Gary Miller

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to celebrate the contributions that Mr. Kevin Sullivan, of Chino, California, has made to his community Mr. Sullivan was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His career has been exciting and impressive taking him from a mercantile broker's office and major export company in his native Australia to the Australian Consulate-General's office in New York to numerous European cities as a member of Jack Kramer's world professional tennis tour. In 1961, Mr. Sullivan came to Southern California when he was appointed General Manager of Jack Kramer's Los Serranos Country Club. Under Mr. Sullivan's leadership, the South Course was initiated and built and a new clubhouse was constructed. Although Mr. Sullivan stepped down from his managerial duties in 1997, he continues to serve as Secretary of the Corporation, Director and Vice President of Special Projects, and as a Trustee of the Profit Sharing Plan. An active member of the Chino Valley Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Sullivan has held the prestigious positions of Director and Second Vice President, President-Elect, and President. The Chamber's accomplishments under Mr. Sullivan's tenure as President have been numerous and impressive: the Chamber moved its offices to the historic Grey Building, the website has been redesigned and now includes an on-line membership directory, and the Chamber has awarded over $6,000 in student scholarships and classroom mini-grants for teachers. As a result of Mr. Sullivan's forward-thinking and leadership, Chamber membership has grown to over 600 members and attendance records at Chamber events are being broken. In addition to his duties as President of the Chamber, Mr. Sullivan is a member of Chino Rotary where he has 37 years of perfect attendance. He also supports City of Hope, Boy's Republic, and the YMCA. Mr. Sullivan's commitment to community service has earned the recognition of his Rotary Club and the City of Councils of Chino and Chino Hills. Mr. Sullivan has exemplified his theme for the year, ``Friendship + Teamwork = Success,'' and he is deserving of the accolades of this Congress.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the students, teachers, parents, and support staff of Carl H. Lorbeer Middle School, the newest Blue Ribbon Award school in California's 41st Congressional District. Carl H. Lorbeer Middle School, located in Diamond Bar, California, is part of the Pomona Unified School District. Home to 950 seventh and eighth-graders, its student body is representative of California's diverse culture. But despite the various backgrounds represented, each student is expected to contribute to a learning environment which demands high expectation. As a result, over 500 students make the honor roll each semester. The teachers and staff of this school are committed to giving ``whatever it takes'' to meet the needs of their students. This goal frequently requires involving the parents and community in school activities. This combination of high expectations for students, committed teachers and staff, and parental involvement has made Carl H. Lorbeer Middle School one of America's Blue Ribbon Schools.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to celebrate the contributions that Fire Chief Al Grams, of Chino Hills, California, has made to his community. Chief Grams began his 36-year career as a firefighter with the City of Covina in 1964. He was promoted to Administrative Captain in 1974 and advanced to Battalion Chief in 1981. In 1987, the San Gabriel Fire Authority hired Chief Grams as an Administrative Chief, but he returned to the City of Covina in 1991 as a Battalion Chief. The Chino Valley Independent Fire District gained the valuable experience of Chief Grams in 1991 when be became their Division Chief of Operations. Just three years later, in 1994, he was promoted to Fire Chief. Under his leadership, the Chino Valley Independent Fire District has witnessed a budget increase from $11 million to $13.5 million. The Fire District has also added new fire stations, including the status at Butterfield Ranch. In addition to his public service, Chief Grams has sought to enrich his community by founding the Chino Valley Fire Foundation Citizens Helping In Educational Fire Safety (CHIEFS). This organization raises over $30,000 each year to educate the community about fire and life safety. Chief Grams is also a member of the California Fire Chief's Association, Rotary, the International Fire Chief's Association, and he serves on the YMCA Board of Directors. Chief Grams' 36-year career of fighting fires distinguishes him as a true American hero, worthy of our praise and gratitude.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I commend the chairman for his work on IDEA. He has done a commendable job, and this is in no way to impugn his efforts in that direction, but we have a limited amount of funds. We have to say when a child spends a little over 4,000 hours in front of a television before they start school, does the Federal Government need to fund an additional $16 million each year for Dragon Tales and Between the Lions when we need to prioritize our funds? The money should go to the classroom. This is reasonable. It is established by offsets. We are not trying to drag monies in that do not exist and we are just saying we have made a promise to fund special education. We have not complied with that promise. We have left local districts underfunded. This is a small amount of money, $16 million, but when we are dealing with monies that are not available it can be a large amount of money, and I ask for support of this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote, and pending that, I make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, it is interesting the concept that government must provide quality television. It is the first time I have heard an argument maybe children should come home at night and watch TV instead of do homework. I think dollars belong in the classroom. When we have a shortage of dollars and we have made a commitment and a promise to special education classes that we are going to fund them, and we have yet to do that, to make an argument that we need to provide more television time for children at home rather than an opportunity for them to learn in the school is a different argument, an argument I am unaccustomed to hearing. It is interesting that the House budget in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2000 allocated zero dollars for this program. It came back from the Senate with a final appropriation bill in 1997, 1998, allocating $7 million. There are a lot of sponsors in this country looking for an opportunity to sponsor good television shows. We argue against tobacco companies for advertising and encouraging young people to smoke. Obviously, advertising works. Sponsors will put their money where it works. If money works in good television shows for young people, they will sponsor those shows. But when we are dealing with the government having to fund television and when we have special education fundings that should be provided for and we are not providing for them, that is not a very good argument. I think we need to put our money in the classroom, put our money where our mouth is and support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the Ready-to-Learn television program was created by the Improving America's School Act of 1994. It was intended to support the first national educational goal of Goals 2000, that by the year 2000 all American children begin ready to learn for school. The Ready-to-Learn television program authorizes the Secretary of Education to award grants to enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with nonprofit entities to develop, produce, and distribute educational instructional television programming and support materials. The target age group is pre-school and elementary age children. In the past, it has gone to a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. We are transferring money from one Federal agency to another. We are not against funding quality educational television programs. This vote is not a referendum on the validity of spending $16 million on the Ready-to-Learn television program. This vote is about prioritizing our limited educational dollars as we go. Meeting the direct needs of our local districts should be our first priority. Labor HHS also increases the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's budget by an additional $15 million, as requested, for a total of $365 million. That does not include the $16 million. Special education has been chronically underfunded. In 1975, Congress passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Ready-to-Learn television program basically supports two shows, Dragon Tales and Between the Lions. Cutting the Ready-to-Learn television program does not cut Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Teletubbies, Barney, Arthur, Theodore Tugboat, Noddy, Zoom, or any of the programs children watch. We need to prioritize our dollars. We need to vote for special education. I ask for support for this amendment.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is amazing, the people that talk about how can we risk this much money on a risky tax scheme. Let me read a letter from somebody who has been impacted by this death tax, and then my colleagues can come back and say it is a risky tax scheme. ``Today marks the first day of the ninth month since my dad passed away. He was a physician specializing in chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients. He grew up in a very poor family in Brooklyn, New York and he still managed to put himself through school and become a doctor, without any help from government, I might add. His plan was to retire this summer, after doing so much good for his patients and our community, and spend the time sailing on his 15-year-old, 27-foot sailboat that he bought 2 weeks before he died. He paid untold sums of money in taxes throughout his lifetime while working to the age of 65, a requirement necessary to save enough money to retire at a financial level that a physician deserves. While paying 50 percent of his income in taxes to the government, money that might otherwise have been used to fund an early retirement, he died. ``I am his son and executor of the estate that he worked so hard saving for and did not get to enjoy. Today, I am going to have the pleasure of writing 2 checks totaling nearly $1 million divided between the State and Federal Government. This is the most revolting and disgusting thing that I have ever had to do. When the CPA told me how much money the death penalty imposes on my dad's estate, I literally almost threw up. As a result of my dad's strong desire to save for his retirement, the majority of his estate is in Individual Retirement Accounts, and you know the tax consequences that creates when distributed to heirs, right? After all is said and done, the government will have taken over 50 percent of my dad's property and money. ``I adamantly believe that the government's only societal role is to protect the rights, lives and property of law abiding citizens. Period. All socialized legislation beyond that is an unnecessary intrusion into my life and a waste of my money. ``The government already confiscates too much money through taxation by means of income tax, property tax, capital gains tax, gasoline tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, telephone tax, hotel tax, airline ticket tax, energy tax, entertainment tax and numerous other hidden excise taxes that I continuously pay. Upland, CA, March 6, 2000. Representative Gary Miller, Diamond Bar, CA. Dear Representative Miller, Today marks the 1st day of the 9th month since my dad passed away. He was a physician specializing in chemotherapy treatments for cancer patients. He grew up in a very poor family in Brooklyn New York, and he still managed to put himself through school and become a doctor, without the help of the government I might add. His plan was to retire this summer, after doing so much good for his patients and our community, and spend time sailing the 15 year old 27 foot sailboat he bought two weeks before he died. He paid untold sums of money in taxes throughout his lifetime while working to the age of 65, a requirement necessary to save enough money to retire at a financial level that a physician deserves. While paying 50% of his income in taxes to the government, money that might otherwise have been used to fund an early retirement, he died. I am his son and executor of the estate that he worked so hard saving for and didn't get to enjoy. Today I am going to have the pleasure of writing two checks totaling nearly one million dollars between the state and federal government. This is the most revolting and disgusting thing that I have ever had to do. When the CPA told me how much money the death penalty imposed on my dad's estate, I literally almost threw up. I was sick to my stomach. As a result of my dad's strong desire to save for his retirement the majority of his estate is in Individual Retirement Accounts and you know the tax consequences that creates when distributed to heirs, right? After all is said and done, the government will have taken over 50% of my dad's property and money. I adamantly believe that the government's only societal role is to protect the rights, lives, and property of the law abiding. Period. All socialized legislation beyond that is an unnecessary intrusion into my life and a waste of my money. The government already confiscates too much money through taxation by means of Income tax, Property tax, Capital Gains tax, Gasoline tax, Social Security tax, Medicare tax, Telephone tax, Hotel tax, Airline Ticket tax, Energy tax, Entertainment tax and numerous other hidden Excise taxes that I continuously pay. Having stated that, and inasmuch as you are supposed to be representing me, can you write me back with even one good reason that validates the usurpation of one million dollars that was left by my dad, to my family? Sincerely, Todd M. Kolbert.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to celebrate the contributions that Mr. Stanley M. Cruse, of Covina, California, has made to his community. Mr. Cruse was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 1964, he moved with his family to California, where they settled in Glendora. He attended High School at Charter Oak in Covina and Mt. San Antonio Community College in Walnut. Presently he lives in Covina with his wife of 23 years, Paula. The Cruses are the proud parents of three children and have two grandchildren. A strong business leader in our community, Mr. Cruse has worked in the banking industry for over 27 years. During this past year, Mr. Cruse joined the Business Bank of California, where he serves as the Regional Vice President/Manager. For the past four years, Mr. Cruse has served on the Ontario Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He has held the prestigious positions of Vice President of Fund Development, President-Elect, and President. The Chamber's accomplishments under Mr. Cruse's tenure as President have been numerous and impressive: an Airport Awareness committee was developed to focus on the marketing of Ontario International Airport, the Latino Business Council, which continues to grow in attendance each month, was established, and he encouraged the Chamber to model its Education Committee in a more effective manner. As a result of Mr. Cruse's forward-thinking and leadership, Chamber membership is growing and stronger relations with the City Council have been cultivated. In addition to his duties as President of the Chamber, Mr. Cruse is a member of the Ontario Host Lions Club, a past President of his club and Region Chairman for the District 4L-4 of Lions International. He serves as the Board Chair for the Ontario-Montclair YMCA and is a member of West End Metro YMCA. He is also chairman of the Inland Empire Loan Committee for the Southern California Small Business Development Corporation. Mr. Cruse has exemplified the Ontario Chamber's mission statement, ``To Help Develop, Enhance, and Promote Commerce in the City of Ontario and its Trade Area,'' and he is deserving of the accolades of this Congress.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call on this House to pass legislation to fix the unsolicited commercial e-mail problem, referred to as ``spam,'' that is harming the Internet. Millions of unsolicited commercial e-mails, which contain advertisements for pornography, dubious products or get-rich-quick schemes are clogging up the computers of individuals, business systems and the entire information superhighway. The receiver pays for e-mail advertisements. Junk e-mail is like postage-due marketing, or a telemarketer calling your cell phone, or receiving a bill at the end of the month for all the junk mail you have received. The spam problem is increasing because there is an incentive for shady marketers to send as many advertisements as possible. After all, they do not spend more for sending one million than for sending one. We need to fix this skewed incentive. Mr. Speaker, I want to especially thank the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson), the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bliley) for their dedication and hard work on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield back all the unsolicited invasive pornographic e-mail messages that invade your home and that we are forced to pay for.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I find myself on the opposite side of the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and I have tremendous respect for the chairman of the Committee on Resources. This bill sets up a mandatory funding mechanism of 2.8 billion annually. Currently, California and the Federal Government owns over 50 percent of the land. By removing $2.8 billion annually from the budget for 15 years, it is a total of $42 billion. Since the budget resolution adopted by Congress last month allocates all of the surplus to either public debt reduction or tax relief for working families, passage of this bill would require Congress to either dip into the Social Security Trust Fund, cut the amount set aside for reducing the debt, or reducing the amount set aside for tax cuts for working people. The fiscal year 2001 budget resolution provides $50 billion over 5 years for tax reduction or paying down the debt. Instead, CARA will use up $14 billion over that 5-year period. No one is talking about the fact that this will likely trigger significant increases in discretionary spending in the form of new bureaucracies and personnel needed to implement the programs created by CARA. This new demand would likely, or inevitably, squeeze out programs such as discretionary spending on defense and education. How many bureaucracies will come up in the next 15 years to ask for more staff to help them spend $2.8 billion per year. The discretionary spending will also increase for the maintenance of newly acquired lands. According to the Clinton-Gore administration's own estimates, our national parks and Federal lands have up to $15 billion in necessary maintenance backlogs. We are purchasing land at such a high rate that we cannot even keep up with the maintenance of these lands. How can that be considered good land stewardship? Discretionary spending will also increase if CARA is passed for the purpose of having to compensate local jurisdictions for the loss of economic development. This is money that can be used for saving Social Security, paying down debt, and providing tax cuts for Americans. Furthermore, Federal and State land acquisition negatively impacts local communities by reducing tax revenues for education and crime prevention and other services. Some of my colleagues argue that this bill addresses the issue by securing funds to deal with these impacts, but this money is not guaranteed unless Congress appropriates money for this purpose. More discretionary spending that is directed away from more important issues like health care, research and public safety.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3709, which will extend the moratorium on taxing the Internet. However, I must point out the irony of passing this measure while continuing the Federal excise tax on telephone service. H.R. 3709 tells the States that they cannot tax access to the Internet, a measure which I thoroughly support. But in order to access the Internet, one must have a phone line. For the past 101 years since the Spanish American War, the Federal Government has levied an excise tax on this item. As we debate limiting States' ability to tax the Internet, we should also limit the Federal Government's ability. I feel that this Congress must take responsibility for the tax it has imposed on the phone services which impact the Internet. My colleague just talked about the problem called the digital divide, the disparity between those who can afford high technology innovation such as home Internet service and those who cannot. By eliminating this unjust Federal excise tax on the telephone, Congress takes a step forward in decreasing this gap. Mr. Chairman, the Spanish American War is truly over. Should we not repeal the tax instituted to pay for it and make Internet access cheaper for everyone? I urge my colleagues to support the Internet Nondiscrimination Act and to take the next step by repealing the phone tax.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because of my deep concern for America's national security. A recent Associated Press which ran on May 5 reported that the U.S. Air Force readiness to fight is now at a 15-year low, representing a 28 percent decline since the Cold War. Roughly 115 of it 329 combat units were not fully capable of performing their mission. In the article, a senior military official blamed the budgets that did not allow enough for spare parts and did not offer service members salaries competitive in today's booming economy. That is why I find it ironic that I also came across an article in the May issue of National Defense magazine which quoted Vice President Al Gore as saying the Pentagon's budget is currently in the ``right zone'' to meet today's national security needs. Mr. Speaker, current White House advisers, as well as the Vice President, have publicly stated while ample financial resources to increase defense are available, they are not needed. It is this lackadaisical attitude that has contributed to the monumental problems that we now face. As a Member of Congress, I am becoming more and more concerned about our national leaders' attitude and how they impact our ability to, as our Constitution states, ``provide for the common defense'' of this country. This trend must be reversed. We must have strong leadership and redefine our national security policy. Resources must be provided to replace our aging ships, helicopters, tanks, artillery and other equipment. Most importantly, we must begin to treat our servicemen and women and their families with the respect they deserve.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of the families of California's 41st district which continue to grieve over the loss of a loved one who died as a result of serving our Nation in Vietnam. While the Vietnam Memorial is a commanding monument which demands its observers' attention in a compelling and somber way, it does not recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by many of our soldiers. Although numerous men and women returned home, for some, the battle did not end. Many lives were destroyed by cancer as a result of exposure to Agent Orange. For others, the battles raged on nightly in the form of terrible, extremely stressful dreams that were inescapable. These service men and women should be remembered alongside their colleagues on the mall. With Memorial Day quickly approaching, I urge you to support this measure. While it is simple in nature--just a plaque--it speaks volumes about our respect for these soldiers.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to celebrate the contributions that Mr. Arnold D. Anderson, of Ontario, California, has made to his community. Over the last 62 years, Mr. Anderson has dedicated much of his time to the needs of Ontario. He has served as president of numerous civic organizations, including the Ontario Host Lion's Club, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, and the Ontario Junior Chamber of Commerce. From 1959 to 1963, Mr. Anderson served as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Chaffey High School Trust. For the past 34 years, Mr. Anderson has served on the Chaffey College Trust Board. As a result of his extensive community service, Mr. Anderson has received numerous awards and honors. In the 1940's, he received several awards from the U.S. Department of Treasury and the U.S. Department of War for selling war bonds. His contributions have been commended by his Lion's Club, the California Department of Corrections, the West End YMCA, members of the California State Legislature, the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, and the City of Ontario. Although recently confined to a wheelchair, Mr. Anderson has continued to make valuable contributions to those in need, placing his needs second to those of others. It is with great honor that I join the community of Ontario as the Ontario Host Lion's Club celebrates Mr. Anderson's 62 years of perfect attendance with an Honorary Lifetime Membership. By constantly striving to improve his community, Mr. Anderson has become a true American hero, worthy of our praise and gratitude.

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California

Mr. GARY G. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the exciting work that is being done to combat heart disease in the City of Montclair, California. Heart disease is the number one killer in this nation. To battle this deadly problem, the American Heart Association works with local cities to encourage education on the disease and to promote healthy lifestyles. This year, I am pleased to join the American Heart Association of the Inland Empire to recognize the City of Montclair in the war against heart disease. You may be interested to know that the City of Montclair successfully competed for a grant from the California Department of Health Services Nutrition Network to promote healthy eating and lifestyles choices. This grant expands the city's Por La Vida program. This program trains Latino women to be health educators (consejeras) with a six-week series of ongoing cooking classes. In addition to healthy meal preparation, the classes include formal chef demonstrations and tours of a local farmer's market. To promote heart-healthy lifestyles throughout Montclair, the city council is also supportive of a cooking contest and a health promotion workshop that will be open to the entire community this summer. I commend the City of Montclair for this innovative approach to educating and promoting heart-healthy lifestyles.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to fulfill Congress' promise to fund special education at the 40 percent level that was promised in 1975. For the past 25 years, Congress has consistently ignored its responsibility to special education students. The result has impacted all students in public schools throughout our Nation. In Orange County, California, the special education funding shortfall now exceeds $70 million annually. Each year, local school boards face the inevitable question: What programs will be cut to meet our responsibility to educate students with special needs? The paradox is unfair. We have required these school districts to provide high quality services to a population with significant needs with only a fraction of the funds we promised. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the school districts which have struggled to balance the needs of all their students, I implore my colleagues to support H.R. 4055. This bill sets out a plan that will allow Congress to meet the 40 percent funding promise it made to all by 2010. If we fail to fulfill this commitment, we will continue to fail not only children with special needs, but all students in public schools.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this life-affirming resolution. When mothers abandon their own children, we have a problem in our society with how we value life. In California, and in the Los Angeles area specifically, the reports of abandoned babies have increased dramatically. This resolution will help us understand the full scope of the problem. In addition to gathering information on how prevalent this problem is, those of us in Washington need to take some concrete steps to make sure that the laws value life. We should support protection for mothers who take newborns to hospitals or some other safe haven rather than dumping them in a trash bin or leaving them on a doorstep. We should support the legislation of the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bliley) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. DeMint) to encourage adoption; and Title 10 money should be used to value life by allowing for the women to be counseled on the option of adoption. We need to send a message loud and clear from this Chamber that life is valuable and that there are options beside abandoning a baby. Then we need to go home and instill respect for life in our families and in our communities. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and to support life.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to modify the amendment.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman, I have worked with the chairman and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio), and have worked on a compromise to include my amendment in H.R. 1776. I would like to thank the chairman for his assistance in this. Low-income housing tenants often become the victims of crime and drug operations. Oftentimes lax management and oversight give way to blight. As drug use and drug-related crimes rose alarmingly in the 1980s, Congress responded by authorizing the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program in 1998. Historically, local housing authorities applied for these funds when HUD issued a notice of funds availability, and housing authorities competed with one another for the available funding. This is no longer the case. Instead, in 1999, the competitive application process was changed to a formula funding program. This new criteria for Public Housing Drug Elimination Program funds favor those agencies with severe problems in both public housing and in the community. As a result, housing authorities in communities that run good public housing programs and have established successful drug prevention programs with these program funds are no longer eligible to receive funding under this program. HUD has pulled the rug from beneath the feet of all the programs that are successful. My amendment will modify the ``eligible local housing authority'' definition for the HUD Drug Elimination Program grants to continue support for projects that are meeting their goals. Local housing authorities that can show evidence through local efforts between the housing authority and the police department that they are eliminating drugs and crime problems in their public housing will remain eligible. However, instead of encouraging success, we are currently promoting failure. The city of Upland, California, Upland is a perfect example. Upland was one of many housing authorities which faced severe drug and crime problems. However, they chose to take control and started a program, with the full support of the Upland police department in 1980. Today Upland has one of the lowest crime rates in public housing in the country. In 1997 and 1998, Upland's police department handled 27,000 cases. Of those cases in those 2 years, only 31 cases occurred in the housing authority. That is a tremendous improvement over what it was prior to their becoming proactive in trying to eliminate the problem. Now the city is facing financial difficulties, and it is becoming increasingly difficult for the police department to give the program the same level of service it has in the past. Under HUD's definition, they are no longer eligible to compete for the funds they used to receive for the program to fight drugs simply because they have done a great job. I applaud the city of Upland for this tremendous achievement, but it is not the only success story now that is now on the verge of failure. Every Member of Congress is faced with the same challenge in their district, and we cannot leave them in the cold. In conclusion, this is a simple case of HUD rewarding housing authorities for doing a bad job, and punishing those who have worked hard to reduce or eliminate the drug problem in their communities. These successful communities should be able to continue their programs using the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program funds. If they are unable to continue the drug prevention efforts, the problem will return. Would we only allow a doctor to give enough medicine to reduce the illness, or would we give enough medicine to cure the disease? I would like to thank the chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Lazio), for his help in working on this bill. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chairman, I would like to respond to that. This does not reverse the direction of the program. The program always did this for years until about May of 1999 when HUD changed the program. What we are saying here is the program worked before. We were working with communities that were being funded. They were eliminating drug and crime problems. We changed that situation in May of last year. It is wrong. Now we are punishing those programs that are successful. We are saying let us change the program back to cover them for a 5-year period once they have it under control to eliminate this problem. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, we have a grave problem in our country today: illegal pornography and obscenity. It is rampant in our society. It is readily available to all our children on the Internet, and the health and safety of our children are at risk. Under the Reagan and Bush administrations, the Department of Justice successfully and aggressively prosecuted illegal pornographers. They rarely lost any of the hundreds of cases brought to court. In one 2- year span, they successfully prosecuted over 200 obscenity cases. Since President Clinton took office, prosecution of illegal pornographers and obscenity has all but ceased. Prosecutions are down 75 percent. In 1997, there were only 6 prosecutions of illegal pornographers by all 93 U.S. attorneys. In March 1998, the Adult Video News Magazine, the trade magazine for the porn industry, announced it is a great time to be an adult retailer. This lack of prosecution has sent a clear message to the makers of illegal pornography and illegal obscenity that it is okay to make and distribute such material. Under the Clinton administration they will not even be prosecuted for their crimes. It is time for the Clinton administration to get to work and enforce existing anti-obscenity laws.

Mr. GARY MILLER of California

Mr. GARY MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor an American hero. Last week, I had the opportunity to present Mr. Robert Eugene Elledge, of Pomona, CA, with the Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit. This event was truly special because Mr. Elledge is a Korean war veteran who served our Nation nobly and honorably. Unfortunately, Mr. Elledge had to wait 49 years to be honored for his sacrifices. On May 9, 1951, Mr. Elledge and his division marched throughout the night in pouring rain to reach the hill they were ordered to capture. Early the next morning, the Communist Chinese Forces and North Korean Forces began their May offensive. This operation was designated ``The Second Chinese Communist Forces Spring Offensive,'' also known as the Battle of Soyang or as Mr. Elledge recalls it, the May Massacre. The May Massacre began with planes overhead, dropping leaflets. Mr. Elledge heard pilots talking over loudspeakers in a foreign language. His division ate a hot breakfast, and then they were ordered to attack. As Mr. Elledge began to crawl up the hill, his helmet was cracked into pieces by enemy fire, rendering him unconscious. He awoke disoriented, and found himself crawling down the hill, where he found a medic. The medic began bandaging the wounds on his head and neck, treated his pain, and placed him on the ambulance. Then, they told Mr. Elledge that his company had been annihilated--only four had survived. Mr. Elledge received treatment for these wounds in South Korea, Japan, and at Fort Custer, MI. A hometown hero, Mr. Elledge was featured in an article in the Quincy Herald Whig. He received the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Service Star. However, he never received the medal that is most frequently associated with individual sacrifices to our Nation--the Purple Heart. The Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit is the oldest military decoration in the world presently used, and the first award made available to the common soldier. This honor was begun early in our Nation's history by another soldier, Gen. George Washington. General Washington, although considered a stern commander, was always appreciative of the troops who served him so loyally. His order permitting meritorious soldiers to wear the figure of a heart on purple cloth over the left breast began the tradition of this combat decoration. Today, the Order of the Purple Heart for Military Merit may only be awarded to a member of the Armed Forces who is killed or wounded in action. Forty-nine years ago, Mr. Elledge felt that his experience fell within this definition, and he began to inquire about when he might receive this honorable award. But, it seems that the paperwork requesting the medal was lost. In fact, back in 1951, the Army told Mr. Elledge that his service records were missing, and that he would most likely have to wait several years to receive his Purple Heart. Last Friday, 49 years after surviving the May Massacre, tears came to Mr. Elledge's eyes when he received the medal he had waited for so patiently. The Korean war is often referred to as our ``forgotten war''. While his paperwork may have been forgotten, the sacrifices that Mr. Elledge made for our country in Korea will always be remembered. This year, we mark the 50th anniversary of the Korean war, a time to commemorate not the war, but rather the veterans thereof and the sacrifices they made to preserve democracy on the Korean Peninsula almost 50 years ago. My colleagues, I encourage you to take the time to recognize the American heroes in your district, and to ensure that their sacrifices are not forgotten.