Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay a final tribute to one of the true heroes of the environmental movement. Peggy Wayburn passed away recently in San Francisco after a lifetime of environmental activism that saved ecosystems, changed maps, and enriched our lives. A kind, vibrant woman whom I was proud to know, Peggy's work will benefit our country forever, but she will be sorely missed. Having graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Barnard College in 1942, Peggy Cornelia Elliot moved to San Francisco where she met and married Dr. Edgar Wayburn. Peggy and Edgar created a bond that changed the course of land conservation forever. In Peggy's eighty-five years, she and her husband successfully helped preserve millions of acres. We are so thankful for the efforts that brought us the Redwood National Park, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the greenbelt from the Point Reyes Seashore to Sweeney Ridge along the Pacific Coast, and the expansion of Mount Tamalpais State Park. Peggy had a national impact as well. When Peggy and Edgar visited Alaska nearly 30 years ago, they were captivated by the beauty of the landscape and dedicated themselves to preserving its majestic vistas, lofty mountains, and free rivers. The national campaign that resulted from that visit, and the hundreds of visits that followed, led to the passage of the Alaska Lands Act, the largest public lands bill in the history of Congress. One of Peggy's five books, Alaska: the Great Land, is credited with eliciting national support for the bill. Peggy Wayburn published four other books through the Sierra Club, all of which built awareness of the beauty of and need for preserving land. The Edge of Life offers a comprehensive view of the Bolinas Lagoon; the Lagoon later became a National Natural Landmark. Adventuring in the San Francisco Bay Area is a wonderful guide for residents and visitors for enjoying the land we are blessed with. Peggy served as a trustee of the Sierra Club Foundation, a board member of Audubon Canyon Ranch, director of the Point Reyes Seashore Foundation, and helped found People for Open Space. I am proud to join my constituents in thanking and praising Peggy Wayburn for her dedication to the forests of California and the wilderness of this nation. Peggy and Edgar Wayburn brought great leadership and commitment to our nation's conservation policy. They are stars in the constellation of environmental pioneers who have inspired us and given future generations a lasting natural heritage. To Dr. Wayburn and the Wayburn family, Diana, Laurie, Cynthia and William, we share your loss, and we are grateful for every day Peggy had with us.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I commend Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin for her leadership and thank her for organizing today's statements. On March 23, the girls of Afghanistan returned to school, and on that day a milestone was reached in the re-establishment of Afghanistan's civil society. Preceding the takeover by the Taliban, women constituted 70 percent of the teachers in Afghanistan, 50 percent of the government workers, 40 percent of the health professionals. During the Taliban regime, women were forced out of the workforce and girls were banned from school. Now, the women are returning to work, and with the return of girls to school, Afghanistan is laying the groundwork for the full participation of all of its children in developing a brighter future. As we celebrate this milestone in Afghanistan, we also must recognize the need for access to education for girls around the world. Nearly a quarter of the world's adult population cannot read and write and two thirds of the illiterate adults are women. In looking at gender equality in secondary education enrollment, only eleven percent of countries have achieved gender equality, in fact 51 percent of countries have a lower enrollment ratio for girls than boys. Education gives women the skills and tools that they need to participate fully in society. Education enables women to raise healthier and better-educated children. Educated women are more likely to participate in the decision making process of government, making an impact on policy that affects their daily lives. As we celebrate with the people of Afghanistan, let us also commit ourselves to ensuring that other girls across the globe have access to basic education, and the chance to make a better life for themselves.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Mimi Silbert, President, Chairman and CEO of the Delancey Street Foundation, on the occasion of her 60th Birthday and the 30th Anniversary of Delancey Street. Mimi Silbert is the cofounder and director of Delancey Street; a San Francisco-based self-help residential education center where drug addicts, criminals, and the homeless go to turn their lives around. Since 1971 more than 14,000 people have successfully been through the Delancey Street program and are now leading crime-free, drug-free lives in mainstream society. Residents have learned to read and have acquired skills; they attend college and are part of the work force, they are raising families, they are clean, they are sober, they are reborn. And each and every one of them has the extraordinary Mimi Silbert to thank for changing their lives. All of this is done at no cost to the taxpayer or client. One of the most unique features of Delancey Street is that they have never accepted government funds nor do they have any staff. Delancey Street has started over 20 business training schools which generate income and train the residents in marketable skills. The psychiatrist Karl Menninger has called Delancey Street ``the best and most successful rehabilitation program in the world.'' There are now five facilities throughout the country: San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Mexico, New York, and North Carolina. Mimi Silbert is an inexhaustible dynamo who does what she does not of love, commitment and belief in the value of humanity. She has been called the ``Mother Teresa of America's down and out''. In San Francisco she is our treasure who has touched and miraculously changed so many lives. We love her and are forever in her debt. I am proud to join my constituents to thank and praise Mimi Silbert for her marvelous achievements, indomitable spirit, and her inexhaustible service to San Francisco and our nation. As we celebrate her birthday we will keep in mind all those who have been reborn through her extraordinary life work. Happy Birthday Mimi!

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I associate myself with his very eloquent remarks about the stealth nature in which this bill is being brought to the floor of the House. Stealth is a good word for it. It is about abuses of stealth PACs, which this bill would reinstitute. Less than 2 weeks after President Bush signed a historic campaign finance reform bill into law, the Republican leadership once again wants to weaken one of its primary provisions. The New York Times calls this bill a travesty, and a travesty it is. Two years ago this House voted, under the leadership of our distinguished ranking member, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), and a hard-working member of the committee whose leadership was essential to this, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett), to require that political organizations which are exempt from taxation under section 527 of the IRS Code to disclose their contributions and expenditures. One would think this would have been made to order for the Republicans who have argued over time that we did not need campaign finance reform, all we needed was disclosure. And now this bill foils attempts at disclosure. This when it was passed was a major campaign finance reform initiative adopted after abuses by the stealth PACs which ran attack ads under the tax-exempt section of the code without meaningful disclosure. This proposal tonight would allow individuals to hide behind groups to influence the political system without disclosing who they are or where they got their money. The notion that this is simply an attempt to get rid of duplicative reporting requirements was shown to be a farce when the Republicans would not allow a proposed Democratic amendment that would have eliminated duplication but still ensures that there would be full disclosure. Instead, this bill opens up new loopholes in the 527 reporting requirement and creates potential for abuse. It is clearly an attempt by opponents of campaign finance reform to begin to erode the excellent provisions of the Shays-Meehan bill. I urge my colleagues to reject this travesty and seriously object to the manner in which this bill was railroaded to the floor. This body spent a good deal of time focusing on campaign finance reform. We had to take extraordinary measures to get the bill heard on the floor of this Congress with a discharge petition. The bill has passed both Houses, it has been signed by the President of the United States, and it is being undermined by the proposal that the Republicans are putting on the floor today. I urge our colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time; and I want to recognize first off the excellence with which he has dealt on this budget, and commend him, the members of his committee, and the staff for their excellent work. Mr. Chairman, today we should have had the opportunity to be engaged in a debate over our Federal budget. This budget debate should reflect the professional judgment and our most imaginative thinking to create a budget for America's future. We do not all agree on every issue, but we should have been able to have a debate about those issues. Instead, we are faced with a closed rule which forecloses some of that debate; and we are, instead, faced with a budget from the Republican side which is a sham. It is a sham because it hides from view the billions and billions of dollars the Republicans are draining from the Social Security trust fund. It is a sham because it disguises the inadequate prescription drug benefit for seniors as it drains the Medicare trust fund. It is a sham because it ignores the cost of the supplemental appropriations that we know President Bush will be sending to the Congress. When we review the Republican budget, we have to wonder what happened to all of the budget deficits on the Republican side. Have they become an endangered species? Indeed, I think they have become extinct. For such a long time they fought so fiercely to reduce the Federal deficit and eliminate the national debt, and now they are extinct. And where did all the Republicans go who voted five times, five times, for a lock box to prohibit using Social Security trust funds for anything but Social Security? Those same Republicans have broken promises to the American people by an all-out raid in this budget on the Social Security trust fund. In addition to being a sham, this Republican budget is a shame, because it misses an opportunity to create a fiscally sound balanced budget which invests in America's future and grows our economy by creating jobs and lowering interest rates. I believe, Mr. Chairman, that our Federal budget should be a statement of our national values. I ask my colleagues if it is a statement of their values to raid the Social Security trust fund and decimate the Medicare trust fund; is it a statement of their national values to undermine the ability of Americans to retire in dignity; is it a statement of their values to put our children into oppressive debt to bolster a failed Republican economic plan? The Republican leadership's budget is a desperate attempt to cover up the total failure of their economic plan. In an attempt to cook the books, the Republicans used the more optimistic OMB estimates, even though they shut down the government in 1995-96, if my colleagues remember that, to insist on CBO estimates. One year ago, the Republicans promised to protect Social Security, provide a Medicare prescription drug benefit, and pay down the Federal debt. But their budget fails to balance the budget, fails to protect Social Security, fails to provide adequate funding for prescription drugs, and fails to fund the education promises signed into law by President Bush. The request from Treasury Secretary O'Neill to raise the debt limit by $750 billion to finance the government past the 2004 election is an ultimate symbol of the failure of the Republican economic plan. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' a billion, billion, billion times no, on the Republican sham budget.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler), for yielding me this time and for his lovely statement on behalf of Judge Browning. I also want to commend my colleague, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cooksey), for his kind words as well. Mr. Speaker, I wish that every Member of this House could meet Judge Browning. They would then know why we feel so privileged to be naming this courthouse for him and the joy we feel in paying tribute to his excellent service to our country. I rise in support of H.R. 2804, which designates, as has been mentioned, the U.S. Courthouse located at 95 Seventh Street in San Francisco as the James R. Browning United States Courthouse. Judge Browning has been an outstanding jurist and a brilliant administrator for the Ninth Circuit Court for the past 40 years. By crafting creative solutions to a large case backlog and a slow appeals process, Judge Browning has improved our judicial system both in the Ninth Circuit, and everywhere his reforms have been emulated. I urge my colleagues to honor him today for his lifetime of service. I would like to thank the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Jim Oberstar), for their efforts to bring this bill before the House. It would not have been possible without them. I am also pleased to note this bill is strongly supported by a bipartisan group of Members from throughout the Ninth Circuit's area of jurisdiction. The bill's cosponsors and other supporters are still returning from the West Coast and are unable to join us, as they would like to, on the floor today. Again, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Cooksey) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler) for their very appropriate and generous remarks. And I also want to commend Judge Browning's former law clerks, led by Michael Rubin, who championed the idea of naming this historic courthouse after this extraordinary judge. James Browning was born in Great Falls, Montana, and received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Montana. After graduation, he joined the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice where he worked for 2 years before being inducted to the U.S. Army infantry as a private. Serving 3 years in the Pacific theatre in military intelligence, he attained the rank of first lieutenant and was awarded the Bronze Star. After his military service, Judge Browning returned to the Justice Department, serving in several positions in the Antitrust Division before becoming Executive Assistant to the Attorney General. In 1953, he left government service for a successful career in private practice, during which he lectured at the law schools of New York University and Georgetown University. His desire to be in public service was strong, however, and he left private practice after 5 years to become the Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. What a high honor. As has been mentioned, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed James Browning as a Circuit Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, over 40 years ago. The Ninth Circuit includes all of the Federal courts in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. His exemplary tenure as a circuit judge was marked by his extensive involvement in the Judicial Conference of the United States. He examined issues of judicial conduct, court administration, and the organization of the Ninth Circuit. I take this time, Mr. Speaker, because so many of our colleagues cannot be here and wanted to have so much of Judge Browning's record on the record. Judge Browning became Chief Judge of the Ninth Circuit in 1976. At that time, the appeals court in particular faced a large backlog of cases, and substantial delays in deciding appeals were common. Judge Browning immediately undertook innovative steps to improve the functioning of the Ninth Circuit. He convinced Congress to add new judges to the court of appeals. He instituted new methods of case processing in order to manage the increased case loads. He established a bankruptcy appellate panel to hear bankruptcy appeals for the entire court. He revamped communication among the justices. And his innovations worked. The restructuring he instituted paid rich dividends, including the elimination of the court's backlog and a reduction by half in the time needed to decide appeals. His reforms have been examined and repeated throughout the Nation. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of, as I say, so many of my colleagues who are traveling now from the West and cannot be here, I am pleased to request of our colleagues that they vote ``yes'' in support of naming this building. It has been said that ``Justice deferred is justice denied.'' I ask my colleagues today to honor a man whose innovations have helped ensure that ``Justice comes in time.'' James R. Browning has been an exceptionally able and dedicated public servant. He is a wonderful person. I urge my colleagues to honor him today by voting for H.R. 2804, to designate the Federal Courthouse at 7th and Mission Streets in San Francisco, by the way a building that was restored after the earthquake to a beautiful, beautiful state, and I invite all my colleagues to visit, hopefully, the James R. Browning United States Courthouse.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 181st anniversary of Greek Independence Day, and I thank my colleagues, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mrs. Maloney, for their leadership on Greek-American issues and for organizing today's tribute. Greece has long held a special place in the hearts and minds of Americans. From the architecture of this building to the design of our government, we are indebted to the best ideas of the Greeks. They brought us a rational explanation for the universe, provided the basis for Western medical science, and laid the foundation of Western philosophy on which our country is built. As Thomas Jefferson acknowledged, ``to the ancient Greeks, we are indebted for the light which led ourselves out of Gothic darkness.'' As the ancient state was an inspiration to the United States, the modern state of Greece is a trusted friend. From the first World War to the current struggle against terrorism, Greece and the United States have fought side by side for the principles of liberty and self- determination the ancient Greeks set forth so eloquently. A valued member of NATO, Greece today is a thriving democracy that Aristotle would recognize and of which he would be proud. But it almost wasn't this way. For nearly 400 years, the land that gave the world democracy lived under tyranny. Between 1453 and 1821, as part of the Ottoman Empire, the Greek people lived without freedom of religion, access to education, or representative government. Surrounded by the ruins of their noble heritage, however, they never lost their identity as a free people. On March 25, 1821, drawing inspiration from our own struggle for independence, the revolution against the oppressive Ottoman rule began. The revolution succeeded, and a free, democratic nation was reborn. Here in the United States we are blessed by the presence of many Greek-Americans. In San Francisco, the Greek-American community is a vibrant part of our wonderful diversity. From the daily contributions of thousands of hardworking citizens to the leadership of former Mayors George Christopher and Art Agnos, Greek-Americans have enriched San Francisco and our nation. After enjoying the recent Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the world now turns its attention to the 2004 summer games to be held in Athens, Greece. The 108th anniversary of the modern Olympics will be held where the games were born some 3,000 years ago. The innovations of ancient Greece continue to light our world, and modern Greece, our friend and ally, continues to uphold its legacy. It is my honor, as a member of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, to join my colleagues in celebrating Greek Independence Day.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, just to clarify what the leader said about the budget resolution, if the work on the budget resolution is concluded early evening Wednesday, will there be any legislative votes on Thursday next week?

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I take this time for the purpose of inquiring about the schedule for next week. I yield to the distinguished majority leader.

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, reclaiming my time, could the gentleman be more specific about what day the budget resolution will be considered?

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for the information, for giving us a specific list of suspensions, in one case in any event.

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, does the leader expect any legislation dealing with pensions to be brought up on the floor next week?

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I would be pleased to answer on the gentlewoman's time.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. I rise to respond to the question: ``I do not know where she is coming from; we have passed health benefits for these workers over and over again.'' Where I am coming from is a meeting with James Dodrill, an unemployed worker whose health benefits expired last week at a time when his wife has been diagnosed with serious illness, James and his family, he and his wife and their three children. James's benefits ran out last week. Under the current law, James would have to spend over $7,000 a year to pay for his COBRA benefits. The legislation in our discharge petition would help pay for 75 percent of that and fund the States to pick up the other 25 percent, so that unemployed workers can continue their health benefits with real health care benefits and would expand the number of people who fall into that category and include some workers who were never eligible for COBRA to be included in Medicaid. It is a good discharge. I urge my colleagues to sign it. That is where I was coming from.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill because of its substance, which I oppose, but also because of the very fact that it is being brought up at a time when we should be bringing up a bill that the Democrats are asking to be discharged to provide unemployment benefits and health benefits to those people affected by the September 11 attacks. We lost no time in bailing out the airline industries after the tragedy of September 11, and that was something we probably should have done. At the same time, in tandem with that, we should have had legislation on this floor in order to help those workers who were left unemployed after that tragedy, but we did not. Here we are 6 months later. Last week we passed legislation, which was the very least we could do, to extend unemployment benefits for workers. But many, many people cannot avail themselves of that benefit, and the bill did nothing last week to address the issue of loss of health benefits by America's workers. So, instead, I am asking our colleagues today to defeat the previous question; and then that will allow Democrats to bring a comprehensive unemployment insurance bill to the floor, including health care for unemployed workers. Instead of passing anticonsumer class action legislation, we should be bringing legislation to the floor to help unemployed workers. It is not a question of Democrats and Republicans deciding on how to help unemployed workers; it is a question of whether we are going to fully help unemployed workers. The Democrats say yes, the Republicans say no. The Republicans say we want to use our time on the floor to pass legislation, and in this time of Enron, I mean it is so brazen. I am surprised that I am surprised, quite frankly, because usually I am not surprised at anything in politics. But it is surprising that with all of the headlines on Enron and Arthur Andersen and the rest, that instead of helping workers put out of work, we are making it harder for consumers to file class action suits. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote to defeat the previous question.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership on this very important issue. Well, here we are 6 months later, four legislative attempts and millions of jobs lost, finally passing a package to extend unemployment benefits for those affected by the recession and the September 11 tragedy. We have to review this legislation today in the context of this past year. One year ago, when the Clinton administration left office, we had the strongest economy in the history of our country. We had the biggest budget surplus in a generation. What a difference a year makes. Under the Bush economic package, we started into a recession, we started into reversing the tendency towards surplus and moved into deficit, and we have been advancing policies under the Republican leadership in the House to raid Social Security. Within that context came September 11, when we already had an economy moving into a recession. What a tragedy it was in so many respects for our country. Immediately this House acted, and probably appropriately, to bail out the airline industry in a matter of days from September 11. Many of us wanted to vote in tandem for that bill and a bill that would help bail out all of the workers who lost their jobs as a result of September 11 in the airline industry and in the related hospitality industry. But no, the emergency was only for the industry, and the workers would have to wait. So in good spirits and with good will, we voted for the airline bailout bill with the thought that the worker bailout would shortly come before us. Six months later, we still do not have that comprehensive worker bailout bill on the floor. What we have before us today is the very least that we could do, the very least that we could do, to extend for 13 weeks the unemployment benefit package for the workers. Now we are at record numbers, 8 million unemployed in our country, record numbers of people going on unemployment every day. So when we talk about this bill before us today, we say that at long last we can be relevant to the pain and suffering in the families of America's working people because we will extend the benefits. But this, as I said, is the very least that we can do. Much more needs to be done. That is why next week the Democrats will launch a discharge petition calling to expand the number of people who would be available for unemployment benefits: temporary workers, those below a certain wage scale. It would also include in it a health package benefit, so that there would be funding to allow people to take advantage of COBRA extension of their health benefits, because health benefits are a very, very important part of the job, and should be a very important part of an unemployment benefit package. Mr. Speaker, today we certainly vote to extend the benefits for American workers' families, but we recognize that this, as I said, is the very least that we can do. The fight continues. Next week we will continue with the discharge petition.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for his leadership and that of the distinguished chairman for facilitating this request and bringing it to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation. Next Monday is the six-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. With the war against the al Qaeda network, and terrorism generally, well underway, it is important that the process of determining why the September 11 attacks were not prevented receive appropriate attention in Congress. The performance of the intelligence agencies is an essential part of the September 11 story, and it is the responsibility of the House and Senate intelligence committees to thoroughly assess that performance. It is the judgment of the committees that a joint inquiry is the best way to get at the facts and recommend changes as supported by the facts. The committees intend that the inquiry will ascertain why the agencies did not learn of the attacks in advance and identify what, if anything, might be done to better position the agencies to warn of, or prevent, future terrorist actions against the United States. The joint inquiry will be a considerable challenge and will require additional resources, primarily for staff. The measure now under consideration provides these resources, and I urge its adoption so that we may proceed as quickly as possible on this important task. Additional resources and staff positions have been provided by the Senate. It should be made clear that, although we intend for this inquiry to be comprehensive as far as the intelligence agencies are concerned, it will not be exhaustive of all of the issues surrounding the September 11 attacks. Other committees may want to examine matters within their jurisdiction and, at some point, it may be appropriate to consider the creation of an entity outside of Congress to take an across the board look at all of the components of the September 11 disaster. Our purpose in undertaking this joint inquiry, and in seeking funds to do it properly, is not to foreclose any other review, but to ensure that the intelligence committees properly discharge the oversight responsibility given to them by the House and Senate.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for the schedule, but could he be more specific about the day that the Class Action Fairness Act of 2002 will be brought up?

Ms. PELOSI. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to inquire about the schedule for next week.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for that specific answer.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise to urge our colleagues to vote against the previous question. Here we are on the floor of Congress at a time when our country is in a very difficult place economically. This month, a record number of people have exhausted their unemployment benefits, a record number of people. Here we are on the floor of the House; and instead of addressing that very pressing need for all of those families, we are taking up suspensions, a second day of suspensions. I have no quarrel with our dealing with certain issues, like extending the hunting season for mourning doves, if that is necessary and that is our jurisdiction. That is something that should be a small part of what we do. But the American people see us on TV. They see the irrelevance of what is going on on the floor of the House of Representatives. Can we not give to the workers of America the same due that we give to mourning doves, to extend, to extend the time frame? Why does that not have at least as high a priority to the Republican majority? Why do not unemployed workers receive the same priority as hunting season for mourning doves? There was a proposal that was supposed to come to the floor today which would have extended the benefits but would have a poison pill, a very unwise provision in terms of health benefits. The Democratic proposal would have been very smart: extend the benefits at least 13 weeks, hopefully 26 weeks, again, recognizing that record numbers of Americans are exhausting their unemployment benefits, and couple that with a plan to make the COBRA benefits available to these unemployed workers. When we had the tragedy of September 11, we immediately moved to bail out the airline industry, and we had to do that. But that happened with the promise that we would shortly be addressing the needs of those Americans who lost their jobs because of September 11. Six months later, we are still waiting for the Republican majority to bring a bill to the floor that adequately addresses those concerns. Instead, we are here this morning talking about extending the hunting season for mourning doves. I urge my colleagues to vote against the previous question.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I have an inquiry of the distinguished majority leader about the schedule for next week.

Ms. PELOSI. I appreciate the majority leader saying that, Mr. Speaker, because the American people expect and deserve for this Congress, in this House for us to work together in a bipartisan way to bring the same relief to the American workers affected by September 11 as we did to bail out the airline industry only a few days after September 11, as I mentioned. Mr. Speaker, on the question of the schedule, as the gentleman knows, there are primaries beginning this spring. We have our own this Tuesday in California. Will there be any change in the vote schedule on Tuesdays with the primaries?

Ms. PELOSI. I am certain of that. I thank the gentleman for the information.