has already been done; however, I am sure you know that much more must be done. And may we remember the words from Abraham Lincoln's last great speech--his second inaugural address--when he tells us even today: With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish to work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds . . . to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. I appreciate and commend each of you for your leadership within the African-American community, and I want to challenge you to never forget how great this democracy is. It is up to us to reach beyond our differences and pain and hold on to the strength to stand for what is right and what is good so that we are truly united. May God bless and strengthen us all. By his help, we will not fail!

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my opposition to H.R. 2644, the United States-Caribbean Trade Partnership Act. NAFTA parity for 24 Caribbean Basin countries will have a disastrous effect on the American worker and our domestic textile and apparel industry. Since 1994, 250,000 American apparel workers have lost their jobs to Mexico and Caribbean nations. The negative effects of prior Caribbean trade agreements can be witnessed in the 7th Congressional District of North Carolina. Converse, which has the largest domestic shoe plant in the United States and is located in my hometown of Lumberton, NC., has experienced job loss as a direct result of the terms of the Caribbean Basin Initiative. In the 6 years since rubber footwear from the Caribbean became duty-free, imports of such products have increased from 200,000 pairs a year to 12 million. This increase in unfair competition has resulted in a loss of 600 jobs at the Converse plant in Lumberton. American industries such as Converse that comply with labor laws, minimum wage requirements, health codes, and environmental laws cannot and should not be expected to compete with foreign industries who pay their workers below the cost of living, use child labor, and pollute the environment. H.R. 2644 gives foreign competition an unfair advantage over America's domestic industries. Supporters of H.R. 2644 state that Caribbean nations have been placed at a disadvantage by NAFTA and need parity with NAFTA. Yet, the countries' imports of apparel to the United States have increased by 63 percent since they enacted NAFTA. Last year apparel imports from the Caribbean totaled $6.1 billion compared with $3.6 billion from Mexico. Caribbean countries are not suffering under the terms of NAFTA. Developing strong trade relationships are important to America's economic future. Yet, our success will depend not on the quantity, but the quality of those trade agreements. The agreement before us today is neither fair not reciprocal. The bill will open the United States market to Caribbean exports, but does not require Caribbean countries to open their markets to the United States. This legislation is not a trade agreement. It is a foreign subsidy to 24 Caribbean countries--a subsidy of jobs at the expense of American workers and their families. As the 105th Congress looks for solutions to provide additional economic opportunities for our citizens, it is imperative that we not lose any more of our current jobs as a result of the Caribbean Basin Initiative. I urge my colleagues to stand up for the American worker and vote ``no'' on H.R. 2644.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute today to Mr. Ronald Brooks Waters of Lexington, SC, who displayed extraordinary courage and self-sacrificing assistance in the capture of two accused murderers in Cumberland County, NC. On September 23, 1997, Cumberland County Sheriff's Deputy David Walter Hathcock and Highway Patrol Trooper Lloyd Edward Lowry were slain while attempting to apprehend two individuals who were operating a stolen vehicle. Mr. Waters was traveling north on Interstate 95 and witnessed the brutal shootings. He repeatedly put his own life in danger in order to relay valuable information to law enforcement personnel which led to the capture of these two armed and dangerous individuals. On two occasions, the suspects attempted to shoot him at point blank range. Had the weapon not jammed, Mr. Waters would surely have been wounded. Yet, through all of this, Mr. Waters displayed great courage as he continued to provide information that led to the capture of the suspects. Mr. Waters is to be commended for his heroic actions, and I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing and honoring this outstanding citizen who went above and beyond the call of duty with his self- sacrificing assistance to the Cumberland County law enforcement personnel.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, today I wish to address an issue of extreme importance to all women in American society, breast cancer. As the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American women. The impact of this disease cannot be overstated. This year alone over 180,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,000 will die from it. In a nationwide attempt to raise awareness about this problem, this deadly disease, the month of October has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And October 17, next week, has been named National Mammography Day in an effort to encourage women to get mammograms and to make sure that they are joined in the fight against this deadly disease. I am joining many of my colleagues in the House, both here in Washington and other concerned citizens back home in southeastern North Carolina, in making sure that National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and National Mammography Day are used as an opportunity to push for the consideration of two bills that have been pending for too long here in this Congress. It is time for these bills to come out of committee, it is time for this Congress to take a stand in fighting a deadly disease that day in and day out is taking the lives of too many women, young, middle aged and old, in our society. The Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act would end the practice of drive-through mastectomies, and the Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for reconstructive breast surgery resulting from mastectomies. Finding a cure for breast cancer is essential, but until it arrives we must address the vital importance of early detection, treatment and recovery from this deadly killer. It is time to take action, it is time to stop the talk and to get on with the walk to walk toward a recovery of this dreaded disease and do all that we can to get these bills out of committee and on this floor and voted on so that our women in this Nation can receive the help they need against this deadly killer. We can and should demand no less.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. I was going to mention this briefly to tie in with the coordination and cooperation not only from the Federal level but State and local. I think it is important to emphasize that the support mechanisms cannot of course come up from here in Washington. We want to target help where we can try to give the maximum use of any Federal dollars that are spent in situations to help those on the local level best meet those crying needs of our young children in early childhood. A practical way to do this is something that I know we have done in North Carolina. Ten years ago I had the privilege of being a charter member of the very first North Carolina Commission on Children and Youth. One of the key things you can do is bring together concerned private citizens and those who serve in the public sector, as well as those from social agencies and churches and synagogues, other houses of faith, to come together and tackle the problem on the State level and then of course to bring it down to the local. Our Commission on Children and Youth was so successful that just within two years the State legislature redesignated it and started a new commission called the Commission on the Family. Then we dealt with these issues that would carry from early childhood right on through the sunrise right on through the sunset of life. But when we looked at that, we took it yet another step. We encouraged local communities to start commissions on children and youth and the family, to help support these kind of programs so that when we come into an area and make a difference, you have local leaders involved from the public and the private sector. In my home town of Lumberton, we were one of the first four communities in North Carolina 8 years ago to start a local commission on children, youth and the family. I served as a charter member of that. What we sought to do is exactly what my good friend from Maine was just talking about, and that is, we offered programs not only to help support families and offer them ways to increase their parenting skills but we actually said to the local churches and the local civic organizations, if you would like to offer a class on parenting skills, we will offer it for a set time and you can become involved. That brought it right home. It was amazing the number of people that signed up and said, ``Yes, I want to be a good parent. I want to help my kid in those early years, but show me how because I have never been a parent before.'' I think when we can find ways to bring the Federal, State and local level together and encourage these types of local commissions, it will make all the difference.

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. As we look ahead to the continuing of what we do with young children coming up through the schools, there are programs like Head Start that are making a big difference in counties such as I come from, in Robeson County, N.C. Also there are other programs that I wanted to briefly address that will help us in this continuum from the young, early childhood right through growing up, children in elementary, middle, junior high, and high school, and even our community colleges and universities. As a former chairman of a weekday school and day care program in my own church back home in Lumberton, NC, I share this great endeavor to help our children get a good start and a head start and great start in life. As we look at our children getting a head start in living and learning, we can also look at exemplary programs we have here in our Nation. One of them was referred to by President Clinton in his State of the Union Address back in early February, when he referred to Gov. Jim Hunt of North Carolina, a program called Smart Start that our State legislature has endorsed and that is growing by leaps and bounds in counties throughout our State. I commend this exemplary program on giving young children that smart start to get going in life, such as we have in North Carolina. There is also another program that we have been directly involved in at the Federal level that we can support. I hope that in the conference committee that will be coming forth with its report very soon, that we will support the Communities in Schools Program. As the old adage goes, if something is not broke, let us not try to fix it. The Communities in Schools Program is one that has worked. In my home county of Robeson County, we are the only county that has a fully federally funded program that works with at-risk youth and also young children to help keep them on the right path. So as those young children have the opportunity to go into school from their early years to their early school years, they can be involved in computer programs, they can be involved in learning programs, they can be involved in constructive programs to help prepare them, not only as better students, but ultimately as better citizens. The Communities in Schools program in Robeson County is one that has worked with educators, local community leaders, law enforcement officers, and students working together. And it has helped in the health, social, education, and cultural aspects to give support for youth who may not have the advantages at home that we all would hope that our children would have but, in reality, so many, unfortunately, do not have. The Communities in Schools program in our area has benefited more than 10 schools, starting with young children coming into the elementary schools right on through the elementary, middle schools, junior highs, and even at my alma mater, Lumberton Senior High School, where we had part of the Internet Learning Program, which I spoke on to several students back in February of this year. When we look at the successes of a program like the Communities in Schools, we realize this is one area where the Federal Government can help on the local level. We all know we do not want Federal intervention and the Federal Government telling us how to run our schools. I do not believe anybody really wants that. We know what is best for our local communities. But the local communities need help from a Federal level. Whether it is from a program like Head Start or Smart Start like in North Carolina or where it is a situation where we can come in with a Federally funded program in a low-wealth county such as Robeson County and work to help children who are trying to maintain that Smart Start or that Head Start, we can carry it forward with a program like Communities in Schools. When something is already helping families, already helping youth, already helping teenagers push them in the desire and direction that we all would have for them to be constructive, positive citizens for tomorrow, then it is a program that we should continue to support. And I am urging my colleagues in the conference report to support this program. Another thing I wanted to mention is that we are having an education forum in my district on November 3. It is a day before a bond referendum is being voted on in part of our district, and we had another bond referendum voted on in my district today to support schools. But we realize there are three essential elements to help support our kids move through these years as they prepare and go through school. And that is supporting a commitment, supporting construction where necessary, and supporting the age of technology in computers. First of all, when we talk about commitment, it is ourselves having that commitment. One thing we are going to do in our district is have an education forum to bring together those who have worked with young children right on through high school, parents, teachers, school volunteers, as well as those who are professionally equipped to work with young people to talk about what can we do to sustain this opportunity for young people. As one myself who has volunteered the last 17 years in the classroom of both public and private schools throughout my area, I have sought to teach these kids the attributes of good citizenship which I call the ``Three R's of Citizenship'': Understanding their ``Rights,'' something we all love to hear about and want to maintain as children and youth and definitely as adults, but also matching those rights with ``Responsibility,'' that for every right that we claim, there is a duty or responsibility that we also must sustain. And then third, as we teach our young people to balance these rights and responsibilities, they will then come to the perspective of understanding what we all want, and that is ``Respect.'' So as we work with young people in our area in teaching them their rights and their responsibilities to ultimately lead to respect, we realize that that is the goal of so many of these programs, that we are working with kids to give them that start so that they ultimately can fulfill their role as a good citizen. When we talk about, in addition to commitment, we talk about construction, making sure that our outdated school buildings in a lot of rural areas and inner city areas especially cannot sustain a positive learning environment if there is not a positive facility in which to learn. There are several bills pending now we have in the Congress which I am cosponsoring that I hope we will join together with our other colleagues to push through: The Partnership to Rebuild America's Schools Act and also the sponsorship of the State Infrastructure Bank, which would allow States to decide where their greatest concern is with local school boards and then support and get the revolving loan funds that a poorer county may not have to make sure that school construction occurs where needed. And then, finally, the other area besides commitment and construction is that area of knowing that we can move forward with computers and technology, when we realize that there is an opportunity to allow businesses to donate to the schools computer equipment and get a tax deduction, like they currently get for charitable institutions but they do not get it when they give it to a school. And I believe that in order to give incentives to businesses in the private sector to support our schools, that we can give them that opportunity to work with that. So often when we talk about looking ahead, and we are all concerned about jobs, we are all concerned about the economic environment that families have, we realize that as new industry moves into an area, they will talk a lot about rail and utilities and water and the other kind of things to bring in positive employment. But then they always lean over and say, ``Tell me about your schools,'' because not only will the management bring their children into that school district, but they will be drawing their labor pool for the future from those very schools. And when we decry the lack of role models today in society for our young people, they are not all going to be the movie stars or athletic stars. The other 99 percent of our children are crying for role models. And where are they? They are standing right here in this Congress. They are back home in our communities and our businesses. They are in all aspects of our community leaders. Mr. Speaker, if we will take the time ourselves to call up the teacher and say, I will come talk to your class about law or government or health or private enterprise, or if I cannot get up and talk well on my feet to a classroom, I will come read to little Johnny, or, better yet, I will come listen to little Janie read to me, that kind of private, personal involvement that all of us as citizens can take will make a big difference in supporting our children for the future. Robin Cooke once wrote that, ``Education is more than a luxury, it is a responsibility that society owes to itself.'' And I hope and pray that, with God's help, we will have the wisdom to make the tough decisions not only to understand that responsibility but to have the courage to fulfill that responsibility beginning right here in the highest halls of government, to our going back to the halls of our schools at home to work with children. Our children, our Nation, our future require that we do no less.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, the Community Schools Preservation Amendment serves a critical purpose. It restores much-needed funds to an education grant program that really works. When we talk about failed programs, when we talk about concern for children and families, when we have something that works, we ought to proceed with it and stand by it. As the old adage goes, if it is not broken, we should not try to fix it. This is a program that has been entirely successful. In southeastern North Carolina, in the Seventh District that I represent, we are home to one of these fine programs. The Communities in Schools Program of Robeson County is a shining example of how educators, local community leaders, law enforcement officers, and students work together. This program works day in and day out. It is an opportunity where we can coordinate the delivery of existing health, social, education, and support services for troubled youth and their families. They are doing work that could not be done by existing agencies in Robeson County. I have seen firsthand this program work in North Carolina. It keeps children in school, it works with families to make sure children have a healthy home, and in the end, helps make our Nation a better place to live as we do what we all want to do, and that is to strengthen our families. Mr. Chairman, the Community in Schools Program staff has worked to earn the trust of their community and of their schools. They are able to point to past successes and to future efforts that are already in the works so that this program can continue. This program is an excellent way that we can steer children away from a life of crime. In a recent survey, police chiefs around our Nation indicated that investments like the Community Schools Program was one of the best ways to resist crime and to help youth avoid risky behavior. Other studies have shown that these programs can reduce juvenile delinquency by as much as 80 percent. Please name another program that can do that to reduce juvenile delinquency by 80 percent. Do we want to be responsible for eliminating a successful program such as this? We should not. We should not turn our backs on programs that are already helping our families, already helping our youth, already helping our teenagers, and guiding them in the direction that we all desire that they will be able to move forward in for a positive family environment, a positive environment in our schools and a positive environment for safe neighborhoods and safe schools. The Community Schools Preservation Amendment is a program that works. Indeed, it is a small investment that gives a mighty big return.

Mr. McINTYRE

Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall vote No. 356, the Burton amendment, I was unavoidably detained. I would like the Record to reflect that I would have voted ``no.'' Announcement By The Chairman