Bob Ney

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, whereas, Lucinda Martin is a professional teacher of science at Tuscarawas Valley High School; and Whereas, Lucinda Martin has been selected to receive a Governor's Award for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities by the Ohio Academy of Science in cooperation with the Office of the Governor and the Ohio Department of Education; and Whereas, Lucinda Martin should be commended for reaching this milestone, for her devotion to her students, and for her ongoing efforts to extend science education opportunities beyond the classroom; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in honoring and congratulating Lucinda Martin for her outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, James MacDonald has served our community as a police officer with the Coshocton County Sheriff's Office since 1995; and Whereas, Deputy James MacDonald has been awarded a 2002 Distinguished Valor Award at Ohio's Law-Enforcement Conference; and Whereas, James MacDonald is a hero who acted quickly and efficiently in July 2001, serving our community in the face of grave danger without hesitation or thought of himself; and Whereas, James MacDonald is an asset to the Coshocton community in his preparedness, devotion to duty, and willingness to serve; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in honoring and congratulating Deputy James MacDonald for his selflessness and heroism.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, John Hite is a professional teacher of science at Tuscarawas Valley High School; and Whereas, John Hite has been selected to receive a Governor's Award for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities by the Ohio Academy of Science in cooperation with the Office of the Governor and the Ohio Department of Education; and Whereas, John Hite should be commended for reaching this milestone, for his devotion to his students, and for his ongoing efforts to extend science education opportunities beyond the classroom; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in honoring and congratulating John Hite for his outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Ron Derewecki is a professional teacher of science at Coshocton High School; and Whereas, Ron Derewecki has been selected to receive a Governor's Award for Excellence in Youth Science Opportunities by the Ohio Academy of Science in cooperation with the Office of the Governor and the Ohio Department of Education; and Whereas, Ron Derewecki should be commended for reaching this milestone, for his devotion to his students, and for his ongoing efforts to extend science education opportunities beyond the classroom; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire I 8th Congressional District of Ohio in honoring and congratulating Ron Derewecki for his outstanding accomplishment.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Frankie Lee Carnes is celebrating her 60th Birthday today October 8, 2002; and Whereas, Frankie Lee Carnes is a member of First Christian Church; and Whereas, Frankie Lee Carnes has six children and nine grandchildren; Whereas, Frankie Lee Carnes must be commended for her service to the community serving as Chair of the Belmont County Election Board and actively participating in the Miracle of Life Group, and the Girl Scouts; and Therefore, I join with the residents of St. Clairsville and the entire 18th Congressional District in congratulating Frankie Lee Carnes as she celebrates her 60th Birthday.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, each year, the Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) selects one person who has consistently demonstrated outstanding service throughout their professional career in the field of employee assistance. It is with great honor that I am able to say that this year's recipient of the ``2002 EAPA Member of the Year'' award goes to one of our own, Bernard E. Beidel, Director of the House Office of Employee Assistance. Bern is being recognized for his commitment to the employee assistance field and the leadership he demonstrated most recently by providing assistance and support to the leaders of the House of Representatives, their staff, and their families following the difficult events of September 11th, 2001, and the House building evacuations due to anthrax. When the House first implemented the Office of Employee Assistance in 1991, Bern was selected to head the program. Through his years with the House, he has helped many House employees, and managers, be at their best; both on the job and off. He has helped us expand this umbrella of care to also serve other employees of the House community to include the employees of the U.S. Capitol Police and the Congressional Budget Office and to guide us to a healthier workplace. Bern came to the House with over fifteen years of experience in employee assistance and has continued to prove himself as a leader in the field. He has authored a number of book chapters and articles on various issues and best practices in the EA field and has been a presenter and guest faculty member at numerous EA institutes. His commitment to the field is evident in his professional work as well as his willingness to serve as a Chair for a wide variety of EAP organizations and task forces, including the committee that rewrote the professional standards for the employee assistance field. Last year, under his leadership, the House Office of Employee Assistance was awarded the EAP Digest/Employee Assistance Professionals Association's `` 2001 Quality Award for EAP Excellence.'' On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, I join his staff at the employee assistance office; his wife, Donna; and daughters, Cindy and Jessica in recognizing Bern for this outstanding and well-deserved award, and, for his ongoing caring, commitment, and dedication to the House and the people who serve here. Thank you Bern, and keep up the great work!

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, whereas, TSgt Alan Monte de Ramos is retiring from the United States Air Force after 21 years of service; and Whereas, TSgt Alan Monte de Ramos married Cheryl in 1989 and they have a daughter, Rachel and a son Kyle; and Whereas, TSgt Alan Monte de Ramos has received many recognitions including, the Air Force Commendation Medal First Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Force Achievement Medal; and Whereas, TSgt Alan Monte de Ramos is to be commended for serving his country with professionalism, dedication, passion, and integrity; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in celebrating TSgt Alan Monte de Ramos' retirement from the United States Air Force.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. It has been said that this bill will make it easier to vote and harder to cheat, and that is true; but this bill goes way beyond a simple phrase, and I want to thank everybody that has made this bill possible. I want to thank the people who worked on the Ford-Carter Commission, obviously, Presidents Ford and Carter. Their commission performed a tremendous service and their recommendations had a profound effect. I had the pleasure 2 days ago to be able to talk personally to Presidents Ford and Carter, and they expressed their tremendous support for this measure and their thanks to the Congress for passing it. I want to thank the members of the conference committee. First, of course, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer). If it were not for the gentleman from Maryland, and he came to me and he proposed the ideas and he had a vision, if it were not for him, we simply would not have had the product in the direction obviously out of the House to be where we are at today, and I want to thank him for his integrity. He is a distinguished ranking member. He heeded the call to make elections work, to restore the faith in our system; and without his persistence and gentle persuasion at critical moments, this bill would not have been possible. And I want to thank him for what he has done for his country and for the citizens. I want to recognize the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), who provided invaluable support for the scientific end of it; the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds), whose concern over the rights of military and overseas voters are strongly reflected in this bill; the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), who insisted on strong anti-fraud and privacy protections; the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh), from the Committee on Armed Services, who helped to make this bill a landmark piece of legislation for military voters; the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk). And although he is not a conferee, I want to especially mention the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), whose detailed input on the military voting issue significantly improved the bill. The gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), from the Committee on Ways and Means, should be given the credit for crafting the provisions to protect voter privacy. The gentleman from New York (Mr. Boehlert) and the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) made sure also that the voice of the scientific community came through. I also want to pay special tribute to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt), the chief deputy whip, whose advice and guidance through the process based on his experience as the Missouri Secretary of State was essential to the final compromise. I also want to thank the Members on the minority side who served on the conference committee: the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fattah), the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Davis), who are tremendous Members. We are very blessed on House Administration, on both sides of the aisle, to have such terrific members: the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), who gave advice and who was always willing to be there; the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Barcia); the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee); the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel); and the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), whose support on the disabilities issue was tremendous; the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), who always was concerned through the whole process to be part of it; and many other Members, Mr. Speaker. I especially wanted to thank also the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), who met with the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and me, and also I want to thank the Speaker of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), whose unwavering support through the past 2 years kept this process on track and has gotten us to where we are today. He had the commitment and the faith this could be done. And Mike Stokke, his staff member. I want to thank the groups whose efforts and support made this possible: the National Association of Counties, including their staff, Ralph Tabour; the National Association of Secretaries of State, including our Secretary of State Ken Blackwell of Ohio, who picked up the phone on the first day after the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and I got together and said he wanted to be a part of the process to help, through the Secretaries of State; Ron Thornburg, past president of NASS, Secretary of State for Kansas; also Sharon Priest, Secretary of State of Arkansas, valuable input, and their executive director, Leslie Reynolds. The National Conference of State Legislatures, NCSL, including Speaker Marty Stephens from Utah and staff Susan Parnes-Frederick. The Election Center and their executive director, Doug Lewis. The National Federation of the Blind, including their staff Jim McCarthy. The National Commission on Federal Election Reform, executive director Phillip Zelikow. And I want to mention our staff for their extraordinary, and I mean extraordinary, efforts. People talk about conference committees. There were discussions and they started at 10 a.m. and they ended at 3:15 and then started the next day at 8 a.m. and they ended at 2:15. There was a great deal of time put in on a very technical bill. But I want to thank, from the Committee on House Administration, Paul Vinovich, our staff director, Chet Kalis, Roman Buhler, Matt Petersen, Pat Leahy, Maria Robinson, Chris Krueger, and also Will Heaton, our chief of staff of our personnel office, who kept that going. Not with us today, Neil Volz, who was originally in the process, and Jim Forbes, who was press secretary then, and our current press secretary, Brian Walsh. All of them had an integral part in making this happen. For the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the staff of the Committee on House Administration, Bill Cable, Keith Abouchar, Lenny Shambon, all were extremely valuable. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my wife, Liz, and my son, Bobby, and my daughter, Kayla, for putting up with me not spending enough time with them in the last couple of weeks. Also the staff of Senator Chris Dodd: Kennie Gill and Ronnie Gillespie and Sean Marr. The staff of Senator Mitch McConnell: Brian Lewis and Leon Sequeria. For Senator Kit Bond: Julie Damman and Jack Bartling. And especially legislative counsel Noah Wofsy for the House and Jim Scott for the Senate. From the Senate side, there is no question the integrity, the desire, the vision, the perseverance of Senator Dodd. If it were not for that, we also would not be here tonight. He has done something that will live on for a long time, also along with the other two Senators, Mitch McConnell and Kit Bond. As I said at the beginning of this process, Mr. Speaker, so many months ago, that for this effort to succeed we would have to be doing it in a bipartisan manner. We are about to witness the realization and fulfillment of that prediction. I am grateful to my friends on the other side of the aisle, as well as on the other side of the Capitol, for their willingness to put partisanship aside and work together to produce this much-needed piece of legislation for the American people. The United States of America is the world's greatest democracy. We need an election system that is worthy of that legacy. This bill will give us an election system that all Americans can have pride in. Langston Hughes, the poet, wrote, ``Dream your dreams, but be willing to pay the sacrifice to make them come true.'' Our veterans have sacrificed with their blood, from the beginning of this country through the revolution, to make sure we can be here tonight to debate and argue all these points that are important to us. And on top of that, people died to get the right to vote in this country. We cannot forget that. So, therefore, this bill is important. This is the bill that is going to produce, long after we are gone, the results that we need to have faith in the system. In closing, Mr. Speaker, we talk about what we can do for our constituency, and there are a lot of issues. We debate important issues, such as if we are going to go to war or not, and issues important to our domestic agenda. But people have to be here to be able to vote on those issues. They have to be elected at all levels throughout the United States. And the greatest gift we can give, as Members of this House tonight, the greatest gift we can give to our constituency is to vote for this measure and take back to our constituency the ability to have them have faith in the system; a knowledge that tonight America did her work on the floor of this House, as boards of elections do their work every single election across our great country. And also Members can take the gift back to their people that tonight the body politic worked for the good of the people. The body politic did something that, again, long after we are gone, people will benefit from. Tonight America shines. We need everyone's vote and support.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3295.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this has been a long, winding process that is about to conclude tonight, in what I think is going to be known as one of the most important votes that any Member of this body can cast, not only for this session but for the future, for decades to come, of the future of the voting process for the citizens of the United States. I am pleased to present to the House the conference report for H.R. 3295, the Help America Vote Act of 2002. This legislation will have a profound and positive impact on the way we conduct Federal elections in this country. At the heart of the bill are some fundamental principles: One, that every eligible citizen shall have the right to vote. Two, that no legal vote will be canceled by an illegal vote. Three, that every vote will be counted equally and fairly, according to the law. When this legislation goes into effect, the voting citizens in this country will have the right to a provisional ballot, so no voter will be turned away from a polling place, no voter will be disenfranchised, just because their name does not appear on a registration list. Henceforth, instead of simply being told to go home, the voters will be able to cast a provisional ballot which will be counted according to State law. Voters will now also be able to have the opportunity to check for errors and verify the accuracy of their ballot in privacy before it is cast. No more will voters have to wonder if their vote was properly recorded or not. By guaranteeing them the right to verify the accuracy of their ballot in privacy, voters will be able to leave the polling place confident and certain that their vote was cast and counted in complete secrecy as they intended it to be. This bill contains tremendous advances for individuals with disabilities. This legislation requires that every polling place in the country have at least one voting system that is accessible to the disabled, meaning individuals with disabilities, including the blind and visually impaired. They will now have the right to cast a secret and secure ballot in the same manner as all other Americans do. No longer will individuals with disabilities have to rely on an assistant, or compromise the secrecy of their ballot. They will be able to vote in a private and independent manner, the same way all their fellow citizens do, many for the first time in their lives. The legislation establishes a maximum error rate for voting system performance. This error rate is a measure of the performance of voting system prototypes under laboratory conditions to determine that the system counts votes accurately in accordance with national standards stands in Section 3.2.1 of the Voting System Standards adopted by the FEC. I will include Section 3.2.1. for the record. At the heart of our elections system is the process of how we maintain our records on who is eligible to vote. Currently, thousands of election jurisdictions across the country manage these records independently. Some employ the latest technologies and database management techniques to ensure accuracy and reliability. Others need improvement. This bill will require each State to develop a Statewide registration system. These systems will modernize, centralize and improve current methods for ensuring the accuracy of registration lists. The current system in many States creates inefficiencies and duplications, as voters often move from one jurisdiction to another within a State without notifying the jurisdiction that they used to live in before they made the move. The result is that a single individual may appear on more than one registration list in a State. These Statewide systems will make it possible for States to more effectively maintain voter registration information, as they should. States will have more accurate systems to protect voters from being mistakenly removed from the list, while ensuring that costly duplicates that invite voter fraud are quickly removed. The lists maintained by the State will be the official list used to determine who is registered to vote on Election Day. Uniformity and integrity in the system will be assured as local election jurisdictions will no longer be able to maintain separate lists. This bill contains important new guarantees for military and overseas voters. Military voters will be guaranteed assistance and information that they need from the Department of Defense so they can complete and return their ballots on time. The military is required to mark all ballots so it can be determined when they were mailed, so no valid military ballot will be rejected for lack of a postmark. All enlistees will receive a voter registration form upon enlistment. We all know how important that is for those who are serving their country and laying their lives on the line. State election officials must establish a single office where military and overseas voters can get information on how to vote in that State. For the first time, they will be required to accept ballots mailed early from military personnel whose duties, for example, on a submarine, may prevent them from mailing ballots on a date close to the election. For the first time, we will have a report on the number of applications received and absentee ballots sent out to military and overseas voters, together with the number of those ballots that have been returned. Studies of these numbers may help us determine how to future improve participation and turnout among those voters. Our election system is dependent on tens of thousands of election officials and 1.5 million volunteer poll workers in over 7,000 jurisdictions serving over 150 million voters across this great country. In the general election for Federal office, all of these people come together during a 24-hour period to chose our leaders. It is an incredibly complicated process that must be choreographed precisely to ensure its success. This means that education and training is critical to the success of our elections system. This legislation provides needed funds to complete that task across the United States. A provision in this package that has been the subject, frankly, of some controversy is the voter ID provision that was included in the Senate-passed bill and is included in this conference report. I want to emphasize this provision does not require voters to present an actual photo ID. In recognition of the fact that some citizens do not have such an ID, the bill allows a voter a number of options to identify themselves, including a bank statement, utility bill or government check. The provision applies only to first-time voters who register by mail. Language has been added to ensure it will be administered in a uniform and non-discriminatory manner, Mr. Speaker. The voter ID provision is very important and will go a long way toward enhancing the integrity of our election process. People should not be permitted to register by mail and then vote by mail without ever having to demonstrate in some fashion they are the actual human being who is eligible to vote. I think this is at least the minimal we can ask. This provision will help to end the practice of ghost voting, whereby people who do not exist are miraculously somehow able to vote. We should all keep in mind that a person whose vote is canceled out by an illegal vote has been disenfranchised every bit as much as an individual who has simply also been turned away from the polls. In either case, that is not the correct thing to do. This ID provision will protect against fraud of this type, and I am glad the conference saw fit to include it in the package. Mr. Speaker, the election that took place in November of 2000 demonstrated there are serious problems in our election system. While the initial attention was focused on Florida, we have all learned over the past 2 years that the problems encountered were not unique but in fact were widespread. We just simply did not know it because there was not an election of the magnitude of the presidential that brought all of this to light through the national media. While the problems varied from State to State, one common problem was a failure to devote sufficient resources to election infrastructure. Not surprising, when State and local officials are faced with the decision of how to spend their limited resources and have to choose between things citizens use every day, like roads and schools, or spend it on equipment that might get used only a couple of times a year, like election equipment, the latter has often come up short; and this bill will help to solve that. This lack of resources has left States with old and unreliable voting equipment, inadequate training and education of voters and poll workers and, frankly, poor registration systems. While State and local governments have been charged with the responsibility of running elections for Federal office, they have simply received no assistance from the Federal Government. This bill changes that. It is time for the Federal Government to provide some funding to make sure that the world's greatest democracy has an election system it can have pride and confidence in. And remember, when we take our thoughts of democracy across the waters and we try to monitor elections, we have to have our own house in order so that we have the confidence that other countries will see that our system is the best it can be. The Help America Vote Act will provide Federal financial assistance to the tune of $3.9 billion in authorized funding over the next 3 years. We can no longer ask State and local governments to bear all of the expense without any assistance from us. I would also note that according to figures from the Congressional Research Service and the State Department, the United States has spent more than $3 billion over the past 7 years to promote democracy abroad. I support that; I think we need to be promoting democracy in other countries. I just believe we need to start spending some Federal dollars to bolster our own democracy here at home. I would also note that meeting the requirements of this act will not be cheap. If we want and expect State and local governments to meet the requirements we are imposing on them, we will have to provide the funding that will make it possible for them to do so. If we do not, we have done nothing more than pass another unfunded mandate to the States, and we do not want to do that. This bill will cause States and localities to fundamentally restructure their election systems in a host of tremendous ways. We need to provide the funding to make sure that happens. In addition to the funding it provides, the bill will assist the States with their election administration problems by creating a new Federal election assistance commission. This independent, bipartisan entity will be responsible for providing advice, guidance, and assistance to the States. It will act as a clearinghouse for information and make recommendations on best practices. I want to stress that the name of the commission, the Election Assistance Commission, is not an accident. The commission's purpose is to assist States with solving their problems. It is not meant and does not have the power to dictate to States how to run their elections. This will not be a bill where Washington, D.C. turns around and says, this is the way you do it. It will not have rulemaking authority. The fundamental premise of the legislation on the commission was to have no rulemaking authority, and it cannot impose its will on the States; but I have to tell my colleagues, it has a heart to this commission, and it has the ability to make changes. This commission was an important point the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and I talked about when we devised the Ney-Hoyer bill, because we wanted to make sure it worked for local governments and we wanted to make sure that this would be carried out. Historically, elections in this country have been administered at the State and local level. This system has had many benefits that have to be preserved. The dispersal responsibility for election administration has made it impossible for a single centrally controlled authority to dictate how elections will be run and thereby be able to control the outcome. This leaves the power of responsibility for running elections right where it needs to be: in the hands of the citizens of this country. Local control has the further added benefits of allowing for flexibility so that local authorities can tailor their procedures to meet demands and unique community needs. Further, by leaving the responsibility for election administration in the hands of local authorities, if a problem arises, the citizens who live within their jurisdictions know whom to hold accountable. The local authorities who bear the responsibility cannot now and not in the future be able to point the finger of blame at some distant, unaccountable, centralized bureaucracy. By necessity, elections must occur at the State and local level. One- size-fits-all solutions do not work and only lead to inefficiencies. States and locales must retain the power and the flexibility to tailor solutions to their own unique problems. This legislation will pose certain basic requirements that all jurisdictions will have to meet, but they will retain the flexibility to meet the requirements in the most effective manner. State and local officials from every State in America will have a voice on this commission. While the commissioners will have expertise and experience with election issues and administration, they can still benefit from the advice and council of those who are on the ground, running elections around this country. State and local election officials in each State will ultimately bear the responsibility for carrying out the commission's recommendations so their voices must be heard as these guidelines and recommendations and best practices are developed. The Help America Vote Act strikes the appropriate balance between local and Federal involvement. It provides for Federal assistance, acknowledging the responsibility we share to ensure that the elections that send all of us to Washington are conducted properly, without concentrating power in Washington in a manner that will prove at best ineffective, and at worst dangerous. This conference report has received the support of a very diverse group of organizations that care about how elections are run in this country. I would like to introduce into the Record the statements of support from the following organizations: the National Commission on Federal Election Reform (Ford-Carter Commission), National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of Secretaries of State, National Association of Counties, The Election Center, National Federation of the Blind, Common Cause, National Association of State Election Directors, United Auto Workers, AFL-CIO, NAACP, American Foundation for the Blind, National Association of Protection Advocacy Systems, and United Cerebral Palsy Association. Mr. Speaker, let me also say that I have presented the thrust of the bill, I have presented the heart of the bill. We have a couple of speakers, and then I am going to conclude by also telling how this bill got here. [Media release from the National Commission on Federal Election Reform] Former Presidents Ford and Carter Welcome the Agreement Reached by the Congress on Election Reform Legislation Oct. 4, 2002.--Today, former Presidents Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter, along with Lloyd Cutler and Bob Michel, co- chairs of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform, welcomed the bipartisan agreement struck by the House and Senate Conference Committee on a bill to reform federal elections. ``The bill represents a delicate balance of shared responsibilities between levels of government,'' Ford and Carter said. ``This comprehensive bill can ensure that America's electoral system will again be a source of national pride and a model to all the world.'' Indeed, all four of the co-chairs share the belief of Congressman John Lewis (D-GA) and others that, if passed by both Houses and signed by President Bush, this legislation can provide the most meaningful improvements in voting safeguards since the civil rights laws of the 1960s. For more information on the National Commission on Federal Election Reform, please contact Ryan Coonerty at 202-321-8862 or Margaret Edwards at 434-466-3587.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman's interpretation of the language in the conference agreement is correct.

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez). (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of October 9, 2002, I call up the conference report on the bill (H.R. 3295) to establish a program to provide funds to States to replace punch card voting systems, to establish the Election Assistance Commission to assist in the administration of Federal elections and to otherwise provide assistance with the administration of certain Federal election laws and programs, to establish minimum election administration standards for States and units of local government with responsibility for the administration of Federal elections, and for other purposes.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker I offer a concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 508) resolving all disagreements between the House of Representatives and Senate with respect to H.R. 3295, and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that it be in order at any time to consider the conference report to accompany H.R. 3295; that all points of order against the conference report and against its consideration be waived; and that the conference report be considered as read when called up.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Charles Miller has served as mayor of the village of Gnadenhutten for 30 years; and Whereas, Charles Miller also served Gnadenhutten as a member of the Village Council; and Whereas, Charles Miller has been a steadfast and hard-working leader and will continue to be an admired citizen of the State of Ohio; and Whereas, Charles Miller has used his position as mayor of Gnadenhutten to help better the lives of hundreds of people; and Whereas, Charles Miller must be commended for his professionalism and his ability to motivate those around him by establishing a superb example; and Whereas, Charles Miller's dedication and service as mayor will be missed by the entire Gnadenhutten community. Therefore, I join with the residents of the village of Gnadenhutten and the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in celebrating Charles Miller's years of service and retirement.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, whereas, Tami Longaberger, president and chief executive officer of The Longaberger Company, has been selected to attend the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit in Helsinki, Finland; and Whereas, Tami Longaberger has also been chosen to serve as chairwoman of the U.S. executive committee during the Helsinki Summit; and Whereas, Tami Longaberger time and again has proven herself to be a remarkable business leader and role model; and Whereas, Tami Longaberger is to be commended for her tireless efforts, dedication and devotion to the cause of bridging cultural differences and building business cooperation across the globe. Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District of Ohio in recognizing Tami Longaberger for her leadership role at the Helsinki Women Business Leaders Summit.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Congressman Regula has exemplified leadership in Holmes County Ohio for 20 years; and Whereas, Congressman Regula demonstrated a steadfast commitment to meet challenges with passion, diligence, and confidence; and Whereas, Congressman Regula is to be commended for his faithful representation of Holmes County interests in Washington, DC; and Whereas, Congressman Regula has been a dedicated and loyal Representative for Ohio's 16th District; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District in commending Congressman Ralph Regula for his 20 years of outstanding service to Holmes County.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, William J. Olsavsky, known simply as Coach ``O'', was an accomplished football player and played as a Wheeling Ironman from 1962-1969; and Whereas, Coach ``O'' is an example to all who know him, especially his students, of steadfast character and loyal friendship; and Whereas Coach ``O'' is to be commended for his hard work and dedication to the Students of Wheeling Central High, Brilliant High, Bellaire High, and Union Local High School where he served as Head Football Coach from 1963-2002; and Whereas Coach ``O'' has received numerous awards and accolades testifying to his character, passion, dedication, and talent; and Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District in congratulating William J. Olsavsky on his retirement after 40 years of brilliant service in education and coaching.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of Thursday, September 26, 2002, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 559) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that each State should examine its existing statutes, practices, and procedures governing special elections so that, in the event of a catastrophe, vacancies in the House of Representatives may be filled in a timely fashion, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, Fred Abraham was a 23 year advocate for wetland and waterfowl conservation through Ducks Unlimited; and Whereas, Fred Abraham was an integral factor in the reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which raised the appropriation from $6.75 million to $43.5 million; and Whereas, Fred Abraham must be commended for his diligence, heart, and his ability to motivate those around him by establishing a superb example; and Whereas, Ohio and the entire United States will continue to reap the benefits of Mr. Abraham's dedication, service, and friendship; Therefore, we join with the residents of the state of Ohio in celebrating Fred Abraham's years of service and retirement from Ducks Unlimited.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, Whereas, San Diego's Tribute to Heroes was established to honor and support local heroes and their organizations; and Whereas, San Diego's Tribute to Heroes should be commended for its worthwhile efforts for servicemen and their families, emergency workers, and children's health care; and Whereas, San Diego's Tribute to Heroes ball will be held October 5, 2002 at the San Diego Aerospace Museum; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District in recognizing San Diego's Tribute to Heroes organization for its dedication.

Mr. NEY

Mr. NEY. Mr. Speaker, whereas, Congressman Cunningham joined the Navy in 1966 and is recognized as one of the most highly decorated pilots in the Vietnam War; and Whereas, Congressman Cunningham was designated the first flying ace in Vietnam and was awarded the Navy Cross for his courageous acts; and Whereas, Congressman Cunningham trained U.S. fighter pilots at the “Top Gun” program at Miramar Naval Air Station; and Whereas, Congressman Cunningham now serves his country in the United States House of Representatives; Therefore, I join with the residents of the entire 18th Congressional District in recognizing Congressman Randy Cunningham for a lifetime of service and sacrifice for our country.