Major Owens

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlelady for yielding. I am here to speak on the rule, because I know that there will be a great deal of pressure to fill up the agenda for speakers on the bill itself. I am here to record what I call a fury footnote, F-U-R-Y. I am furious at the kind of Neanderthal, backward, primitive thinking reflected in the bill in one statement. There is one section of the bill which says, ``National Defense Education Act, $10 million.'' Ten million dollars, and they call it a National Defense Education Act; $10 million for scholarships for science and engineering students. Here is a report that recently came out. I don't know whether it went to all of the offices of all of the Members of Congress. Maybe because I am on the Education and Workforce Committee, I got five copies. It is called ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' The report is published by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. The impetus for this book, the oversight for this book, the push for this book came from our own STEM Caucus, Senate and House Members together pushing to get a realistic evaluation of where we are in terms of education for engineering and science in order to keep our economic advantage in the world and remain leaders, and that means leaders also in the area of the military as well. The National Defense Education Act was one of the first efforts of that kind put forth by the government in 1957 and 1958 as a result of the reaction to Sputnik. Some of you are not old enough to remember Sputnik. When the Russians put Sputnik up, it said they had a rocket capability which frightened us, because that rocket capability that you had to have to go into the upper atmosphere was enough, of course, for an intercontinental ballistic missile also. So we got busy, and the National Defense Education Act followed that. The National Defense Education Act in 1958 dollars was given about half a billion dollars, $500 million. It did not limit itself to a few scholarships to science and engineering students. It provided money for laboratories in high schools, money for libraries, purchase of science books. It went right across the board, in 1958, when we were really not into large amounts of expenditures for domestic programs. What flowed from the National Defense Education Act was later on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Higher Education Assistance Act which took its place, but still there is a deficit. The deficit was indicated when I first came to Congress by a report called ``A Nation at Risk.'' A Nation at Risk was commissioned by President Ronald Reagan. ``A Nation at Risk'' made the same recommendations being made now all these years later in this ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.'' The fact that there are people in the Defense Department who see $10 million as being significant, that there are people on the Appropriations Committee, the fact that we have that kind of backward, Neanderthal, primitive thinking about education and its role in our military defense is appalling. I suppose I should not be furious and angry, I should be weeping that such a great Nation with such great minds would place education on such a low level. We need to go across the board, and we need to appropriate billions for a new National Defense Education Act or a National Homeland Security Mobilization Act, which reaches beyond just the military and understands that in addition to scientists, we need some people who know how to interpret the Arabic language. We need some people who know how to interpret other Middle Eastern languages, we need people who understand cultures that we are at war with. Mr. Speaker, I think we ought to pause and take a hard look at our conception of what it means to defend our country in terms of education.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I am a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and I agree with most of what has been said. I support the Murtha proposal for an immediate and orderly redeployment. There is one subject I would like to raise which has not been discussed very much here, however, and that is the role of the American oil barons who have contributed greatly to the colossal mess of the war in Iraq. Our troops today are as good as they were when they were labeled the greatest generation and defeated Hitler. But in Iraq, today's counterparts of Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, the Colin Powells, the John Murthas, they were not allowed to take charge. Lust for control of the oil made the oil barons push everyone capable of carrying out a reasonable destruction of Saddam Hussein aside. This administration encouraged the oil barons to overrule the military professionals. Lust for oil is still the problem. Seldom discussed in America, but very much on the minds of the people of Iraq. We cannot succeed as long as the ordinary Iraqi people see us as oil thieves responsible for the terror and their day-to-day misery. We went into Iraq fighting fanatics, fighting Saddam Hussein and his oligarchy of brutal, decadent killers. No great crowds greeted our troops with flowers. But there is good reason to believe that the masses of citizens were hoping for some real improvements. But we guarded only the oil wells, while the water systems and the electricity grids collapsed. As the people observed our preoccupation with oil, the insurgency began to grow. The leadership of the oil barons could not run a country, and they could not manage an occupation. Oil revenues must be addressed in order to regain the confidence of the Iraqi masses. We need a transparent, open, full discussion of what are the arrangements that have been proposed, what is being proposed or what contracts are already in place. Chevron, BP, Exxon, they are there. Contracts have been written. Is there a committee in this House or a subcommittee that knows what kinds of contracts have been written? What will the Iraqi people have left after these contracts are executed? They were executed before the government was in place. Oil is the greatest resource that Iraq has, of course. They are number four among the nations of the world. To what degree is Halliburton going to control the revenues as their payment for reconstruction of some of the oil wells? To what degree are the foreign oil companies going to control revenue because of their arrangements for the pipelines and the shipping and retail outlets? What is going to happen to the oil? These are the questions that the Iraqi people are asking. Everybody in every section of the country wants to know how are the oil revenues going to be distributed? If I live in a province where there is no oil, will my area benefit? These questions need to be answered honestly. Congress must seize the initiative from the American oil barons and demand justice for the Iraqi citizens. The oil belongs to them. We must win their trust and separate the masses of the Iraqi people from the fanatical murderers. Follow the logic of the Murtha resolution. Give the people control of their oil revenues and get out of Iraq. We can do that when we have the trust of the Iraqi people. When the Iraqi people have their own revenues, they can equip their own police forces. They can take charge of their government in a competent way. They don't need us, and they will be less likely to join hands with the insurgents and protect the fanatical murderers that have now found greater receptivity in the population than ever before. Get out of the Iraq. Give the people control of their oil revenues.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the war in Iraq is a monster storm. It is a social tsunami battering the positive components of our potentially great society. The billions of dollars being poured into this war could solve dozens of major catastrophic problems that are facing our Nation. Recently, a new report was released, authored partially by our own Science Committee, which said that we have a dangerously inadequate education system. When I came to Congress in 1983, Ronald Reagan was saying the same thing. He had a commission which came out with a report that said, our Nation is at risk. We still have not done anything of great substance to deal with the problems that were highlighted. We still have not appropriated the money to build laboratories in public schools, junior high schools and high schools. We still don't have adequate libraries. We still don't have the money which pays salaries which would produce the science teachers that are necessary. We have a crisis in health care. Forty million people are not covered at all and there are many others who are inadequately covered. We have falling standards of living with gross inequities. The assets that reflect wealth among black Americans total less than $20,000 per family. $120,000 per family for white Americans. Both standards are falling, not climbing. I am a member of the Out of Iraq Caucus. I welcome the opportunity tomorrow to begin a debate which would at least allow us to discuss in an open forum the problems we are facing. Any discussion is important because this is such an important problem. We have employment problems that are mushrooming, we have all kinds of things that should be discussed, and now is the time for all Americans to come forward and make their contribution toward a solution known. Common sense is welcome. It might shed a lot of light on some of the problems and offer some real solutions. Scientific expertise is welcomed. Mother wit. We need the fresh visions of the young and we need the seasoned wisdom of the elders. Everything we can do is needed in order to solve these problems. Let every question be set forth. Let every possible solution be stated. We Americans are faced with a problem which is far more complex than the inner workings of a nuclear bomb, I assure you. The present explorations of the vast universe by astrophysicists are not as challenging as the need for a meaningful solution to this war blunder in Iraq. There are many possible questions and solutions that I would urge should be placed on the agenda for discussion. However, I want to focus on just two of them tonight. One is the distribution of oil revenues. The other is the arrangements for the sharing of power among the majority Shiites and the minorities, mainly the Sunnis and the Kurds. Oil revenues. We need a transparent, open, full discussion of what are the arrangements that have been proposed, or are being proposed, or are already in place for the distribution of the oil revenues from the oil in the ground in Iraq. Oil is their greatest resource. They have one of the greatest resources in the world. They are number three or number four among the nations producing oil. Yet there is very little discussion about what we are doing. To what degree is Halliburton going to control the revenues as their payment for the reconstruction that they have done of some of the oil wells? To what degree are the oil companies going to control revenue because of their arrangements for the pipelines and the shipping and the retail outlets in various countries? What is going to happen to the oil? These are questions that are being asked by the people of Iraq, I assure you. These are questions that are stumbling blocks, I assure you, in the completion of a government. Everybody in every section of the country wants to know how the oil revenues are going to be distributed. If I live in a province where there is no oil, will my area benefit? These things need to be dealt with. Sharing power relates closely to this. We need to let them know they all share power. Regardless of whether they are Sunnis or Kurds or some other minority, the majority Shiites need to share power in some way. We have a problem with sharing power across the world. There are many nations now struggling with this problem, so we should bring to bear all of our possible solutions and try to help resolve the problems in Iraq. We need the most creative approaches possible for power sharing which gives all Iraqis a stake in their new democracy. Ending the war in Iraq, ending the massive death and injuries, ending the waste of billions of dollars must be our number one agenda. These problems must be solved. We must pass and implement the Murtha resolution now. We must bring the troops home now.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I assume the time of Mr. Pallone of New Jersey.

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for recognizing me at the time shortly after my colleague Lynn Woolsey has spoken, because I rise to salute Lynn Woolsey as a great point of inspiration to her colleagues and for all Americans who are fighting to end the deadly, wasteful war in Iraq. I rise at this particular time because yesterday was Primary Day in California, and Congresswoman Woolsey had a challenge. I do not think that challenge was unrelated to her position on the war in Iraq. I think the challenge was a frontal attack on the majority of Americans who now disapprove of this administration's actions in Iraq. I think that the candidacy of the opposition was a not-very-subtle attempt to intimidate the leading spokesperson of the peace movement. I think it was a blatant effort to send a message. Congresswoman Woolsey is supported, fortunately, by the constituents in her district. Everybody knows that. Congresswoman Woolsey has been here for 14 years. She has a great record in areas ranging from child care to policies related to the war in Iraq. I want to congratulate her on a stunning, decisive victory. There was never any doubt of her winning, but she swept the field, I think with almost a two-to-one vote. The voters sent a message to all those who would challenge her and try to silence her that they care about what is happening in the world, they care about what is happening in Iraq. They are the majority, just as right now the majority of the people in America are against the war in Iraq. Her wide margin reaffirms support for her positions. No one has spoken more passionately and consistently against the war on this floor than Lynn Woolsey. I think she has a record of floor speeches, 5-minute speeches. About 149 5-minute speeches have been made against the war in Iraq. The bold move of the war supporters to go after her, to get newspapers to call her a radical and clamor for a more moderate voice, all of these things did not happen by accident. I think it was a plot. In her 14 years, Lynn Woolsey has earned the right not to be challenged. She has a unique point of view based on her unique set of experiences. I serve with her on the Education Committee. There is much to be discussed about Iraq and the war in Iraq, and not enough time is ever allowed to do it. I think she has chosen the only avenue possible. We have not discussed very important matters, like the oil contracts. What is happening with the plan to dispense the oil in Iraq after the U.S. leaves? Nobody ever talks about that. How much of the oil revenue will flow to American corporations for technical assistance and rebuilding versus to the Iraqi people? Underlying the problem of getting the settlement, the question is never discussed. Power sharing is discussed. Getting the government set up is discussed. Senator Biden was ridiculed for saying you ought to take Iraq and split it up into three parts, one for Sunnis, one for the Shiites and one for the Kurds. I do not think that general proposal is all he meant, but power sharing is a major issue. Why can't we discuss power sharing. We have the Voting Rights Act here in America, one of the best examples of power sharing in the world. Other nations are looking at us and trying to find out how do you have a minority represented when the majority is a very different group. How can you get the minority to the table? There are ways to do that, and power-sharing ought to be discussed openly. Maybe they need a Voting Rights Act in Iraq. That could be put on the table as part of the solution to guarantee to the Sunnis and that Kurds that despite the Shiites being in the majority, they will always have a place at the table. As far as orderly withdrawal of the troops, I think Congressman Murtha, an expert if there ever was one, a man who knows the military very well, has proposed a very conservative but effective way to draw down the troops. Nobody knows better than Congressman Murtha what is happening in that war. He goes frequently to visit the wounded at Walter Reed Hospital and at the Naval Hospital. He knows the dilemma of the men on the ground, the troops there. He knows and that is why he spoke out so forcefully about the situation in Haditha. He knows that under pressure, people will break. The best Marines and the best Army people and the best Navy people will break under pressure in a war that they think is useless. We might have had the favor of the Iraqi people when we went in there, we might have had some flag waving and had some people that appreciated us, but we took away their electricity, we took away their water, and we took away their safety so there is a lot to be discussed and we should all value Lynn Woolsey for the fact that she comes frequently to discuss Iraq on this floor and does a great service for the Iraq people, as well as for the Members of this House.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, 33 underground coal miners have already been killed on the job so far this year, starting with the Sago mine disaster right after New Year's day. We do these fallen mineworkers as well as their surviving family members and friends a serious disservice by limiting debate on this bill to 40 minutes and barring any strengthening amendments. These hard-working men, their families and wider communities of friends and neighbors deserve far better treatment on the floor of the U.S. House. Unless we take legislative action that would prevent future mine disasters like those that occurred at Sago, Aracoma Alma, Darby and elsewhere this year, we are hoping rhetoric will mask our failure to deliver significant protections to hard- working mineworkers Nation-wide. At the Sago mine disaster, a methane gas explosion killed one mineworker and trapped 12 others. It took 40 hours for rescuers to reach those trapped underground and by the time they did, 11 miners had died of carbon monoxide poisoning. The sole survivor at Sago, Randal McCloy, has since reported that at least four of the air-packs designed to provide an hour's worth of breathable air to the miners malfunctioned. Moreover, the Sago miners lacked one-way text messaging and tracking devices--devices that are currently used in mines throughout Australia, Chile, China and South Africa. Those devices would have saved lives at Sago. To make certain that the Sago tragedy is never repeated in this country, I support wholeheartedly three simple amendments to this bill as proposed by Representative Miller. They would equire: At least 48 hours of emergency air for each mineworker; Finalized plans within 15 months for adding lifesaving communications and tracking equipment; and Federal MSHA regularly conducted random field tests of airpacks, self contained self rescuers, to ensure they are in working order. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I wish to close with the question posed by the AFL-CIO about these three amendments in their letter to Congress on mine safety: ``Frankly, we do not understand why anybody would oppose such common sense measures.''

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on Monday, May 22, 2006, due to unavoidable circumstances in my congressional district. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' to S. 1235--The Veteran's Benefits Improvement Act of 2005 and ``yea'' to H.R. 3858--The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act of 2005.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Chairman, the CBC budget continues to clearly support education and job training as its number one priority. Over a 5-year period, $80 billion in increased funding is recommended. Everybody in Washington talks about the dangerous deficiencies in American education when compared with other industrialized nations and China. Twenty-three years ago when I came here, ``A Nation At Risk'' was the report commissioned by President Reagan, and it said all the same things about how deficient our education system was. Several recent studies also indicate these same kinds of deficiencies in math and science and other areas. Oprah Winfrey and Bill and Melinda Gates have taken this alarm to a mass audience. The whining and complaining about education goes on and on here in Washington, but nobody wants to appropriate any money except the CBC. Mr. Speaker, the future prosperity and security of our Nation is clearly dependent on our human resources, our brain power; and that brain power, large parts of it are in our inner cities' communities, and they need more funding for education. I urge all Members to vote for this CBC budget as the budget that deals with the priority of education.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the African slave trade stands out in the annals of world history as one of the greatest crimes ever committed against humanity. It is important that we institutionalize every possible reminder of this horrible chapter in our civilization. I want to take this opportunity to commend the French Republic and the work of Madame Christiane Taubira for setting May 10th as an annual national day in France to remember its role in slavery and the slave trade. On the afternoon of the 23rd of May 1848, Africans and their New World descendants enslaved by France were set free. That was 45 years after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, when France sold most of its territory in the Americas to the fledgling USA, and 15 years before President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Madame Christiane Taubira is a member of the French parliament, representing her native Guiana in South America. She is also an economist. On May 10th, 2001 Madame Taubira successfully proposed French legislation that thereafter declared slavery a crime against humanity, making France the first country in the world to make this declaration. Madame Taubira's work in France complements the work of Professor Gwendolyn Midlo Hall here in the United States. Not only is Dr. Hall a distinguished historian, she is also a New Orleans, Louisiana native. Hurricane Katrina's devastation in the Gulf Coast region has given an urgency and importance to the work of both Professor Hall and Madame Taubira. Our active understanding and appreciation of the French and American culture and history of New Orleans and Louisiana, as part of the Gulf Coast, will help the people of the region as they restore and rebuild their community over the coming months, years and decades. We cannot honor a unique community and its people without honoring its history that has grown over four centuries from both French and American roots.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to claim the Special Order time of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown).

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, Roger Toussaint, the president of Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, is in jail in New York City tonight. Toussaint's crime is that he took a stand against New York Governor Pataki's sneak attack on public employee pension benefits. When the Governor's puppet appointees on the New York Metropolitan Transport Authority Board had already reached agreement on all other items during labor contract negotiations, the Governor ordered that a cut in pension benefits be added as a new demand. Although it was a cut proposed for the future employees, Roger Toussaint said, ``No. I will not be a party to an agreement that sells out the unborn.'' Roger Toussaint would not allow the Governor to set a precedent for all future State, city, county, and later on it would spill over to Federal employees, and they would have shoved in their face at the bargaining table this precedent of having cut public employee pension benefits. A domino effect would roll right across the entire Nation, and no public employee pension benefits would be safe. ``Strike'' was the rallying cry at that moment, and that rallying cry deserves the support of all working families across the Nation. The private sector, the corporate butchers, have been carving up private employee pension benefit funds for some years now. Indeed, those of us who serve on the Education and Workforce Committee know that there is an impending pension bankruptcy crisis which may produce shock waves similar to the savings and loan scandal. Private pension benefits for workers we know are endangered, but we have all assumed repeatedly that pensions for public employees are safe, they are secure. Roger Toussaint's confrontation with the Metropolitan Transit Authority dramatically exposes the fact that public employee pension benefits are also in danger. Governors, mayors, and legislative bodies can carve up pension benefits even faster than the private sector if working families and their representatives do not remain vigilant and stand up against these attempts. Ten days in jail they have ordered for Roger Toussaint. Two and a half million dollars they have fined the TW Local 100 organization. Dues check-off privileges have been taken away. The Governor and his MTA puppet board are trying to destroy the union that stood up and exposed the plot to swindle the workers out of their pension benefits. They want to destroy Roger Toussaint, the labor rebel. They want to smother the union rebellion. Roger Toussaint should not remain an unsung hero. Now is the time for all working families to come to the aid of an heroic labor leader. Listen to the final words of Roger Toussaint at the door of the jail: ``I stand here today because a judge has found me guilty of contempt of court. The truth of the matter is I have nothing but contempt for a system that gives employers free rein to abuse workers.'' Now is the time for all labor organizations across the country to come to the aid of TW and Roger Toussaint in New York.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, on Friday, April 7, 2006, the University of Alabama School of Library and Information Studies and the University Libraries will conduct a Library Services Act 50th Anniversary Program honoring Congressman Carl Elliott and Senator Lister Hill, two great legislators who were the first great federal advocates for the Library Services and the National Defense Education Acts. As the only Librarian who has ever served in the Congress I was honored to be invited to speak at this commemoration; however, the scheduled vote on the budget prevented me from attending. The following are a portion of the remarks I prepared for that landmark occasion: In his 2001 inaugural address President Bush left us with one profound image: the specter of an ``Angel in the Whirlwind'' guiding the fate of our nation. Democracy in America has survived and expanded despite the numerous whirlwinds and storms. At several critical periods our ship of state could have been blown off course and been wrecked on the rocks. Always in the past, the churning American political process has produced the leadership capable of conquering crises and opening new vistas. Representative Carl Elliott and Senator Lister Hill were two leaders who opened new vistas. In the story of the making of America we can find many angels emerging from the whirlwind. Many of our greatest angels are unsung, unknown beyond a small circle. But the abundance of angels, ordinary and everywhere, has created the most fantastic nation on the face of the earth. Not from royal bloodlines or from pampered privileged classes but from the cradles in the tenements, from log cabins and shotgun shacks. Every citizen, all Americans are potential angels called by the voice of Thomas Jefferson to come forward and add your contribution to the ongoing miracle of America. Because we loudly assume that all persons are created equal we automatically break the chains of doubt and set our imaginations and spirits soaring to achieve at higher and higher levels, and to create new institutions. Lister Hill refused to let his regional origins interfere with his national visions. Carl Elliott did not allow a lack of wealth and high- class status to limit his spirit and ambition. Both men focused intensely and accomplished missions that place them among the legions of great American angels. Just as school systems for the masses never existed before they emerged in America, so it was with public libraries. Yes, from the time of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome there were libraries, but always they were the closely guarded property of the rich and available only to the elite. From the embryo implanted by Benjamin Franklin to the urban facilities provided by the generosity of Andrew Carnegie to the legislation of enduring federal support for libraries the American angels were in motion. To achieve the imprimatur of federal sponsorship was a life sustaining development for modem public libraries. Only a fellow legislator can imagine what Representative Elliott had to overcome to realize his dream. Politicians seldom dwell on systems and long-term goals that benefit citizens beyond their political district. Elliott was ridiculed as a man who was tinkering with the impossible. He was strongly advised to do what every other lawmaker was attempting. To get reelected and be celebrated back home, he was told to get himself an appropriation to build a bridge. Get something concrete to show off that could be dedicated with a ribbon cutting and marching bands. If Elliott had accepted that practical but mundane proposition, oh what a devastating gap there would have been in the progress of library service in America. Carl had to be the pitcher in the House of Representatives and Lister had to be the catcher in the Senate in order for the game of public library expansion to go forward. Across the nation we can now boast of magnificent public libraries and library systems. The DNA of Elliott and Hill goes marching on. Other great library nurturing angels like Eileen Cooke of the ALA Washington Office boldly forged ahead in their spirit and played a major role in the legislation and administration of the E-Rate providing widespread utilization of computers and the Internet in libraries. A whole new dimension exciting the young and the old has been added to the information and education mission of public libraries. As a philosophical descendant of Elliott and Hill; and a more immediate child of the LSCA I arrived in Congress determined to raise the profile of libraries of all kinds to a level where they could never be forgotten and neglected again. Certainly I have been frustrated that the higher Federal appropriations have not been gained which I think libraries deserve in order to relieve some of the funding burden on State and local governments. But basically I will be leaving the Congress after 24 years contented that most of my concerns have been fulfilled. There are now many legislative advocates for libraries and they exist in both parties, Republican and Democratic. In politics that pinnacle of bipartisan support is the ultimate goal. The fight is no longer for recognition and survival as a national priority. The fight is for growth and the expansion which will provide opportunities for libraries to meet the new emerging challenges of education located away from campuses and outside of classrooms. Our libraries are indispensable institutions. President Clinton has described America as an indispensable nation. Carl Elliott and Lister Hill were indispensable great angels for this indispensable nation. Out of the limelight, with no headlines to encourage them they remained steadfast in their unglamorous mission. As early as 1919, the American Library Association was seeking federal support for libraries. But not until 1936 was there a small breakthrough which established the Library Services Division within the Office of Education. Through side doors such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and the WPA more federal support was garnered. But not until 1956 was the great breakthrough achieved; the Library Services Act was passed and later expanded in 1960. In the history of the House and the Senate there are few records of such longevity and perseverance in the unselfish pursuit of uplifting legislation. The rock-solid basic principle pioneered by Carl Elliott and Lister Hill is the proposition that wealth, financial well being, should not be the deciding factor in determining who has access to information and knowledge. Elliott and Hill understood that the growth and development of the State and region economy were inextricably interwoven with the intellectual growth and development of ordinary residents of the State and region. While public libraries were only a small part of the overall education effort they were the institutions with the greatest cost-benefits ratio. Huge opportunities were provided for large numbers of persons on the roads to upward mobility at the lowest possible costs. Oh, yes the investment in libraries and education pays great dividends. Long before the military leaders could comprehend it, Elliott and Hill understood that an educated populace was our nation's greatest asset for national security. From what was often labeled as an abstract dream of universal literacy reflected in their concern for rural libraries these two giant angels of American progress leaped to the hard-nosed preparations for a space age national defense system. The massive feats of science and engineering needed to develop the laser, satellites, spacecraft and rockets were made possible as a result of the initiatives of the National Defense Education Act. There is a clear connection between the vision and labor of Elliott and Hill and this nation's landing of a man on the moon. America, not by accident, is the richest, most powerful nation that the world has ever known. In comparison the great Roman Empire was merely a village. America is great because the unsung heroes, the invisible angels are always at work carrying out the details that make our democracy a success. There will be in America no aristocracy of the well informed. Know- how shall never be a rare or scarce commodity. The government shall encourage all persons to pursue their fullest development. Beyond universal access to information, libraries will provide assistance with knowledge creation and utilization. In the appreciation and the application of wisdom librarians will continue to play a vital role. The vision and foresight of Carl Elliott and Lister Hill have been validated by time. Their concerns have become more relevant as we plunge further into the age of information. In America information will never become the weapon of elite dictatorships. Information, knowledge and the records of wisdom must be permanently supplied to the citizens. In many forms this library mission must carry on to maintain the land of the free, home of the brave, and the nation of the most thoroughly informed who are capable of that continuing oversight and vigilance necessary to guarantee that our great democracy will long endure.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, on April 1, 2006 there will be a march with world significance in the battered city of New Orleans. Thousands of marchers from all over the Nation will assemble to force a laser beam of conscience to focus on the horror of ethnic cleansing now underway in that region. While it is true that Hurricane Katrina was an act of God and the collapse of the levees was an accident resulting from years of Federal underfunding, incompetence and local corruption, some have charged, and I agree, that the present blunders and stagnation in the recovery and rebuilding operation is the result of an ``ethnic cleansing mindset.'' The plot you will find nowhere on paper or in any set of email messages; however, there is an understanding within a powerful ``government-real estate complex'' that African Americans who have been displaced by the ravages of Katrina should not be encouraged to return. This unwritten plot begins in the White House where chief political strategists have pinpointed the obvious fact that without the Black voters of New Orleans, Louisiana will become a permanent Republican ``red'' state. The April 1st march is designed to confront this bold ethnic cleansing by planned neglect and abandonment. The march will also dramatically highlight the overarching racist mindset that nurtures the ethnic cleansing process. On several different occasions, during the early flooding in New Orleans armed law enforcement officers blocked the paths of fleeing Black evacuees and forced them back toward the murderous flood waters. Waving and firing their shotguns uniformed officers of the law blocked evacuees attempting to escape the floods by crossing the Crescent City Connection Bridge. High-level elected officials later condoned this behavior by their police. These inhumane, unspeakable actions combined with the present planned ineptitude related to the rebuilding of the 9th ward and the refusal of support for evacuees who wish to return, have generated numerous angry voices, especially among the youth, in New Orleans and across the Nation. In the language of RAP poems, I have tried to translate and convey the message of three of these angry voices: Angry Voice One: Nazis on the Bridges Armed Nazis On steel bridges Blocked paths to The highest driest ridges. Each uniformed gangster Had an official gun Black fathers forced To watch their Flood soaked children run. They drew a hard line Between Black and White blood-- They drove the mothers Back into the flood. Nazi viruses Never die They don't even fade away, When times are dry They hide in bunkers Hunkered down for a stormy day. On the bridges Satan in command Devils rules the land On the bridges Judgment day Blacks get back Stay out of the way Die out of sight The waters will cover you In the endless wet night. Run to requisition The tightest Nuremberg noposes These Katrina crimes Are war criminal abuses. Angry Voice Two: They Are Coming for Our Homes Wake up Black people They're coming for our homes! Monster Katrina Has many national clones. Wake up Black people With confusion and neglect They now wash us away They hijack our property For a tourist development day, Donald Trump and Disney Ducks Will have their powerful say; People chocolate people Your're not welcomed to stay Our schools churches graveyards Have all been hauled away. Wake up Black people They're coming for our homes! Monster Katrina Has many national clones. Urban blight declassified Diversity agenda mystified Inner cities reoccupied Suburban flight Has suddenly died City planners cried Eminent domain Brings savage pain Ethnic cleansing Income rinsing Brokers bulldoze us out Urban surfs Have no financial clout Wake up Black people! Weak tribes will rot Extinct among the stones Monster Katrina Has many national clones. Wake up Black people! They're coming for our homes. Angry Voice Three: Blacks Need More Guns Now hear this! Soldiers in Iraq Come home now To kill racist snakes Crawling on our backs More guns are needed by Blacks. To fight our way Across blocked bridges Blacks need more guns! Never again Will they drive us Weeping back into the flood, Next time before we drown We'll spill lots of blood. Blacks need more guns! They halted all Blacks Who came their way They hoarded the flood For their next rainy day. To get gestapos off our back Black soldiers in Iraq Come home now Blacks need more guns! Soldiers come home Storm the bridges Nazis fire down From high dry ridges. No well regulated Militias from the slums Are here to march against Official heartless bums. Desperate Blacks are mandated Now to bear arms Shed the luxury Of non-violent charms. The NRA Can save our day The second amendment Is the great American way. Blacks need more guns! It's us oh Lord Black victims Standing in the need of prayer. If not the NRA Lord Tell us who else is there? The NRA Is our salvation Whom shall we fear? When the next flood rises On television You will not be entertained by even one tiny tear. The second amendment Is our road to rescue Whom shall we fear? Blacks need more guns!

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Chairman, we should be cutting off funds for the War In Iraq, not adding more dollars. The billions of dollars already appropriated are enough to sustain our troops until the kind of orderly withdrawal proposed by Representative John Murtha is implemented. It is long past time to withdraw from a war that is sucking us deeper everyday into a bottomless quicksand pit of filth. To wage this war this administration is trampling on vital political rights and abandoning basic moral values. To pay for this war we are cutting aid to public housing; aid to Medicaid and Medicare; Pell grants; aid to public education; and numerous other programs which support the general welfare of all Americans. Deeply destructive public policies and practices have become routine in this administration as every conceivable trick is used to rationalize the war. To save the nation we must withdraw from Iraq and John Murtha has offered the most practical scenario for achieving this goal. At the heart of the Murtha proposal is the recommendation of an orderly withdrawal over a six-month period. Murtha offers an honorable way out of a quicksand pit of filth. John Murtha speaks with the voice of a soldier. He thinks with the mind of a patriot. And John Murtha feels with the heart of a grieving mother. Very definitive polls now communicate to all leaders the American people's overwhelming disapproval of the President and his War In Iraq. Our constituents endorse and support the position of John Murtha. History will certainly illuminate and validate the courage and wisdom of John Murtha. But Members of Congress should not wait for history. We Members of Congress have a duty to make history, to guide the nation out of this peril and back to the path of progress and prosperity. There are two classes of leaders who support this administration's War In Iraq: Those who consistently vote for the war and the endless appropriations. And those leaders whose levels of concern are so low that they refuse, despite the objections of their constituents, to even take the very moderate action of becoming a co-sponsor of Murtha's well-reasoned proposal for withdrawal. Censure or impeachment proceedings may be necessary in the future. But at this immediate moment the opportunity to salvage this deteriorating situation is clearly present in the Murtha proposal. Members should co-sponsor Murtha now and let their constituents know that their voices have been heard. Vote first against this wasteful, destructive, appropriation for Iraq. And then sign on as a Murtha co-sponsor.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on Tuesday, February 28, 2006, due to unavoidable circumstances in my Congressional District. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``yea'' to H.R. 1096--Act Commemorating the LITE, or Lifetime Innovations of Thomas Edison; ``yea'' to H. Res. 668--Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Texas Western's 1966 NCAA Basketball Championship and recognizing the groundbreaking impact of the title game victory on diversity in sports and civil rights in America and ``yea'' to H.R. 1259, to authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on Tuesday, February 14, 2006, due to unavoidable circumstances in my Congressional District. Had I been present, I would have voted: Yea to H. Con. Res. 322--Expressing the Sense of Congress regarding the contribution of the USO to the morale and welfare of our servicemen and women of our armed forces and their families; and Yea to S. 1989--the Holly A. Charette Post Office Designation Act.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is one that demands our attention, and I hope it is attention in more than just a ceremonial memorial way. It demands our attention for future action. This resolution pays tribute to 17 courageous and hardworking West Virginia miners and their families, as well as the many rescue team members mobilized to save them in the face of last month's lethal accident at Sago mine, a subsequent fire at the Aracoma Alma mine, and 2 other mine incidents. Despite intense rescue efforts, 12 brave miners were killed at Sago, as we all know. We honor them with this resolution, and we grieve with their families, friends, and neighbors who will miss them terribly. We also honor the sole survivor of those miners trapped by the Sago explosion, commending his courage and perseverance. We wish him and his extended family all the best throughout the long and arduous recovery process that he faces. We also honor the 2 miners killed in the Aracoma Alma fire and 2 other killed in sepatate incidents in WV coal mines. All of the miners I just spoke of, and you heard their names read earlier, are referenced by name in this resolution. It is our hope that the family members and descendents of these hardworking men will find this resolution and our statements in their honor a source of solace as well as inspiration for many years to come. For we intend that their names and personal histories will be immortalized, so to speak, inscribed within a public law that Americans may read and refer to from this year forward. But Members of Congress are not poets by nature, nor should we be. In addition to enacting this commemorative resolution, we must do far more to honor these West Virginia mine workers. We must take critical and immediate steps to ensure that all of the other mine workers from West Virginia and throughout the Nation get the safe workplace environments they need and deserve. One speaker has already pointed out that a large percentage, about half of the electricity produced in America, is produced by coal. Throughout the world, coal is a major fuel producing electricity. Huge mines in Russia and China, and elsewhere, in many of these places their mines are perhaps often not as safe as ours. But there are some places obviously with mines that are safe, safer than ours. There are obviously technologies available which will avoid the kind of catastrophe we experienced here or at least minimize that kind of catastrophe. I hope that all of us have read about the accident in the Pot Ash mine in Canada where a number of workers were trapped in an explosion and they all got out safely. It was pointed out that while they were waiting to be rescued, there were some cubicles or little cubby holes that they were able to go into and there they found extra oxygen, they found sandwiches and food and a number of things were stored there. And it had all been prepared ahead of time in case an accident should happen. I doubt if the bottom lines of the profits for the coal mines were greatly affected by preparing those kinds of emergency arrangements. I think that we ought to take a hard look at the fact that there is technology available, there are techniques available to save miners' lives. There are places in the world where mine safety is made a priority. But nobody should be ahead of America. No worker should be treated better than our workers in the effort to provide safety. Congressional committees must conduct the requisite oversight hearings to determine whether Federal funding shortfalls or staffing shortfalls or rule-making snafus at the Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA, played any role in the two WV mine tragedies. And if that is the case, then we must fix any such problems without delay. For such subsequent congressional action will serve equally as a fitting and altogether appropriate tribute to the West Virginia men and their families, as well as rescue team members we honor today. Thus, I urge my colleagues both to pass this resolution and to undertake all other congressional actions, from oversight to authorizing and appropriations legislation, essential to protecting America's hardworking miners and their families. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us today is one that demands our attention. It pays tribute to 17 courageous and hard-working West Virginia miners and their families, as well as to the many rescue team members mobilized to save them in the face of last month's lethal explosion at Sago Mine, the subsequent fire at the Aracoma Alma Mine and two incidents at other WV mines. Despite intense rescue efforts, twelve brave miners were killed in the Sago disaster, Thomas Anderson, Alva Martin Bennett, Jim Bennett, Jerry Groves, George Hamner Jr., Terry Helms, David Lewis, Martin Toler, Fred Ware, Jr., Jack Weaver, Jesse Jones, and Marshall Winans, and two brave miners at Aracoma Alma, Don Israel Bragg and Ellery ``Elvis'' Hatfield. Also, two other miners, Edmund Vance and Paul Moss, were killed at other WV mines. We honor them with this resolution and grieve with their families, friends and neighbors who will miss them terribly. We also honor the sole survivor of those miners trapped by the Sago explosion--Randal McCloy-- commending his courage and perseverance. We wish Mr. McCloy and his extended family all the best throughout the long and arduous recovery process he faces. All the miners I just spoke of are referenced by name in this resolution, which I am very pleased to cosponsor. It is our hope that family members and descendants of these hard-working men will find this resolution and our statements in their honor a source of solace as well as inspiration for many years to come. For we intend that their names and personal histories will be immortalized so to speak, inscribed within a public law that Americans may read and refer to, from this year forward. But Members of Congress are not poets by nature, nor should we be. In addition to enacting this commemorative resolution, we must do far more to honor these West Virginian mineworkers. We must take critical and immediate steps to ensure that all the other mineworkers, from West Virginia and throughout the nation, get the safe workplace environments they need and deserve. We must ensure that the appropriate Congressional committees conduct the requisite oversight hearings to determine whether federal funding shortfalls, staffing shortages, or rulemaking snafus at the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) played any role in the Sago, Aracoma Alma, and other mine tragedies. And if that is the case, then we must fix any such problems without delay. For such subsequent Congressional action will serve equally as a fitting and altogether appropriate tribute to the West Virginia men and their families, as well as rescue team members we honor today. Thus, I urge my colleagues both to pass this resolution and to undertake all other Congressional actions--from oversight to authorizing and appropriations legislation--essential to protecting America's hardworking miners and their families.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, certainly I would like to associate myself with the previous remarks of congratulations, admiration, and appreciation expressed by numerous members of this House about our esteemed and revered colleague, Congressman John Dingell of Michigan. It is my opinion that wisdom is the invaluable contribution which Chairman Dingell continues to offer our deliberations; it is wisdom, gained from years of hard work, experience and keen analytical observations. At a time of relentless public policy turmoil and frequent partisan confrontations, this institution needs well-anchored, seasoned, counseling to blend with the know-how and energy of the fresh and the young. John Dingell's fifty-year life investment in the House of Representatives continually produces a dividend for all Americans.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in support of the re- authorization of the Congressional Awards Program and to express my appreciation for the outstanding benefits it brings to my constituents and community. Congress established The Congressional Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, achievement and service in young people. The enabling legislation (Public Law 96-114) established the Congressional Award as a private-public partnership, receiving all funding from the private sector. Program participants choose what they will do to earn the award based on their own interests and abilities. Participants are honored for achieving their goals. Participants earn Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Certificates and Bronze, Silver and Gold Congressional Award Medals. Each award level involves setting goals in four program areas: Volunteer Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration. Members of Congress usually present the Award in a ceremony within their Congressional District, but the highest award, the Congressional Award Gold Medal, is presented in the Capitol in Washington, DC. I have been delighted to present 8 Gold Medals to constituents over the last 4 years. Not only have I seen young people from my district participate in the program, but many adults, teachers, guidance counselors, youth leaders, and friends have served as Congressional Award advisors and mentors. Regardless of the situation, youth can earn the Congressional Award. The program is open to young people from 14- to 23 years old and it accommodates people with special needs or disabilities. There are no minimum grade point average requirements. Participants must select an unrelated adult to act as their advisor. There are more than 13,000 young people presently working to earn a Congressional Award--a number that is growing rapidly. The Congressional Award is about challenge. Awards are earned--not won. Participants work entirely at their own pace over an extended period of time so that the value of volunteer service, staying fit, learning new skills and exploring new places and activities are made part of the young person's lifestyle. The Congressional Award fosters service, initiative and achievement. The Award builds leadership, confidence and self-esteem in countless young people as they grow into product citizens in all walks of life. For those who sincerely want to promote positive activities among the youth of our Nation the Congressional Award Program is an ideal national vehicle. That so few Members of the House and the Senate sponsor candidates is a shameful tragedy. Certainly the program would not be experiencing its present fiscal difficulties if the private sector discerned that their Washington legislators really cared. We are missing a golden opportunity to do a great amount of good at a very low cost. Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Congressional Award Program as a significant instrument in our efforts to reach out to young people across the Nation and encourage them to get involved in community service. I encourage my colleagues to support the Congressional Award not only by re-authorizing the program for another 5 years, but also by Members becoming involved in their districts.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the definition of ``immediate termination of United States forces in Iraq'' must mean the following as set forth by Representative John Murtha: ``My plan calls: --To immediately redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces. --To create a quick reaction force in the region. --To create over-the-horizon presence of Marines. --To diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq. You may call this a position, a program, or an exit strategy but this is the Murtha message which set in motion the current proceedings on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is the declaration heard from Representative Murtha by the American people and around the world. By all standards of decency and by popular decree the Republican leadership is mandated to respect the precedent setting language of this most detailed of all proposals for new and creative action in Iraq. For this reason I urge all of my colleagues to examine closely the resolution before us. ``That the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.'' In view of the fact that the wording of this resolution distorts the plan set forth by Congressman Murtha, I urge all Members to condemn this dirty trick by voting ``present.''

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, the definition of ``immediate termination of United States forces in Iraq'' must mean the following as set forth by Representative John Murtha: ``My plan calls: --To immediately redeploy U.S. troops consistent with the safety of U.S. forces. --To create a quick reaction force in the region. --To create over-the-horizon presence of Marines. --To diplomatically pursue security and stability in Iraq.'' You may call this a position, a program, or an exit strategy but this is the Murtha message which set in motion the current proceedings on the floor of the House of Representatives. This is the declaration heard from Representative Murtha by the American people and around the world. By all standards of decency and by popular decree the Republican leadership is mandated to respect the precedent setting language of this most detailed of all proposals for new and creative action in Iraq. For this reason I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the resolution before us. ``That the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately.''

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I cannot in good conscience support the Occupational Safety and Health provisions in H.R. 3975, the Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act of 2005. More than 2 months after Hurricane Katrina hit the gulf region, thousands of recovery and reconstruction workers remain in serious harm's way there because the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA, is not enforcing established Federal safety and health standards. The bill before us does not address the serious health and safety problems of these workers. The bill also does not address the ``right of return'' concerns of the Congressional Black Caucus. Residents need work under safe conditions. Employment of residents should not be undermined by an expanded volunteer project. To date, OSHA has not conducted a comprehensive assessment of the hazards now facing clean-up and recovery workers in Louisiana, Mississippi and other areas decimated by Katrina, let alone hit by Rita. Likewise, OSHA has failed to specify what types of personal protective equipment, PPE, are required for different clean-up, recovery and reconstruction tasks being carried out by workers in Katrina- and Rita-affected areas. Also, OSHA has failed to layout the minimum safety training required for various gulf coast clean-up, recovery and reconstruction workers, in accordance with nationally agreed upon standards. Given OSHA's failure to act in response to Katrina and Rita, the last thing needed at this juncture is specific authority to recruit, train, use and pay for an unlimited number of volunteers to carry out non- enforcement projects vaguely characterized as ``related to worker safety and health.'' Likewise, OSHA does not need new authority to distribute respirators and other safety equipment, having done so with countless supplies donated by manufacturers for cleanup at ground zero. The parallels are strikingly clear between the failure to protect recovery and clean-up workers in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and the failure to protect workers now in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Rather than enforcing workplace safety and health laws, OSHA decided to serve as an ``adviser'' to employers in both cases. Already, there are reports in the press of a ``Katrina cough'' caused by exposure to toxic mold and contaminated dust left by the receding flood waters. These waters contained high levels of gasoline, sewage, bacteria, lead, mercury, pesticides, and other serious toxins. It only took several months after 9/11 before there were similar reports by physicians of a ``WorId Trade Center cough'' afflicting first responders and recovery workers. These workers were exposed to dust contaminated by asbestos, glass fibers, concrete dust, lead, and other hazardous substances. And now, growing numbers of 9/11 rescue and recovery workers have had to retire on permanent disability because of chronic respiratory illness. Others have died, their lungs scarred beyond repair, because they were unprotected from Ground Zero toxins. They died because in overseeing work at Ground Zero, OSHA decided not to enforce health and safety standards. Mr. Speaker, how many workers have to die or face permanent disability before OSHA starts enforcing workplace safety and health laws, be it in the aftermath of terrorist attacks or natural disasters like hurricanes? I ask unanimous consent that an October 6 letter sent to every Member of Congress from more than 100 labor, religious, environmental, public health and public-interest organizations and individual experts be printed in the Record in its entirety, immediately following this statement. Simply put, that letter urges Congress not to repeat in the gulf coast the health and safety errors made subsequent to 9/11. I commend the New York Committee on Safety and Health, NYCOSH, the many national and local unions, and all other coalition members for urging immediate steps be taken by OSHA and other federal agencies to protect gulf coast recovery workers. I urge my colleagues to accept and act without delay on these life-saving recommendations. I also urge all of my congressional colleagues to review H.R. 4197, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus. The overwhelming concern of this bill is the establishment of the necessary conditions to facilitate a healthy rebirth of the communities of New Orleans and the rest of the gulf coast. National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, New York, NY, October 6, 2005. Dear Senator/Member of the House of Representatives: Thousands of disaster responders, workers, and volunteers in the Gulf Coast areas affected by Hurricane Katrina remain inadequately protected against exposure to environmental health hazards. As individuals and organizations in the fields of community, public health and occupational and environmental health and safety, disaster response, recovery and cleanup, we are greatly concerned. Many of us have been directly involved in 9/11 rescue, response, and recovery efforts. In the wake of the terrible tragedy of Hurricane Katrina we urge that the lessons learned in 9/11 response efforts not be ignored in Katrina response operations. As we came to recognize in the aftermath of 9/11, there is a difference between rescue and recovery. Now, however, a month after the storm, we are now well into the recovery stage on the Gulf Coast, and therefore EPA and OSHA should immediately commence enforcement of life-saving workplace and environmental laws and regulations. Failure to do so puts countless workers and residents at risk of contracting preventable environmental and occupational diseases. This was our experience in the aftermath of 9/11, when thousands of workers and residents were unnecessarily exposed to toxic substances after being assured by EPA that the air was safe to breathe. At the same time, workers were left unprotected by OSHA, which declined to enforce its respiratory protection standard and other regulations. The illnesses of thousands of New York workers and residents today are in part the result of the failure of government agencies to enforce environmental and occupational health regulations after 9/11. Therefore, we are unalterably opposed to the legislative proposal of Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) to allow the Environmental Protection Agency to temporarily suspend or relax its rules. Although it is not yet possible to characterize with certainty the toxic nature of the flood waters that cover Louisiana and Mississippi, what is known is of great concern. The flood waters have been contaminated by 6.7 million gallons of petroleum as a result of major spills from refineries and with another 1-2 million gallons of gasoline from gas stations and 300,000 flooded cars. There have been hundreds of smaller oil spills (396 as of Wednesday 9/14). The flood waters contain elevated levels of sewage, bacteria, lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and pesticides. Some contaminants, such as benzene, are presumed to be present in such large quantities that the EPA has not considered it necessary to conduct sampling. The flood waters impacted 31 hazardous waste sites and 446 industrial facilities that reported handling highly dangerous chemicals before the storm. Thousands of damaged buildings are likely to be contaminated with mold and asbestos. Additionally, to our knowledge, no tests have been conducted for dioxin, which is known to be present at levels of concern in southwest Louisiana. As the flood waters recede, contaminants that remain have the potential to become airborne when disturbed by natural causes (wind and other storms) or by cleanup activities, creating an even greater occupational and public health hazard. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency Joint Taskforce published on September 17, 2005 an initial Environmental Health Needs and Habitability Assessment. The report provides an outline of the threats to the health of the public and of the workers who will be involved in cleaning up the areas impacted by Katrina. These threats are serious and are unprecedented in scope. The joint report provides a valuable overview. However, it offers no details concerning what needs to be done to protect workers and residents. That is why we believe that Congress should act on the following recommendations. We must not repeat the errors of 9/11 today in New Orleans. Response and recovery operations must proceed expeditiously, but the health and safety of those engaged in such efforts must be protected. We urge immediate action on the following steps: 1. Presume Contamination Until Proven Otherwise: Given the wide range and toxic nature of contaminants to which workers, volunteers, and residents may be exposed, it is imperative that work areas be presumed to be contaminated and that appropriate precautionary measures be implemented until the work environment is demonstrated to be safe. 2. Implement the National Response Plan's Worker and Community Environmental Testing and Monitoring Provisions: The worker and community environmental testing and monitoring provisions of the National Response Plan must be followed closely. It provides for hazard identification, environmental sampling, personal exposure monitoring, collecting and managing exposure data, development of site-specific safety plans, immunization and prophylaxis, and medical surveillance, medical monitoring and psychological support. 3. Enforce all OSHA and EPA Regulations: Environmental and occupational health standards must be strictly enforced. We are distressed that OSHA has defined its role in Katrina response, as in 9/11, as advisory rather than enforcement. 4. Assess the Hazards: EPA should conduct comprehensive environmental sampling to characterize the nature and extent of environmental hazards and NIOSH and OSHA must conduct a comprehensive assessment of the hazards posed to recovery workers. Hazard assessment should include evaluation of environmental hazards presented by chemical plants and refineries, hazardous waste sites, in-place building materials, biological agents, and other potential sources affected by the storm. Environmental monitoring should be ongoing. Sampling results should be accessible to the public in a timely manner. Toxic materials should be catalogued, evaluated and tested, and any known or potential releases contained. Failure to act will threaten returning residents and workers and will increase long-term cleanup costs as toxic substances spread to larger areas. 5. Train and Protect Clean Up Workers: All cleanup workers (public and private sector, paid and unpaid) should receive the appropriate OSHA-required training and equipment for protection against the hazards to which they may be exposed. OSHA should specify the minimum training that must be provided to workers engaged in clean-up and recovery. Training may include that which is required under OSHA's Hazard Communication, Respiratory Protection, Personal Protective Equipment, and Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standards. Protective equipment may include respirators and protective clothing and equipment. 6. Provide Appropriate Decontamination for Workers: To protect worker and public health, emphasis must be placed on regular decontamination of workers and volunteers and of their protective gear, tools, equipment, and vehicles. Workers and volunteers must be trained in the importance of meticulous personal hygiene in the presence of toxics and must be provided with appropriate decontamination and sanitary facilities. 7. Provide Medical Surveillance: Provision must be made for early detection and treatment of occupational, environmental, and psychological illnesses. To ignore the medical needs of potentially exposed workers and residents is asking them to be guinea pigs in a long-term experiment the consequences of which remain unknown. All public and private sector rescue, response, and cleanup workers, including volunteers, should be entered into a centralized database to facilitate medical surveillance. 8. Protect Vulnerable Workers: Special consideration must be given to protection of immigrant and temporary workers, who reportedly are being recruited in large numbers. In 9/11 response efforts, immigrant and temporary workers were the workers least likely to be provided with proper training and respiratory protection, and were the workers least likely to have medical insurance. As a result, they incurred high rates of illness without having access to medical treatment. 9. Adopt Uniform Re-occupancy Standards: EPA must work with local governments to ensure that a protective health and safety standard for re-occupancy applies uniformly to all communities and also is sensitive to the needs of vulnerable populations. EPA has indicated that it will permit local authorities to determine re-occupancy criteria, but it is critical to ensure that all re-occupancy occurs according to standards that are adequately protective of public health. A cleanup of this magnitude and complexity has never been undertaken. While we support proceeding with the cleanup and recovery with dispatch, protection of the health of clean-up workers and of the public at large must be given the highest priority. Endorsing organizations signatures available at www.nycosh.org.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on Monday November 7, 2005 and Tuesday November 8, 2005 due to unavoidable circumstances in my Congressional District. Had I been present on November 7, I would have voted: ``yea'' to H. Con Res. 260--Recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, Nostra Aetate, and the continuing need for mutual inter-religious respect and dialogue; ``yea'' to H.R. 1973--the Water for the Poor Act of 2005 and ``yea'' to H. Res. 444--the Gynecological Resolution for Advancement of Ovarian Cancer Education. Had I been present on November 8, I would have voted: ``no'' on the motion to Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair; ``yea'' to H. Res. 38--Expressing support for the accession of Israel to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development; ``yea'' to H. Res. 302--Recognizing and commending the continuing dedication and commitment of employers of the members of the National Guard and the other reserve components who have been mobilized during the Global War on Terrorism and in defense of the United States; and ``yea'' to H.R. 3770--Grant W. Green Post Office Building Designation Act.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, along with all the constituents of the 11th Congressional District I mourn the death of Rosa Parks on October 24, 2005. From that band of anonymous great angels who always come forward to rescue America in times of great stress and decline Rosa Parks marched forth. She sat down in order to stand up for the basic rights of millions of oppressed African Americans. Outwardly she appeared to be a plain ordinary citizen but inside the small lady was a magnificent giant with great courage and tenacity. She was a spark plug who set the soul of Martin Luther King on fire. A blazing powerful movement was born from this union in Montgomery, Alabama. Rosa Parks became the mother of the Civil Rights Movement which changed America to make our Nation more like God and the constitution meant for it to be.

Mr. OWENS

Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, disgracefully taking advantage of the misery of the evacuees of Katrina the Republicans have launched a backdoor, covert, but not so subtle effort to establish a federally funded school voucher program on a mass scale. The Republicans call this initiative by the code name Family Education Reimbursement Act (FERA). Under FERA parents would be given an account number that provides up to 6,700 dollars per general education student and 8,200 dollars per special education student. At present Federal voucher intervention exists only in Washington DC for 1,700 students. FERA may expand this reach of vouchers to more than 200,000 students. Overwhelming Federal power will impose a partisan Republican experiment that has already been rejected by local citizens across the nation. The Bush administration under the cover of disaster relief, will deliver a far- reaching blow of mass destruction to public schooling in the Gulf Coast region. Needless to say this voucher beachhead will place all public schools in the nation at high risk. For the children of disaster area schools America can do better. Make school reconstruction a priority and speed the return of evacuated families home to their school districts. Providing adequate opportunity for all must be raised above the narrow partisan tricks of the Republican Party.