Dennis Moore

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 4167, the National Uniformity for Food Act. Food safety labeling standards currently vary from state to state, which has created a patchwork of different and inconsistent requirements. H.R. 4167 would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to provide for national, uniform food safety standards and warning requirements. I am cosponsor of this bipartisan legislation because it will enhance consumer protection through coordinating and harmonizing federal, state, and local food safety requirements. Consumers deserve the same high level of protection against unsafe food regardless of where they may live. While H.R. 4167 would provide for national, uniform food safety standards and warning requirements, the legislation, however, does not affect state authority in several areas that are traditional local food enforcement matters, including: freshness dating, open date labeling, grade labeling, state inspection stamp, religious dietary labeling, organic or natural designation, returnable bottle labeling, unit pricing, and statement of geographic origin. Further, states would be exempted from national food safety standards to respond during times when substantial concerns are raised about the safety of food. I support H.R. 4167 because it provides these important exceptions to national standards, which will ensure authority of states in traditional local food enforcement matters and allow states to act if presented with an imminent food safety crisis. Food safety labeling standards are an important public health issue, and I support H.R. 4167 because it will provide uniform, national standards to ensure greater consumer protection.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I was sorely disappointed recently to learn that the Baseball Hall of Fame failed to vote to induct John Jordan ``Buck'' O'Neill into its ranks. Born the grandson of slaves, Buck joined the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro League in 1938. He remained in Kansas City with the Monarchs for 17 spectacular years, 10 as a player and 7 as manager. During this time he was named an all-star three times as a player, served 2 years with the United States Navy, and led the Monarchs to four league titles as a manager, all the while facing the harshness of separation and discrimination in a country that was still segregated. In 1962, Buck broke an important barrier, by being named the first African-American coach in the Major Leagues by the Chicago Cubs. After 33 years with the Cubs, Buck returned home in 1988 to scout for the Kansas City Royals. He currently serves as chairman of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, a continuing demonstration of his love for the game of baseball and for his commitment to the essential role that the Negro Leagues played in the integration of both American sport and American society. During his time in Kansas City, Buck has taught the citizens of the Kansas City metropolitan region about the importance of determination and resolve in the face of hostility, in addition to showing us the importance of family, friendship, happiness and history. Buck taught us about baseball. But more importantly, Buck taught us about life. He is a wonderful role model, and I thank him for his contributions to the Kansas City metropolitan region and to our United States of America. As Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Kay Barnes was quoted as saying in this morning's Kansas City Star, ``I'm terribly disappointed. I think it was a mistake that he has not been chosen. However, we all love him in Kansas City, and I believe that all around the country people recognize the contribution he has made to baseball in general and to the Negro Baseball League history.'' Buck O'Neill, you will always be a charter member of the Kansas City Hall of Fame.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I am disappointed this week that Buck O'Neil of Kansas City was not inducted into the Hall of Fame of baseball. Buck O'Neil was in the Negro Baseball League as a player and a manager for more than 17 years. Buck taught the people of the Kansas City metropolitan region about the importance of determination and resolve, sometimes in the face of hostility. Buck taught us about baseball; but more importantly, Buck taught us about life. He is a wonderful role model, and I thank him for his contributions to baseball, to the Kansas City metropolitan region, and to the United States of America. Buck O'Neil, you are a great American and a gentle man. You will always be a charter member of the Kansas City Hall of Fame.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a pioneer in the air traffic control field, Daniel ``Ed'' Barrow, who will celebrate his 90th birthday later this year. Born in Boone, IA, and raised in Unionville, IN, Ed Barrow attended Indiana Central College in Indianapolis, IN. After teaching school in Elwood, IN, Barrow began working for the Indiana State Employment Office, where he saw a job posting for an air controller trainee. As the holder of a student pilot's license, he met the primary qualification. As his daughter, Marilyn Smith, related to me, ``He decided to try for the position. A trucker stopped at his Marathon station. The driver was going to Pittsburgh, so Dad hitched a ride with him. When he got to Pittsburgh, he took the bus to New York City. While in New York, Dad stayed in the YMCA. The training was very hard, so he asked Mother to keep checking with the Employment Office to see if he could come back if he `washed out'.'' This led to a lengthy career for Ed Barrow with the Civil Aeronautics Administration, the predecessor agency of the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA. As a result, the Barrow family was posted at various locations around the United States, including Roeland Park and Overland Park, KS, both of which are located in the Third Congressional District. During the outset of his career as an air traffic controller, Ed Barrow and his colleagues received their information on the telephone and then plotted the information on paper maps. In the mid-1950s, Ed was the chief of the Washington National Airport control tower; he later went to work in the Washington, DC, headquarters of the Civil Aeronautics Administration. Among other projects, he worked on Operation Northern Tier, which resulted in the long range radar system's installation nationwide in the FAA's Air Route Traffic Control Centers. In the mid-20th century, air traffic control was revolutionized by the introduction of radar, a system the British initially developed for air defense prior to World War II. After the war, the Civil Aeronautics Administration began applying this technology to the problem of keeping civilian flights safely separated. In 1946, the agency used a system developed for the Navy to open a radar-equipped airport tower for demonstration purposes. By 1950, the first Airport Surveillance Radar systems were deployed in the United States. Ed Barrow's participation was key to the development of our modem ``positive air traffic control system,'' which requires all aircraft at or above 18,000 feet to be under positive air traffic control in order to ensure that they were provided separation from all other aircraft operating at the same altitudes. As chief of the FAA's Air Traffic Control Procedures Division, he was responsible for all of the procedures and phraseology used by American civilian and military air traffic controllers and ultimately oversaw the complete rewriting of the Air Traffic Control Procedures Manual. He established a set of Military Operations Areas, MOAs, in which military training and tactics would be contained and FAA controllers would then take the fighters to and from these MOAs and the military would then operate within these designated areas. Barrow also established that an FAA controller would be assigned to the NORAD facility to ensure the competency of the NORAD controllers. This all superseded an earlier agreement with the North American Air Defense, NORAD, Command of the U.S. Air Force which allowed NORAD to control fighter/inceptors independently of the FAA air traffic control system, which had become increasingly hazardous to the safety of both civilian and military aircraft. Later, Ed Barrow was assigned to Kansas City, MO, to the headquarters of the director of the FAA's Central Region, where he was responsible for aviation safety in an 11 State area, including the operational activities of the Air Traffic Division, the Flight Standards Safety Division and the Airways Facilities Division. As his friend and coworker, Glen Tigner, recently told his daughter, Marilyn: ``Your Dad often gave that country boy approach to critical matters, but believe me he was sharp as a tack. He was a real leader among men, instilling in them the attitude that they would follow him anywhere, anytime, anyhow . . . a man one would proudly serve. He will be remembered as the best of the best.'' Ed Barrow's service to his country was recognized by the Department of the Air Force, which presented him with a Decoration for Exceptional Civilian Service. It reads: ``In recognition of his exceptional performance as Airways Operations Specialist, Directorate of Operations, Headquarters USAF, from 15 October 1954 to 15 May 1956. The constant, increasing demands on the United States Air Force and other users of the airspace since the advent of jet operations presented almost insurmountable problems in the air traffic field. Through his superior knowledge, extreme conscientiousness, and outstanding application, Mr. Barrow developed completely new concepts to meet the requirements so that the Air Force now leads in air traffic control, so vital to the emergency war plans.'' Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take this opportunity to share with the House this tribute to the distinguished public service career of Daniel ``Ed'' Barrow, as he approaches his 90th birthday, and to wish him many happy returns in the years to come.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to lend my support and appreciation to the Johnson County, Kansas, chapter of the NAACP, whose Youth Council, along with the Johnson County Library, will be holding a program at the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Merriam, Kansas, on Saturday, February 18th, to honor and reflect upon Johnson County's African-American ``trailblazers.'' Specifically, this program will honor the following six individuals, families and organizations: Julius McFarlin Julius McFarlin, born in Conway, Arkansas, was instrumental in organizing the chartering of the Branch of the NAACP in Johnson County. While waiting for the Branch to be officially chartered, McFarlin served as its President from 1972-1977. In September 1977 the Branch, named the Merriam, Kansas, NAACP, was chartered and Mr. McFarlin continue serving as its President until 1998. McFarlin is still active with the Branch and is a Life-Time Member. Not only is Mr. McFarlin a ``Trailblazer'' with his work with the NAACP, in 1973, McFarlin realized a need to become involved in the community and was elected to the Merriam City Council, Precinct One, Ward One--thus becoming the first African-American elected to a political office in Johnson County, Kansas. McFarlin served until 2000. Believing in giving back to the community in which he so faithfully served, McFarlin's community involvement includes managing baseball teams for youths; prior service on the Board of South Park Neighborhood Council; a current member of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, in which he serves as the Chairman of the Trustee Board; and prior service on the Johnson County Mental Health Board; Public Works Board and City Finance Committee. Married to his bride of 60 years, the lovely Marzella (Wilson) McFarlin, Julius McFarlin is truly a Johnson County ``Trailblazer''. Dr. Norge W. Jerome Dr. Norge W. Jerome, a Nutritional Anthropologist, International Health and Nutrition Scientist, and Women in Development Specialist, is currently Professor Emeritus of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Dr. Jerome has served as Senior Research Fellow at the Center for University Cooperation in Development, Bureau of Science and Technology, U.S. Agency for International Development (A.I.D.), Department of State, in Washington, D.C., and as Director of the Office of Nutrition at A.I.D. Dr. Jerome also served as Interim Associate Dean for Minority Affairs, at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, as well as having published widely, with 2 books and over 100 articles to her credit. Dr. Jerome was born and raised on the southern Caribbean island of Grenada and came to the United States to study at Howard University. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1973 and went on to earn a B.S. degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Howard University; her M.S. and PhD. degrees are from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Jerome led a pioneering role in launching nutritional anthropology as a discipline within anthropology. Dr. Jerome has received numerous honors, tributes and awards and served on many national and international committees and panels concerned with women's health and development issues. For her many contributions, not only to this community, but worldwide, Dr. Jerome is being recognized as a Johnson County ``Trailblazer''. Mayor Carl Wilkes Carl Wilkes and his wife of 42 years, Wanda, have been residents of Merriam, Kansas, for 40 years. Carl has a 31-year career in public service for local and federal governments and currently serves as a Field Supervisor for the Housing Services Division of Johnson County's Human Services and Aging Department. Carl Wilkes was instrumental in the development and receipt of funds for the first transportation program for the elderly in Johnson County, ``Dial-A-Ride''. Carl also established--in conjunction with United Community Services--the Multi-Service Center, served as its Executive Director and developed and secured funding for the City of Kansas City, Kansas, Section 8 Housing Program and served as its Director. Carl Wilkes has received numerous awards and recognition for his service, such as Certificates of Commendation; the Meritorious Public Service Award and the Distinguished Service Award, to name a few. Nevertheless, Carl Wilkes will always be remembered in Johnson County as the first African-American to be elected as Mayor of a local community. On April 23, 2001, Carl Wilkes was sworn in as the 10th Mayor of Merriam, Kansas. On recount, his election was determined by two votes. Carl Wilkes is currently serving his second term as Mayor of the City of Merriam, Kansas. Carl Wilkes is truly a ``Trailblazer'' and deserving of such recognition. mt. olive baptist church--merriam, kansas In 1922, the members of Shiloh Baptist and First Baptist in Merriam, Kansas, combined their two churches to form Mount Olive Baptist Church. Mt. Olive members were, and still are, active in church, community and political affairs. During the 1940s Mt. Olive played an important role in helping the parents who were involved in the seminal 1949 decision involving school desegregation--Webb vs. Merriam Board of Education. Mt. Olive, during this litigation, which lasted for approximately two years, opened up its doors for school to be set up and receive instruction. The support of Mt. Olive members helped them to achieve this wonderful victory. It was also during the late 1940s and early 1950s that the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, allowed the NAACP to utilize its basement for its meetings and continue to be a voice in the community for civil rights and equality advocating. To this day, the Mt. Olive Baptist Church is still committed to the spiritual grown of all and concerned about matters that impact the community. For its contributions to the development of Johnson County, Kansas, the Mt. Olive Baptist Church is truly a ``Trailblazer''. alfonso and marv webb In 1947, parents of 39 school children attempted but failed to enroll their children in the new South Park Grade School, which was less than a mile from their homes. The parents did not want to send their children to the Madame C.J. Walker School, which did not have running water, electricity or up-to-date textbooks. Instead, the parents elected, with the permission of the pastor of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church, to set up school at the church and in homes. Two of these parents were Alfonso and Mary Webb. Preceding the Brown vs. The Topeka Board of Education decision, Mr. and Mrs. Alfonso Webb, on behalf of their minor children, Harvey and Eugene Webb, the plaintiffs, filed suit in the 1948 desegregation case, Webb vs. School District #90. Included in this litigation were Shirley Ann Turner and Herbert Turner, minor children of Thelma and Earnest Turner, and Delores Gay and Patricia Black, minor children of Thomas Black. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that the black students would attend the previously all white South Park Elementary School. In September 1949 the black students were admitted without incident. Alfonso and Mary Webb were truly ``Trailblazers.'' the McCallop Family Robert L. McCallop was born in Wilder, Kansas, in 1894. Robert reflected the success of African-Americans all across the country. He took something that many of us take for granted and turned it into an achievement based upon business and education. In 1934 Robert turned the back of a truck into a bus to provide transportation for African-American children so that they could attend school in Wyandotte County, Kansas. The McCallop Company was the first black-owned bus company in Johnson County. Thanks to the McCallop family, black children in Johnson County in the 1930s through the 1950s were able to get an education. Because of segregated times, African-American Johnson County children were unable to attend secondary school within the county. Instead, they were forced to cross over to Wyandotte County to attend Sumner High School. Oscar Johnson, former educator and President of the Johnson County Branch of the NAACP, states: ``the McCallops were a family so intact, so committed to stay the course in a community that wasn't always welcoming. Yet, they thrived and flourished despite the odds they faced''. William, sibling of Robert McCallop, and his wife Ruth, will appear at Saturday's event to accept this award for the contributions the McCallops has given to this county and the McCallops are truly ``Trailblazers''. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to pay tribute to these distinguished Johnson Countians and to Mt. Olive Baptist Church, and I know that all members of the United States House of Representatives join with me in saluting these ``trailblazers.''

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Max Falkenstien, the ``Voice of the Kansas Jayhawks'', who will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2005-2006 men's basketball season at the University of Kansas. The conclusion of the current season will mark Max Falkenstien's 60th season of broadcasting Kansas University sporting events. At age 81, he has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, and the KU Athletic Hall of Fame. He was the first inductee of the Lawrence High School Hall of Honor. Additionally, he has been awarded an honorary ``K'' by the Kansas Lettermen's Club. The Sporting News in 2001 named Falkenstien ``the best college radio personality in the country'' and ESPN's Dick Vitale included KU's Bob Davis and Falkenstien in his ``Sweet 16'' of the best announcer teams in the United States. A true legend, Max Falkenstien has been synonymous with KU athletics for six decades. As KU basketball coach Bill Self recently said in the Lawrence Journal-World, ``Max has performed at the highest level over an extended period of time like very few in his profession.'' Falkenstien broadcast his first basketball game--an NCAA tournament game in Kansas City between KU and Oklahoma A&M--on March 18, 1946. His next broadcast was KU versus TCU in football on September 21, 1946. He was play-by-play voice of the Jayhawks for 39 years and then switched to a commentator's role in September 1984 when Bob Davis assumed play- by-play duties. Falkenstien provided play-by-play for the Big Eight Conference basketball game of the week between 1968 and 1971, and for more than three decades hosted football and basketball coaches' TV programs, including those for Don Fambrough, Pepper Rogers, Mike Gottfried, Ted Owens, Larry Brown and Roy Williams. Mr. Speaker, I include with this statement a recent article from the Lawrence Journal-World summarizing Max Falkenstien's outstanding career and I join with all KU fans in wishing him well in his long overdue, richly deserved retirement as ``Voice of the Kansas Jayhawks.'' [From the Lawrence Journal-World, Jan. 7, 2006] To the Max (By Dave Ranney) A few seconds after he'd worked his way past security and into the Jayhawks' dressing room, veteran broadcaster Max Falkenstien fielded a warm, friendly--but unexpected-- greeting. ``Hey, Max, how're you doing?'' It was Michael Lee, a popular reserve guard from last year's basketball team who had recently signed with the Harlem Globetrotters. Falkenstien smiled as they shook hands. There wasn't time to chat. A crowd of well-wishers had gathered around Lee and Kansas University had just trounced the Yale Bulldogs, 87-46, so Falkenstien needed to get ready for his postgame interview with coach Bill Self. Quickly, Lee explained he was in town for a checkup for an irregular heartbeat. He wanted Falkenstien to know because the ``Voice of the Jayhawks'' cares. Despite their generational differences, Falkenstien, 81, and Lee, 22, are friends. ``Max is cool,'' Lee said afterward. ``As soon as you get here people start telling you, `That's Max Falkenstien. He's been here forever.' So even before you meet him, you respect him. And then when you meet him, he's always nice. He always says hello. It's like you can't go wrong with him.'' Lee isn't alone. Falkenstien, it seems, has more friends than Kansas has sunflowers. Some, like Wilt Chamberlain or coach Phog Allen, have been famous. Most are not. ``I was with Max at the (KU vs.) K-State football game this year,'' said Jim Marchiony, KU associate athletics director. ``It took us 20 minutes to get from the parking lot to the press box because so many people stopped to talk to him--and these were K-State fans! ``Whenever you're on the road with Max, it's like you're with the mayor of whatever city you're in,'' he said. ``It's amazing.'' Late last summer, Falkenstien announced he would retire after the 2005-06 men's basketball season. Sixty years behind a microphone, he said, was enough. ``I'll miss it terribly,'' Falkenstien told the Journal-World. ``But I think this is a good place to stop. I don't want to overstay my welcome.'' Though he underwent emergency intestinal surgery Sept. 7, Falkenstien said he was in good health. ``My surgery was completely unexpected and had no relationship to my decision to retire,'' he said. ``As far as I know, I'm in good shape. Of course, something could happen tomorrow. You never know.'' Falkenstien's exit will mark the end of an era. ``I can remember my father listening to Max on a battery- powered radio out on the farm,'' said Dr. Earl Merkel, a 73- year-old KU Medical School alumnus from Russell. ``In Kansas, everybody identifies with him,'' Merkel said. ``They may not have met him, but they know his voice. They feel like they know him.'' ``Max is an institution,'' said John Clarke, a 1979 KU graduate who lives in Hays. ``He is synonymous with the Jayhawks. When you hear him, you think of KU.'' Falkenstien and his play-by-play partner, Bob Davis, have a one-of-a-kind relationship. ``I don't think we've ever argued or had a disagreement,'' Falkenstien said. ``We've had a lot of laughs in 22 years,'' Davis said. Both are native Kansans. Falkenstien grew up in Lawrence, Davis in Hays. Neither is young. Davis is 61. ``When you stand the test of time like they have for 22 years, you must be doing something right,'' said Tom Hedrick, a veteran broadcaster who competed with Falkenstien from the late 1940s into the early 1960s. ``It'll be difficult for anyone else to do what Bob and Max have done because people move around so much now,'' said Hedrick, who's semiretired and lives in Lawrence. Falkenstien and Davis have stayed put. Both have other jobs. Davis is play-by-play announcer for the Kansas City Royals. Falkenstien was senior vice president of marketing for Douglas County Bank for 25 years. He remains an occasional consultant. ``I've led a charmed life, I know,'' Falkenstien said. While a senior at Liberty Memorial High School (now Central Junior High School, 1400 Mass.) Falkenstien heard that local radio station WREN had a job opening. He'd been told he had a good voice for radio, so he applied. ``Arden Booth, who a lot of people will remember, had been called into the service,'' Falkenstien said. ``I got the job, but it had nothing to do with sportscasting. I was just a staff announcer.'' Falkenstien graduated from LMHS in 1942, six months after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. After a semester at KU, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in hopes of becoming a meteorologist. ``I put in 35 months, but I never went overseas,'' he said. Falkenstien returned to Lawrence. He'd been in town about a week when his former boss at WREN asked him to broadcast a basketball game in Kansas City that pitted KU against Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) in the NCAA district finals. The fact he'd never done play-by-play didn't matter. ``Back then, it wasn't like it is now. People didn't expect to hear a game on the radio. They'd read about it in the newspaper,'' he said. ``What we were doing was new.'' Falkenstien stayed at WREN until 1967, when he had a falling out with the station's owner, former Kansas Gov. Alf Landon. The Big Eight Conference wanted him to be the play-by-play announcer for its televised ``Game of the Week.'' ``Back then,'' Falkenstien said, ``there was only one game a week that was televised. So this was a big deal for me.'' But Landon refused to let his station manager, Falkenstien, appear on television. ``I kept saying it would make me more sellable--that would be good for business,'' Falkenstien said. ``But he just didn't get the concept.'' Falkenstien jumped to WIBW-TV, where he continued to broadcast KU football and basketball games. In 1984, KU decided to put the broadcast rights to its basketball and football games up for bid. Before then, Falkenstien and Hedrick broadcast the games for different stations. Learfield Communications, a company based in Jefferson City, Mo., won the bid in 1985. It brought in Davis, who had been broadcasting Fort Hays State University games for 16 years. Falkenstien was offered the sidekick role. ``I had a lot of misgivings at first,'' Falkenstien said. But Davis welcomed the chance to work with Falkenstien. ``I know this sounds a little corny, but when I was growing up my heroes were sportscasters, and Max was one of the first ones out there,'' Davis said. ``He was a pioneer.'' Together, Davis and Falkenstien have mastered a low-key, fishing-buddy delivery that's unpretentious, never overbearing. ``Bob and I try to keep things in perspective,'' Falkenstien said. ``Games are supposed to be fun. They're not the end of the world.'' He added: ``It's like Dr. (Phog) Allen used to tell his players. He'd say, `Remember, guys, there are 300 million Chinese out there who don't even know who we are.' '' Falkenstien said he and Davis keep the game simple, their delivery conversational. ``Too many color commentators are too analytical,'' Falkenstien said. ``They lose the average fan.'' Neither Davis nor Falkenstien pretend to be experts. ``I remember one time, I had to ask Roy Williams what a `secondary break' was, so I'd look smart,'' Falkenstien said, laughing. In the game programs, Falkenstien used to be listed as color analyst. ``I had them drop the `analyst,' '' he said. ``I'm just `color.' '' The broadcasts are not as laid-back as they appear. Davis scrambles to keep track of fouls and points while Falkenstien plucks statistics from a nearby monitor, lifts tidbits from the day's sports pages and pulls trivia from packets provided by the teams' athletic departments--all while the game is going on, all without missing a beat. Contrary to popular opinion, their press-row seats across from the KU bench are not the best in Allen Fieldhouse. They cannot see the scoreboard without leaning back and looking straight up. They are so cramped they cannot stand or cross their legs. Many times, a referee blocks their view. During the Yale game, Davis barked ``there's a turnover'' without mentioning who had stolen the ball from whom. That's because he couldn't see the play; referee Steve Welmer was standing in front of him, less than an arm's length away. After the game, Falkenstien is the first--and only--member of the media allowed to meet with Self in the coaches' dressing room. When they finish, Self leaves for a meeting with the press corps at-large. He uses a back door. Falkenstien leaves through the front door, where hopeful fans wait for autographs. He is an easy target. ``Max! Max! Over here!'' said Genie Gnagi, standing behind her 6-year-old daughter, Michaela, with a miniature plastic basketball. ``May we have your autograph, please?'' Without hesitation, a smiling Falkenstien complies. ``He is a true KU legend,'' Gnagi said. ``He will be missed.''

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, joined today by my Kansas colleagues Todd Tiahrt, Jim Ryun and Jerry Moran, I am introducing legislation that would designate the United States post office located at 110 North Chestnut Street in Olathe as the ``Governor John Anderson, Jr. Post Office Building.'' Governor Anderson was born near Olathe in 1917 and educated at Kansas State University and the University of Kansas, where he received a law degree in 1944. After serving on the staff of U.S. District Court Judge Walter Huxman for two years, John Anderson won election as Johnson County Attorney in 1947, where he served for six years. He was a member of the Kansas State Senate from 1953-1956, and was appointed Kansas Attorney General, serving from 1956-1961. Elected Governor of Kansas in 1960 and 1962, he defeated incumbent Governor George Docking, served as Governor during Kansas' centennial celebration, and appointed James B. Pearson to the United States Senate upon the death of Senator Andrew Schoeppel. John Anderson's tenure as Kansas Governor was marked by numerous achievements, including: Revision of the state's pardon and parole systems; Creation of a combined state medical and psychiatric hospital; Restructuring of the state's public school system into unified districts; Increasing of the state's per-pupil expenditure allowance; Addition of the University of Wichita to the state board of regents system; Sanctioning of fair employment practices standards; Approval of an advanced public employee retirement system; Advancements in highway construction; Expansion of vocational-technical schools; Authorization of a state library consultant; Improvements in the public welfare system; and Reorganization of state agencies, commissions and boards. Mr. Speaker, this legislation honoring an important Kansas leader is long overdue, and I know that my delegation colleagues look forward with me to its speedy enactment.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Max Falkenstien, the ``Voice of the Kansas Jayhawks'', who will be retiring at the conclusion of the 2005--2006 men's basketball season at the University of Kansas. The conclusion of the current season will mark Max Falkenstien's 60th season of broadcasting Kansas University sporting events. At age 81, he has been inducted into the Naisimith Basketball Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, and the KU Athletic Hall of Fame. He was the first inductee of the Lawrence High School Hall of Honor. Additionally, he has been awarded an honorary ``K'' by the Kansas Lettermen's Club. The Sporting News in 2001 named Falkenstien ``the best college radio personality in the country'' and ESPN's Dick Vitale included KU's Bob Davis and Falkenstien in his ``Sweet 16'' of the best announcer teams in the United States. A true legend, Max Falkenstien has been synonymous with KU athletics for 6 decades. As KU basketball coach Bill Self recently said in the Lawrence Journal-World, ``Max has performed at the highest level over an extended period of time like very few in his profession.'' Falkenstien broadcast his first basketball game--an NCAA tournament game in Kansas City between KU and Oklahoma A&M--on March 18, 1946. His next broadcast was KU versus TCU in football on September 21, 1946. He was play-by-play voice of the Jayhawks for 39 years and then switched to a commentator's role in September 1984 when Bob Davis assumed play- by-play duties. Falkenstien provided play-by-play for the Big Eight Conference basketball game of the week between 1968 and 1971, and for more than 3 decades hosted football and basketball coaches' TV programs, including those for Don Fambrough, Pepper Rogers, Mike Gottfried, Ted Owens, Larry Brown and Roy Williams. Mr. Speaker, I include with this statement a recent article from the Lawrence Journal-World summarizing Max Falkenstien's outstanding career and I join with all KU fans in wishing him well in his long overdue, richly deserved retirement as ``Voice of the Kansas Jayhawks.''

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, as a founding member of the House Center Aisle Caucus, which seeks to bring greater civility and moderation to the actions of the United States House of Representatives and to the interactions between its Members, I commend to all of my colleagues the recent Providence Journal column authored by Eugene G. Bernardo, II, which I have included in today's Congressional Record. Mr. Bernardo's commentary regarding the increasing breakdown of civility in political campaigns is equally applicable to the legislative process at the federal level. As he concludes: ``By encouraging us to see as equals even those with whom we disagree vehemently, civility lets us hold the respectful dialogues without which democratic decision-making is impossible.'' Mr. Speaker, truer words have never been written. I hope that our colleagues will take them to heart as we face the legislative challenges of the weeks and months to come. [From the Providence Journal, Nov. 11, 2005] Incivility breeds threats to democracy (By Eugene G. Bernardo II) In 1982, noted criminologists James Q. Wilson and George Kelling developed the ``broken windows'' theory of crime. The premise was that when a broken window in a building is left unrepaired, the rest of the windows are soon broken by vandals. According to Wilson and Kelling, the broken window invites further vandalism by sending a signal that no one is in charge, and that breaking more windows has no undesirable consequences. The broken window is their metaphor for numerous ways in which behavioral norms can break down in a community. If one person scrawls graffiti on a wall, others will soon be using their spray paint. If one person begins dumping garbage in a vacant lot, other dumpers will follow. In short, once people begin disregarding the norms that maintain community order, both community and order unravel-- sometimes with alarming alacrity. The broken-windows theory is applicable to the modern-day political campaign. The campaign for public office should be waged within the marketplace of ideas. It should entail a wide range of debates about public policy, with the candidates each aiming to persuade the citizenry to accept their viewpoints. However, what we are seeing within the marketplace of ideas today is a disturbing growth of incivility that confirms the broken-windows theory. This breakdown of civil norms is not the exclusive failing of either the political left or the right. It spreads across the political spectrum. It is typically carried out, not by the candidates, but by auxiliary groups and other campaigners, who attempt to help their cause by demonizing their opponents. For example, New Jersey's just-completed race for governor was marred by cross allegations of marital infidelity. Such examples--unfortunately, there are many more--come from so-called leaders in the marketplace of ideas, all of whom are highly educated and must stand behind their public statements. The Internet, with its easy access and worldwide reach, is a breeding ground for even more degrading incivilities. This illustrates the first aspect of the broken-windows theory: Once the incivility starts, people will take it as an invitation to join in, and pretty soon there's little limit to the incivility. A second aspect of the broken-windows theory, however, is also happening. Wilson and Kelling describe this response when the visible signs of order deteriorate in a neighborhood: ``Many residents will think that crime, especially violent crime, is on the rise, and they will modify their behavior accordingly. They will use the streets less often, and when on the streets will stay apart from their fellows, moving with averted eyes, silent lips, and hurried steps. Don't get involved.'' We see this in the political arena. Many are opting out as civility breaks down in the marketplace of ideas. In the last two presidential elections, fewer than half of eligible voters even bothered to vote; voter participation in national elections is on a 40-year decline. As the atmosphere turns hostile to anything approaching a civil exchange or a real dialogue, citizens depart from the political process and shun their civic responsibility. This is the real danger of incivility. Our free-breathing, self-governing society requires the oxygen of an open exchange of ideas. It requires a certain level of civility rooted in mutual respect for each other's opinions. However, what we see today is an accelerating competition between the left and the right to see which side can inflict more damage to the other. Increasingly, participants in public debates appear to be exchanging ideas when in fact they are spewing invective. When behavioral norms break down in a community, the police can restore order. But when civility breaks down in the marketplace of ideas, the law is generally powerless. Our right to speak freely-- indeed, to speak with incivility--is guaranteed by the First Amendment. If we are to prevail as a free, self-governing people, we must restore civility to public discourse. We have to be responsible. We must govern our tongues and our pens. Whether the incivility occurs on a talk show, in a newspaper column, in political campaign ads, at the office water cooler, or in an Internet chat room, it must be met with active disapproval. This is not to say that democracy requires consensus; it requires debate, which . presupposes that we have disagreements. But civility demands of us that we not let those disagreements--even during these times of great division between the left and the right--push us into words or acts of sharp offense or violence. By encouraging us to see as equals even those with whom we disagree vehemently, civility lets us hold the respectful dialogues without which democratic decision-making is impossible.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 2830, the Pension Protection Act of 2005. As the nature of our economy has changed in recent decades, our manufacturing sector has experienced difficult times. Many companies in the auto, auto parts, and steel producing industries are now burdened with expensive legacy costs, particularly pension obligations, that are increasingly difficult to honor. Long-term costs have contributed to the need for companies in these industries to seek significant cost savings, sometimes through factory closings and employee layoffs. Consequently, defined benefit pension plans sponsored by some of the companies in these industries, as well as in the airline industry, in which several companies have sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in recent years, have been turned over to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation [PBGC]. This legislation, while not perfect, seeks to increase private companies' funding of their employees' pension plans, as well as improve the financial health of the PBGC by increasing companies' premiums to the agency. The risk of a taxpayer-funded bailout of the PBGC, which is funded entirely by companies' that sponsor defined benefit pension plans, is very real in the near future. According to Bradley Belt, the Executive Director of the PBGC, ``Unfortunately, the financial health of the PBGC is not improving. The money available to pay benefits is eventually going to run out unless Congress enacts comprehensive pension reform to get plans better funded and provide the insurance program with additional resources.'' Congress has a responsibility to act now to prevent a PBGC bankruptcy and future taxpayer bailout of the agency. Last year, the PBGC absorbed 120 terminated defined benefit pension plans, and last month the agency announced that in fiscal year [FY] 2005 it had liabilities of $79.2 billion and assets of $56.5 billion. That amounts to a deficit in the pension insurance program of $22.8 billion. While the FY05 deficit improved slightly over FY04's deficit of $23.3 billion, the latest deficit figure from the PBGC is somewhat misleading. The agency's FY05 deficit actually would have increased to $25.7 if it had included company-plan terminations announced after the fiscal year ended on September 30. Probable pension losses from companies that filed for Chapter 11 protection in September, including 2 large airlines and a major auto-parts supplier, will likely increase the PBGC's liabilities. The PBGC estimates that the pension plans in those companies are underfunded by more than $15 billion. The agency includes those pension plans in its category of financially weak company plans, the liabilities of which rose to $108 billion this year from $96 billion in 2004. In 2004, the PBGC collected only $1.5 billion in premiums from the companies that it insures. H.R. 2830 would raise companies' annual PBGC premium payments from $19 to $30 per participant. The $30 premium would be phased in beginning in 2007, on a schedule based on a plan's funded status. Even with premium increases in H.R. 2830, it could take more than a decade to close the agency's deficit. I hope that this bill is the beginning of the PBGC's long march back to fiscal health. Further, H.R. 2830 would increase companies' funding requirements for their defined benefit plans and would shorten the period over which funding shortfalls must be eliminated. The bill's provisions regarding both single- and multi-employer plans move companies in the right direction. I also appreciate the willingness of Chairmen John Boehner and Bill Thomas to agree to a significant improvement in the ``shutdown benefits'' provision of H.R. 2830 as introduced. Shutdown benefits, which are payments made to long-service employees when a plant is shut down, would have been prohibited under the original version of H.R. 2830. The improved version of this measure allows a defined benefit plan to provide shutdown benefits if the plan is at least 80 percent funded. Well-funded pension plans will be able to continue providing shutdown benefits to employees who have worked hard over their careers and expect the retirement benefits that they have been promised. H.R. 2830 will soften the blow of expected plant shutdowns at companies that have fulfilled their responsibilities to their employees and funded their pension plans as they were supposed to over the years. Finally, I am very supportive of the provisions in H.R. 2830 that would make permanent several retirement savings provisions that were included in the 2001 tax law, including the increases in IRA and 401(k) contribution limits, with their full adjustments for inflation. Prior to 2001, the maximum amount that a taxpayer could contribute to an IRA was $2,000 per year. The 2001 tax law gradually increased that limit to $5,000 [by 2008]. I worked to ensure that IRA contribution limits increased in that law, and believe that the permanent extension of those limits will increase the certainty needed in retirement planning. Likewise, I strongly support the bill's language that would make permanent the saver's credit for low-income taxpayers. Taxpayers with incomes below $50,000 for a married couple, and below $25,000 for individuals, are eligible to receive a tax credit of up to 50% of contributions [up to $2,000] that they have made during the year to employer-sponsored retirement plans or IRAs. Increasing incentives for people of all income brackets to save for their retirements should be a top priority of Congress, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in both parties to improve the national savings rate in our country.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 4297, the FY05 tax reconciliation bill. I do not oppose tax cuts, and in a more stable fiscal climate I could support reduced tax rates for capital gains and dividend income. What I do oppose is borrowing money to pay for tax cuts, and particularly for tax cuts that do not expire for another three years. In 2001, I was one of only 28 House Democrats to vote for President's Bush's 2001 tax cuts that reduced marginal income tax rates. Since 2001, however, our country's fiscal condition has dramatically reversed course. In 2001, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted that the 10-year budget surplus would be $5.6 trillion. That projected 10- year surplus of $5.6 trillion has deteriorated into a projected $3.9 trillion deficit during the same period. In FY2005, the Federal Government ran a budget deficit of $319 billion, the third largest deficit in our Nation's history. Further, on February 17, 2004, the national debt of the United States exceeded $7 trillion for the first time in our country's history. On October 21, 2005, the national debt of the United States exceeded $8 trillion for the first time in our country's history. That is an increase of $1 trillion in our national debt over the last 2 years. It took our country 193 years, from 1787 to 1980, to rack up $1 trillion in debt, and just under two years, from 2004-2005, to match that level of borrowing. An $8 trillion national debt comes down to nearly $27,000 per person in our country, and that is simply unacceptable. The first rule of holes is that when you're in a hole and you don't want to go deeper, stop digging. It is now past time that we stop digging our country deeper and deeper into debt, leaving our children and grandchildren to pay a steep price for the deficits and debt we are adding to today. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4297 extends several tax relief measures, including reduced rates for capital gains and dividend income, that I support and would vote for in a balanced, revenue neutral measure. I support: the saver's credit; small business and brownfields expensing relief; the Work Opportunity Tax Credit; the research and experimentation credit; deductions for higher education and classroom expenses; the exclusion for active financing income; and 15-year depreciation rates for restaurant equipment and improvements to leased property. Unfortunately, the Joint Tax Committee estimates that H.R. 4297 will cost $56.1 billion over the next five years, and the CBO estimates that extending the dividend and capital gains tax reductions alone would cost approximately $160 billion from FY2008 to FY2015. Further, unlike the Senate tax reconciliation bill, the House version of this legislation does not address what is arguably the most significant looming tax concern for middle-class American families, namely the growing number of Americans who are forced to pay the alternative minimum tax (AMT). While reduced rates for capital gains and dividend income will not expire for another three years, AMT relief is scheduled to expire in less than one month, at the end of this year. If AMT relief is allowed to lapse, the number of taxpayers subject to the AMT will increase from 3 million in 2004 to 21 million in 2006. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending AMT relief and indexing it for inflation would reduce federal revenue by $191 billion over the next five years. This is an immediate problem that Congress and the Administration need to work together to fix in a responsible, bipartisan way, before millions of Americans are hit with large, unexpected tax increases. Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work with my colleagues in both parties to advance commonsense, bipartisan approaches to solving our country's fiscal problems. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to act as soon as possible, in a fiscally sound way, to prevent serious consequences for current and future generations.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, today America celebrates the life of Rosa Parks. Fifty years ago a brave lady said ``no,'' she would not go to the back of the bus and she helped end a sad chapter in American history. When Rosa Parks refused to move she stood tall for what America is about--for the dignity of every person and for human rights. Rosa Parks helped make us a better country. Rosa Parks made us all proud.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to bring to the attention of the House of Representatives a profile and interview of one of my leading constituents in Kansas' Third Congressional District, Walter Hiersteiner of Prairie Village, Kansas. Walt recently was the subject of an article in ``The Best Times: a newspaper for Johnson County's 60-and-older citizens'', which I am including with this statement. Walt Hiersteiner has a long history of service to his family, friends and community. Since 1946, he has been involved with the management and administration of the Tension Envelope Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri, where he has been responsible for numerous innovations in that field, including 25 United States patents. Just as important, if not more so, has been his dedication to the Kansas City community, including: service on the Shawnee Mission Board of Education; establishment of the Committee for Excellence, which supported several school bond issues; service on the Kansas State Board of Regents, to which he was appointed by Governor Robert Docking; chairing the Legislative Committee for the Johnson County Community College Foundation; and fundraising and direct financial support for numerous worthy community causes, including the Children's Center at Johnson County Community College and the Truman Medical Center. I am pleased to have this opportunity to place this profile from the Best Times in the Record, but I am more pleased to have this opportunity to publicly recognize Walt Hiersteiner as a vitally important community leader and activist in the Third Congressional District, and as my personal friend for many years. [From The Best Times, Sept. 2005] Walt Hiersteiner: Community Involvement Over a Lifetime (By Lynn Anderson) A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Walter Hiersteiner graduated from the University of Iowa in Iowa City (a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society in 1939) and then Harvard Law School in 1942, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. While a student at the University of Iowa, he met Jean Newburger, whom he married in 1944. After World War II, the couple moved to Kansas City. Following his graduation from Harvard Law School, he practiced briefly with the Kansas City law firm of Ryland, Stinson, Mag & Thomson. In 1942 he was called in as a commissioned Naval officer, serving until 1946, principally as a naval gunnery officer stationed in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then Long Island, New York. Following his discharge in 1946, he practiced briefly with the law firm of Margolin & Reinhardt in Kansas City. Then, in 1946, he joined the Tension Envelope Corp., which at that time had four manufacturing facilities. Years later, when Bert Berkowitz and Walter Berkowitz died within three weeks of one another, Bert Berkley, the son of Bert Berkowitz, became president, and Walter became executive vice president, sharing principal management responsibilities with Bert Berkley. Bert Berkley's son, Bill, has taken over the sole management of the Tension Envelope Corp., which has manufacturing plants in Malaysia, China, and Taiwan, and eight domestic manufacturing plants, with 30 sales and service offices in major markets. The company manufactures more than 12 billion envelopes a year. Walt champions multiple civic causes with energy and conviction, particularly in the areas of public education and health care. He was named Johnson Countian of the Year in 2003. Eighty-six years old, he lives in Prairie Village with his wife, Jean. They have four children, all of whom graduated from the Shawnee Mission district public schools, and nine grandchildren. His oldest son, Richard, is a lawyer with the firm of Palmer and Dodge in Boston, Mass.; Mary is a teacher in special education and also a partner in a tutoring business; Joseph practices law in Kansas City with the firm of Seigfried, Bingham; and Dorothy is an art therapist in Boulder, Colo., who exhibits her watercolor paintings. Lynn Anderson was treated to a warm, stimulating conversation with Hiersteiner in his third-floor office at 819 E. 19th St. in Kansas City, Mo. Q: Let's begin with a little about your background. You grew up in Iowa, went to the University of Iowa and Harvard Law School, served in the Navy, and finally settled in Kansas City. You've now been in Kansas City for almost 60 years. Why have you wanted to continue making Kansas City your home? A: Jean and I are both strong Midwesterners and we prefer the Midwest unquestionably. I had many opportunities to practice law in the East, but we chose to stay in the Midwest, primarily because we thought it afforded the very best environment in which to raise children. We enjoy everything about living in Kansas City, not the least being its people, the educational facilities of Johnson County for our youngsters, and the wonderful company for which I have worked nearly 60 years. We really have had no desire or inkling to go elsewhere! Q: You have been with the Tension Envelope Corp. since 1947. You started in sales, later became sales manager and subsequently executive vice president, and now are vice chairman of the board. In what ways has the life of a businessman and lawyer suited you? A: A law school education really amounts to learning how to think, and I was able to use thinking skills in the business world. Initially I was involved in labor relations, but I became actively interested in the envelope business. That interest was acquired quite naturally because I was always interested in riddles, which led to my being fascinated by the complicated envelope equipment, leading to my developing 25 envelope designs that have been patented. The company employs a cadre of sales representatives. Often they sought me out, expressing a particular interest of a sales prospect, and together we developed a special envelope to fit the customer's needs. Our company's reputation has been founded not only on regular envelopes of all descriptions but on specialty envelopes. You asked how I would come up with a new design. It's a process of constant and penetrating thought--pensive thoughtfulness--about how to get a better result. I would think about solutions for envelope puzzles at all hours! Q: Hanging on your office wall are 25 framed patents of envelope designs you created, including an airline ticket envelope and specialty packaging envelopes for Hallmark, among a large number of other customers. Were you always inventive? A: Twenty-four of the patents are envelopes, but one is of particular interest. In summer vacations at Cape Cod, our kids would have dry cereal for breakfast--but without closing the boxes satisfactorily, the cereals became moist. I developed a special closure on a box of cereal, and indicated I was going to apply for a patent, to which my youngsters felt ``not surprised!'' I communicated with the Kellogg Company and General Foods after securing a patent, but the Kellogg Company was inspired to go in a different direction by my concept, and that particular patent never materialized into the acceptance I had hoped. Our company is still imbued With the philosophy of coming up with something different and better for customers with specialty needs. Today, in most instances, others in our company handle these specialty problems. But if a designer has an interesting challenge and comes to me seeking advice, I'm happy to provide it! Q: Tension Envelope has a foundation providing grants for worthy nonprofit activities. Do you believe that businesses have a responsibility to contribute profits in ways that benefit the community? A: Absolutely! Tension Envelope was founded in 1888 by the father of Bert Berkowitz and Walter Berkowitz, and Bert and Walter were always involved in community activities, principally public education and hospitals. Our company continues to push for community involvement because it is so rewarding! Tension contributes to the community by being a family- focused company. Over the years, we have had two or three generations of the same family working in our company--in part, I think, because our management maintains a genuine interest in its employees. We have a fine retirement program, so many of our former employees are now enjoying the retirement they richly deserve. And I very definitely believe that community involvement is a responsibility for all corporations. We all take advantage of the good fortune of living in the United States, and specifically in Johnson County, so we should share that good fortune. Q: Five mornings a week, you are still at your desk at Tension. Do you have opportunities to interact with younger employees and managers? And why don't you simply go home and find recreational and retirement activities? A: Simply explained, I'm having too much fun to quit. I'm able to have the better of both worlds: semi-retirement and continuing involvement. I am an observer and a consultant, and I try to stay out of the way of the people, many or most of whom I have trained! I engage in some mentoring. I'm finding, though, that it's not so easy to be graceful when you see that those whom you've trained are sometimes doing a better job than you did! Q: In 1979, you and Jean established an Outstanding Service Award at the University of Kansas School of Law for the graduating student whose service to his or her fellow students was considered by the faculty as demonstrating foremost promise for the legal profession and society. You seem to be encouraging young men and women to think about social service. A: It's significant to us that many of the Outstanding Service Award winners say they became involved in social service to ``pay back'' the community. I recognize what they mean by that, but Jean and I don't think of it exactly that way. We just deeply enjoy the pleasure we get from working with the splendid people with whom we collaborate, along with the satisfaction of seeing what we can accomplish together. Q: You are a member of the New Reform Temple. What makes this synagogue and its people special to you? A: We all need to have pride in our own faith, whatever it may be, and opportunities to express our faith with others. In fact, Jean helped in the establishment of the New Reform Temple, which now has a new rabbi, Jacques Cukierkorn, very active in the city's Interfaith Alliance and off to a great start. Q: People of a range of economic levels often want to contribute to their community. What are your thoughts on how we can all do that? A: Many of the people with whom we associate have a passion for being helpful. There's no ``admission fee'' for volunteering! Early volunteering of one's energy and support can be equal in importance to larger dollars that could be contributed. It's a good idea to apply the energy and support even without funds early on, and grow into perhaps more contribution of both energy and support with funds later on. Q: In 1957, you and Jean moved your four children from Kansas City to Fairway. Did your move to Johnson County have anything to do with the school systems? A: It had everything to do with the schools! In Kansas City in those days, even in the secondary grades, the schools had sororities and fraternities, which in our judgment interfered with general relationships and activities and subordinated, in many instances, the concentration on academics. I sought out the superintendent of schools to persuade him that their existence was undesirable and at odds with what should be gleaned from public education--but nothing appeared on the horizon, so we moved to Kansas, where the fraternities and sororities then and now have been prohibited by state law except in higher education. Many of our friends have sent their children to private schools, which we never considered. Our personal view was that our children would receive better preparation for public life--for the mixture of people they would encounter and for how they would need to communicate--through a public school education. I think public schools tend to be more competitive, inspiring youngsters to do well. Public school is a strong preparation for life after school. Q: In 1968, you were elected to the Board of Education for the Shawnee Mission School District. You became board vice president, then president in 1972. What drew you to that form of public service, and what were some of the most contentious issues and most rewarding moments? A: One day long ago, I read in the paper that the Shawnee Mission Board of Education had refused to accept government funds to supplement its special education programs, in the fear that those monies might be dominated by their funding source. That didn't appeal to me and I decided that, rather than just complaining, I'd run for the school board. The more I got involved after a successful campaign, the more justified I felt in that investment of time. Of course, I found some things that I felt were not pleasing, including the fact that girls were denied any athletic competition and confined to participating on drill teams or as cheerleaders. We were able to change that, with the help of the other members of the board, to the point that the principal of Shawnee Mission North once introduced me to his students as ``the father of girls' athletics'' in the district! That's something of which I still remain very proud. Another thing I found displeasing was the concentration by the school district and its administrators in the length of students' hair and the length of skirts, about which they had rules that they monitored rather carefully. During that period of time my older son, who was in law school, came home sporting a mustache. I didn't happen to prefer it, and I thought I was being diplomatic about expressing my objections. However, six months later, when I saw him at law school, he had removed his mustache. When I inquired as to the reason, his explanation really awakened me. He said he simply got tired of it and that if it hadn't been for me, he would have been tired of it three months earlier! When I reported that to the school board and campaigned for a total concentration on comportment in academics, and not on these extraneous things, the board finally agreed to do away with any dress codes. The administrators, to their dismay at the outset, found that students' appearance did not deteriorate as they had anticipated. One of the things I remember with satisfaction is that I had an intern working with me for awhile when I was on the school board, doing leg work and research, helping me considerably and helping in his own development. I have recommended that a few times since. Q: In the 1980s, concerned about funding for the school district, you helped organize the Committee for Excellence. You worked with Larry Winn III and Fred Logan. (Since that time, Winn has been elected to the school board and Logan has become a co-sponsor of the Committee for Excellence.) Initially you were very much involved in gaining the support of a levy election and then two bond issues, the last of which was for $140 million in the Shawnee Mission district. A: Through the work of the Committee for Excellence, which had hundreds of supporting activists or more, we were able to get three school bond elections passed with 60 to 70 percent of the vote in favor. Recognizing that about 30 percent of those voters did not have children in the schools, I think that is conclusive proof of the commitment to quality education that permeates Johnson County. The Committee for Excellence has also been active recently in funding for public schools, which has decreased ever since 1992, when the legislators took funding responsibilities away from the districts and returned those responsibilities to Topeka. We shared concern with all Kansas districts about the inadequacy of the funding, and lobbied extensively to represent the youngsters. We feared that many legislators were more interested in getting reelected than in meeting this educational priority. The committee remains very active now, because it is clear that the foundation plan for supporting public schools in the state of Kansas requires major reform. Q: Tell us briefly about your experience as a member and president of the Kansas Board of Regents. A: I was appointed in the mid-1970s to the Board of Regents by outgoing Gov. Robert Docking, at the request of the incoming governor, Robert Bennett. This was a practice that indicates the cooperation and civility existing in those days that has largely disappeared in state and national politics. My experience on the Board of Regents was wonderful and one of the most enjoyable activities in which I have participated in the public arena, largely because of the other members of the board, with whom I had the pleasure to associate in the governance of public-supported colleges and universities in Kansas. I would not like to have this statement misunderstood, but I have considered Bob Bennett--quite apart from any appreciation for his appointing me to the Board of Regents-- to have been the best governor Kansas has had in my experience, and maybe ever. I couldn't be more sincere in saying that, because in my opinion, Gov. Bennett made decisions in the interest of the whole state quite apart from partisan motivation. I learned a good deal from him in that regard. Q: You chaired the Legislative Committee for the Johnson County Community College Foundation. What was that committee's mission? A: There was concern about losing local control over community college funding at the time of the reorganization of the Kansas Board of Regents. There is now a predominant feeling at that college that the situation is stable. However, the committee is ready and willing to reactivate if needed. Q: In December 2003, the Children's Center at Johnson County Community College was renamed the Hiersteiner Child Development Center in honor of you and Jean. Your financial gift allowed the college to enlarge and renovate its center, making it possible for more students pursuing the curriculum in early-childhood education to move from the waiting list into the program. Has child development had a special place in your heart? A: We have four children, and when we first moved to Kansas City, my wife, with some others, organized a coop nursery in association with the then University of Kansas City. Science has recently revealed that the brain commences to develop even prior to birth, and that was assurance to my wife and me that children needed the benefit of trained professionals, not just those offering custodial care. Jean has always had a passion about teaching child development specialists. At the center's dedication, she told the audience that she had always thought the name ``Hiersteiner'' was a bit long and difficult every time she had to fill out forms or write a check--but her pride in seeing the name on the building was changing her view about the awkwardness of our name! Q: You co-chaired Truman Medical Center's first major fund- raising effort, which was a $20 million capital campaign. For many years you have been on Truman's Charitable Foundation board, while Jean has been active in the medical center auxiliary and gift shop, which she co-managed for about 15 years. Additionally, you and Jean have endowed scholarships for nurses. What fuels your passion for health care activism? A: Everyone recognizes the requirement of adequate health care, but unfortunately, there are any number of individuals without health insurance and without the means of paying for care. The Menorah Hospital experience that I had for more than 40 years was rewarding, but my involvement at Truman Medical Center for about 20 years is in my judgment absolutely imperative because the mission of Truman is to take care of clients irrespective of their ability to pay. Truman is a wonderful community institution under the expert presidency of John Bluford, meeting a need for those who cannot afford to pay. But it also has an excellent faculty that is good enough to be desired by any number of paying patients. Its equipment is first rate and its faculty is outstanding. Interestingly enough, I became involved at Truman while still a member of the board at Menorah, because I received a mailing from Truman that had too much postage on the envelope. I called to explain to them that they could save money by being up to date on postal regulations. About 15 minutes after that call, Jim Mongan, who was at that time the president of Truman Medical Center, was in my office inviting me for a tour of the facility, after which he was able to secure my appointment to the board. That has been a very satisfying experience over the years. Without the assistance of this outstanding institution, most of the private hospitals, if not all of them, would have red ink on their bottom line. No one in the community should be satisfied witnessing people in our community not having any access to health care at all. Q: You are on the advisory board of the Mainstream Coalition. What parts of that group's mission are most important to you? A: I believe our goal is education for the community about domestic, national, and foreign issues for which the public needs as much information as possible. The coalition is quite diverse and nonpartisan, with Republican, Democrat, and Independent members. Q: Countless community leaders have praised the fact that your stand on issues or candidates is never based on ideology or party affiliation, but rather on what you believe is best for the people of Kansas City. What are the keys to maintaining an independent frame of reference? A: Well, I persist in my personal points of view, and I believe that people involved in their communities do a better job of it if they act in as nonpartisan a way as they can. Organized politics has never been appealing to me, so I try to make my mark outside the realm of parties. Q: How do you keep your optimism going? A: Quite often, I don't! But the main tools I use are hope and paying attention to what is going on in my community and what I con do about it.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, since I have been in Congress, I have been a consistent supporter of Head Start. This program assists over 900,000 children and their families nationwide, including the 1,421 children enrolled in 6 Head Start programs in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. Thanks to this program, children enrolled in Head Start in the district are nearly twice as likely as other low-income children to receive basic medical care and over three times as likely to receive dental care. In the Third Congressional District, 77 percent of Head Start children have received basic primary health care, and 76 percent have a continuous, accessible source of dental care. The program has also provided mental health services to over 150 children in the district and has provided assistance to 200 children with disabilities. I commend the Education and Workforce Committee for working in a bipartisan manner, by reporting legislation that did not include provisions that prevented similar legislation from being enacted in the 108th Congress. Specifically, the Education and Workforce Committee did not include language permitting faith based organizations to discriminate on the basis of religion, which was part of similar legislation in the 108th Congress. During the debate on H.R. 2123, the House adopted an amendment offered by Representative John Boehner, which permits faith based organizations to make hiring decisions based on a person's religion. I cannot, therefore, vote for H.R. 2123 because it undermines fundamental civil rights protections against employee discrimination for Head Start teachers and volunteers. Since the inception of Head Start, this civil rights protection has allowed for religious organizations to participate in programs, while maintaining constitutional and civil rights standards. I appreciate the important contributions faith based organizations make to the education of thousands of students, through participating in the Head Start program. If the repeal of existing civil rights protections becomes law, then teachers or parent volunteers could lose their jobs based solely on their religion. The Head Start program provides essential early childhood education services, and I will continue to support its important work. I cannot, however, vote for this legislation that permits discrimination in hiring.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, on September 6, I was surveying damage from Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and failed to cast recorded votes on rollcall votes 454 and 455. Had I cast my votes, I would have voted ``yes'' on both. Last week, I traveled to Louisiana with a constituent who is the president and founder of Heart to Heart International, Dr. Gary Morsch. Heart to Heart International, a Kansas-based humanitarian organization that serves the needs of the poor and provides aid to those most affected by natural disasters, has established a forward distribution center in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, to distribute aid to the refugees of Hurricane Katrina. A team organized by Heart to Heart International traveled to this forward distribution site to deliver aid, determine assignments for possible future teams, and prepare to receive future shipments to deliver to agencies sheltering refugees. I deeply appreciate the work of private relief organizations like Heart to Heart International that play a critical role in the public- private response to natural disasters. While private organizations do their part for disaster relief, government at every level needs to work together to plan for inevitable natural disasters and coordinate relief efforts. I will continue working within Congress to ensure that the federal government's response to future disasters, whether natural or man-made, is as efficient and timely as possible.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Norbert Dreiling, of Hays, Kansas, who died on August 1, 2005. Norbert Dreiling will long be remembered in Kansas as one of the fathers of the modem Kansas Democratic Party. As Representative Jerry Moran of Kansas said in his very generous tribute to Norbert Dreiling before the House on July 19, 2004, ``Through years of dedicated service, he breathed life into a struggling Democratic Party and established a lasting two-party system in Kansas.'' Under Chairman Dreiling's leadership, for the first time an incumbent Republican governor of Kansas was defeated by a Democratic challenger, Robert Docking, who was elected governor four times--the most terms ever served by a governor in Kansas. In addition to his extensive service to his community, State and nation, Norbert Dreiling also maintained a successful law practice and was instrumental in promoting the Volga- German heritage of Hays and Ellis County, Kansas. Norbert Dreiling was born April 7, 1925, in Gorham, Kansas, and married Donna Jean Myerly in 1948. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, St. Joseph 3rd Degree Knights of Columbus and 4th Degree Bishop Cunningham Assembly Knights of Columbus, all of Hays. He was a graduate of St. Joseph Military Academy, Fort Hays State University and Washburn University Law School. He was senior partner in the law firm of Dreiling, Bieker and Hoffman, Hays. He was elected and served two terms as Ellis County Attorney, served as Kansas State Democratic Chairman from 1966 to 1974, and led several delegations to the National Democratic Conventions. He was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity. He was involved in numerous non-political civic and educational activities. He was a charter member of Hays Kiwanis Club, a charter member of the Volga German Society of Hays, a Fort Hays State University Endowment Association Trustee and the Washburn Law School Board of Governors. He was a member of the Board of Directors of St. Anthony Hospital and Farmers State Bank, both of Hays. He helped establish and create St. Johns Rest Home of Victoria and Hays, serving on the board for many years. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Fort Hays State University. He was honored by TMP- Marian High School in Hays and was the first recipient of the St. Thomas More Friend For All Seasons Award. Survivors include his wife, Donna Jean Dreiling, of the home; two sons, Mark Dreiling, Denver, Colo., and Curt Dreiling, Estes Park, Colo.; two daughters, Jan Schuster, Bradenton, Fla., and Kathy Dreiling, Colorado Springs, Colo; and 10 grandchildren, Kimberly McDaniels, Brian Schuster, Jeffrey Dreiling, Scott Schuster, Jackson Dreiling, Nicholas Dreiling, Krysta Dreiling, Sean Dreiling, Amy Schuster and Sam Talarico. Mr. Speaker, longtime Kansas Democratic Party activist Glenn Staab of Hays, posted a blog on the state party's website on the day of Norbert Dreiling's death that provides a fitting summary of the life and legacy of former Chairman Dreiling. I am reproducing it in the Record here in its entirety, followed by Topeka Capital Journal coverage of his death. Norbert Dreiling passed away today (8-1-05). Norbert was my first political hero. He was very generous with his time when it came to talking politics. I never visited him without taking pen and paper. Some of those notes are over thirty years old. Following is the column I wrote about Norbert that appeared in the Hays Daily News on November 23, 2003. President John Kennedy was assassinated 40 years ago last Saturday. It was my generation's ``moment in history.'' Every generation has a, ``Where were you when . . .?'' I consider JFK's assassination my first political encounter. It is my first memory of a President, and the tragedy as it unfolded was my first taste of national politics. Since I'm always looking for an excuse to visit with Norbert Dreiling, the infamous anniversary gave me a reason to sit down and speak with him about his relationship with President Kennedy. Norbert Dreiling was the Ellis County Democratic Chair when a Senator from Massachusetts was considering a run for President. He was Democrat, and he was Catholic. The Kennedy people were looking for a ``bell-weather'' county to test the waters. Norbert had already been working with the Kennedy campaign for some period when our heavily Democratic, heavily Catholic county was chosen as that county to host a banquet. The event was sold out and exceeded Kennedy staff's expectations. Kennedy's announcement for President followed soon after. Norbert became very familiar with the inner circle of the Kennedy campaign, family and presidency. After Kennedy was elected, Norbert paid a visit to the newly elected President. Ted Sorensen, a member of the inner council, spread a large map of the United States to show Norbert the states and counties that had voted for JFK. Sorensen said, ``Ellis County was regarded highly by those who were active in this campaign.'' Kennedy's visit was the first Presidential hopeful's visit to Hays since Teddy Roosevelt in 1903. So, to date, three Presidential hopefuls visited Hays in the 1900's and were successful in their electoral bids: Roosevelt in '03; Kennedy in '59; Al Gore in '88 who won in 2000, but was not allowed to serve his term. Norbert was the Kansas Democratic State Chair as Robert Docking was successful in four consecutive two-year terms for Governor; which will never happen again, unless the state constitution is changed. It was during this time that I started reading Norbert Dreiling quotes and taking a real interest in politics. I can remember thinking that I would like to be that clever someday. I'm still waiting. I remember sitting in Norbert's office listening to his campaign stories. No one could tell a story better than he. He could mesmerize an audience with his speeches. Today, he battles against Parkinson's. His speech is halted and almost a whisper, but that hasn't hindered his opinions. His disdain of the current Bush administration is clear. He detests the ``permissive binge'' of big corporations. He adds that those who profess to support the constitution ``give little credit to those who hold the country together.'' When asked about present day politics, he said, ``The politics of this era should reflect the greatness of this country. There is much material wealth that could be available to assure that good could be done--especially for the poor and the disabled and here we are in another war. One asks if we did learn anything from Vietnam? The Balkans?'' To this day, Norbert is sought out for political advice. Patrick Murray was hired as the Executive Director of the Kansas Democratic Party last spring. The twenty-four-year-old Maryland Democrat was given instructions by state officials to visit with Norbert for his opinions and history of Kansas politics. Murray said of his visit, ``You can't plan for the future if you don't understand the past. The insight that Mr. Dreiling gave me on state and national politics was beyond measure.'' I asked Norbert for examples of people that give him credit for their political involvement. He said, ``A lot of people say a lot of nice things.'' When asked about family coming home for the holidays, he related that all his kids were coming home. It was a chance for us to agree on something besides politics. I told him to say ``Hi'' to his daughter Kathy, relating to him that she is still the best ``Dolly'' I've ever seen. He told me that although her lead performance as a junior at Hays High School in ``Hello Dolly'' was over two decades ago, people still stop him and tell him the same thing I did. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for family and friends, but I am also thankful for Norbert Dreiling and his influence in my love of politics. Our community owes much to Norbert Dreiling. He has been generous in countless ways. And one afternoon in November 1959, he brought a touch of Camelot to Hays.--Glenn Staab

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, on January 26, 2005, I inadvertently failed to cast a recorded vote on rollcall vote 11, concerning the Crowley amendment to H.R. 54. Had I cast my vote, I would have voted ``aye.'' On Sunday, March 20, I was unable to get a flight to Washington, D.C., after learning that there would be a recorded vote on legislation regarding Terri Schiavo, which occurred at 12:45 a.m. on March 21, 2005. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 90, concerning S. 686. On April 27, 2005, I accidentally voted ``no'' on rollcall vote 142, the Jackson-Lee amendment to H.R. 748, when I had intended to vote ``aye''. On May 4, 2005, I inadvertently failed to cast a recorded vote on rollcall vote 156, concerning H. Res. 195. Had I cast my vote, I would have voted ``aye.'' On May 23, I inadvertently failed to cast a recorded vote on rollcall vote 200, concerning H.R. 744. Had I cast my vote, I would have voted ``aye.'' On June 8, I inadvertently failed to cast a recorded vote on rollcall vote 235, concerning the Chabot amendment to H.R. 2744. Had I cast my vote, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 21, 2005, I voted against final passage of H.R. 3199, providing for the reauthorization of 16 sunset provisions of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT Act) Act of 2001. Following the horrific and devastating attacks of 9/11, Congress acted swiftly by enacting the PATRIOT Act just six weeks after the terrorist attacks. I voted for the original PATRIOT Act because it gave our intelligence and law enforcement agencies the tools they needed to fight the war on terrorism. Congress recognized, however, the need to review certain provisions of the Act that could change our way of life and liberty in this country. It is not a good idea to make permanent policy for the United States concerning our fundamental rights and freedoms during extraordinary times of war. We must never allow the terrorists to alter the freedoms that define our country and make us the greatest Nation in the world. While I still believe that the 16 provisions of the Act are necessary to protect the Nation against future terrorist attacks, I do not believe that it is necessary or strategic to make these provisions permanent. We have learned that the terrorists will change the nature of their attacks in whatever way is needed to try and overcome our security forces. It is essential that our investigative agencies have the ability to review these laws over time to make adjustments according to our ever-changing security needs. The PATRIOT Act should be a living document that Congress reviews frequently to correct any problems or abuses and strengthens when there are indicators that additional tools are needed to protect Americans in the war on terrorism. While our national security must be protected, we can and must fight terrorism without violating the very constitutional protections that define us as a nation and make us the greatest country in the world. Congressional oversight of the PATRIOT Act is essential.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Katrina is the largest natural disaster in the United States in decades, impacting large parts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi. There has been enormous damage to homes and businesses in the Gulf Coast region, as well as a significant loss of human life. Both the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of Louisiana now estimate that the number dead in New Orleans alone could be in the thousands. That estimate, if correct, would make Katrina the Nation's deadliest natural disaster since the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire, which killed up to 6,000 people. As co-chair of the Congressional Hazards Caucus, I unfortunately know firsthand how damaging natural disasters can be. While I am devastated by the enormity of this tragedy, I know that our faith, tenacity and determination ensure that we will work, as a Nation, to do all that we can to stem the crisis and help those in desperate need. Therefore, I rise today in full support of Congress's initial payment for disaster relief for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This supplemental appropriations bill contains $10 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and $500 million for the Department of Defense, for a total of $10.5 billion in relief aid. This funding is desperately needed. Currently, FEMA is spending $500 million a day to aid victims. If this supplemental spending bill is passed, the $10 billion allotted to FEMA will enable it to assist the people affected by the hurricane for another 20 days. This aid will focus on critical areas, including public health and sanitation, public safety, housing, energy supplies, national transportation infrastructure, commerce, and the safety and adequacy of food supplies. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have been devastated by Hurricane Katrina and are turning to their elected representatives for assistance. We must do all we can to ensure an immediate and thorough response to these needs, and I fully support the $10.5 billion supplemental appropriation for disaster relief.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the conference report on H.R. 6, the omnibus energy bill. H.R. 6 is an important step toward increasing our Nation's energy independence by investing in energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. As a member of the House Renewable Energy Caucus, I support measures in H.R. 6 to encourage and increase the use of renewable and alternative energy sources. H.R. 6 includes important tax incentives for energy efficiency programs and renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar production. This measure also includes a tax credit of up to $3,400 for certain hybrid cars and trucks. As a cochair of the House Biofuels Caucus, I also support raising the renewable fuels standard to 7.5 billion gallons by 2012, which is more than triple the current amount. Over the past several Congresses, there have been several issues that have continually blocked congressional passage of comprehensive energy legislation, and I commend the conference committee on eliminating these controversial provisions from this final conference report. H.R. 6 does not include a provision providing for drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which had been part of past energy legislation. This pristine 1.5 million acre coastal plain is often referred to as ``America's Serengeti'' because of the presence of caribou, polar bears, grizzly bears, wolves, migratory birds, and many other species living in a nearly undisturbed state. While some consider this area to be one of the most promising U.S. onshore oil and gas prospects, studies indicate that this area could only provide 6 month's supply of oil, 10 years from now, and consequently have no significant effect on our nation's dependence on foreign oil. Past versions of the energy legislation have also contained a safe- harbor provision for producers of MTBE and other fuel oxygenates from product liability claims. Under previous energy bills, states and cities would have been prevented from bringing against potential offenders ``defective product'' lawsuits, which some cities have employed to recapture the cost of MTBE cleanups. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has stated that the cost of cleanup could run more than $29 billion. If our states and localities were forced to pay these costs, the real costs would be borne by taxpayers. I commend the conference committee for eliminating this costly provision, and not making taxpayers responsible for the actions of a few MTBE producers. While I voted for H.R. 6, there are several provisions that concern me. The conference agreement fails to adequately address climate change by not including even the modest proposal adopted by the Senate. This provision, authored by Senator Chuck Hagel, would use tax credits to encourage, but not require, industry reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the conference agreement also requires an inventory of oil and natural gas resources in offshore areas, including areas now closed to drilling. I am concerned about this provision, because it could lead to opening these environmentally sensitive areas to offshore drilling. In addition, I am also disappointed that the final conference report did not include a ``renewable portfolio standard'' that would have required utilities to get 10 percent of their electricity from alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power, by 2020. While this is not a perfect bill, I believe it is an important first step in creating a comprehensive energy policy that invests in energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to develop and implement energy policies, which will decrease our dependence of foreign oil and that protect consumers, communities, and environmentally sensitive areas.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, DR-CAFTA is good for our country, and good for Kansas. The market access provisions of the agreement will remove remaining trade barriers in the region that raise the cost of Kansas exports, and will keep Kansas exporters competitive internationally. According to the Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, exports of manufactured and non- manufactured products from Kansas to the Central American region totaled $23 million in 2004. That figure will grow after the signatories to the agreement implement DR-CAFTA. For manufactured goods, duties on 80 percent of U.S. exports to the Central American region will be eliminated immediately, with the remaining duties phased out over a period of up to 10 years. Manufactured goods accounted for 89 percent of Kansas' exports in goods to the DR-CAFTA countries last year, and Kansas will continue to benefit under the market access provisions of DR-CAFTA. Additionally, DR-CAFTA will open markets for American agricultural goods. For agricultural products, duties on over 50 percent of U.S. exports would be eliminated immediately upon implementation of DR- CAFTA, with the rest phased out over a period of up to 20 years. Together, the DR-CAFTA countries are Kansas' 11th largest market for crop exports. This agreement will benefit Kansas farmers. As a transportation hub, the Kansas City metro area, which is ideally situated on the banks of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers and home to hundreds of miles of commercial rail lines and highways, will play a critical role in moving Kansas exports to market. Finally, trade liberalization benefits American consumers. Greater movements of goods and services between the United States and other nations increases competition and applies downward pressure on prices, which will help keep inflation at historically low levels. Though the importance of international trade on subduing inflation should not be overstated, neither should it be dismissed. Increased competition, together with a reduction in production costs, can reduce the prices for consumer goods and services in our country. The global integration of markets for goods and services, referred to as ``globalization,'' is a fact of modem life. As we enter the twenty- first century, the pace of globalization is accelerating. The United States has been a global leader in international trade for decades. And our country is well positioned to shape the direction of globalization if we continue to engage with the rest of the world. In theory, international trade can raise standards of living and efficiently allocate resources between nations. In reality, the potential benefits and drawbacks of trade are usually addressed within the language of trade agreements. Each trade agreement that the United States considers entering into with our trading partners needs to be examined carefully on the merits of the agreement. While I have concerns with DR-CAFTA, I believe the potential benefits of the agreement outweigh its potential deficiencies. For that reason, I plan to vote in favor of DR-CAFTA. Mr. Speaker, twenty years ago several of the DR-CAFTA countries, each of which has its own unique history and culture, were mired in civil war and suffering from deplorable human rights abuses. The region has come a long way over the last two decades, but there is more work to be done. By passing DR-CAFTA, we have an opportunity to help the region in its progress toward greater freedom and economic prosperity. As former President Jimmy Carter wrote in expressing his strong support for DR- CAFTA: ``For the first time ever, we have a chance to reinforce democracies in the region. This is the moment to move forward and to help those leaders that want to modernize and humanize their countries. Moreover, strong economies in the region are the best antidote to illegal immigration from the region.'' DR-CAFTA has the potential to create jobs in the region, raise standards of living for the citizens in the DR-CAFTA countries, and further stabilize what has been an unstable region. Defeat of this trade agreement will have devastating consequences for the region, which will likely lose textile and apparel jobs to countries with lower wages and weaker worker protections. Turning our backs on the DR-CAFTA countries is counterproductive, both for the Central American region and for America, while engagement holds the promise of future benefits in our hemisphere. While DR-CAFTA will bring tangible benefits to both the United States and the Central American region, there are chapters in the agreement that could have been improved as this process unfolded. I am disappointed that there was not more consultation with Congress as the administration negotiated the agreement. Members of both parties have concerns regarding DR-CAFTA's labor provisions. Although the agreement subjects failure to enforce labor laws to binding dispute settlement, which could lead to fines or sanctions, greater protections of workers' rights should have been made subject to binding dispute settlement. In addition, while Congress will provide $20 million in funding for capacity building efforts in the DR-CAFTA countries to help those nations implement and enforce the provisions of the agreement, $20 million is not enough. More funding will be needed in future years to help the DR-CAFTA countries enforce the laws that protect workers, including children, from potentially dangerous work conditions. I am also disappointed that the agreement does not confront the reality of globalization's negative consequences here at home. Trade agreements need to do more to help workers transition from jobs in distressed industries to new jobs in areas that stand to benefit from our modern economy. I would like to see greater efforts to retrain displaced workers. I look forward to working with the administration to help American workers remain competitive and employed well into the twenty-first century. Mr. Speaker, globalization is a fact of life in our country and the rest of the world in 2005. It is part of a broad, long trend toward global economic integration. The United States should embrace its historic role as a global leader in international trade and seek to shape the path of a trend that will continue to unfold ready or not. The United States has the strongest economy and the best workforce in the world. We are well positioned to succeed throughout the twenty- first century. DR-CAFTA is not a perfect trade agreement. But it is a step in the right direction for the future of our country.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, as the Library of Congress continues its efforts to memorialize American veterans through the Veterans History Project, I rise today to pay tribute to and honor 59,337 men and women in Kansas City who proudly served the home front and their Nation in a time of dire need. In what is known as the ``Fairfax District'' in Kansas City, Kansas, North American Aviation of Kansas, a B-25J ``Mitchell'' bomber production plant, built 6,608 of the 9,817 bombers used during World War II. This number represents 67 percent, or 2 out of every 3 B-25J bombers built for the war effort. The women and men working in this factory sacrificed their sweat, blood, and tears to ensure that the United States remained strong and equipped during this fight. As thousands and thousands of our citizens joined in the fight and left their jobs to serve in uniform, factories all across the country were facing a labor shortage, at the same time they were being called upon to produce vital equipment needed by our troops. In order to fulfill this need and do their part in the war effort, women joined the workforce and kept our factories busy producing machinery for the military effort, like the bombers produced at North American Aviation of Kansas. As some of the first women to join the industrial revolution, their hard work and dedication earned these women the nickname ``Rosie the Riveter.'' Working hard right beside these ``Riveters'', men embraced their new colleagues as coworkers and equals, ripping down previous barriers of gender-based stereotypes in the work place. As the United States continues to fight injustice around the world today, it is important to remember the courageous production workers who continue to give our military the equipment they need to stay safe and continue to prevail in the most dangerous of encounters. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ``Bomber Builders'' of the North American Aviation-Kansas aeronautical production plant who began today's tradition of continued sacrifice by offering their dedication, pride, and unwavering support for their nation during World War II when our Nation and the cause of freedom needed them the most.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate three students in the Third District of Kansas who are being honored for their community service, leadership skills, positive attitudes and academic achievement. On August 10, 2005, the Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship Program will award these students with grants to aid their pursuit of higher education. These students were nominated for this scholarship by the principals of their respective high schools, and they have distinguished themselves, their schools, and their community by being selected from a nationwide field of nominees. It is my honor to recognize each student, their school, and their hometown by listing them in the Congressional Record. Samantha Brown, Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, KS. Adam Doll, Olathe South High School, Olathe, KS. Lorie Wadell, Olathe North High School, Olathe, KS.

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, last Sunday's edition of the New York Times carried a lengthy analysis of the recent service expansions into new media delivery outlets undertaken by the Lawrence Journal-World, a daily newspaper published in my congressional district. The Lawrence Journal-World, long owned and managed by the Simons family, epitomizes locally based newspaper publishing in America. While many Kansas papers in neighboring communities have been purchased and reworked by out-of-state media conglomerates, the Journal-World has remained independent, feisty, and unique. While I have not always agreed with the conclusions advocated by the paper's management in its editorial columns, I respect the Simons' family's commitment to the strength of the Lawrence community, the advancement of the University of Kansas, and the independence of a free and activist press in the United States. I commend the New York Times' coverage of the Journal- World to my colleagues, Mr. Speaker, and I hope it presents a model that other newspaper publishers nationwide will seek to follow. [From the New York Times, June 26, 2005] The Newspaper of the Future (By Timothy L. O'Brien) Every Little League player in this town of about 85,000 people can be a star. Regardless of how he or she hits or fields, each tyke and teenager is eligible for a personalized electronic trading card--replete with a picture, biography, statistics and an audio clip of the player philosophizing about the game--that can be posted on the Web site of the local newspaper, The Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrencians buying tickets for University of Kansas football games can visit the same site, LJWorld.com, and find photographs offering sightlines from each of Memorial Stadium's 50,000 seats. Law aficionados can find transcripts of locally significant court cases posted on the site and participate in live, online chats debating the pros or cons of some cases--sometimes with experts who are involved in the proceedings. A related Web site, lawrence.com, is aimed at college readers. It allows visitors to download tunes from the Wakarusa Music Festival, find spirited reviews of local bars and restaurants and plunge into a vast trove of blogs, including the Gay Kansan in China Blogger, who recently had his first ``disgusting'' experience with a woman, to the Born Again Christian Blogger, who offers videotaped huzzahs to the Nascar legend Dale Earnhardt Sr. The steward of this online smorgasbord is Dolph C. Simons Jr., a politically conservative, 75-year-old who corresponds via a vintage Royal typewriter and red grease pencil while eschewing e-mail and personal computers. ``I don't think of us as being in the newspaper business,'' said Mr. Simons, the editor and publisher of The Journal-World and the chairman of the World Company, the newspaper's parent. ``Information is our business and we're trying to provide information, in one form or another, however the consumer wants it and wherever the consumer wants it, in the most complete and useful way possible.'' Owned by the Simons family since 1891, The Journal-World is a small-town paper emphasizing small-town news, but it is hardly restrained by a small-town mentality. Indeed, at a time when newspapers big and small are facing financial and journalistic crossroads, media analysts say The Journal- World, with a circulation of just 20,000, offers guidelines for moving forward. The Simons family, through the World Company, enjoys an unfettered and often criticized media monopoly in Lawrence. But the family has used that advantage to cross pollinate its properties, ranging from cable to telephone service to newspaper and online publishing, and to take technological and financial risks that other owners might have avoided. Mr. Simons and his associates describe their overall goals as a shared belief in quality, a deep attachment to Lawrence as a community and a constant reinvention of their business's relationship with readers, viewers and advertisers. ``We believe that journalism has been a monologue for so long and now is the perfect time for it to become a dialogue with our readers,'' said Rob Curley, 34, the World Company's director of new media. ``We want readers to think of this as their paper, not our paper.'' Lawrence has a long history as an independent, contrarian town. Founded in 1854 by New England abolitionists, it became one of the most violent, bloody battlegrounds in the slavery debate and was burned to the ground by pro-slavery raiders in 1861. The University of Kansas opened its doors here just after the Civil War; women made up almost half of its first class. Haskell Indian Nations University, a college for Native Americans, opened here in 1884. After Mr. Simons's grandfather arrived in town more than a century ago, he bought the local paper for $50. Today, Lawrence is a regional anomaly, anchoring a Democratic county in a solidly Republican state. Its large student population brings spunk to Lawrence, the university adds academic sophistication and sports fanaticism, and the town, dotted with funky restaurants and boutiques, has become a favorite of artists and activists. Lawrence is also peppered with tidy, attractive homes and schools that draw middle- and upper-class families headed by professionals who commute to work in Topeka and Kansas City. ``It's a real town with a real soul where people like to get involved,'' said Paul Carttar, a Lawrence native who is executive vice chancellor for external affairs at the University of Kansas. ``People here care about what Lawrence will become.'' Mr. Simons says his family takes its Lawrence roots seriously. ``My dad told me that if you take care of Lawrence, Lawrence will take care of you,'' he said. To that end, Mr. Simons has been an aggressive consolidator of local news and information services while resisting what he described as repeated offers over the years from larger companies wanting to buy him out. He has also been an early adopter of new technologies. The World Company began laying cable in 1968 and offered cable programming to residents in 1971, paying for the expansion with profits from The Journal- World--long before most larger media companies would embrace cable. Today, about 80 percent of homes in Lawrence have cable connections. The Journal World began publishing on the Internet in 1995, the same year that Sunflower, the broadband subsidiary of the World Company, first offered cable modems to customers. In 1999, the newspaper and its television station began sharing talent, using reporters to write for The Journal-World and appear on the company's news stations. ``We're not afraid to jump outside of the box, and that's because of who our owners are,'' said Patrick Knorr, 32, Sunflower's general manager, who also oversees strategic planning for the World Company. ``They're determined not to lose because they were asleep at the switch.'' Mr. Knorr said that World, which employs a total of about 600 people, did not try to offer new content to broadband subscribers until it had solid relationships with its customers and a robust pipeline through which it could pump media offerings. ``Content is absolutely critical and king,'' Mr. Knorr said. ``But consumers have more power than ever over who gets crowned.'' On a sweltering midsummer morning in 2001, Mr. Simons convened most of his media staff in the basement of a handsomely restored former post office at the comer of New Hampshire and Seventh Streets. The building was World's new ``converged news center,'' where the company's television, newspaper and online staffs would all be housed. Mr. Simons told his editors and reporters that they were going to do more than merely work shoulder to shoulder; they were going to share reporting assignments, tasks and scoops-- whether they liked it or not. Many did not like it at all, and some World reporters say they sometimes still feel taken advantage of--when they are asked to squeeze multiple print, television and online duties into the course of a single day. Print reporters and their editors have, at times, been reluctant to share scoops or ideas with their television counterparts, and vice versa. But many reporters also said that, over time, they have adapted. ``You can really teeter on the edge of, `I'm not enjoying this and it's not fair,' to, `This is one of the coolest things I've ever done,'' said Deanna Richards, a television reporter who works in World's converged newsroom. The company currently has 81 news employees, an unusually large number for an operation of its size. In 1993, Mr. Simons recruited Bill Snead, an award-winning photographer from The Washington Post, to oversee the Journal-World newsroom. Now a senior editor, Mr. Snead, 67, has written, photographed and shot video for feature assignments on topics such as farm strife, cheerleaders and cowboys. He said that while he had never shot video before arriving at The Journal-World, he had no trouble adapting. ``Technology is our servant; it's our valet; it gets our stuff out there--but it's still about the content,'' he said, adding that his company's online and cable properties have helped to forge a closer relationship with readers. ``If you show people respect and don't treat them like a novelty, you'll have free rein. That's what we're doing here.'' For as ambitious and creative as the Journal-World team is, the newspaper still offers a menu of stories that is relentlessly, sometimes numbingly, local. Weather, local trials, local sports and other local comings and goings dominate. Some critics say that controversial topics, like divisive land-use debates, are soft-pedaled in the paper's pages. ``They control the dialogue on local news,'' said Charles Goff III, 46, a political activist and artist in Lawrence. ``Every viewpoint goes through their filter and is tied to the Chamber of Commerce and the moneyed elite.'' Mr. Goff conceded, however, that he was unaware of the depth of offerings on the Web site of The Journal-World. He also said that while he felt that the paper's editorial and opinion pages were staunchly and unsparingly conservative, he thought that the news pages usually offered more balanced viewpoints. Mr. Simons and his news staff vehemently deny that controversial topics are sidestepped. And while some residents bemoan The Journal-World's local navel-gazing, those overseeing the publication are unapologetic and enthusiastic examiners of all things Lawrence. ``When the space shuttle blew up, we didn't have it on our home page; when the war in Iraq started, we didn't have it on our home page,'' Mr. Curley said. ``It's focusing entirely on local stories that we think made our Web traffic go crazy.'' Mr. Simons recruited Mr. Curley to the World Company three years ago, when The Journal-World's Web site snared about 500,000 page views a month. Mr. Curley says the number is now about seven million. The company said its online operation was losing about $15,000 a month when Mr. Curley arrived; it expects the online business to become profitable this year. Ralph Gage, World's chief operating officer, is a no- nonsense taskmaster whom Mr. Simons deputized to make sure the company's trains ran on time. Online revenue comprises only about 1.5 percent of World's total revenue, he said, while the bulk comes from broadband, at 53 percent, and the newspaper operation, at 37 percent. But Mr. Gage says the company expects newspaper revenue to slacken over time, with online ventures eventually being a much more significant source of sales. For that reason, World has been willing to use its broadband funds to underwrite its online ventures until the online profits become more meaningful, probably by the end of the decade. According to a recent survey by Nielsen/NetRatings, newspaper Web sites nationwide had a 12 percent increase in unique visitors from May 2004 to May 2005, with a significant portion of readers aged 35 to 44 switching from a newspaper to the same paper's Web edition for their daily read. ``Newspaper circulation has been tanking since the 60's and now we're finally growing our audience online, so when I hear people complain about having to give their content away for free on the Internet I think they just don't get it,'' Mr. Curley said. ``I'm a capitalist, and I respect people who want to make a ton of money, but, dude, I'm a journalist and I want to build cool things.'' Of course, building cool things simply for the sake of building cool things suffered a notable national flameout during the dot-com bust. But through the newspaper Web site and lawrence.com, Lawrence comes alive in a fashion rare for a town of its size. (Lawrence.com is also published as a print weekly.) The town, once home to the poet Langston Hughes and the novelist William S. Burroughs, has a rich literary tradition. Journalists at World are assembling a lushly embroidered Web site devoted to Mr. Burroughs that includes rare letters, photographs and other archival material. During a local election, a list of questions reporters had asked of all candidates as part of a voter's guide were posted online. That allowed voters to answer the same questions themselves. Then they could use an online tool to find the candidates whose answers most closely matched their own--an example of civic journalism on steroids. The paper also routinely files local freedom-of-information requests and uploads piles of public records to its Web site. In 2003, World installed about 30 wireless hot spots around Lawrence. That same year, it began sending daily content to cellphones. For example, subscribers can have real-time scores and statistics from the University of Kansas's football and basketball games delivered on demand. The company has begun offering daily ``podcasts'' of news and other information to Apple iPod owners or anyone else carrying an MP3 player. It plans to offer a service that automatically loads information onto a docked MP3 player in the early-morning hours before students head to school. About a third of the 18 employees in the online operation are interns, and their presence allows Mr. Curley to have data, video, photos and other material collected and uploaded at little cost, a process he grinningly refers to as ``internology.'' ``People come here from thousands of miles away expecting to see something very high tech and expensive, but a lot of what we do we do on the cheap,'' Mr. Curley said. ``So it just amazes me when people say they can't do what we do because they don't have the resources.'' Still, it is financial resources, not content, that is behind the handwringing in newspaper circles everywhere. While print advertising stagnates or slips, it is not yet being replaced in a meaningful way by online advertising revenue--especially at companies that lack a source of bridge financing like World's broadband operation. Although journalists may cringe to hear it, the near-term battle for corporate survival is likely to be waged and won primarily by inventive business and advertising teams at media companies. The World Company's advertising staff said that its sales force had embraced convergence enthusiastically and that offering customers multiple advertising platforms--on TV, on the Internet and in print--has become a strong pitch. But the company is still finding it difficult to persuade readers to interact with online display ads. And, while willing to adapt to news advertising demands, the company refuses to turn its Web site into an advertising billboard, believing that the clutter would undermine the quality and integrity of its journalism. ``I think as we've converged the content we're going to converge the advertising,'' said Dan Simons, president of the company's broadband operations and a son of the chairman. ``I think you'll have to adapt to how buyers want to convey their messages so we're not just sellers of space and time. We have to be both advertisers and public relations advisers so we can help companies create their messages.'' As effervescent as the new media are in Lawrence, analysts balk at making grand extrapolations from World's efforts. ``It's a market dominated by one company so you have to be very careful when holding them up as a paragon,'' said Howard Finberg, director of interactive learning at the Poynter Institute, which operates a Web site devoted to journalism. ``Are they creative? Without a doubt, but I'm cautious about it being seen as a single solution or a model.'' Others are more laudatory but equally cautious about Lawrence's online innovations. ``Nobody else is close to doing what they've done,'' said David Card, a new-media analyst at Jupiter Research. ``But you also wouldn't necessarily be able to duplicate what they're doing in towns like San Francisco or New York.'' Dolph Simons, who writes a cantankerous Saturday column that draws barbs from Lawrence's liberals, is a gentle, self- effacing man who still serves Thanksgiving turkey to his newsroom employees. He says he considers himself a ``little fish in a big pond'' and is reluctant to be seen as a know- it-all by colleagues and competitors in the news business. Even so, his opinion about the future of the news business is clear. ``I'm terribly concerned about readership in the country and I think we all have to learn new things as fast as we can. Otherwise other people are going to beat us to it,'' he said. ``We need to be driving with our brights, because if we're driving with our dims somebody's going to come in from the side of the road and knock us off.''

Mr. MOORE of Kansas

Mr. MOORE of Kansas. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the funding levels in H.R. 3010, the FY 2006 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act, for the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and Title VII Health Professionals programs. I voted for NCLB because I believe in increased accountability for our nation's public schools to ensure that the promise of a high- quality public education can be realized for each student in our nation. Before the vote on NCLB, I heard reservations from local educators and my constituents that NCLB not become another unfunded mandate like IDEA for special education. When Congress approved and the President signed NCLB, however, I believed that the federal government would provide the promised funding to enact these reforms. Since 2002, Congress and the Administration have not fully funded NCLB. In H.R. 3010, Congress and the Administration cut NCLB overall funding by $806 million (3.3 percent) below the current level. Under this bill, the NCLB funding shortfall will be $13.2 billion for FY 2006 and over $40 billion since the law's enactment. In addition, H.R. 3010 cuts the $603 million increase the Administration proposed for Title I to help low-income children improve their reading and math skills to only an $100 million increase. The Administration's request was already inadequate, but these additional cuts put Title I funding $9.9 billion under what is promised under NCLB for FY 2006. Congress and the Administration have not fully funded IDEA, a program that helps local schools and school districts pay for the costs of providing educational services to special needs children that are mandated by federal law. The federal government has never provided 40 percent of the costs it initially promised when it enacted this important law. H.R. 3010 provides $3.9 billion less than Congress promised in the IDEA Improvement Act of 2004. In addition, this bill even cuts the $508 million increase proposed by the Administration to only $150 million. Under this bill, the federal share of special education costs will actually drop from 18.6 percent to 18.1 percent next year. In the 2004-2005 school year, 10 states and 7,194 school districts saw cuts in Title I funding, including my state of Kansas. For the 2005-2006 school year, Kansas along with nine other states will again receive less Title I funding. For my home state of Kansas, the combined funding shortfall for NCLB and IDEA for FY 2006 is $240 million, which is shifting the burden of meeting these new requirements back to Kansas taxpayers. With the deadline of expanding assessment to grades 3 through 8 scheduled for the 2005-2006 school year and more districts being identified under Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP), Congress and the Administration are not keeping pace with increasing demands at the local level. The federal government must provide our school with the resources and tools necessary to help them meet the new standards imposed by NCLB. It is simply a matter of fairness and common sense. This is why I have introduced H.R. 2694, the Keeping our Promises to America's Children (KPAC) Act of 2005. This legislation would suspend implementation of NCLB until the law is fully funded. I would also like to express my concerns about the cuts to Title VII Health Professions programs included in H.R. 3010. The elimination of the programs will have an immediate impact on the training and recruitment of health professions students and the educational opportunities developed and supported by Title VII. Title VII programs are unique in that they are the only federal investment in interdisciplinary training, which is vitally important, as care is often provided in several different settings. The programs are also designed to enhance minority representation in the health care workforce and reduce shortages of health professionals in underserved areas, such as inner cities and the many rural regions throughout the country. Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps, for example, rely on graduates of Title VII programs to fill their ranks. Congress talks a lot about values. I think a true measure of values is not what people say, but where Congress decides to spend our money or make budget cuts. Funding for these important programs must be restored in the final FY 2006 Labor-HHS bill. These cuts account for almost $6 million in Kansas and $5 million for the K.U. Medical Center.