Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I am compelled to speak on the issue of drug elimination in public housing given the many public housing units in my district and the need to address my constituents' concerns regarding drug trafficking. I am here to support Representative Kaptur's amendment. It is imperative that we in Congress pay more than lip service to the notion of truly attempting to eradicate drugs and violence in public housing. Throughout my congressional district there are numerous public housing unit residents who are pleading for help and relief of violence and criminal acts. And I can tell you that those residents want to experience safe and secure lives devoid of drug traffickers and violence. However, it is puzzling to me that my colleagues in the majority fail to see the merits of providing for others what they routinely experience--safe and secure neighborhoods ofttimes devoid of drug trafficking. We need to be supporting residents of public housing by providing the funds necessary to eliminate the insidious impact of drug use, abuse, and trafficking. It appears that conservative compassion is nowhere to be found on this issue. I call upon my colleagues to support the Kaptur amendment.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by Representatives Bonior, Waxman, and Brown. This amendment will prevent any further delay or weakening the arsenic standard for drinking water. One of the very first acts of the new Administration was to delay EPA's new drinking water standard of 10 parts per billion for arsenic. The new proposed regulation would have replaced a nearly 60-year old standard adopted in 1942 before arsenic was even known to cause cancer. In 1999, the National Academy of Sciences found that the old arsenic standard of 50 parts per billion for drinking water did not achieve EPA's goal for public health protection and therefore, required a downward revision as promptly as possible. As statutory deadlines for revision were missed in 1974, 1986, and 1996, we cannot afford to miss another one. The National Academy of Sciences easily estimated that the old standard could result in a total cancer rate of one in 100--a cancer risk 10,000 times higher than EPA allows for food. Questions have been raised as to causes associated with arsenic. As a known carcinogenic substance, arsenic causes bladder, lung, and skin cancer, and is toxic to the heart, blood vessels, and the central nervous system. Who in America is most vulnerable? America's children and pregnant women are more susceptible to this form of poisoning. Mr. Chairman, we cannot afford any further delay in the implementation of EPA's arsenic standard. The EPA invested time and resources and the new standard is the result of 25 years of public comment and debate. Congress cannot miss this opportunity to improve America's water quality. We owe it to our nation's children. I urge my colleagues to support the Amendment offered by Representatives Bonior, Waxman, and Brown.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I would like to thank the many friends who are in support of this amendment that has been offered, the Menendez- Waxman- Pallone-Tierney amendment. This amendment simply restores EPA's enforcement budget to current levels. Without these funds, the EPA's ability to enforce the Nation's environmental laws will be greatly reduced. Mr. Chairman, if we pass this appropriation without adopting this amendment, we will be doing a grave disservice to America's environmental health. The cut in the EPA's enforcement budget will result in a further degradation and destruction of environmental resources. As a result of this cut, there will be fewer than 2,000 inspectors, 50 fewer criminal actions and 50 fewer civil actions and the loss of millions of dollars in cost recovery. This administration would like to rely on the States for enforcement action and, as a result, will cut some 270 enforcement positions. The EPA Inspector General said in a September, 1998, audit that six States have failed to report numerous serious violations of the Clean Air Act, as they are required to do. While performing more than 3,300 inspections, six States reported only 18 significant violations. In reviewing a small portion of those 3,300 inspections, the EPA turned up an additional 103 serious violations. Other States have failed to report serious violations of Federal pollution laws, allowed major industrial polluters to operate without proper permits, and failed to conduct basic emissions tests of industry smokestacks, according to the studies. Mr. Chairman, the EPA and the Justice Department can step up if we conclude a State is not doing an adequate job. But with limited resources only 3,537 lawyers, investigators, and staff will be involved in enforcement. I urge this amendment to be adopted.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I stand to first commend my friend and my fellow Californian for his tenacious leadership in keeping this front and center, this issue that is really an unfair issue, and that is giving due diligence to the Filipino veterans who served admirably in World War II. So with that, Mr. Chairman, I simply rise in strong support of the Filner amendment to H.R. 2620, the VA-HUD appropriations bill. This amendment would appropriate $30 million for medical care and general health care benefits for Filipino World War II veterans. I have perhaps the largest concentration of Filipino citizens in my district in the city of Carson, and I tell my colleagues that they are constantly crying and pleading for fairness to be done and say this amendment will begin to correct a wrong visited upon the Filipino veterans who served alongside the U.S. forces during World War II. Our agreement or even disagreement with the current policy and economic pressures should never diminish our love and profound respect for the men and women who chose duty over personal safety and went into the battle-torn areas carrying our flag. We should have resources to take care of those Filipino veterans who have sacrificed on behalf of our Nation. This amendment simply addresses the health care needs for a forgotten group of veterans, namely the Filipino veterans. These loyal and valiant men fought, suffered, and, in many instances, died in the same manner and under the same commander as other members of the United States Armed Forces during World War II. Their services to the Nation parallels others whose efforts and service have not been recognized or compensated. We cannot forget the valiant and valuable services performed by the Filipino veterans. The Filner amendment will appropriate $30 million for the health care benefits for these veterans of World War II who were excluded from benefits by the Rescissions Act of 1946. As we continue to address the needs of our Nation's veterans, we should heed the word of President Lincoln who called on all Americans ``to care for him who shall have borne the battle.'' I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and adhere to President Lincoln's call. Point of Order

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Washington paid its last respect to an outstanding noble woman whose insight, courage and fortitude advanced one of this country's leading newspapers. I am here tonight to pay tribute to a visionary, business executive, women's rights activist, and a person very dear to me--Katharine Meyer Graham. While her passing deeply saddens me, I remain encouraged and uplifted by her legacy of courage and empowerment. Before Katharine Graham, the Washington Post was a parochial local paper that lacked a national audience. Her profound vision and intellect transformed the landscape of American journalism and raised the standards for an impartial and free press. She took a small town paper and turned it into a national media giant known as the Washington Post Co., whose holdings include the Washington Post newspaper, Newsweek magazine, various television and cable broadcast systems, and interests in the International Herald Tribune and the Los Angeles Times-Washington Post News Service. During the Nixon Presidency, the full scope of what became the Watergate Scandal would have never been known, had not this courageous woman stood up and said, ``Print It!'' The Post became the nemesis of the Nixon Administration. In turn, the President nearly crippled the Post with his failure to renew crucial television licenses, causing the paper's stock to plummet. During that crucial time, Katharine Graham showed the power of exposing truth. She championed the printing of the groundbreaking story, and insisted that the story be accurate and unbiased. From the depths of the Watergate scandal to the top secret Defense Department reports on Vietnam known as the Pentagon papers, Katharine's stewardship of the Post and her indomitable spirit propelled her to become the most powerful woman in American newspaper history. Katharine Graham commanded the largest Fortune 500 company ever run by a woman. She was chairwoman of the Executive Committee of the Washington Post Co., a Board Member of the Associated Press and President of the American Newspaper Publishers Association. This great woman was also the director of the newspaper Advertising Bureau Inc., a Trustee of the University of Chicago, George Washington University, and the Urban Institute, all this in addition to being a Pulitzer Prize winning author. Katharine Graham's impact on women and young girls has been far reaching. This wonderful woman fought to overcame gender inequities prevalent in corporate America. She made it clear that women are a force to be reckoned with. Katharine Graham was a Board Member of the National Campaign to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy and a strong advocate for women's issues. She had the heart of a champion, which was evident in her life's commitments and accomplishments. I am honored to have known this pioneer in my lifetime. To have known Mrs. Graham is to have known a trailblazing journalistic genius. Her legacy will live on through the Media powerhouse she built and the millions of lives she affected. I send my deepest sympathies to her family, friends, and colleagues. I will miss my dear friend tremendously.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. The Lee-Leach amendment will increase the United States contribution to the global HIV/AIDS fund from $100 million to $160 million. This increase--albeit not enough to curb the pandemic, will be of enormous help in the short run because HIV/AIDS continues to devastate every corner of the globe. Mr. Chairman, it is incomprehensible to think that the increase called for in this amendment possibly cannot be adopted tonight because of the cynical few in this chamber who believe that Congress has more pressing needs right now than to further increase appropriations to control this epidemic. To them I say it is our duty and responsibility to not turn away now. This year marks the 20th year since the Centers for Disease Control published its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report with a small segment dedicated to a rare pneumocystis pneumonia present in five gay men in Los Angeles. It was the first published account of what we would come to know as Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, commonly known as AIDS. Now, twenty years later, thirty-six million people presently live with HIV/AIDs worldwide and 22 million have died of the disease. In sub-Saharan Africa, 25 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and in India, South-east Asia and the Caribbean; the numbers of infections are rising at alarming rates. Mr. Chairman, two-thirds of the world's 36 million AIDS victims live on the African continent--and women are the largest segment of victims and continue to be at the greatest risk. This year, over six hundred thousand children will be born HIV- positive, or become infected after their birth and during breastfeeding. Few will survive childhood. Equally disturbing is the fact that the disease threatens the health and well being of uninfected children by taking the lives of their parents. By the year 2010, over 42 million children worldwide will become orphans due to HIV/AIDS. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the Lee-Leach Amendment to increase our contribution to the global HIV/AIDS fund from $100 million to $160 million. It will be a wise humanitarian and national security investment.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I am submitting the following letter that I received from the U.S. Agency for International Development pertaining to my amendment on HIV/AIDS in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, 2001. U.S. Agency for International Development, Washington, DC, July 19, 2001. Hon. Juanita Millender-McDonald, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congressman Millender-McDonald: Enclosed is a copy of our recent report to Congress on the U.S. Agency for International Development's efforts to prevent mother-to- child transmission of HIV/AIDS. It describes the vital role of mother-to-child transmission prevention activities and the complex issues that must be addressed as we and others expand our efforts in this important area. Thank you for your interest in these programs. Sincerely, Robert M. Lester, Acting Deputy Asst. Administrator, Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs. Enclosure: a/s.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, this amendment earmarks at a minimum $5 million to prevent mother-to-child HIV/AIDS transmission. For two Congresses, the 106th and the 107th Congress, I have led the fight on the issue of mother-to-child transmission prevention. Mother- to-child transmission is by far the largest source of HIV infection in children under the age of 15 worldwide. One year ago, the United Nations estimated that 600,000 infants were infected with the virus, bringing the total number of young children living with HIV to over 1 million. Of the 5 million infants infected with HIV since the beginning of the pandemic, about 90 percent have been born in Africa due to a combination of high fertility rates and high HIV prevalence in pregnant women. Mr. Chairman, we should not lose sight of the fact that the number of cases in India, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean are rising at alarming rates. Mr. Chairman, the virus may be transmitted during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breast feeding after a child's birth. Among infected infants who are not breast fed, most mother-to-child transmission occurs around the time of delivery just before or during labor and delivery. In populations where breast feeding is the norm, breast feeding accounts for more than one-third of all cases of the mother-to- child transmission. In sub-Saharan Africa, mother-to-child transmission is contributing substantially to rising child mortality rates. AIDS is the biggest single cause of child death in a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS from mother-to-child is one of the most important prevention programs on which we need to focus. No HIV agenda is complete without programs to enable a mother to prevent perinatal infection of her child. The most effective means of doing so today is anti-drugs for pregnant women and providing mothers with practical alternatives to breast feeding. Although in theory we can make promising new treatments available to every pregnant woman in the developing world, the challenge does not stop there. Treatment must be done in an ethical and humanistic manner. Counseling and voluntary testing are critical services necessary to help infected women accept their HIV status and the risk it poses to their unborn child. Confidentiality is paramount in counseling and when providing voluntary services programs where women identified as HIV positive may face discrimination, violence and death. Replacement feeding is an important part of the strategy but should not undermine decades of promoting breast feeding as the best possible nutrition for infants. HIV-infected mothers must have access to information, follow-up clinical care and support. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, the United States Agency of International Development has examined the astounding numbers of children affected by HIV/AIDS and has stated time and time again that effective intervention can drastically reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV. They recognize that the effectiveness of simple and low-cost treatments can be effectively implemented in developing nations, and they are prepared to place among their highest priorities specific mother-to-child projects to women worldwide to enable them to rescue their babies from certain death as a result of HIV/AIDS. It is my hope, Mr. Chairman, that a minimum of $5 million cited in this amendment be taken from the HIV account. It will substantially impact mother-to-child programs. This by no means should be seen as affecting the core programs of the Child Survival Account. With these facts in mind, I offer this important amendment. We can save millions of children's lives if we act on this amendment. I ask my fellow colleagues their support to make this amendment adopted, and hopefully the conferees can reach an agreement to increase the funding.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, currently, under Title VII, religious organizations can discriminate in hiring practices. If the Charitable Choice Act (H.R. 7) is enacted, this discriminatory practice will extend to programs on the Federal level. It is alarming that the Charitable Choice Act (H.R. 7) would pre-empt state and local anti- discrimination laws. This bill would open women to all kinds of employment discrimination that is currently prohibited by Federal law. Under H.R. 7, religious employers would be allowed to include questions in hiring interviews on marital status and childcare provisions. Women would also be subject to discrimination in the delivery of services. For example, this bill offers no protection for the unwed mother being denied benefits because of the tenets of the religious organization responsible for delivering services. Women's basic employment and civil rights should be a fundamental guarantee and not conditioned on whether or not the entity hiring or providing services has been offered special protections under the law. Currently, under Title VII, there are cases where women lost their job because they became pregnant but wasn't married and due to their views on abortion. If the Charitable Choice Act is passed, then this can include many more forms of discrimination. This is no ordinary piece of legislation. It raises serious questions about church-state relations in this country. These are grave issues. Congress needs to proceed with caution.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 244, I missed rollcall vote No. 244, due to being detained by constituents. Unavoidable. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Paul

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. #243, I missed this rollcall vote on the above number 243. Had I been here I would have voted ``aye.'' I was detained by constituents and was unable to get to the floor. It was unavoidable. Announcement by the Chairman

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 247, I was unavoidably detained by constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye''.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 246, I was unavoidably detained by constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.'' Amendment No. 12 Offered by Ms. Waters

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 245, I missed rollcall No. 245. It was unavoidable due to detainment by constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no''. Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Paul

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I wish to pay tribute to a renowned man who has had a tremendous impact on our country. ``Libertas per Justitiam''--Liberty through Justice, was a phrase that Justice Mosk had sewn into the collar of his judicial robes. It is a fitting inscription for a man who embodied the phrase so completely. We come today to reflect on the life and legacy of Justice Stanley Mosk of the California Supreme Court. Justice Mosk spent more than half a century on the bench, including 37 years as a justice of the California Supreme Court. During his time on the bench, Justice Mosk dedicated his life to ensuring and protecting individual rights for the people of California. He remained steadfast in his liberal views, despite serving the last fourteen years as the only liberal on the high court. Justice Mosk's distinguished career began immediately after law school with his own private practice from 1935 to 1939. He then became Executive Secretary to the Governor, and later served as Attorney General of California for nearly six years before his tenure on the bench. Despite the often-contradictory opinions of his colleagues, Justice Mosk never backed down from what he believed to be fair and just. I would like to take a moment to highlight a couple of his important achievements. In 1947, as a Los Angeles Superior Court judge, he struck down as unconstitutional the racially restrictive real estate covenants used to prevent minorities from buying houses in certain neighborhoods. When he became Attorney General in 1958, he fought to eradicate the Professional Golfers Associations whites-only clause, which prohibited minorities from being a part of the PGA. Justice Mosk remained an unassuming and unpretentious man who took pride in his judicial activities as well as his civic activities. For instance, he was involved actively with the problems of children who could not live with their families, as the president of the Vista Del Mar-Child Care Agency. Justice Mosk served the state of California until the day before he died, and with his death, the state of California lost what many considered to be a true champion of justice. Justice was not only his well deserved title, but was also characteristic of his personal mission--to find fairness in a world filled with injustice. As a devoted liberal, his eloquence and principles shined through his work on the court. Among his many great contributions he will be remembered for pioneering the theory of ``independent state grounds.'' This is the source of many path-breaking state privacy rulings and has given states the chance to become agents for legal change. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here today to honor Justice Stanley Mosk, a glorious man who has left an indelible impression on our state and our country. Through his body of accomplishments his passion for justice shall live beyond his tenure on earth. His family, friends, colleagues, and the state of California will miss him dearly.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I rise today first to commend the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan), the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), the ranking member, for their consistent leadership in addressing the Nation's water infrastructure needs. Mr. Chairman, I support this bill, and I appreciate their support of the request that I submitted. I am pleased that $5.5 million of this year's appropriation bill will go towards the West Basin Municipal Water District located in my district, and these funds will assist in the development of The Harbor/South Bay Water Recycling Project in Los Angeles County. The Harbor/South Bay Water Recycling Project will yield clear and measurable long-term returns from this short-term investment. This project will result in both economic and environmental benefits to my district and to the region in California. The promise of a reliable water supply even from times of drought helps to build an economic climate that will correctly enhance our ability to attract businesses, create new opportunities, and retain jobs in my district. The project will annually develop up to 48,000 acre-feet of recycled water for municipal, industrial, and environmental purposes in the Los Angeles area. Beneficiaries of this particular project will include my constituents, businesses and local governments, including the cities of Carson, Culver City, Torrance and Lomita. Furthermore, the overall West Basin water recycling program will annually develop 70,000 acre-feet of alternative water resources, in addition to reducing the amount of effluent discharge into the Santa Monica Bay, which is a national marine estuary. I would like to also acknowledge those Members who are California- based on this committee who actively advocated on my behalf, and I thank them very much and thank the ranking member and the chairman.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 97 honoring Shirley Chisholm, a woman whose self-confidence and faith propelled her to the heights of a pacesetter and trailblazer. She was never afraid to speak out on any issue she felt adverse to. An inspiration to all women, Shirley Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in 1968, and was the first Black woman to seek the bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972. Adversity has never been an issue with Ms. Chisholm. Throughout her life she faced diversity, not only for her ethnicity but also for her gender. Undaunted, Shirley Chisholm refused to allow discrimination to deter her mission for equality and justice. In fact, discrimination proved to be a tool she used in motivating her to devote her life to being a civil rights reformer and an ardent equal rights activist. Ms. Chisholm sought a life of public service primarily to bring an honest and a more vocal servant to her district in Brooklyn, New York. She was such a popular figure among her constituents that she won her seat in each election by substantial margins. Throughout her tenure in Congress Shirley Chisholm was an active member of the Congressional Black Caucus and an outspoken advocate for the interest of the urban poor. In times of inequality, her persistence led to monumental accomplishments, noteworthy of this historical recognition. She introduced legislation to establish publicly supported daycare centers and to extend unemployment insurance to domestic workers. During the Vietnam War she gained attention as a vocal critic, while most other Members remained quiet. While faced with enormous criticism, she continued to demonstrate strong advocacy of her beliefs. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to close with an excerpt from ``Journey to Justice,'' the literary work of the late Audre Lorde, an African American woman, saying: Remain steadfast in the journey to justice Strip the blindfold from the eyes of justice Let her see the tears that fall because Justice ignores inequities looming in plain sight . . . Remember that we are the seeds of great queens, the Daughters of Teresa of Avila and Nerfertiti Sisters of Rosa and Winnie Mothers and aunts of Nia and Imani--those we love and strive To live the meanings of their names We can be who we are--Bold to create our own dignity Ready to transform words into action Armed with courage and commitment Steadfast and straight ahead on the --Journey to justice These words exemplify the strong legacy of Shirley Chisholm. She has given our little girls another role model to emulate and has inspired them and all of us to dream without boundaries.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform you that my absence from voting in the House on Friday was due to my attendance at an annual briefing for senior citizens in my district. I notified my leadership on Friday that I had to leave for this event. My Chief of Staff informed me of the possibility of votes late Friday and into Saturday morning. I was preparing to leave for the vote late Friday evening when due to inclement weather I was unable to fly back from California on time. I ask that I be excused from my legislative duties on Friday and Saturday due to these unforeseen circumstances.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, due to pressing legislative matters in my district, I will not be present for this weekend's series of votes. Please excuse my absence, and thank you for your understanding.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to express my concern about the HIV/AIDS global pandemic. While this disease devastates the citizens of Sub-Saharan Africa, we also need to direct our attention to the rising numbers of HIV/AIDS cases in the U.S. Today, Mr. Speaker, in addition to accounting for more than half of the cumulative HIV/AIDS cases, people of color also represent two thirds of new HIV/AIDS cases reported in this country. In the U.S., two lives are lost every hour in the war against HIV/ AIDS. Twenty years ago today, the CDC reported 5 cases of AIDS. However, as of June 2000, there were seven hundred fifty three thousand nine hundred and seven reported cases of AIDS in the U.S. Of these reported cases, AIDS has claimed the lives of four hundred and thirty- eight thousand nine hundred and seventy-five American citizens. World- Wide the figure is twenty-two million. The exponential growth in deaths, clearly indicate that the time for action is now. Although technology, medicine, and research have increased the life span of HIV positive victims, I am concerned about the staggering number of new AIDS cases in the US. In the last decade, the proportion of all AIDS cases reported among adult and adolescent women more than tripled, from 7 percent in 1985 to 23 percent in 1999, with the most dramatic increase occurring among women of color. Among 15-24-year-olds, AIDS is the 7th leading cause of death. These figures highlight the gravity of the crisis related to HIV/AIDS and its impact on our country. Mr. Speaker, we are at a crucial time in this war against HIV/AIDS. Tragically, this disease debilitates everyone it infects. The most troubling fact is that there are few of us who have been unaffected in some way by this disease. Today as we approach the 20th anniversary of HIV/AIDS in the US, I would like to alert my fellow Americans of the persistent nature of this disease. Unfortunately, it has become a familiar part of America's culture. I believe we must reassess our efforts and recommit ourselves to fighting this illness. We must work collectively to promote education, prevention and treatment of HIV/ AIDS. Finally, I ask each of us to stand together to remember the victims who have succumbed to this disease, and those individuals who wage valiant and courageous battles to overcome their affliction.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Just 2 days after the Bush administration came into office, he issued an executive memorandum reinstating the notorious global gag rule on international family planning programs, so we knew that this was going to come to the floor, but we must know the facts on this. The fact is, access to family planning services is one of the most effective ways of reducing abortion. Limiting access to family planning results in higher rates of high-risk pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and maternal deaths. Let us know the facts: 600,000 women die each year of causes related to pregnancies or childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of those women live in developing countries. We must vote no on this Hyde-Smith-Oberstar amendment so we can strengthen HIV-AIDS prevention, so we can encourage the Golden Rule, respect medical ethics, and respect and reinforce current U.S. laws. I urge Members to vote against this thinly-veiled legislation that is anti-family planning. Vote no.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, as we observe National Women's Health Week this week, I rise as the Cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues to bring attention and highlight a disease that has become a devastating public health issue. That disease is diabetes, and it is wreaking havoc on women, especially African American women. Recent studies confirm the numbers of women being diagnosed with Type II diabetes each year, and these numbers are increasing in alarming rates. Mr. Speaker, diabetes kills one American every 3 minutes, and a new case is diagnosed every 40 seconds. No person is immune and no community remains unaffected. Almost 16 million Americans have diabetes, with 60 percent of those being women. Statistics have shown that women with diabetes have a five-fold higher risk of coronary heart disease than do non-diabetic women. In addition, coronary heart disease is the number one killer of people with diabetes and poses a greater risk for women who develop heart disease. Furthermore, close to three-fourths of deaths in individuals with diabetes will be directly attributable to cardiovascular disease. Another disturbing aspect associated with this disease is that it is the number one killer of African American women with diabetes and has reached epidemic proportions. An alarming statistic is that 11.8 percent of African American women who are 20 years old or older have diabetes, and about one in four African American women over the age of 55 have diabetes, which is nearly twice the rate of white women. Statistics reflect that among older populations, women make up 75 percent of diabetes cases. One of the reasons diabetes disproportionately affects women is because there are more obese women than men, and women live longer and maintain less active lives than men. Inactivity puts women at a greater risk for obesity, which is often a direct precursor to diabetes. The poor health habits of mothers increase the risks of their children developing similar behaviors and health challenges. Therefore, it is vital that we highlight the importance of educating women about healthy living. It is also important to conduct more diabetes-related research studies. Diabetes research has been an invaluable tool, that has paved the way to extraordinary breakthroughs for women. However, more research must be funded and conducted as a standard protocol for women's health initiatives. We must research new and progressive treatments for women with diabetes and promote prevention as a response to this challenge. Primary prevention is critical to reducing morbidity, mortality, and economic costs associated with cardiovascular disease in diabetic women. Diabetes is the single most costly disease in America, totaling about $105 billion a year. That is why the Women's Caucus submitted an appropriations request for fiscal year 2002 that would fully fund NIH programs and which will provide the resources necessary to address this issue. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to raise their voices, open their hearts, and enhance their commitment in educating our communities about diabetes and primary prevention. I also ask each one to join in the fight for adequate funding for research. Mr. Speaker, I will be introducing legislation in the next few days to bring attention to this important public health issue. The legislation will address this disparity that exists among diabetic women. It will focus on research, increased representation of minority scientists, and education outreach. I hope that my colleagues will cosponsor this legislation with me.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for coming to the floor, because I tried to just take portions of this to speak on and next week we will speak on some of the others; and hopefully, this will send a signal to those conferees that we really are concerned about the impact this budget will have on our communities. But when we look at the cuts in educational technology, the gentlewoman was one of the lead persons on the H1B bill, that really suggests to me and hopefully to some others of us that we are not trying to get the future ready for these high-tech jobs that surely should be the workforce from this country and not having to bring folks from across the waters to try to fill those types of high-tech jobs. So when we cut from educational technology, we are simply saying, that workforce that will mirror more of a minority, we do not worry about them anyway. We will just continue to bring people over. So the gentlewoman's take on that is really very valid.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so much. I really do thank her, and I appreciate her leadership on the issues. Mr. Speaker, as we close, we want to remind all of us that the number one priority for this country must be our children, the future of tomorrow. And if education is going to be anything, it should be to not leave any child behind. Hopefully, the conferees will look at that; and we will have a budget coming out of the Senate side, I should say, that will help us in bridging the ones who are underrepresented along with those who are represented in terms of the American Dream.