Dennis Moore

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad), for his great work on this bill. This is a worthy bill that should be considered and adopted by this body, and I urge all of my colleagues to vote for the Ramstad- Moore amendment. Mr. Chairman, back on October 1, I introduced House Resolution 387, a bipartisan resolution that now has 127 cosponsors, and basically it did exactly what the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) has written into this amendment, and that is pay for the rest and recuperation travel, full travel cost, for all of our military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. I heard a story on NPR about 3 weeks ago and was frankly stunned to hear that young people who had been serving in Afghanistan and Iraq were being brought home for R&R after serving their several months in Afghanistan or Iraq, and then being deposited in Baltimore or some other port city, and said, you are here, you have to pay for your own travel home and back. I was stunned. In fact, I did not believe that was really true. I asked my staff to check, and found out in fact it was true, that they were required to pay their travel costs home and back. This is not the way we show honor and respect for the young people who serve our military and protect our country. So I applaud again the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) for his work on this, and I ask all of our colleagues to join with us in supporting this. Again, 127 have signed on a similar bill. There is broad bipartisan support in this body. And as the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) said, the other body has already passed a similar amendment by voice vote.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Snyder) for yielding me this time. I rise today also to express my deepest gratitude to our military personnel, but I am frustrated by the way our government and our country treats our military personnel, as was pointed out by the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Young) and the extraordinary work that he and his wife have done, and I want to thank him and commend him for the great bill that he has here on the House floor. No factory worker or teacher is required to pay for any part of the recovery should they be injured on the job. However, if a serviceman is injured while defending our country in combat, in service to our country, they are forced to pay a part of their hospital stay, as reflected in the gentleman from Florida's (Chairman Young) bill, and this should be corrected immediately. I am glad to see broad bipartisan support for this legislation, and I hope that our House passes this as quickly as possible. I also want to bring one more, I think, concern to the attention of the people and our Congress, and that is what I introduced, House Resolution 387, a bipartisan House resolution to support our military personnel by covering their travel costs to return our troops home to their families and loved ones. People who have been in Afghanistan and Iraq and who have 2 weeks R&R, rest and recuperation, to visit with their families and loved ones are brought to the ports, to the borders of our country, and then from there, Mr. Speaker, they are forced, if they want to go on home, to pay their own way. I think this should be corrected, and we have 98 co-sponsors on this House resolution which would aim to correct this. Our current policy leaves troops stranded or forced to pay their way for connecting flights, and I think we can and should correct this. Our government should pay all travel and transportation costs, and we should honor our troops who defend and protect us by seeing this is done.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Reverend Ky Weekley, the associate pastor for Operational Ministries at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Overland Park, Kansas, which is located in the Third Congressional District. Reverend Weekley, serving as today's guest chaplain, offered today's invocation. Reverend Weekley has served as a Presbyterian pastor for 31 years, with the last 24 years spent in the Kansas City area. For the last 3 years he has pastored the Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Overland Park. His service also extends beyond the spiritual world to the temporal one: Reverend Weekley has served for the past 7 years on the city council of Fairway, Kansas, where he currently is council president. Reverend Weekley is married to Dr. Tracy Cowles, and they have two daughters, Erin, who is a sophomore at Williams College, and Cristin, a junior at Shawnee Mission East High School in Johnson County, Kansas. Mr. Speaker, Ky and Tracy have been long-time friends of my wife, Stephanie, and myself; and we are very happy to welcome them to Washington, D.C.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, joined by the three other members of the Kansas House delegation--Representatives Jim Ryun, Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran--I am introducing today legislation that will designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3710 West 73rd Terrace in Prairie Village, Kansas, as the ``Senator James B. Pearson Post Office Building.'' Appointed to the U.S. Senate in 1962, upon the death of Andrew Schoeppel, James B. Pearson served our state with distinction from 1962 through 1978. Elected in 1962, and re-elected in 1966 and 1972, Senator Pearson was a workhorse, not a showhorse. A senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee, he also rose to become Ranking Republican member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. Senator Pearson represented our state during an important and turbulent era, addressing issues that included: the Vietnam War; the civil rights revolution; enactment of the Medicare and Medicaid programs; America's space exploration program; and deregulation of the trucking and airline industries. Senator Pearson was a voice of reason and common sense during these difficult times and I am proud that he was originally from Prairie Village, which is located in the Third Congressional District of Kansas. Naming the Prairie Village Post Office after Senator James B. Pearson recognizes, in a small way, the important service he provided to Kansans for 16 years in the U.S. Senate. I also want to take this opportunity to thank my Kansas House colleagues: Jim Ryun [in whose district Senator Pearson now resides], Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran, for joining with me to make this resolution honoring a former Republican Senator truly bipartisan. Additionally, I commend Senators Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, who are planning to introduce a companion Senate measure next week when the other body is back in session. Mr. Speaker, I hope we can bring this long-overdue measure to the floor prior to the adjournment of this session of the 108th Congress.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. I am tired of coming to the House floor and pleading for Congress to pass a law that will truly stop late-term abortions and put this issue behind us. If not for the extreme politics of this issue, Congress could take up and pass today H.R. 809, the Late Term Abortion Restriction Act. The legislation, which I have cosponsored, would prohibit all late-term abortions, regardless of procedure, with exceptions only to protect the life of the mother and to avert serious adverse health consequences. The House was not allowed to vote on H.R. 809 today, which is a great shame, since it goes to the heart of this issue rather than using it as a campaign message. H.R. 809 addresses what the American people truly want to stop: the termination of a viable fetus during late stages of a pregnancy. Mr. Speaker, I am here today voting once again on legislation that I fully expect to be ruled unconstitutional--once again--by the U.S. Supreme Court. On June 28, 2000, in the ruling Stenberg v. Carhart, the high court struck down a Nebraska ban on so-called ``partial-birth abortion,'' ruling that the ban was an unconstitutional violation of Roe vs. Wade for two reasons. First, the ban, which is virtually identical to the one that will soon be signed into law, was found to be unnecessarily broad and without a necessary health exception to protect the well- being of the mother. Despite this ruling, the bill before us today corrects none of the flaws that were clearly outlined by the Court. Today's vote is just another purely political exercise. Like its predecessors, S. 3 does not include an exception to protect the health of the woman, despite clear instructions from the Court in more than one decision since 1973 that any law restricting abortion must include such an exception. This bill, despite cosmetic changes, is still unconstitutional. I believe a woman has a right to make important decisions regarding her body and health. I also believe that the state can and should regulate abortion after the point of fetal viability. These two principles were set forth in the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision. Today, I will vote against S. 3. I urge my colleagues who truly wish to ban post-viability abortions to consider H.R. 809 as a real solution to this personal and political issue.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to today to congratulate Coach Mark Mangino and the University of Kansas football team on their 35-14 victory over the University of Missouri Tigers. This gridiron battle was the 112th installment of the finest sports rivalry west of the Mississippi. The Border Wars go back to the Civil War days when ``Free State'' Kansas fought raids from slave-owning ``Bushwhackers'' from Missouri, the most famous of which were the infamous Quantrill's raiders, who murdered and burned their way through Lawrence in 1863. Kansas' honor was again courageously defended at Saturday's game by the KU football team with their fourth win of the season. They proved to a sellout crowd of 50,071 fans that KU football is on its way to the national prominence more usually associated with our fine basketball teams. A proud KU alumnus, I was thrilled to be at my alma mater last Saturday in Lawrence, Kansas, to witness the Jayhawks take the lead 52- 51-9 in this annual series. As the goalposts came down in celebration, I know the fear in future opponents rose. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk, go KU!

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, last month the Kansas City Star carried an insightful guest column by Rabbi Mark Levin of Congregation Beth Torah of Overland Park, Kansas, which is located in my congressional district. Rabbi Levin's column addresses the increasingly corrosive blending of religious doctrines with policy discourse in our Nation's public life. I commend his views to you and to the membership of the House and I hope we all can follow the guidelines he suggests. [From the Kansas City Star] Set Aside Religion in Public Debate (By Mark H. Levin) As a member of a minority religion, I know that in order to enter the public square with my deeply held religious beliefs I must frame arguments in ways that address a commonly held language of all members of this society, no matter what their religion might be. If I engage in a public debate I cannot quote Jewish literature and expect my fellow citizens of different religions to feel commanded to act, or even persuaded for that matter, because they do not accept the authority of the argument. I may argue out of the American legal tradition or on philosophical grounds, but I cannot expect to have others respond to my arguments simply because I say that God commanded such and such, or because the Jewish traditions say so. A terrible confusion occurred last week with the insulting debate in the Senate regarding the nomination of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to a federal appeals court. Some felt that he was being excluded by his Catholic religious values. Or, as one advertisement put it, ``Catholics need not apply.'' Pryor's religious affiliations should be inconsequential to his possible role as a judge. Even if Pryor came to his conclusions because he is a Catholic, he, as well as those who support him and those who oppose him, must publicly debate those values as part of their nonsectarian, American philosophy, not based upon their religious beliefs, no matter how fervent. Thus in a multicultural, religiously diverse society, religious values must be translated into general philosophical principles. All those who argue in the public square are obligated to state their principles and values in terms of our common philosophical heritage. To oppose a person's personal religious conclusions is not to oppose his religion. The issue is not how a person arrives at his or her conclusions, but how she or he defends those conclusions in the nonsectarian language that forms the core of public debate in this democracy. Arguing on religious grounds, we do not share philosophical assumptions and therefore the debate will never be truly joined. We will be speaking only to our co-religionists, while feigning a public debate. Our politicians should know and understand that their personal lives and values remain their own, but their public debates must be based on the nonsectarian assumptions of philosophical argument that all citizens can accept.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Professor Benjamin H. Zimmerman of the University of Kansas, who died on September 4th. Ben Zimmerman was a well known community activist and human rights leader in the city of Lawrence, Kansas, throughout his career with the University of Kansas, where he served as a professor of social welfare for 13 years and was a resident for 25 years. In addition to being active in local, partisan politics, Ben Zimmerman actively supported the causes of civil rights based on race, gender and sexual orientation, child development, equality of economic opportunity, and broader public participation in the electoral process. Mr. Speaker, I am placing into the Record the obituary for Professor Zimmerman that was carried by the Lawrence Journal-World, as well as an article detailing a few of his many achievements supporting greater social justice in Lawrence, Kansas. All who knew him will continue to be inspired by Ben Zimmerman's devotion to serving his fellow Kansans, and many who never met him will benefit from his energetic, tireless work to expand human rights and individual opportunities for all. [From the Lawrence (KS) Journal-World, Sept. 7, 2003] Benjamin Hyman Zimmerman Memorial services for Benjamin Hyman Zimmerman, 85, Lawrence, are pending and will be announced by Warren- McElwain Mortuary. Private inurnment will be in Pioneer Cemetery. Mr. Zimmerman died Thursday, Sept. 4, 2003, in Venice, Calif. He was born April 25, 1918, in Syracuse, N.Y., the son of Max and Esther S. (Rudevitsky) Zimmerman. He was valedictorian of his high school class in Syracuse. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Syracuse University in 1940 and was Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and magna cum laude. After serving in the U.S. Army in World War II, he continued his education in anthropology at Columbia University and received honors as a Gilder Fellow and Social Science Research Fellow. He then did fieldwork in Brazil in anthropology, working toward a doctorate degree. Mr. Zimmerman served on the staff advising or teaching at several universities, including City College of New York, Columbia University, University of Illinois and Yale University. He had been a research director for United Way, executive director for the Mayor's Commission for Youth Inc. and executive director of Crusade for Opportunity Inc., all in the Syracuse area. He also worked on national programs including the Office of Economic Opportunity Community Action Program as chief of program planning and the Day Care and Child Development Council of America. He joined Kansas University as an associate professor in 1972 in the school of social welfare, where he worked until he became associate professor emeritus in 1984. A resident of Lawrence for more than 25 years, Mr. Zimmerman was chairman of the Discrimination Hearing Board and faculty adviser for Gay Services of Kansas. He also helped found the Day Care Coalition of Lawrence and Douglas County, Lawrence Alliance, Freedom Coalition, Douglas County AIDS Project, Simply Equal and Lawrence-Topeka P-FLAG. He also served on the boards of the NAACP, Freedom Coalition and League of Women Voters and co-chaired a committee that monitored the changes in the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. Survivors include a daughter, Anne Zimmerman, Sherman Oaks, Calif., and his partner, David Scheuer, Lawrence. The family suggests memorials be held until an organization is chosen. E-mail condolences may be sent at www.warrenmcelwain.com, subject: Zimmerman.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, it has been 867 days since the administration began implementation of their economic plan for our country. During that time our national debt has increased by $1,159,358,743,968, according to the Bureau of the Public Debt at the Treasury Department. Yesterday at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Nation's outstanding debt, the total debt, was $6,799,684,130,327. Further, in fiscal year 2003, the interest on our national debt, what I call the debt tax, D-E-B-T tax, is $304,978,878,641 through August 31. Mr. Speaker, our country, the administration and Congress needs to return to fiscal responsibility.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, like all Members of this House, I commute to Washington for my work in the House of Representatives. I live in Lenexa, Kansas, and it is my honor to rise today on behalf of my home town and my congressional district, to recognize the Lenexa, Kansas, Masonic Lodge, #135, on the 130th anniversary of its founding, which is upcoming on October 15th. A document compiled by Lenexa Historical Society member and current Masonic lodge member Angelo Mino, based on articles by Henry D. Gillette and Joseph R. Wilson, reveals that the history of this lodge is intertwined with the history of Lenexa. In reading the history of this, the very first fraternal or civic organization of Lenexa, I learned much about Lenexa's history. The City of Lenexa was platted in 1869, and the first Masonic Lodge meeting was held the very next year, in 1870. The Lenexa lodge received official recognition from the Masonic organization on October 15, 1873. The earliest leaders of the lodge were also the early leaders of Lenexa. Members of this Masonic Lodge include the first mayor of Lenexa, the first police judge, the first postmaster, and the first city physician. This tradition of community service has continued to today. The first Eastern Star chapter associated with the Masonic Lodge was also established in 1873. After the lodge building burned down in 1877, the Eastern Star chapter was not reconstituted until 1919 when the ADDA Chapter was formed. In 1922, the first DeMolay group in Johnson County, Kansas, received its charter. The Lenexa Lodge has sponsored this chapter since 1994. In 1953, the Rainbow Girls Assembly #56 of Lenexa began. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the members of the Lenexa Masonic Lodge #135 on this remarkable anniversary, and thank them for 130 years of community leadership and service. I hope that their lodge will continue to flourish and serve our community for this century and beyond.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, the week of September 17-23 has been officially designated as Constitution Week under Public Law 105-225. This marks the 216th anniversary of the signing of our Constitution. The guardian of our liberties, our Constitution established our republic as a self-governing nation dedicated to rule by law. This document is the cornerstone of our freedom. It was written to protect every American from the abuse of power by government. Without that restraint, our founders believed the republic would perish. The ideals upon which our Constitution is based are reinforced each day by the success of our political system to which it gave birth. The success of our way of government requires an enlightened citizenry. Constitution Week provides an opportunity for all Americans to recall the achievements of our founders, the nature of limited government, and the rights, privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. It provides us the opportunity to be better informed about our rights, freedoms and duties as citizens. Mr. Speaker, at this time I particularly want to take note of the outstanding work of the Prairie Rose Chapter of the Kansas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which is actively involved in the Third Congressional District in events this week commemorating Constitution Week. The Prairie Rose Chapter has been involved with this effort in our communities for a number of years and I commend them for doing so. Our Constitution has served us well for over 200 years, but it will continue as a strong, vibrant, and vital foundation for freedom only so long as the American people remain dedicated to the basic principles on which it rests. Thus, as the United States continues into its third century of constitutional democracy, let us renew our commitment to, in the words of our Constitution's preamble: ``form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. . . .'' I know that the Prairie Rose Chapter of the Kansas Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution joins with me in urging all Americans to renew their commitment to, and understanding of, our Constitution, particularly during our current time of crisis, when Americans are fighting overseas to defend our liberties here at home.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Salem Baptist Church in Kansas City, Kansas, and to honor Rev. Charles Buford Bailey and his wife Geneva Stephens Bailey, who have guided the Salem Baptist Church since 1955. After combat military service during World War II, Charles Bailey met and married Geneva Stephens. In 1948, Charles was called to the ministry. In 1954, he graduated from the Western Baptist Seminary. The Baileys are the proud parents of Charles, Nozella, Timothy, and Gelaine. In 1955, Rev. Bailey became pastor of the Salem Baptist Church, which was founded by a small group on congregants in 1953. The fledgling church began by meeting for services in the Economy Dance Hall on Fifth Street of Kansas City, Kansas. Rev. Bailey's reputation grew as a fiery and dynamic preacher. A year later, the church moved to 1820 N. 11th Street, in Kansas City, Kansas, which became the permanent home of the congregation. After serving her community as a public school teacher for 14 years, Mrs. Bailey became Director of Christian Education of Salem Baptist Church in 1970. In 1987, she earned her Master's in education from Kansas State University. The Salem Baptist Church grew in numbers and reputation under the Baileys' stewardship. When Rev. and Mrs. Bailey retired, Rev. Tony Carter, Jr., became pastor of the congregation, and Rev. Bailey became Pastor Emeritus of the church. Today, on behalf of the hundreds of lives that have been touched by their work and ministry, I would like to thank Rev. and Mrs. Bailey for their years of commitment to the church and the community. Mr. Speaker, congratulations to Salem Baptist Church on this wonderful anniversary!

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, in this uncertain time, our nation is looking to the brave men and women of our armed forces. They have never hesitated in answering their nation's call and giving of their time and service. Our nation owes them a debt that we can never repay. That is why it is unconscionable that in the 1960s, our Department of Defense intentionally exposed U.S. military personnel to toxic chemicals as an experiment, without their knowledge or consent. In effect, they made our military personnel unwilling human guinea pigs. I strongly support H.R. 2433, the Health Care for Veterans of Project 112/Project SHAD Act of 2003, which the House passed today. We cannot change what happened forty years ago. But now we can try to make it right. This legislation is an important first step in requiring our government to make full disclosure about the tests conducted and the chemical agents to which our military personnel were exposed. H.R. 2433 will also make improvements to the retention and recruitment of health care professionals; provide additional pay for Saturday tours of duty for additional health care workers in the veterans' health administration; and increase coverage of employees of veterans' canteen services under additional employment laws. I urge my Senate colleagues to act quickly on this important legislation. As a veteran myself, it saddens me to see how some of our nation's finest citizens are being treated. I believe our government should come clean, provide the information and provide medical treatment and compensation for the losses our military personnel suffered. We must address this tragedy and work to make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, today I voted in favor of the Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2004, with serious reservations about its funding levels for veterans' facilities across the country. Veterans deserve more than this bill, which gives the VA $2.1 billion less than the House budget resolution requested. It is unconscionable that we're not fully funding the VA. I want to see this legislation receive full funding during conference committee, before it is sent to the President. At a time when we are asking more Americans to sacrifice for our Nation, we should not cut funds for medical care facilities veterans may need upon their return home. I hope that the conference committee can resolve differences between the House and Senate appropriations bills and will negotiate for better funding of veterans' medical care. A number of veterans' organizations have voiced their disappointment in the bill's low level of funding, including the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. Earlier today, I offered an amendment to the bill that mirrored my recently-introduced bipartisan CARES legislation. This bill, H.R. 2808, would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to give Congress 60 days to review any action proposed closure of VA facilities or beds. The legislation comes after the VA suggested that the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth may be considered for possible downsizing of beds and services. Congress needs to be involved in the process of determining the future of the VA health care system, especially if facilities are on the chopping block. Eliminating services in Leavenworth would be a disservice to the men and women who have served our country. In addition, redirecting those patients to the Kansas City VA Hospital, when there is already a six month wait for non-emergency care, would overwhelm a system that is already overwhelmed. After making a sacrifice for our country, our veterans should not be denied access to health benefits they have earned.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina for yielding me this time. I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Oxley), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank), also the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Bachus) for the great work that they did on this bill. I rise in strong support of this bill which passed out of committee 61 to 3. That is almost unheard of in this body where there is so much contentiousness, it seems, way too often. I think people out in the country wonder what is going on here. I think this is a splendid example of our ability to work together for something to benefit the American people and for business in this country. I ask my colleagues to vote in support of the bill that is going to come up on the floor today because it does assure the availability of reasonably priced consumer credit to consumers, which is going to enhance their ability to purchase things that they want in the future as well as to protect our economy and business in this country. I think it is very, very important that we pass this legislation intact. It increases consumer awareness of their rights. It protects against identity theft. It expands consumer access to credit information and gives a free credit report annually to consumers in this country. There are a number of consumer protections that the gentleman from Vermont and others worked for that are now built into this bill and if this bill is adopted will become in fact permanent. I urge my colleagues and all the Members of this body to vote in support of this bill.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Professor Emeritus G. Bailey Price of the University of Kansas. The recent dedication of the Robert J. Dole Center for Public Policy at the University of Kansas has renewed attention upon the millions of Americans who made possible this nation's victory during World War II. One of many Americans who were essential to that war effort, G. Bailey Price, is now 98 years old, residing in Lawrence, Kansas. Professor Price, a mathematics scholar and instructor at the University of Kansas, was called upon in 1943 to serve our nation as a civilian attached to the U.S. Army's Eighth Air Force Operational Research Section in High Wycombe, England. Professor Price served with them until 1945. It was through the work of statisticians like Professor Price that the Army Air Force was able to apply scientific algorithms to help bomber pilots improve their accuracy and to help impede the assault over England by German V-1 and V-2 bombers. The work of this group was documented in the report, ``Air Force Operations Analysis Section''; Professor Price authored the section of the report entitled, ``Gremlin Hunting in the Eighth Air Force European Theater of Operations, 1943-45''. After World War II, Professor Price remained with the University of Kansas, helping to build one of the most outstanding mathematics departments of any American university. He was named ``Mathematician of the Year'' by the National Academy of Sciences on more than one occasion. I welcome this opportunity to pay tribute to a valuable and important American; we share the pride of all Kansans in his outstanding achievements and include in the Record a recent article from the Lawrence Journal-World detailing his essential contributions to our war effort. [From the Lawrence Journal-World, Sept. 33, 2002] World War II Took Mathematician From Chalkboard to Drawing Board (By Dave Ranney) World War II was--among other things--a math problem. And Lawrence resident G. Baley Rice helped solve it. Today, Price is leaving for England to help dedicate a museum that pays tribute to U.S. airpower in World War II and to the men and women who made it effective. A Harvard-educated mathematician, Price had been teaching at Kansas University about five years when he got the call in 1943 from then-Chancellor Deane Malott. ``The war was on, but I had a deferment--I was teaching men in uniform,'' Price recalled. But Malott told Price the U.S. Army Air Corps was putting together special problem-solving units of mathematicians, physicists, engineers and architects. Price, then 38, was a prime candidate. ``They wanted me to go to the South Pacific,'' he said. ``And then as soon as everything was formalized and I'd said I'd go, they said, `Fine, we're sending you to England.' '' Price spent the next two years--from 1943 to 1945--in England, helping bomber pilots improve their accuracy. Or, as he explained: ``It didn't do much good to drop a bomb on a cabbage field.'' sole survivor? Now, Price is 97 years old. He's fairly certain he's the sole surviving member of the U.S. Army Eighth Air Force Operational Research Section. It's both a distinction and an obligation, he said. ``I feel I should do what I can do to honor those who lost their lives,'' Price said. He's leaving today for Washington, D.C., where he'll join his son, Griffith B. Price, and grandson, Andrew Price, on a flight to England. There, he'll attend dedication ceremonies at the American Air Museum near Cambridge. Former President George Bush is scheduled to address the gathering. More than 4,000 U.S. veterans and family members are expected to attend. ``Last week, this nation was up in arms--rightfully so-- over the events of Sept. 11 in which almost 3,000 people were killed. It was a great tragedy, and I will take nothing away from that,'' Price said recently. ``But 30,000 members of the Eighth Air Force lost their lives during the war. That, too, was a tragedy.'' Price said he's not worried about today's flight. ``At my age, I feel like I have to go.'' The 70,000-square-foot museum features an extensive collection of World War II aircraft including a B-52 Stratofortress, B-17 Flying Fortress, B-29 Superfortress and a P-51 Mustang. his contribution Price prefers not to dwell on his contribution to the war effort. For starters, he filed a report with the Air Force back in 1943. And it doesn't seem right to call attention to a civilian mathematician's tasks while others lost their lives. But when pressed, price said he helped figure out plane formations and drop procedures that improved bombing accuracy. ``We found that smaller, tighter (formations) and dropping (bombs) simultaneously improved accuracy,'' he said. Ted Wilson, a KU history professor who has studied World War II, said Price under-estimated the section's contribution. ``They played a very important role,'' he said, noting that efforts to improve bombing accuracy played a key role in the military's efforts to cripple the German economy by bombing key factories. After the war, Price returned to KU, where he later served as chairman of the mathematics department for 19 years. He retired in 1975. Price and his wife, Cora Lee Beers Price, a longtime assistant professor of classic literature at KU, have six children. She is 93. Earlier this year, the Prices donated a collection of their papers, books and photographs to the Kenneth Spencer Research Library at KU.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to bring to the House's attention the opening of a regional consul's office for the Czech Republic in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Events are being planned from September 24 to 26 to celebrate this opening, including a visit from the Czech Republic's ambassador to the United States, Martin Palous, to Kansas City. For centuries, thousands of Czechs and Slovaks have immigrated to Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. These naturalized Americans and their descendants have formed a vibrant part of America's rich cultural tapestry. Now, after only a decade since becoming a free and autonomous nation, the Czech Republic's amazing progress toward democratization has created a unique opportunity to further strengthen the ties between Eastern Europe and America's heartland. I believe this new local consul's office can be the catalyst for further interaction, understanding and mutual appreciation. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank Sharon K. Valasek, the honorary consul of the Czech Republic to Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, for helping to establish an official Consulate of the Czech Republic in Kansas City. I also wish to thank the distinguished ambassador from the Czech Republic, Mr. Martin Palous, and welcome him to Kansas City. I hope that our two nations can continue to cooperate and thrive while strengthening our bonds of friendship and commerce.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring to your attention and to the attention of my colleagues the outstanding summer internship program that has been implemented by the American Association of People with Disabilities [AAPD] and Microsoft Corporation. This Federal Internship Program provides ten college students--including Nwokoma Sampson, of Merriam, Kansas, which is in my congressional district-- with paid summer internships this year working in information technology for one of several participating agencies of the U.S. government. Nwokoma Sampson attended California State University at Northridge [CSUN], where he was the first black deaf student to graduate with a computer science degree. This internship gave him a means to expand upon the experience he gained in previous internships and on his general technology experience. I am confident that the internship has also afforded him the chance to become familiar with the federal government's working environment and to obtain knowledge that will be an invaluable tool for his evaluation when applying for permanent federal positions. I am including with this statement an article about Nwokoma's experiences that was recently published in the Kansas City Star. As Mariana Nork with the American Association of People with Disabilities has described their joint effort with Microsoft, ``This is a unique program because it's focused on people with disabilities. This program provides opportunities for the interns, but it is also a great chance for the participating public agencies to learn more about people with disabilities and to realize that there's a wide pool of untapped talent in the disabled community.'' Microsoft and AAPD developed a two- year program to provide 25 paid information technology internships to college students with disabilities in ten different federal agencies, with Microsoft providing $325,000 to fund the program and AAPD overseeing the program's administration. The grant provides each student with a stipend, free accessible housing and transportation, and any costs related to arranging special worksite accommodations that may be necessary. The program is open to any college or university student who has a disability and has demonstrated an interest in a career in information technology. Participating agencies have included the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Defense. Established in 1995, the AAPD is the largest cross-disability membership organization in the United States, with over 40,000 members. AAPD's mission is the political and economic empowerment of the more than 56 million people in the United States living with disabilities. I commend AAPD and Microsoft for their joint effort to develop and implement this important federal internship program, which has enhanced opportunities for several disabled individuals, including my constituent, Nwokoma Sampson. [From the Kansas City Star, July 30, 2003] Stubbornly Seeking Success: Merriam Man Hasn't Let Deafness or his Start in West African Poverty Stop Him (By Kati Jividen) Call him Nwokoma Sampson or Oma Sampson. He is both. A hearing man. A deaf man. That's according to his resumes. ``I did get some response from the one I posted using Oma without indicating that I am deaf,'' the 34-year-old Merriam man wrote in an online chat. ``But whenever I reply to the recruiter seeking to do an interview, and I tell them I am deaf, I hardly hear from them again.'' It's discouraging-- Sampson won't lie. But, like everything else that has happened in his life, he is not going to sit back and be a quiet observer. He'll let someone else do that. ``When I was at CSUN (California State University- Northridge), deaf students who were enrolled in computer science program with me dropped out,'' he wrote. ``By the time we reached our second year, I found myself all alone and struggling to the end. I guess that is why my parents believe that I am stubborn, but I need to be stubborn with my problems in order to overcome them.'' Sampson, who was born in the jungle of West Africa, grew up in poverty. After earning a graphic design diploma in Lagos, Nigeria, he put everything behind him and moved to America ``in search of the American dream or rather the proverbial golden fleece,'' he wrote. In Nigeria, Sampson was the first deaf student to attend the Yaba College of Technology. He also is the first black deaf student to graduate with a degree in computer science from Cal-State-Northridge. Plus, he wrote, English is his third language behind sign language and Igbo, a language spoken by the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. ``Nigeria had little opportunity for me,'' wrote Sampson, who shares his home with his wife of almost one year, Mei Yuk Maggie Sampson, a counselor at Kansas School for the Deaf in Olathe. ``Actually, I wanted to study medicine, but Nigeria university at that time did not accept deaf students. Neither do they provide interpreters for deaf students at the university level. I had to choose graphic design, which depends more on vision, so that I could teach myself and survive in the class without too much trouble.'' He found himself in the same predicament at Cal-State where he recently graduated with a computer science degree and $50,000 in debt. ``I could not work and go to school because I had to teach myself everything and even study during summer breaks in advance for the classes I am going to enroll in the following semester,'' Sampson wrote. But now that Sampson has earned his degree (six years in the making) he is able to spend this summer on an information technology internship in Washington, D.C. He is living in a dorm room at George Washington University, working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He has helped with the agency's transition to the Department of Homeland Security. Asked if he enjoys the job, he responded: ``It is not whether I am enjoying myself or not. It is about networking.'' His boss, the assistant to the chief information officer of FEMA, speaks to Sampson in sign language. Since his arrival, her signing has improved. ``Now she has improved her sign language while I get to know her better in order to establish a connection,'' he said. ``It is this connection that I am looking for, which may one way or the other help me in the future.'' Sampson--and nine other students with disabilities--are the first to partake in these competitive information technology internships, said Mariana Nork, senior vice president at the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). The advocacy group coordinated the internships, which are funded by a two-year $325,000 grant from Microsoft, Transportation and lodging is provided, and each intern is given a $4,500 stipend. All of the interns are top in their respective classes, and all are seeking a career in information technology. ``The disability community has continued to see a high unemployment rate in this country. Our goal is to make that change,'' Nork said. ``That is a multi-tiered task, but at the basis of it all is education. We must educate people with disabilities about job opportunities available to them in all of the careers. The other side of the coin is educating the potential employer.'' Seminars, such as one taught last week by Microsoft, teach the interns how to correctly apply for a job with a disability, said Sarah Meyer, senior manager in Microsoft's community affairs department. ``To say this is successful is an understatement,'' Nork said of the internship program. ``We are delighted, the interns are delighted and the agencies are delighted.'' Sampson would be delighted to have a job. He spent five months looking for a job in Kansas, to no avail. When he heard about the AAPD internships, he applied and waited. ``I post it and that was it,'' he wrote. ``I do not like to be too anxious about anything. I just let tomorrow take care of itself.'' Sampson said his ideal job is to work as a software engineer, programmer, application developer--anything that comes with some element of programming so he can help teach other deaf students. He may even start his own software engineering business ``if I keep getting discriminated (against) when it comes to hiring by private companies,'' he wrote. Plans are already under way for him to go back to school at the University of Maryland-Adelphi to get a master's degree in computer science or software engineering. Eventually he would like a doctorate. His success has led to advice for other struggling students: ``Never give up as a deaf person. Where there is a will, there is a way, and what you sow, you will reap the fruit eventually.''

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I was unavoidably detained due to a U.S. Airways plane malfunction and missed rollcall vote No. 357, the Ackerman-LaTourette amendment to the Agriculture appropriations bill which would require that the USDA expend no funds to approve meat from downed animals--animals that are too sick to walk or stand--for food. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to talk about an amendment that I want to offer to the VA-HUD appropriations bill. I ask that the House consider as an amendment H.R. 2808, which the gentlewoman from Missouri (Mrs. Emerson) and I filed just this week. The concept is simple. Our amendment would require that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs give 60 days' advance notice to Congress before closing any Veterans Hospital facilities or medical facilities or beds currently serving veterans. At the Kansas City Veterans Administration facility, which serves my district, veterans already have to wait 6 months for nonemergency care. Closure of beds at a VA facility in Leavenworth, just north of my district, would put more people in the pool in Kansas City, making the wait even longer, as much as 8 months 9 months or a year, which is unconscionable. Asking veterans to wait even longer for care is wrong; we should not sacrifice treatment for those who fought for our country. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to bring this matter to the House's attention. It is vital that we keep our promises to our veterans as we are asking even more young men and women to serve our country in places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, and perhaps even Liberia. We owe them quality care when they return from their service and they have the absolute right to know that that quality care will be there for them. Mr. Chairman, Bob Ulin, State president of the Association of the United States Army, I think said it best: ``It is a budget issue for the VA; it is a life and death issue for our vets.'' I understand, Mr. Chairman, that my amendment is subject to a point of order, but I ask my colleagues to consider the status of VA care in our country and join as cosponsors on H.R. 2808. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of both H.R. 2738 and H.R. 2739, the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements, respectively. Globalization is here to stay. With markets now linked globally by computers, satellite communications, and advanced transportation networks, international trade and investment will play an increasing role in American prosperity. We cannot, as a nation, afford to retreat from a proactive strategy of trade expansion that takes advantage of our position as the world's most prosperous and dynamic economy. I have great faith in American workers. They are the best in the world. And, I'm convinced they can compete with workers from any other country. Trade liberalization is also an important tool towards developing responsible global relations. It is a tool, as the preamble of the GATT states, for ``raising standards of living, ensuring full employment, developing the full use of the resources of the world and expanding the production and exchange of goods.'' Indeed, open markets are an important engine of economic growth, which can expand opportunities, raise living standards, and affect social change. Perhaps most importantly, however, trade liberalization provides our nation with an additional diplomatic tool and a forum within which our nation may deal with international disputes and/or coalition building. Trade's national security component cannot be understated. The Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreements include strong and comprehensive commitments from both of these nations to open their goods, agricultural and service markets to U.S. producers. These agreements include commitments that will increase regulatory transparency and act to the benefit of U.S. workers, investors, intellectual property holders, businesses and consumers. While some of the provisions in these FTAs could serve as a model for other agreements, a number of provisions clearly cannot be, nor should they be. As a general rule, I believe that each country or countries with whom we negotiate are unique; and while the provisions contained in the Chile and Singapore FTAs work for Chile and Singapore, they may not be appropriate for FTAs with other countries, where may exist very different circumstances. Indeed, concerns have been raised that the Administration may use some of their provisions contained in the agreements as models for other FTAs, such as the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), where the conditions may make it inappropriate to do so. Specifically, with regard to the labor and environmental provisions, there are separate dispute settlement rules that place arbitrary caps on the enforceability of those provisions. Moreover, these agreements contain an ``enforce your own laws'' standard for dealing with labor and environmental disputes. In the context of Chile and Singapore, I have limited concerns about this standard since both of these countries' laws essentially reflect internationally recognized core labor rights. How they are applied does vary in the two countries, reflecting the different general characteristics of the two nations; however, there is little practical concern that these countries will backtrack. Concerns about labor and environmental standards, however, should receive careful scrutiny on a case-by-case basis as different circumstances and situations warrant. Use of the ``enforce your own law'' standard is invalid as a precedent--indeed is a contradiction to the purpose of promoting enforceable core labor standards--when a country's laws clearly do not reflect international standards and when there is a history, not only of non-enforcement, but of a hostile environment towards the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively. Using a standard in totally different circumstances will lead to totally different results. As such, my vote for the Chile and Singapore FTAs should not be interpreted as support for using these agreements as boilerplate models for future trade negotiations. I will evaluate all future trade agreements on their merits and their applicability to each country to ensure that core international labor rights and environmental standards are addressed in a meaningful manner. Expanded trade is important to this country and the world; but it will be beneficial to a broad range of persons in our nation and in other nations only if these trade agreements are carefully shaped to include basic standards, including the requirement that nations compete on the basis of core rights for their workers, not by suppression of these basic rights. The Singapore and Chile FTAs meet these standards and I urge my colleagues to support these two important initiatives.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of both H.R. 2738 and H.R. 2739, the U.S.-Chile and U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreements, respectively. Globalization is here to stay. With markets now linked globally by computers, satellite communications, and advanced transportation networks, international trade and investment will play an increasing role in American prosperity. We cannot, as a nation, afford to retreat from a proactive strategy of trade expansion that takes advantage of our position as the world's most prosperous and dynamic economy. I have great faith in American workers. They are the best in the world. And, I'm convinced they can compete with workers from any other country. Trade liberalization is also an important tool towards developing responsible global relations. It is a tool, as the preamble of the GATT states, for ``raising standards of living, ensuring full employment, developing the full use of the resources of the world and expanding the production and exchange of goods.'' Indeed, open markets are an important engine of economic growth, which can expand opportunities, raise living standards, and affect social change. Perhaps most importantly, however, trade liberalization provides our nation with an additional diplomatic tool and a forum within which our nation may deal with international disputes and/or coalition building. Trade's national security component cannot be understated. The Chile and Singapore Free Trade Agreements include strong and comprehensive commitments from both of these nations to open their goods, agricultural and service markets to U.S. producers. These agreements include commitments that will increase regulatory transparency and act to the benefit of U.S. workers, investors, intellectual property holders, businesses and consumers. While some of the provisions in these FTAs could serve as a model for other agreements, a number of provisions clearly cannot be, nor should they be. As a general rule, I believe that each country or countries with whom we negotiate are unique, and while the provisions contained in the Chile and Singapore FTAs work for Chile and Singapore, they may not be appropriate for FTAs with other countries, where there may exist very different circumstances. Indeed, concerns have been raised that the Administration may sue some of their provisions contained in the agreements as models for other FTAs, such as the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), where the conditions may make it inappropriate to do so. Specifically, with regard to the labor and environmental provisions, there are separate dispute settlement rules that place arbitrary caps on the enforceability of those provisions. Moreover, these agreements that contain an ``enforce your own laws' standard for dealing with labor and environmental disputes. In the context of Chile and Singapore, I have limited concerns about this standard since both of these countries' laws essentially reflect internationally recognized core labor rights. How they are applied does vary in the two countries, reflecting the different general characteristics of the two nations; however, there is little practical concern that these countries will backtrack. Concerns about labor and environmental standards, however, should receive careful scrutiny on a case-by-case basis as different circumstances and situations warrant. Use of the ``enforce your own law'' standard is invalid as a precedent--indeed is a contradiction to the purpose of promoting enforceable core labor standards--when a country's laws clearly do not reflect international standards and when there is a history, not only of non-enforcement, but of a hostile environment towards the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively. Using a standard in totally different circumstances will lead to totally different results. As such, my vote for the Chile and Singapore FTAs should not be interpreted as support for using these agreements as boilerplate models for future trade negotiations. I will evaluate all future trade agreements on their merits and their applicability to each country to ensure that core international labor rights and environmental standards are addressed in a meaningful manner. Expanded trade is important to this country and the world; but it will be beneficial to a broad range of persons in our nation and in other nations only if these trade agreements are carefully shaped to include basic standards, including the requirement that nations compete on the basis of core rights for their workers, not by suppression of these basic rights. The Singapore and Chile FTAs meet these standards and I urge my colleagues to support these two important initiatives.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, on July 14, 2003, my plane was delayed during rollcall votes 354, 355, 356, and 357; had I been present to vote, I would have voted ``nay'', ``aye'', ``nay'', and ``aye'', respectively. Please let the Record reflect how I would have voted. I voted `'nay'' on rollcall vote 354, but I would like to share my support for country of origin labeling, though I have concerns regarding the cost of the program and its current ability to be implemented. In 2000, the Government Accounting Office studied the question and found that ``it is difficult to quantify the cost of labeling meat by country-of-origin or to put a value on the potential benefits.'' Allowing voluntary labeling of the meat industry for one more year will allow the United States Department of Agriculture time to streamline the implementation process. Producers meanwhile will be able to voluntarily label their meat and consumers will be able to pick which meat they prefer.

Mr. MOORE

Mr. MOORE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I want to respond just very briefly to the statement made by the gentleman from California. I am glad that we are up to 18 percent of the 40 percent that Congress promised 27 years ago for IDEA funding. I am glad we are up to 18 percent. That means we are 22 percent short; 22 percent short 27 years later. That is shameful. And we are starting to do the same thing again here. I voted for the No Child Left Behind Act. I believe it can work and should work, if adequate resources are devoted. But if not, it is another unfunded Federal mandate. Shame on all of us if we do that this time.