Juanita Millender-McDonald

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act in commemoration of Corregidor Day, and all the Filipino veterans who fought against the Japanese Imperial Forces in defense of America. Sixty-one years ago today, in the island fortress of Corregidor, Philippines, approximately 15,000 American and Filipino troops fought the four-months long resistance against the Japanese forces. In the early days of World War II, these Filipinos fought alongside Americans as they were battered by constant shellfire and aerial bombardment. Corregidor Day evokes memories of how these valiant soldiers disrupted the Japanese conquest of the South Pacific, allowing valuable time for the United States to recover from Japan's initial onslaught. After the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, they also attacked and defeated Hong Kong and Singapore, our allies in the war. The one bright spot in those dark days was in the Philippine Islands where Americans and Filipinos made a stand in Bataan, Corregidor and the southern islands of the Philippines. At the conclusion of World War II, there were more than 400,000 Filipino veterans. Only 50,000 Filipino veterans are living today and approximately 13,000 of them reside in the United States. I pay tribute to these magnificent Filipino soldiers, loyal and dedicated to the war effort, who distinguished themselves in the four months of combat. With their fiber helmets and canvas shoes, they were armed with little more than personal courage. These valiant men deserve no less than recognition of their military service and fairness under the law. Proper recognition and honor of the military service of these Filipino veterans is long overdue. I ask my colleagues to remember Corregidor and to support the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act. My bill mirrors Senator Daniel Inouye's S. 68 and also guarantees Filipino veterans' representation in the Center for Minority Veterans, and ensures they receive the same social benefits like education, housing loans, vocational rehabilitation and job counseling as available to the American soldiers with whom they fought side by side in Corregidor.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I want to take this time to thank Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos for being the driving force behind such an important bill, H.R. 1298, United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003. This bill embodies true leadership on the part of the United States, dramatically increasing the U.S. participation in addressing the pandemic that is ravaging whole regions and millions upon millions of people. This unprecedented bill acknowledges our moral responsibility to address the pandemic that has already resulted in the deaths of millions. I am so proud to be a part of this legislation, this distinguished body and this country. The bill as reported out of the International Relations Committee contains a provision of mine included in the Committee markup which my good friend, Congresswoman Napolitano, offered for me as a member of that Committee. While much attention is being paid to preventing mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS, we must turn to addressing the needs and rights of that child to grow up with parents, so that millions more are not orphaned before he or she can even walk. My language gives priority preference for federal funds to groups that are currently administering a program with non-federal funds to: prevent mother-to-child transmission; and provide life-long care and treatment in family-centered programs so that children do not grow up as orphans. This would benefit programs such as the MTCT-Plus Initiative, which is supported by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and the First Ladies of Africa, and which has $50 million in funding from several private philanthropic foundations including the Bill and Melinda Gates, the William and Flora Hewlett, the Robert Wood Johnson and other foundations. Such family-survival programs are critical to address the issues of millions of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS on a scale unrivaled in history. In sub-Saharan Africa, family and societal structures are breaking down because of the deaths of a generation of parents. The number of children in the developing world who have been orphaned by the AIDS pandemic will nearly double from 13.4 million to 25.4 million by the end of this decade. Today, 5.5 million children in Africa have lost both parents and in most cases, at least one of them to AIDS, and that number will rise to 7.9 million by 2010. Older women are also profoundly affected since the responsibility for caring for and supporting grandchildren orphaned by AIDS infected parents often falls on the shoulders of the elderly. Thank you again, Chairman Hyde and Ranking Member Lantos, for agreeing to include my amendment in the bill as reported, and to Congresswoman Napolitano for agreeing to offer my amendment during the Committee markup. Mr. Chairman, my amendment today concerns Section 314 which calls for a pilot program of assistance for children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. My amendment requires that pilot program to ensure the importance of inheritance rights of women, particularly women in African countries are included in this program. The relationship of the denial of inheritance rights for women, increased HIV/AIDS infection in women and the resulting exponential growth in the numbers of young widows, orphaned girls, and grandmothers becoming heads of households needs to be further studied and documented. My amendment does just that. My amendment is necessary because a majority of those infected by HIV/AIDS in Africa are women of all classes, ethnic groups, and levels of education. Women with AIDS are condemned to an early death when their homes, lands, and other property are taken. They not only lose assets they could use for medical care, but also the shelter they need to endure this disease. The failure to ensure equal property and inheritance rights upon separation or divorce discourages women from leaving violent marriages. HIV risk is especially high for women in situations of domestic violence, which often involves coercive sex, diminished ability to negotiate with partners for safer sex, and impede women from seeking health information and treatment. In some places, widows are forced to undergo sexual practices such as ``wife inheritance'' or ritual ``cleansing'' in order to keep their property. ``Wife inheritance'' occurs when a male relative of the dead husband takes over the widow as a wife, often in a polygamous environment. ``Cleansing'' usually involves sex with a social outcast who is paid by the dead husband's family, supposedly to cleanse the women of her dead husband's evil spirits. In both of these rituals, safe sex is seldom practiced and often forced. Such women are at increased risk of contracting and spreading HIV. For example, there are areas in Kenya where the wife inheritance and cleansing practices have created an alarmingly high rate of HIV/AIDS infection. Fully 22 percent of the population between ages 15 and 49 in the Nyanza province are infected, and 35 percent of ante-natal women in one district within that province are infected. Girls and young women in the Nyanza province are infected at six times the rate of their male counterparts. The underlying bill calls for the President to report on this pilot program, as described under Section 314(c). My amendment calls for that report to include in it a description of activities undertaken to ensure that the inheritance rights of women as just described are part of this program. Finally, in the last Congress, Rep. Eva Clayton and I introduced H. Con. Res. 421, recognizing the importance of inheritance rights of women in Africa, and its relationship to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. I have also chaired two briefings on this issue. Our resolution was very strongly supported by this body. It had 90 original cosponsors with bipartisan support. My amendment today to the underlying bill includes the crux of H. Con. Res. 421. Thank you so much and I hope you support my amendment to H.R. 1298.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

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

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully offer this amendment that calls for $8 of the $30 million provided for surface transportation security included in the supplemental bill to be used for transit security. This germane amendment provides $8 million which will provide our transit agencies and transit work force the much needed resources to support our Nation's increased transit security needs. This $8 million in transit security funding will do three important things: first, require the Secretary of Homeland Security to determine the percentage of frontline transit employees who are in need of receiving training in emergency preparedness and response training. Secondly, to provide funding for training programs for frontline transit employees, ensuring that these employees who are the eyes and ears of transportation systems are prepared to respond to emergency situations. Thirdly, provide funding for ongoing vulnerability assessments which will continuously build on information collected, allowing for easier implementation of new technologies that will assist in averting terrorist attacks on all modes of public transportation. It will also provide for transit agencies to purchase security enhancement equipment. In addition, this funding will be used for the development and implementation of local and regional emergency preparedness plans that fully utilize localities' transportation resources. For year, governments around the world have recognized that public transportation is a major terrorist target. Until 9/11 the United States has been largely spared the kind of terrorist campaigns waged against public surface transportation. However, we cannot wait for another tragedy to happen to prompt us to address our vulnerabilities. We must act now. An October 2001 study released by the Mineta Institute, ``Protecting Public Surface Transportation Against Terrorism and Serious Crime,'' an executive overview cites that between 1920 and 2000 there have been approximately 900 terrorist attacks and other significant criminal incidents involving public surface transportation systems. However, all but 14 of these attacks occurred after 1970, the year that marks the beginning of modern terrorism. Attacks against transportation and transportation infrastructures accounted for 42 percent of all international terrorist attacks, according to the most recent statistics provided by the USDOT Office of Intelligence and Security of 1998. Mr. Chairman, we must provide resources to our transit work force and our transit agencies to help prepare them and ensure that they are able to protect the communities in which they serve.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I thank the Chairman.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I stand today on behalf of a great majority of Americans who support Title IX. Thirty years ago, my friend, The Late Rep. Patsy Mink of Hawaii, the first woman of color to be elected in Congress, unremittingly and dauntlessly challenged old stereotypes like a ``woman's place being in the home.'' Representative Mink was nationally recognized as a crusader for the rights of women, minorities and the poor. She co-authored the Women's Educational Equity Act, now known as Title IX, which prohibits gender discrimination by institutions receiving federal funding. Title IX is credited for helping push schools and universities to invest equally in women's athletics and educational programming. She envisioned the law to serve as a means to reduce and eventually eliminate gender discrimination. USA Today, CNN and the Gallup Poll published on January 8, 2003, their survey results showing that 7 out of 10 adults familiar with Title IX think that the law should be strengthened or left alone. Statistics will prove why our people support Title IX: Women student athletes graduate at a significantly higher rate of 68% than women students in general who graduate at a rate of 59%. 80% of women identified as key leaders in Fortune 500 companies participated in sports as students. 82% of women business executives who played sports said that the lessons they learned on the playing field contributed to their success in business. A Women's Sports Foundation study showed that teenage athletes are less likely to use marijuana, cocaine or other illicit drugs, less likely to be suicidal, less likely to smoke and are more likely to have a positive body image than female non-athletes. Through the years, Title IX has diminished the inequity against women without depriving men of the same funds and opportunities. In 2000, Division I educational institutions spent one dollar on women's sports for every two dollars spent on men's sports, and yet women increasingly continued to participate in sports activities. From 1971-2001, women's college athletic participation increased by 403% and high school girls' athletic participation increased by a whopping 847%. This proves that women's interest in sports follows opportunity. Let us remember that the women of America comprise half of the population of this great country. We share the future with the men of America. The landmark Title IX legislation is the lasting memory of how tenaciously Congresswoman Patsy Mink fought to improve the lives of girls for generations to come. On behalf of many women and Asian American organizations, I submit my position on Title IX to the Congressional Record. I support Title IX and all of its' opportunities for women and girls. Protect Title IX and let it fulfill its mission.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to offer my comments on an important issue: Access to affordable healthcare for all Americans. This week has been designated as ``Cover the Uninsured Week.'' Three health foundations, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The California Endowment, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation sponsor ``Cover the Uninsured Week.'' A large number of national organizations have worked for the past three years to educate the public and national leaders about the uninsured. These organizations include: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO Service Employees International Union, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. I would like to submit a full list of these organizations for the Record. Over 41 million Americans do not have health insurance. For a Nation that considers itself a superpower, and a beacon of democracy for the rest of the world, there is no reason for almost eight out of every ten Americans who are working families to be without healthcare coverage. In my home State of California, 6.2 million State residents were uninsured for all or part of 2001 and Californians accounted for 16 percent of the Nation's uninsured. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, between 2000 and 2001, the number of the uninsured increased by 1.4 million, and low income Americans (those who earn less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty level) run the highest risk of being uninsured. For this reason, I introduced H.R. 1143, legislation that would amend Title XIX of the Social Security Act (SSA) to permit States to expand Medicaid eligibility to uninsured poor adults. The eligibility is expanded through the creation of a new optional Medicaid eligibility group for individuals between the ages of 21 and 65 whose family income does not exceed a State-specified percentage of up to 200 percent of the applicable poverty line. In this time of economic uncertainty, it is imperative that we, as legislators, ensure the health of all Americans. The ability to seek healthcare due to an illness or an injury should not, and cannot be dependent on where one fits on a relative scale of income. Instead, the working poor should be confident that unfortunate incidents would not affect their ability to provide for their families while medical bills pile up. Swift passage of my legislation will restore many Americans' faith in our fiscal policies designed to protect the health and welfare of citizens left vulnerable by the lack of Federal health care assistance available to them. Mr. Chairman, there is indeed a health care crisis in the Nation, and while there is no simple solution, I urge all of my colleagues to take a moment to reflect on the state of the uninsured in this Nation, and support my legislation. List of Organizations Participating in Cover the Uninsured Week U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, The Business Roundtable, Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Leadership Council, AFSCME, American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, Health Insurance Association of America, Families USA, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, American Hospital Association, Federation of American Hospitals, Catholic Health Association of the United States, AARP and United Way of America.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from South Carolina for his leadership on this budget. I rise in opposition to the Toomey amendment. But before I do that, Mr. Chairman, I would like to first offer my prayers and support for all of our brave soldiers currently serving in Iraq and the surrounding regions. Mr. Chairman, the Toomey amendment would provide less discretionary spending than the Republican budget resolution, which means that his amendment would keep this Nation in deficit spending far past 2007. With respect to the underlying bill, our Nation is fighting an expensive war, the costs of which are yet unknown. Thus it is unconscionable that this body would take up a budget resolution that would propose cuts in key domestic programs. According to the National Urban League, this budget resolution clearly shows how policy can affect the gap in black and white wealth accumulation. First, the biggest tax expenditure in the Federal Government is the deduction of health insurance. African Americans do not get access to this credit, as one third of African Americans get health insurance through Medicare. Thus this budget resolution on the House floor proposes to cut $300 billion out of minority communities through Medicare cuts. Over the next 10 years, this budget resolution would cut also as much as $470 billion in programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, education, and veterans benefits. In fact, the Republican Party's budget resolution drastically cuts domestic programs by $244 billion below the amount needed to maintain the FY 2003 funding levels. I believe we owe the American people that we must take care of their affordable health care needs, and I believe the Democratic substitute amendment and budget offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) does exactly that. My constituents want their benefits under Medicare and Medicaid protected. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, this budget resolution offered by the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt) would increase the resources for homeland security and first responders. I say vote for the Spratt amendment and vote ``no'' on the Republican budget.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend and true legend, Dr. Roy Yanase, a nationally and internationally prominent prosthodonist. I have known Dr. Yanase for more than a decade and am honored to pay tribute to his professional accomplishments and his dynamic mentoring of hundreds of dental students throughout Southern California. Dr. Yanase's energy is boundless, his smile matchless, and his compassion far-reaching. He graduated from the University of Southern California in 1969 and returned there for advanced training in a residency to obtain his Board Certification as a Prosthodontist in 1981. Dr. Yanase has been on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry since 1969 and presently serves as a Clinical Professor of Continuing Education and Advanced Prosthodontic Education. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Yanase has lectured internationally and throughout the United States. His writings on the specialty of prosthodonties have appeared in several publications as well as three major textbooks. Dr. Yanase has held responsible positions in several national and regional organizations including serving as Founder, President and current Treasurer of the Osseointegration Study Club of Southern California; member of the Board of the American College of Prosthodontists and President of its California Section; Prosthodontic consultant for the California State Board of Dental Examiners; President of the Southern California Japanese-American Dental Society; and President of the Pacific Coast Society of Prosthodontists. Dr. Yanase has been elected as a Fellow of the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists, the American College of Prosthodontists, the International College of Prosthodontists, the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Academy of Dentistry International. Besides his Fellowships, Dr. Yanase is an active member of the Pacific Coast Society of Prosthodontists, American Academy of Geriatric Dentistry, the Newport Harbor Academy of Dentistry, Omicron Kappa Upsilon and the Japanese American Dental Society. Dr. Yanase and his wife Regina have been married for 33 years and live in Torrance. Mr. Speaker, it is with tremendous pride that I recognize the exceptional life of Dr. Roy Yanase. I congratulate him for his many accomplishments and wish him and his family the best of luck in years to come.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 47, I was detained by a group of women constituents speaking on a panel on Violence Against Women.'' Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I stand before you today to offer my support of H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 authorizing our federal library and museum programs under the Institute of Museum and Library Services. As a former educator and life-long supporter of the arts, I fervently believe we must reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act, and do much more to promote libraries and literacy, and to help art in all of its forms to continue to flourish. We must do all we can to encourage the growth of such institutions, which help to enlighten us regarding our rich and diverse cultural heritage. We have a strong tradition of providing our citizens with world-class library services and museums. Under H.R. 13, library services nationwide will be enhanced in order to better meet the needs of all Americans by: extending access to information for citizens in all types of libraries and thus increase citizens' knowledge, and assisting libraries in more effectively sharing resources to promote the streamlined delivery of services. In my District, the County of Los Angeles Public Library offers CHIPS, a consumer health information program located in the City of Carson. This invaluable service offers my constituents information and referrals, responds to reference questions and circulates health materials to the community. Through CHIPS, constituents in my District can become better informed about the quality of their health by gaining up-to-date medical information. The State of California also offers through our libraries: Working with Kids@Your Library, an internship program for undergraduate students tutoring children in the Summer Reading Program; Live Homework Help, a program offering students grades 5-12 online access to tutors, or 20 minutes of one-on-one tutoring now available through the Long Beach Public Library; and Grapes of Wrath Program in the Long Beach Public Library to promoting reading and discussion of John Steinbeck's Pulitzer-prize winning book. Under H.R. 13, the Library Services and Technology section of the Act will provide almost $250 million in special funding to libraries and museums nationwide. In the past, my District received approximately $410,000 to fund vitally needed programs for libraries and museums, and continued funding is required in order for ongoing community needs to be met. By providing additional grants to states, we can offer citizens: Greater access to utilizing information electronically; Facilitate electronic and other linkages between all kinds of libraries; Create public and private partnerships with external community-based groups and other agencies; Direct library services to people of distinct cultural, geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as to persons with disabilities, and those with limited literacy skills; and Tailor library and information services to people experiencing difficulty using libraries, including children from low-income families, and individuals living in underserved urban and rural areas. Under H.R. 13, our museums will be better able to continue their tradition of public service by integrating all of society to the natural, cultural, historic, artistic and scientific aspects of our heritage. In my District, I am a proud advocate of the Museum of Latin American Art in the City of Long Beach, which is distinguished as the only museum in the western United States to only feature contemporary Latin American art. By passing H.R. 13, we will help our museums by: promoting the educational roles played by museums; and extending the exchange of resources and promoting partnerships among schools, libraries, museums, and other community groups. Because we live in an era when life-long and distance learning are essential to increasing citizens' access to education and vocational opportunities, it is critical that we provide our libraries with the maximum support necessary for them to carry out their missions. At the same time, we must assist our museums so that they may keep raising our awareness and enrich our communities through art.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 40, I was detained with constituents is the reason I missed the vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to offer my support for S. 141, long overdue legislation that will require the Office of Management of Budget to use a new subsidy rate model for the Small Business Administration's 7(a) loan program. This new model will more accurately reflect the true cost of this federal loan program to American taxpayers. As a Ranking Member of the House Committee on Small Business, this issue is of vital importance to the hard-working entrepreneurs of my district, the 37th District of California. Over the past few years, the House Committee on Small Business has held a number of hearings to address this issue, as small firms have been levied excessive fees for participating in the 7(a) loan program. Recent estimates tell us that as much as 1.5 billion dollars over the past ten years has been returned to the Treasury of the United States at the expense of hard-working small business owners. While the SBA currently has an alternative model, they have delayed its implementation until Fiscal Year 2004. The passage of S. 141 will force the new model to be used immediately, allowing SBA to lift a lending cap imposed on the 7(a) program last year and provide small businesses long-awaited relief for entrepreneurs in search of capital to finance and expand their companies. Small businesses are fundamental players in lifting the American economy out of its current doldrums and without investment resources this cannot and will not occur. Passage of S. 141, will be the first step in correcting this wrong and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for passage of this important piece of legislation.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 19 had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I am sure that my colleagues join me in welcoming the 54 new Members to this august body and the returning Members who are charged with helping to chart the course for these new Members, knowing that they have a very complex and awesome responsibility. But, Mr. Speaker, today has been an historic day for us. We have seen, for the first time ever a woman, a Democratic woman, whose name was put in nomination for the Speakership of the U.S. House of Representatives, and another woman who became the chairwoman of the congressional Republican Conference. Those are historic moments for us, Mr. Speaker, and as the Democratic chair of the Women's Caucus, I am very much enjoyous of this momentous occasion that has brought these two women front and center to leadership roles. So as we convene this 108th Congress, we should also pause to look at the other historic notes that were taken today in this esteemed body, as we convened with two sibling pairs of Members that have come to this House. The Sanchez sisters from California and the Diaz-Balart brothers from Florida will serve simultaneously as teams in this Congress, representing diverse districts on opposite coasts of this great country. My esteemed colleagues, with their formidable backgrounds, are all accomplished in their own rights, coming from immigrant families and immigrant backgrounds who have truly lived the American dream with hard work, as productive members of society, giving back and serving the people of their communities. They have now been elected to the U.S. Congress. The senior sister, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Loretta Sanchez), has an MBA from American University and is an accomplished businesswoman, assisting municipalities and private companies in strategic planning and capital acquisition. The State of California selected her to independently review the financial status of Orange County's first toll road to save about $300 million in financing costs. The junior sister, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Linda Sanchez), with her law degree from UCLA, was a civil rights lawyer and labor activist heading up the Orange County AFL-CIO. The senior brother, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Lincoln Diaz- Balart), has a law degree from Cleveland, Ohio's Case Western Reserve University, which he used to provide free legal service to the poor. The junior brother, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mario Diaz-Balart), served in the Florida State Legislature for 14 years before being elected to serve in this Chamber. Mr. Speaker, let us welcome all of these outstanding freshman Members, these pairs of siblings who have come to serve their respective districts, but who have made history, along with the two outstanding women, and may we all embrace them as they take their rightful roles. I know that all of us salute the Latino community, because they are proud of today's historic events, as well as all Americans are proud of these pairs of siblings.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor for me as the Member of the United States Congress to convene here in New York today, September 9, 2002, on this historic occasion. It has been one year since the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11. It has been over two hundred years since Congress convened here in New York at Federal Hall to elect the first President of the United States and to ratify the Bill of Rights. We applaud the people of this great city and state for their resolve in light of the devastation thrust upon them. It is a credit to their perseverance and their total commitment to freedom that the 107th Congress stands proud today. We reflect with remorse on the past year, but also look forward with hope and optimism as we proceed in the healing of our Nation. On this historic day, the congress has convened to mourn the loss of families and friends during the September 11 attacks, and to salute the heroism of our police officers, fire fighters, and emergency responders who performed with unbridled bravery and gave so selflessly on that tragic day. As I reflect on the tragic events of a year ago, I am reminded of the heavy hearts of so many great Americans who have grappled with this cowardly act and for those who had loved ones who perished in New York, Pennsylvania and the Pentagon. For those who lost friends and coworkers and who must now try to go on with their lives, our prayers are offered to these families and their friends and to all America and other Countries who lost loved ones. Today, we are expressing our gratitude to the fire fighters, police officers, healthcare workers and those individuals who, on that fateful day, performed heroic deeds and helped their fellow citizens and neighbors without regard for their own welfare. During the recent year, my colleagues and I in Congress have actively engaged in debate about how to develop an agenda that addresses the new world in which we now live. Though our country and the world have been shaken, we continue to build bridges toward progress and strengthen the bond of patriotism and the spirit of hope. I cannot express how important it is to map out a course for our future that will sustain, inspire and protect our children. We must provide our children with a sense of optimism and hope. Our domestic efforts and grief over the tragic events of September 11 have heightened our appreciation for the pain of others around the world who have been subjected to the brutality and inhumanness of terrorism. That is why we have supported liberation and democratization efforts in Afghanistan and seek to assist in the rehabilitation of those persecuted and who are attempting to rebuild their lives and their country. We must complete our mission there. As we return to Washington, our nation and its Congress will never forget the victims of September 11. On this occasion of reflection, recommitment and rededication to freedom and democracy, we are affirming our commitment to remember and honor the men and women who paid the ultimate price--their lives. They will always be a part of our history and our hearts. Our nation shall continue to rise to meet the challenge of terrorism and the threats posed by terrorists who seek to derail freedom and a Nation of peace.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to pay tribute to a dynamic Member of this institution who will be retiring at the end of the 107th Congress. Steve Horn came to Congress with a distinguished record. First serving as a political appointee in the Eisenhower Administration, and then working for Senator Thomas P. Kuchel, he came to this body with keen political savvy and a mind focused on service to the American people. During his tenure as a legislative assistant in the Senate, he made valuable contributions to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Shortly after being named in 1986 as ``one of the 100 most effective college presidents in the United States'' given his work at California State University, Long Beach, he began his tenure as the Trustee Professor of Political Science at the same university. I have had the pleasure of working with Congressman Horn for over six years as a member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where I always found his insights thoughtful, his skills as a legislator focused and effective, and his care for his constituents genuine. In 1998, the Congressman and I worked together on the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century)--also known as TEA-21. Since then, we have worked together to integrate the interests of our nation's ports with the surrounding communities, made steps to address air quality concerns in these facilities, and most recently, worked together in a bi-partisan fashion to ensure the security of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Congressman Horn will be missed in these halls, and I will miss his friendship, and his warm, congenial manner in approaching each challenge. Thank you, Steve, for your dedicated hard work and service.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 349 that I introduced earlier this year to call attention to the terrible exploitation that has occurred within the refugee camps in West Africa and elsewhere in the world. Since this legislation was introduced, some progress has been made in resolving the matter of sexual abuse of refugee women and girls living in UNHCR camps. According to a recent letter I received from the Washington Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, a number of new procedures have been introduced by that organization to take preventive action. New guidelines have been set for field staff in Africa and in other regions of the world. UNHCR has stated ``there is absolutely no place in the humanitarian community for those who exploit others,'' and emphasizes the need for strict adherence to a `zero-tolerance' policy. It also is important to note that the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services has carried out more than 250 interviews in the field on this matter and will issue its report to the U.N. General Assembly during this year's session. However, Mr. Speaker, despite these efforts, much more work is needed to resolve the existing problem. The matter of sexual abuse of women and children remains a real threat, especially for those who have already been dispossessed from their homelands and who face uncertain futures as refugees. On this issue, we now know that the lives of refugee women and their children are at stake. The poor quality of life in many refugee settings can lead to sexual violence, abuse and harassment of children. This is what appears to have occurred in the refugee camps located in Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia and now Zimbabwe and possibly elsewhere. Young girls are defenseless in the face of such exploitation and therefore we must be their champions wherever such evil is found in the world. It is appalling that local aid workers of international and local humanitarian agencies and NGOs, and even perhaps some members of peacekeeping forces, have been accused of carrying out this sexual exploitation. Mr. Speaker, my Resolution commends the Secretary General of the United Nations for his forthright stand on this matter and expresses support for the comprehensive investigation that he launched to look into this scandalous situation. When I and several other Members of the Women's Caucus met with Mr. Annan in New York in April, he expressed his deep appreciation for our concern and indicated that, along with the global U.N. investigation underway, he believed that more women should help manage these camps to avoid future exploitation. Part of the lack of protection of refugee children's rights comes from too little money. Although the United States contributes about 22 per cent of the budget of UNHCR, the funding from all donors is inadequate. Increased resources are a must if better physical protection is to be made available for women and their children. These refugee settlements are often large operations and are quite complex to run. Due to decreased funding, UNHCR and its NGO partners have had to cut staff and drop supervision of many services. This has led to the U.N.'s guidelines on protecting refugee women and child rights not being fully implemented. Obviously, we must strive to commit more funding to U.N. agencies dealing with refugees, so that the camps become a less dangerous environment for women and children. My measure also calls on the President to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to protect the well-being and human rights of women and girls as well as to review under USAID and the Department of Agriculture, the distribution of U.S. food assistance to refugee communities around the world. We cannot allow girl children to become sexual pawns because they do not have enough food to eat. This situation really should not be tolerated. It is distressing that many girls feel compelled to exchange sexual favors for food because their food rations cannot last a month and their families go hungry. This lack of sufficient food is something that the American people would want to do something about. Mr. Speaker, I thought that it was important to highlight this issue and to show that our Government takes the matter of abuse of human rights seriously wherever it is found. The President must affirm this principle on the part of the American people. Hopefully, the final report of the U.N. investigation will make recommendations about the disciplining of those who sexually exploit children. I firmly believe that prompt action must be taken to bring those who have brought shame upon the honorable profession of giving service to refugees--the dispossessed of the earth--to full account. Mr. Speaker, we are now facing a serious food crisis in southern and eastern Africa. Famine is ravishing these countries along with the AIDS pandemic. A large proportion of refugee women and children are suffering as a result. We must do all that we can to help protect them from any form of exploitation--sexual or otherwise that can arise from their vulnerable situation. I urge passage of this legislation.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Madam Speaker, I want to speak out on behalf of H. Con. Res. 451, which would promote the teaching of U.S. history to our elementary and secondary students. As a former instructor, I know the importance of teaching students American history so that they will become informed citizens. If we want the American public to become more enlightened and more engaged, let's start by promoting efforts to teach our young people about this country's great history, and its diversity that makes it the world leader and those nations who have contributed so greatly to our success.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I join with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in this historic debate with some trepidation and troubled feelings. I have been marshaling views, like many of my esteemed colleagues, not only to contribute to this dialogue but, more poignantly, to try to make sense of what lies ahead for our great country. Each Member has been consumed with this very critical issue. I am sure that none of us wants a war, as we know its great cost in human capital. Therefore, we must go the extra mile necessary to exhaust all possibilities before America commits to force. That is why this debate is so critical. And the implications of our decision that follows will have such portent, not only for us but also for the parents of the young men and women whom we ask to make perhaps the greatest sacrifice. Until this past weekend, I was quite undecided as to how to respond to the President's insistence on moving against Iraq, and I took particular notice of the open-ended nature of the original draft resolution. Now, as the result of ongoing discussions with the leadership of the House and Senate, he has thought twice in seeking unilateral authority. Instead, this revised resolution allows for a preemptive use of force against Iraq and for his reporting to Congress after the fact. In short, Mr. Speaker, more questions were raised in my mind than answers given. In the past, I have voted to support legislation designed to protect America's security. After 9-11, I was a clear and avid supporter of many pieces of legislation to support the President. Thus, I believe it is clear to all observers that I am a woman of conscience and not afraid to go on record when this Nation is faced with a clear and present danger to our way of life, our liberties, and our security. I too believe that the world is dealing with a tyrannical dictator in Iraq and that he should not be allowed to terrorize neighboring states nor his own citizens. Saddam Hussein must and should be stopped. But how? What is the best and most appropriate way to contain him and destroy his unbridled power? Is it by having the U.S. go alone to confront this geopolitical problem that has a far-reaching impact on the entire world? That is why this debate needs to be thorough and public, Mr. Speaker. We must look at the long-term domestic and international consequences and policy implications of intervening in Iraq. Before a declaration of war can be proclaimed, there must be an accounting of the cost both at home and abroad. In his talk to the American people this past Monday, the President upped the ante, so to speak, and I, for one, was pleased to hear him say that war is the last resort. We must not forget that we are already fighting a war in Afghanistan and are deeply obligated to help bring security and reconstruction to that country. The costs are great, more than $1 billion a month. Can we continue to meet such expenditures? How long will our commitments continue there? Can we afford to fight two wars? What is the exit strategy after we go into Iraq when there is none in place for Afghanistan as yet? Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents have overwhelmingly called me to let me know they do not stand for having their sons and daughters go to war and return home in body bags until all possible diplomatic avenues have been exhausted. They want to see us, the political leaders of this great country, commit ourselves to working with the United Nations in every conceivable manner to exercise international action against a tyrant in Iraq. They want to see us enter into a rigorous international alliance under the U.N.'s banner to force the dismantling of Iraq's massive weaponry through a comprehensive inspection system. The American people are not fools. They know that war with Iraq inevitably will mean that their domestic priorities would suffer from a lack of attention and resources. Our unfinished business on health care, prescription drugs, welfare reform, and a faltering economy, due in large part to corporate greed and malfeasance, and the President's top tax cut, would remain on the back burner. I agree that Iraq has carried out regression on its own people and has not met its obligations under the U.N. resolutions. Mr. Speaker, I will not be supporting this resolution.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight the legacy of one of the most distinguished and honorable women of this august body, my friend, my colleague, Congresswoman Patsy Mink. I shall remember her as a giant who spoke in gentle tones, but very fierce and very deliberate, whose frame towered with her ability to rise above the fray and get to the substantive issues at hand. In a career that began before territorial Hawaii became a State in 1959, Patsy Mink, with authority, wit, and clear perspective, became one of the best-known women politicians in these United States and, of course, as everyone has said, the first woman of color. I stand today to celebrate the role that Patsy played in the life of this great Nation. Her career spanned over 24 years of service in this House of Representatives; and Patsy concentrated upon the removal of negative factors, social, economic, and educational restrictions which had been directed against minority groups, and which prevented the full development of an individual's ability and dignity. It is hardly possible to stand here today to recapitulate on the extraordinary career of Patsy Mink, except to point out that a succession of legislative victories are owed to her tireless work. Later on next week, the women of the House will highlight the many legislative victories that this great woman has brought to the forefront, like improved opportunity in education, elimination of much overt discrimination, and modifying environmental policies which were part of the hallmark of her career. Her persistent and passionate campaign for equity for women is credited as a centerpiece for the Democratic Party today. I can recall a couple of months ago when Patsy celebrated 30 years of the passage of title IX, and I came on the floor to talk with her and I asked Patsy, I said, Patsy, are all of the States in compliance with this law? She says, Juanita, I don't know, but why don't you get on that? And Mr. Speaker, I have begun to get on that. I thank her so much for giving me the courage and tenacity to move forward on title IX.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. I thank the Speaker very much for that. I again just cannot believe that we are here today to speak about yet another assault on women's fundamental rights to be informed regarding all of her reproductive rights. Just over 2 months ago, we were here again advocating against the passage of legislation banning another aspect of a woman's reproductive choice. Today we stand again to defend a woman's basic rights to be informed of her options with regards to her reproductive health when she is most vulnerable. As we have mentioned and stated, it is not our mission to dictate the most personal choice any woman can ever make regarding her health. We are here to pass fair, effective legislation that will guarantee all women the opportunity to make the best possible decisions about her health. Besides, infringing on a woman's right to decide what is best for her health as in the case of H.R. 4691 will undermine States' rights to enforce their own constitutional protections. This sets a dangerous precedent, Mr. Speaker, if we begin to violate the principles of Federal law by essentially overruling State constitutions. We should not attempt to block Federal title X guidelines that allow women full access to information with regard to their reproductive health choices. If this piece of legislation passes, H.R. 4691, we would prevent the Federal Government from enforcing its own requirement with reference to title X-funded clinics that refer patients to abortion providers upon request. Further, passage of H.R. 4691 would prevent States from following the Hyde amendment which mandates that Medicaid patients be informed about legal abortion services in the event of rape, incest or a pregnancy that threatens a woman's life. I say, let us defeat this bill that does not give women their reproductive choices.

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. So this bill then has an opt-out of performing any abortion services, including counseling or referral? Does this bill do that? It opts out performing any abortion services, counseling or referral?

Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Ohio in his efforts to try to bring some sanity to this bill. I would like to ask the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), it seems to me that it is a moral obligation to ensure that information regarding the reproductive rights of women be given to her. And is it not true that institutions cannot restrict providers from offering medically appropriate information and services? Can you answer that for me?