Jim Moran

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my friend, Representative Baca, and his motion to instruct farm bill conferees to restore food stamp benefits to immigrants. The Baca motion supports immigrants being allowed to apply for food stamps if they are low-income and have been in the United States for 5 or more years. Children would also be eligible for food stamps regardless of when they entered the United States. In my congressional district, the restoration of food stamps benefits is very important. Everyday, many of my constituents, who often hold more than one job, wake up and go to work to provide for their families. Studies have shown that 43 percent of legal immigrants are working jobs that pay less than $7.50 an hour, with little increase in wage rates. Restoring these benefits would be inexpensive. In fact, the cost for restoring these benefits has already been built into the $6.4 billion allotment for the nutrition title in the farm bill. The diet of our nation's children and families, whether they were born in the United States or somewhere else, should be one of the most important considerations in this year's farm bill debate. Restoring food stamps benefits to immigrants would be a step in the right direction. While the Senate and House farm bill conferees continue to work hard to reconcile the differences in their farm bills, I urge them to consider the Baca motion and make restoring food stamps benefits to our hardworking immigrants a reality.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my friend, Steve Coffman, who is retiring on April 19, 2002, from the Alexandria Police Department after 33\1/2\ years of dedicated public service to the City of Alexandria. A lifelong Alexandria City resident, Steve's dream of serving his community was realized on October 10th, 1968, when he was sworn in as Alexandria's first auxiliary police officer. Steve started his law enforcement career during a tumultuous time in our nation's history. In 1971, the Alexandria City Council voted to integrate T.C. Williams High School, a decision that was criticized by many in the community. In addition, we were in the midst of the Vietnam War, and on the domestic front, racial relations were strained and unstable. In Alexandria, it was very important for our law enforcement agents to keep the peace and restore community relations during this time. Steve has served the law enforcement community in several capacities, most recently as one of two Polygraph Operators for Alexandria City. He has also served as a Street Patrol officer and Identification Technician. During Steve's long and distinguished law enforcement career, he has received many accolades, including the Police Officer of the Year award, one of the Police Department's highest honors. I join Steve's family, including his wife Patty, daughters Angie and Valerie, as well as the City of Alexandria, in congratulating and thanking Steve for his dedication to improving the lives of others and serving the needs of our community.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, it is important to review a little of the chronology leading to today's vote. Only last year, at the end of the Clinton administration, there was a $5.6 trillion surplus forecast. Now, the majority of Democrats said, let us be a little fiscally disciplined here. Let us wait and see if these numbers hold up. But the Republican majority, in a rush to judgment, went ahead and enacted a $2 trillion tax cut. Here we are, the very next year, $4 trillion of the surplus is gone and we realize that that money is going to have to come out of Social Security and Medicare trust funds, even though five times we all voted for a lockbox on Social Security and Medicare. The lockbox is broken. Today we are going to cut taxes between the years 2011 to 2020 by another $4 trillion, $7 trillion when you count interest payments on the increased public debt it will create, and virtually all of that money is going to have to be paid for by Social Security and Medicare. Yet in that decade, from 2011 to 2020, we are going to see another 40 million people join the retirement rolls. This is fiscally irresponsible. It is not right. We would not do it in our own family, and we should not do it to the American family.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to just say a word about the priest who gave our invocation today. Father Escalante was born in the Philippines. He has his Masters in Divinity from Mount St. Mary's College and Seminary in Maryland. He has been the Associate Pastor of Good Shepherd Catholic Church for the last 4 years. Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Mount Vernon, Virginia, has been particularly affected by the events of 9/11. Three of their families lost loved ones, as well as most recently Corporal Matthew Commons was killed in a firefight in Afghanistan while on a mission to rescue a Navy Seal. So that parish has been particularly determined to bring an end to hostility around the world through God's word. Father Escalante has played an important role in uniting that parish and helping them to get over their grief. We thank him for delivering our invocation this morning.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I want to speak in support of this Digital Tech Corps and to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) for introducing the idea of assigning private sector information technology professionals for a 6-month to 2-year work assignment in the Federal Government. We cannot emphasize enough that there is a looming crisis in the Federal workforce. Over the next few years, more than 1 out of 2 Federal employees and fully half of Federal IT personnel are going to be eligible for retirement. If we do not come up with a solution for this problem today, in the near future we are going to be faced with a very severe shortage of workers in the Federal workforce. So, by enabling an exchange of mid-level information technology professionals between public and private sectors for up to 2 years and allowing these volunteers to retain their pay and benefits from their respective employers, this legislation constructively addresses this potential problem. It also provides Tech Corps volunteers with a rewarding opportunity for public service. And I think it is going to generate a greater understanding and respect for the work of so-called Federal bureaucrats. This bill is not unprecedented. It is very similar to the Governmental Personnel Mobility Act that has provided the opportunity for an up to 2-year exchange of Federal employees with nongovernmental organizations, universities, and associations for the last 30 years. One of the best features of this bill is that it provides an opportunity for government leaders and private sector professionals to cross-pollinate best practices and innovative ideas. Each year the Federal Government spends over $50 billion on information technology. That is a lot of money by anyone's estimate. Unfortunately, despite all of this money, too many of the government's complex IT projects fail because of a lack of effective IT management. Finding innovative ways to recruit, to train, and retain a quality information technology workforce has to be a priority for us today. The Digital Tech Corps Act will give talented professionals the opportunity for knowledge transfer while helping to solve some of the world's most difficult information technology problems in both the public and private sectors. I think the next amendment on putting 20 percent of the placements in small business makes sense, too. This is a good bill and it deserves our support.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, all of us have to vote against this rule, because all of us have voted to do so. Unless you were just elected in the past year, every single one of us have voted to protect Social Security and Medicare if at all possible. I offered the most reasonable amendment you could imagine, a trigger amendment. All it said was that we will give you a pass this year but beginning next year, if the Congressional Budget Office tells us that we are operating at a deficit, that we will have to dip into Social Security trust funds, then the Budget Committee has to produce a path, a budget plan over 5 years to bring us back into balance without using Social Security. That is all it does. If you vote against the rule, you are saying that you are letting off the Budget Committee from coming up with a 5-year plan that is not based upon raiding Social Security trust funds. And this budget does do that. That is the problem with this budget. There is a $224 billion deficit in this year's budget that is paid for by Social Security Trust Funds. Over the next 5 years, $830 billion comes out of the Social Security trust funds. Over the next 10 years, $1.6 trillion is going to come from Social Security trust funds. All we are saying is that as of next year, if you find that we are still operating at a deficit, give us a plan, a 5-year plan that will enable us to be good to our word, because five times we have voted for the lock box. Five times. 228 Republicans have voted for the lock box, saying we are not going to use Social Security to balance the budget. Yet here we are today, about to do exactly what we promised never to do. If you vote for the rule, you are rejecting an amendment that simply said give us a 5-year plan to get out of the reliance upon Social Security trust funds. Let us balance this budget with general funds revenue, not take it from the trust funds, not put the burden on our children to have to come up with our retirement and our Medicare health funds. That is all we are asking for, to be good to our word. We are on record. We gave allowances if we are at a time of war. Or in a weak economy, it does not apply. But all things being equal, the Budget Committee has a responsibility to bring us to balance over 5 years without depending upon the trust funds. And if for no other reason, you need to support that and vote against this rule.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, we were just asked to raise the statutory debt ceiling to almost $7 trillion. Why? Because of this budget. This budget increases the interest costs on our debt by over $1 trillion over the next decade. We are going to increase the debt held by the public to over $3 trillion. The question is, Who pays off this debt? It is not going to be us. Most of us will be retired. We are going to retire with the baby boom generation. We are going to join those 77 million people that will double the number of people on the retirement rolls. We are going to leave it to our kids to pay off this debt and at the same time pay for our Social Security and Medicare costs, and that is not right. That is why this budget is not right and why it should be defeated. Our kids deserve better.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today the House budget resolution goes before the Committee on Rules, and it comes to the House floor tomorrow. This is a budget that we are not familiar with in terms of the underlying assumptions because up until now we have been using numbers from the Congressional Budget Office. Maybe some people that watched the machinations of the budget process in earlier years will recall that our Republican colleagues shut down the Congress, shut down the government twice, insisting on Congressional Budget Office numbers instead of OMB numbers. Well, now they have reversed course and decided that they want OMB numbers because they are more optimistic, and they do not want the Congressional Budget Office numbers which are more conservative. We think this is a time to be cautious and conservative about our projections. Last year we used a 10-year projection because if we went out over 10 years, there was a $5.6 trillion surplus, and that enabled our colleagues on the Republican side to justify a $1.7 trillion tax cut. But now they do not want that 10-year projection, they only want a 5- year budget because of that $5.6 trillion surplus; $5 trillion has disappeared. Where has it gone? Well, the biggest single component of that loss is attributable to the tax cuts; 43 percent of it. The lost surplus is due to the tax cuts. About 23 to 25 percent is attributable to the economy. The rest is attributable to additional legislation, particularly increases in defense and homeland security. So we are spending more, we are keeping the tax cuts, and yet we do not have the money to pay for it. What does that mean? That means that this budget that will be on the floor tomorrow assumes that we will take $2.2 trillion out of Social Security and Medicare trust funds. We are going to have a deficit of $224 billion just in this budget year, $830 billion over 5 years. But when we go out 10 years, then it really starts to count. The problem is that over this next decade, we have a fiscal crisis facing us because that is when the baby boom generation retires. Mr. Speaker, 77 million people in that baby boom generation will retire and double the number of people depending upon Social Security and Medicare. That is why this budget just takes us to the cusp of that point when they retire. These are people born right after World War II in 1945 and 1946. We can do the calculations. They start retiring in 2007 and 2008. We will not have provided for their retirement costs. I say we, to emphasize the fact that, I am a member of that baby boom generation. My parents' generation fought the ``isms,'' Nazism, communism, fascism, and gave us so much better a life than they had inherited from their parents. And what are we going to do? We are going to leave to our children the responsibility to pay for our retirement costs, our health care costs through Medicare, and to pay off a debt of over $3 trillion. That is what this budget does that our children will have to face tomorrow. It makes a number of other cuts that do not seem to be particularly justified. We are in a recessionary period, and to cut $14 million out of housing for the homeless doesn't seem right. To take $80 million out of the Leave No Child Behind education legislation the President has gone around the country touting and taking credit for, and we agree, it is bipartisan legislation, and now we are going to take $80 million out of that program? To take $338 million out of low-income heating assistance, the LIHEAP program? No that's not right. No, Mr. Speaker, this is not a budget that this Congress can responsibly approve.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Hawaii for yielding me this time, and I thank my friends and colleagues, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton), as well as all those involved in this resolution. Since the Pentagon is in my congressional district, it would be tempting to take credit for the extra $1.1 billion that we added to the supplemental appropriations bill last year to make this possible, but in fact, the gentleman from California (Mr. Lewis) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Murtha), the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Defense of the Committee on Appropriations, do deserve recognition for making this request a priority. But I know that they would agree that the most deserved credit, as the resolution says, goes to the tireless work of the men and women charged with the actual rebuilding of the Pentagon. On September 11, a day forever to be marked in infamy in United States history, one of our Nation's historic landmarks and the operational center of the world's most powerful military was struck by the evils of international terrorism. This heinous act caught us by surprise; however, in the days that followed, our steely resolve triggered an overwhelming military response and an unprecedented effort to rebuild our defiled monument. Titled the Phoenix Project, the renovation of the Pentagon is an ongoing demonstration of U.S. technological and civil engineering advances. It is in operation 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, consists of construction shifts running from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 in the morning, from the early hours before daybreak until long after the sun sets. These American workers are demonstrating our Nation's collective resolve to rise from the ashes and go forward undeterred in our efforts to wipe out the terrorist threat. While the renovation is running like a well-oiled machine, its success could not be maintained without the dedication and deep-seated devotion of the work crews responsible for its execution. As a testament to their efficient labors, the demolition, slated for completion in 7 months, the demolition, was incredibly finished in just 1 month. The blood, sweat and, undoubtedly, tears shed by these hardworking individuals is a true example of America's work ethic and ingenuity. The purpose of this resolution, as I know my friend from Florida (Mr. Foley) would agree, is simply to take a moment from our day to salute these patriots. We proudly stand to honor their efforts and wait in anticipation for the 1-year anniversary of September 11 when the culmination of their labor will come to fruition and America's living monument to its military superiority will be whole again and built stronger than ever.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman for yielding me time and bringing this bill to the floor, because I was the original sponsor of this bill; and I am very appreciative of our colleagues, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Boucher) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), who have gotten this out of committee to the floor, because it is a good bill; and it should be passed, and it should be passed in a bipartisan fashion. The class action device is an important part of our legal system that allows wrongdoers to be held accountable for harm they have inflicted upon a large number of people. Unfortunately, there are too many lawyers who have abused this tool for their own monetary profit. Our current system allows cases of national importance to be heard in local courts and allows abuses to take place unchecked because of something called diversity jurisdiction. The Framers of the Constitution created diversity jurisdiction to allow large multi-state lawsuits to be heard in Federal court. However, when they drafted statutes in the 1790s to implement it, no one foresaw class action lawsuits. No one ever could have guessed that large multi-state suits would have been heard in local courts and it was certainly not their intention to create such a situation so vulnerable to abuse. H.R. 2341, this bill, simply corrects this problem and rationalizes the system by updating the law. Class actions of national importance, affecting people all over the country, should be heard in Federal court by a Federal judge, not by a State or county court judge in one region of the country. No one can rationally say that a large national class action belongs in local courts. The Washington Post, not the Washington Times, the Washington Post said it best in this weekend's editorial. It said: ``Nowhere is the need for civil justice reform greater than in the high stakes arena of class actions where irrational rules have allowed trial lawyers to enrich themselves . . . without benefit to the lawyers' supposed clients.'' Clearly there is a serious crisis in our court system. Some counties have seen an increase of over 1,000 percent, because once a local court shows a willingness to ignore its own State's rules and constitutional due process, that court and judge becomes a magnet for many national class actions. Cases heard in State courts have skyrocketed, where Federal cases have only gone up by about 8 percent. So that addresses the argument that there is not enough time or docket space in Federal courts. Federal court is where these cases belong, because the trial lawyers can have these cases heard in a hand-picked court the way it works now. There is gaming of the diversity rules to keep these cases in State court just by finding one retail outlet or point of sale and one customer in one State. That does not make sense. With over 9,000 State and county courts and 50 States to choose from, there is inevitably at least one court that will certify a class, even in the most egregious class action suits. Actually, it occurs in courts where judges are invariably elected; and, frankly, they are elected with a substantial amount of trial lawyers' financial and political support. That is one of the biggest problems we are facing. These abusive suits brought in hand- picked courts do not compensate victims; they do not encourage more responsible corporate behavior. And they are paid for by consumers with higher costs of goods and services. Simply put, our current system which governs class actions too often works for no one except the lawyers. Most plaintiffs only get coupons to assist them in buying more of the product which caused the injury in the first place, and that is if they are lucky. When the Bank of Boston was sued in a southern state for their delay in posting mortgage escrow accounts, the attorneys were awarded $8 million, while all their clients got was $9; and then their clients got a bill for $91 for the lawyers' fees, and many of the clients were not even notified that they were plaintiffs in the case. Unbelievable. This abuse has to be stopped and this is the best vehicle for stopping it. That is why I urge that it be passed, and it ought to be passed in a bipartisan fashion. This is moderate, needed reform. It should not be a partisan issue.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, when we have bills that are the result of real compromise before us, it is incumbent upon us to find real consensus. The fact is that this is a balanced bill, and extending unemployment benefits for another 3 months makes sense. We all agree on that. I also agree on the tax incentives. The capital equipment that is going to be purchased as a result of the 30 percent accelerated depreciation probably would have happened anyway, but it is going to happen now, it is going to be concentrated, it is going to give a real jump-start to the economy, and it is going to get those folks on unemployment now back into the workforce. Even the 5-year loss carry- back makes sense. This is the kind of thing where the money that we are providing is going to be invested immediately for the productivity of our workforce with the capital investment, and it is going to be invested in the kind of plant and equipment that will ensure that these companies will be sustainable. We have a great thing going for us. We have had a mini recession. There are certain things that we need to do to fill gaps, to build capacity in the economy, and we need to make sure that our working families can provide for their children. This does it. It should be approved, and it should be approved unanimously.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the accomplishments of one of Virginia's finest and most respected public figures. Clive L. DuVal II passed away on Monday, February 25. But his legacy of leadership on the environment, on consumer rights, on civil rights, and good government will leave a lasting impression on the Commonwealth of Virginia for decades to come. Born in New York City, Senator DuVal came to embody the definition of a Virginia gentleman, serving in the House of Delegates for 6 years and as a State Senator from 1972 until his retirement in 1992. Educated at Yale where he received his law degree, Senator DuVal went on to serve as a lieutenant commander in the Navy's 16th Air Group during World War II. After the war, he served at the Department of Defense as a lawyer, later becoming general counsel for the U.S. Information Agency in 1955. Senator DuVal got his political start standing up against the controversial land use dispute over the Merrywood estate in McLean, Virginia. Citing illegal zoning practices, Senator DuVal helped persuade the U.S. Interior Department to join the effort, and it led to the successful prevention of high-rise developments along the Potomac River. These concerns for the environment continued throughout Senator DuVal's legislative career. Known as a stalwart defender of the little guy, Senator DuVal rose to become the head of the Northern Virginia delegation. He eventually assumed the chairmanship of the Democratic Caucus and successfully used that position in fighting for progressive priorities. During all the budget agreements, as they would be worked out behind closed doors, we knew he was there fighting for the right priorities. Senator DuVal left an indelible mark on everyone with whom he served. His courageous stands on civil rights and on women's rights made a great difference in Virginia's social progress. He was always admired by his colleagues for his velvet glove approach to the toughest of legislative battles, a good personal friend and an inspiration to so many of us looking for examples of successful progressive leadership in Virginia. Madam Speaker, I stand today in salute of Senator DuVal's life's work. He was a role model for us all and a great American, and we will miss him dearly.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, first of all, I take great exception to the majority leader's words that we think that he is a total idiot. Not only is the gentleman very clever, but his amendment is very clever. It is not the words that are the problem, it is the intent. In fact, only 8 cents out of every soft-money dollar spent in the 2000 campaign cycle spent by the parties went to voter education, phone banks, voter registration, get-out-the-vote, traditional party- building activities. The problem is the intent. If this passes, it will go to conference, and it will be killed in conference.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this effort to honor my friend Tom Bliley. Tom Bliley was first elected to this body in 1980, after a successful career as a businessman and serving on the City Council and later as Mayor of Richmond. Throughout his service in Congress, Tom Bliley was a strong advocate of fiscal responsibility, the free market and consumer choice. As Chairman of the House Commerce Committee for three terms, he steered some of the most significant legislation through Congress in recent years. Chairman Bliley also served as the dean of the Virginia delegation and, true to this role, he was a leader to all of our Members. We all enjoyed his friendship, and great sense of humor. Tom fought hard to represent the interests of his congressional district, constantly attending to the needs in his local community. Virginia has benefitted enormously from Congressman Bliley's lifetime of public service. A master in the art of bipartisan compromise, bold leadership, and legislative vision, Tom Bliley is an example to all of us. Honoring his tenure in the House of Representatives by designating the Tom Bliley Post Office is a fitting farewell. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I stand before this chamber today to recognize the efforts of one of the Commonwealth of Virginia's foremost corporate citizens Mars, Incorporated based in McLean, Virginia. The Mars family and Mars associates have a long history of support for this nation. Mars, Incorporated's M&M's were a favorite of American GIs serving in World War II. In those days, the candy was packaged in cardboard tubs, and were both sold to servicemen and included in C-rations. They were a convenient snack that traveled well in any climate. Today, American servicemen and women will commonly find M&M's in the ``Meal-Ready-to-Eat'' packages issued to them in the field. Immediately following the attacks on September 11, Mars associates wanted to do something to help the rescue and recovery efforts in New York City and at the Pentagon. These plant associates came up with the idea of producing special M&M's, in Red, White and Blue colors, to be distributed to the rescue and recovery workers carrying out their duty in lower Manhattan and at the Pentagon. Mars associates produced and sent rescue and recovery workers over 500 cases of these special M&M's. As word of these special candies circulated, Mars, Incorporated has been deluged with requests from consumers for the Red, White and Blue M&M's. In response, Mars, Incorporated is partnering with the American Red Cross to develop a program through which Red, White and Blue M&M's will be made available for retail sale with 100% of the profits going to the American Red Cross disaster relief funds. Red, White and Blue M&M's are also on their way to military commissaries around the country. In the same spirit, other Mars, Incorporated facilities and subsidiaries also stepped up to help. On the date of the terrorist attacks, a company promotional vehicle was in Boston. When Mars, Incorporated became aware of the attack on the World Trade Center, it immediately diverted its vehicle to New York, initially to Shea Stadium, where media reports indicated that rescue workers would be congregating after their shifts. With its working kitchen and self- contained power generation, the New York Police Department dispatched the vehicle to Ground Zero. Beginning on the evening of September 11, the vehicle and crew provided over 10,000 hot meals, along with coffee and snacks. I stand today in salute of the efforts by Mars, Incorporated. May their actions be a guide to other corporations, demonstrating that successful corporations can also be good corporate citizens and lend a hand in our nation's time of great need.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, thank you Ann and all the fine staff and volunteers of SAFE. I am proud to be here today standing along side of this nation's foremost safety advocates. Ann Brown has dedicated much of her life to our families safety. Her particular emphasis has been on children. Because our children naturally assume that anything, particularly a toy, that their parents give them couldn't possibly cause them harm. But do you know that more than 1.7 million children under the age of 5 are injured each year by defective or hazardous products. For older children, the figure is almost 5.5 million. So, as I was saying, Ann Brown is determined, she's tough, and she doesn't give up. And if I'm ever not on her side, I'll know I'm on the wrong side. Because through effective regulatory action, encouraging voluntary steps by companies, and creating unique public-private partnership with industry and other governmental agencies, she has made a major difference in the quality and the safety of our lives. In fact, no one, before Ann, has been as consistently effective in making more people aware of dangerous and defective consumer products and getting them recalled--300 products were recalled during Ann's 7\1/ 2\ years chairmanship of CPSC. Too many children have been injured, some have even died because people didn't learn about the recall of a dangerous product from television, radio or their daily paper. Sometimes they don't hear about the recall. Oftentimes, it's not their fault. The way the system works today, it's surprising anyone knows about some of these recalls. Most companies try to contact people directly about recalled products based on the limited records they've collected from the so-called warranty cards companies send out with products. These records are grossly inadequate. Over 90 percent of consumers toss the cards out because they contain marketing and personal questions people just don't want to answer. And they shouldn't have to. I like Ann's idea that if you could create a simple safety card, like she has shown today, people would be much more likely to send them back. We want to commend Mattel and BrandStamp for stepping up to the plate to help CPSC test this idea. Ann Brown and SAFE are right that CPSC should move forward on a proposed rule to improve recall effectiveness. So we are introducing legislation which would require CPSC, within 9 months to adopt a standard for companies to develop shorter, simpler consumer friendly Product Safety Cards, or online product registration beginning with juvenile products and small electrical appliances, and then other consumer products. The legislation also encourages companies to look at other new technologies that will help them do the job. This bill is designed to help the government do what it needs to do to protect American consumers. I'm proud to be here today, standing alongside Ann Brown, my colleague from Massachusetts, Jim McGovern, and the folks from these good companies who want to save lives and prevent injuries by developing a way to let more people know about dangerous products.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, the greatest democracy in the world deserves the best and most equitable electoral system. This bill will restore voter turnout and, most importantly, voter confidence. What happened a year ago was neither fair nor right. It was not fair to either of the candidates. This will ensure that we have fair, equitable elections; and I strongly urge unanimous support for this bill. This legislation will ensure that all votes cast in elections count. It will assure that all states must meet minimum voting standards. It will also establish a new federal agency, the Elections Assistance Commission, to develop standards for voter registration, voter assistance programs for those citizens who serve in the military or live abroad, and vote counting. The Ney-Hoyer bill also mandates that those jurisdictions that are receiving funds under the punch card replacement program, must consider the use of new technology by citizens with physical disabilities such as blindness. Let us send a message to the American people, to our students and newly naturalized citizens eager to vote for the first time. Let that message be that we will build the best, most equitable electoral system possible. This legislation is our best chance of increasing voter turnout and voter confidence in our electoral system. I urge my colleagues today to vote for fair, democratic elections, by voting for the Help America Vote Act of 2001.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, I trust the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) will afford the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) a standing invitation.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Colorado for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, doing the right thing should not be so difficult. We have been trying to do this for years, just to change the name from Wolf Trap Park to National Park so that it can better describe the actual legal status and the park's mission. The mission is to assist Wolf Trap Foundation in private fund-raising efforts. Wolf Trap Park is a beautiful location, nestled in the woods in Vienna, Virginia. It is about 136 acres. Any of my colleagues and their colleagues and staffs who have not been there should go visit Wolf Trap. It is a wonderful asset, not just for the Washington metropolitan area, but for the Nation, and that is the point of this legislation. It plays host to any number of performances, as the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Davis) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) said. They described the wide gambit of classical symphonies, rock concerts, Native American folk festivals and so on, that use the stage at Wolf Trap. The Wolf Trap Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It handles all the ticket sales, the publicity, the education programs, and does a wonderful job. The National Park Service is responsible for maintaining the grounds and the buildings. They also provide technical assistance for the performing arts centers. Now, in addition to the performances we see on the stage, there are any number of educational programs that are offered, not just locally, but also nationwide. Its premier education program, the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, places professional performing artists in preschool classrooms all across the country. So the mission of Wolf Trap has been consistent with that of the National Park Service. It is the promotion of and access to appreciation of all of our natural resources and, in this case, our human resources as well and the performing arts. But because of this unique status within the national park system, we need to change the name from Wolf Trap Farm Park to Wolf Trap National Park. It is not going to affect the legal status or the Federal funding levels; it is not going to do anything but to alleviate confusion about this national park's mission, and it will assist the foundation in private fund- raising efforts. So it is the right thing to do. From now on, we ought to call it Wolf Trap National Park; and I trust that all of my colleagues understand its national importance, significance, and accessibility for all of their constituents. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Virginia for bringing the bill to the floor.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I want to address myself particularly to the Democratic side of the aisle, not necessarily to all of the Democratic Caucus, because I understand that many of us are in districts that have high concentrations of organized labor, have high concentrations of textiles and other industries that could be adversely affected by trade. But I know that there are at least 60 Members who represent districts that are highly dependent upon trade, that in fact represent the highest economic growth sectors of this economy; technology, telecommunications, professional services products throughout the manufacturing sector benefit from international trade. All of our constituents benefit by lower prices in products and services as a result of trade. In fact, all of us have constituents whose incomes are 15 percent greater because they are in export-related jobs. The reality is that this bill in fact, is bipartisan, and nobody outside the boundaries of the Beltway cares about personalities or process. They look at policy. From a policy standpoint, we have enforceable standards on labor and the environment. We have the availability of the use of sanctions for all such negotiating objectives. We have transparency in all commercial transactions. This is the most substantial progress in U.S. trade policy with respect to labor and the environment that we have ever had the opportunity to vote for. This is a good bill. It is one we should all support. I urge its approval.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Metropolitan Washington Regional Transportation Act'' with my colleagues Delegate Norton and Representative Wynn. Mr. Speaker, the metropolitan Washington D.C. region now faces some of the longest and most expensive commutes in the nation. The commuting hours have grown in length to include not just morning and evening rush hour but a growing segment of the entire workday and weekends as well. Moreover, our congestion problems are more than just a transportation problem. They are an economic problem, a quality of life issue, and now, an environmental issue as well. Automobile exhaust is now complicating this region's compliance with requirements of the Clean Air Act. Unfortunately, as we look to the future, the situation only grows worse. For the period of 1990 through 2020, this region can expect both a 43 percent increase in population and 43 percent increase in employment. This growth and increased dependency on the automobile is expected to increase by 79 percent the number of vehicle miles traveled in the region by 2020. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Government estimates that transportation spending is falling short of this region's transportation needs by more than $1.43 billion annually. Any solution to current and future congestion demands strategic investment in both our road and mass transit system. It demands better land use and planning decisions and better interjurisdictional cooperation. And, it also demands that this region come together and raise additional revenue to finance priority transportation projects that will provide immediate congestion relief. Now, may finally be the time for this region to come together in a shared vision to raise new revenue and finance specific congestion relief projects that otherwise will not be built. It may not be a popular idea, but this region needs to do more. I think the key to public support is identifying a list of priority projects that could be completed on a fast track providing the public with the assurances that their additional tax dollars will buy specific congestion relief. A large number of urban communities have already established a dedicated funding source for their transit systems. Where is this region's? This region needs to look long term and embrace the vision its predecessors did when they created the regional agreements and compacts that created Metro or the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The Metropolitan Washington Regional Transportation Act I am introducing today will help fulfill a new vision and help bring relief to the current gridlock: (1) It empowers the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board in consultation with local jurisdictions and the public to produce a list of critical transportation projects and revenue sources that will address this region's growing congestion crisis; (2) It establishes a Corporation with the power to accept revenue and issue debt to provide timely funding for projects that have been agreed to by the region; (3) It grants congressional approval of a regional compact needed to help meet the region's long-term transportation needs; and (4) It provides $60 million in matching federal grants as an incentive to encourage the creation of the federal corporation. The Metropolitan Washington Regional Transportation Act will help create the political structure and funding priorities needed to implement a new vision.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I do not even need a minute, because the fact is, all of the controversial issues have been worked out. This is a very good bill. I do have some concern over creating a second class of Federal employees, a lower class, but I understand the context in which this bill had to be worked out. We have done it before Thanksgiving. I applaud everyone that was involved in the conference. It is a good bill. It is going to inspire confidence on the part of the American public that it is now safe to fly.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the very distinguished ranking member of our Subcommittee on Trade for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, are our neighbors to the south. They are our friends, and they are hurting. Bolivia's economy particularly is hurting, in large part because they did exactly what we asked them to do: they eradicated the drug culture in their country. All they are asking from us now is for us to give them the opportunity to sell their legal products and produce to the United States. Products like alpaca and llama wool which we don't even produce. They have really paid an enormous cost, and they deserve this treatment under our ATPA. Likewise, Colombia: we are sending billions of dollars through our military to wipe out the drug trade in Colombia with relatively limited success. The principal reason why it has limited success is because there is very little alternative for many of these farmers, unless we can enable them to have a competitive market in the United States for their produce and their products. Likewise with Peru, who just elected an indigenous leader, a fine person who wants to work very closely with our country. So also is the case with Ecuador. This bill, very importantly, includes the kind of help that Africa for generations has needed, as well as the Caribbean Basin countries. It includes very strong labor protections: the right to organize, to form unions; minimum employment age; much-improved working conditions. We passed the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act overwhelmingly, and this simply sustains it. Mr. Speaker, this is the kind of bill that we need when the world's economy is falling into recession. We need to pull ourselves out of recession by opening up free and fair trade. Let us vote for this needed bill.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to be introducing legislation that would establish a federal tax refund offset program for state and local governments. Specifically, this program would require the federal government to withhold refunds from those individuals and corporations that still owe state or local government tax obligations. Today, the reverse situation exists. A number of states allow their own state agencies, local governments and the Internal Revenue Service to submit a list of delinquent taxpayers. The state then matches these delinquent accounts against taxpayers who may qualify for a state tax refund. If a match is found, the state reduces the refund by the amount of the delinquency and remits the funds to the claimant. These programs have proven to be low-cost and highly effective. Congress recognized the effectiveness of these programs and directed the Internal Revenue Service to establish a similar program to cover claims by other federal agencies, as well as for past-due child support obligations. Last year, Congress expanded the program by directing the Treasury Department to accept claims by states for income tax obligations. The legislation I am introducing today builds on these successful programs by permitting local governments to participate. The local governments could submit their outstanding tax debts to the Department of the Treasury for an offset against any federal tax refund, just as federal agencies and states do now. This legislation would also permit a claim to be made for any legally enforceable tax obligation owed to the state or local government. In an era of tight state and local government budgets, it Is patently unfair to have the taxpaying citizenry bear the costs and burdens of those who do not pay their fair share. As President Kennedy recognized, ``[t]o the extent that some people are dishonest or careless in their dealings with the government, the majority is forced to carry a heavier tax burden.'' (April 20, 1961) The legislation that I am introducing today will provide a means to help distribute that burden more equitably. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. MORAN of Virginia

Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?