Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. It is my understanding that there are about 30 such authorizations protected by the rule in this emergency supplemental.

Ms. PELOSI. It is very unfortunate, Mr. Chairman, that while there may be 30 perhaps, the gentleman has not told us an exact figure, but I respect the fact that he will get that information to us, authorizations protected by the rule for this bill, that the majority has chosen to ignore a crisis in California and the western States, our western region as our amendment addresses the West. This is an emergency for us. Our energy costs have increased 10 times, into the tens of billions of dollars as I mentioned. Hundreds of thousands of disabled people depending on access to energy at all times cannot tolerate rolling blackouts or any other kind, including the high cost of energy. It will have an impact on the credit rating of our State which has now surpassed France as an economy in the world. California has surpassed France as an economy, and we are going to be cavalier about the impact that has on our country and that small businesses and homeowners and residences and all the rest will carry this tremendous burden. It seems to me our Republican colleagues want to play the blame game instead of trying to find a solution to this problem. No matter how you describe it, the fact is that the suppliers have exploited the market by withholding power to drive up the prices to exploit the consumer. You cannot deny that, as many places as you want to place the blame. The fact is that we have had tremendous growth in our economy in the West. We have also had a real dearth of rainfall and we depend heavily on hydroelectric. There are other reasons why we are in the situation we are in today. But again I repeat, the remedy that we are suggesting today is for a reasonable cap based on expenses and profit to the suppliers that is just and reasonable. That is what the power law called for. That is what they told and instructed the FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, that they could do if there were not just and reasonable rates charged. The FERC determined that the rates were not fair and reasonable. They are almost $9 billion overcharged to consumers in California. With all of that, the FERC has decided to act this week, favoring the dirtiest and oldest technology to make the cap the highest possible cap. So while they recognize there is a problem, they intervened into the market. They did so in a way that was, as was said earlier by my colleagues, half baked. So for this committee to say that we will object to this on the basis of the fact that it is authorizing on an appropriations bill, when there are at least 30 other authorizations in this bill protected by the rule, but to save the people in the western United States the emergency does not count to us, again we would rather play the blame game than solve the problem, I have serious problems with that, Mr. Chairman. I just wish that the chairman would reconsider his objection on the basis of it being authorizing; but if that is the route the majority chooses to go, as the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) said last week, he said the Californians made their bed, then let them lie in it. The Republicans are making their bed on this issue right now by siding with the exploiters at the expense of the consumers. They are making their bed.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Sudan Peace Act (H.R. 2052). I would like to thank Congressman Tancredo for introducing this important legislation and Representatives Donald Payne, Tom Lantos, and Frank Wolf for their active roles in pushing Sudan to the top of the foreign policy agenda. It is important for Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to speak out in a collective voice against the suffering of the people of Sudan. Sudan's civil war and the Sudanese Government's genocidal policies have taken a terrible toll on the civilians of that country. The horror that afflicts Sudan is staggering: over 2 million people have been killed and another 5 million driven from their homes. The situation in Sudan is rapidly getting worse and must be seriously addressed before the scale of death and destruction increases. Clearly, there must be international pressure to promote a just and lasting peace to this tragic conflict. Sudan has one of the worst human rights records in the world. According to the U.S. State Department, the Government of Sudan continues to abuse human rights including the bombing of civilian and humanitarian targets, abduction and enslavement by government-sponsored militias, and manipulation of humanitarian assistance as a weapon of war. The Sudan Peace Act offers the beginning of a framework for a solution to ending the crisis. The bill requires all businesses trading securities in the United States capital markets and operations in Sudan to disclose fully the extent and nature of their operations, particularly oil operations, which are fueling the constant attacks against the southern Sudanese. The legislation also strongly condemns the human rights abuses committed by the Government of Sudan, continues support for humanitarian assistance distribution through Operation Lifeline Sudan, and urges the President to use $10 million appropriated last year to assist the Sudanese opposition, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). I am encouraged by the Bush administration's recent statements that it will soon appoint a high-profile Special Envoy to Sudan to serve as a catalyst in the stalled peace talks. The appointment of an envoy could be the difference in bringing peace to Sudan. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this bipartisan legislation to help end the campaign of violence against the people of Sudan.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleague, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez), in urging our colleagues to sign the discharge petition for America's children. This is a school modernization bipartisan legislation that is so very, very important. We were all very disappointed that the House did not have the opportunity to debate this issue in various tax bills that had come before us. Let us just think about the children for a moment. They are very, very smart. If we tell children that education is important to them, to their own self-fulfillment, to their competitiveness economically, to our international competitiveness, that we have a well-educated workforce, yet we send them to schools that are below par, where they are overcrowded, that are dilapidated, that are leaking, that are not wired for the future, children get a mixed message. Children see the inconsistency, indeed even the hypocrisy of a message that says education is important, that they should value it; but we do not value it enough to put forth funds in the way that, very wisely, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) and the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Johnson) have put in their bill. This bipartisan legislation very wisely commits small resources for a big payoff: for many more classrooms; smaller classrooms for more children. All the science tells us that children do better in smaller classrooms. School modernization will make that happen. Let us be consistent with the children. Please sign the discharge petition.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1157, which authorizes financial assistance to West Coast states to support restoration and conservation of Pacific salmon. This bill would also support the restoration of a historic industry, comprised of proud fishing men and women and their communities, that provides both food and recreation to the citizens of this nation. I commend my colleague Mike Thompson for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Chairman, salmon have been an important source of sustenance for the native peoples of the Pacific coast for thousands of years. The modern fishing industry on the West Coast began in my district with the salmon fishery on San Francisco Bay. Salmon from the Bay were harvested to feed the forty-niners headed for the gold fields of the Sierra Nevada mountains. San Francisco Bay is still the migratory route for one of the largest runs of salmon on the Pacific Coast. Our salmon have suffered mightily over the past century, as spawning and rearing habitat within their natal streams and rivers has been lost. We have lost about 80 percent of the productive capacity of salmon streams in the West Coast as a direct result of various causes of watershed destruction. According to a 1991 comprehensive scientific study by the American Fisheries Society (AFS), at least 106 major populations of West Coast salmon and steelhead are already extinct. Other studies place the number at over 200 separate stock extinctions in the Columbia River Basin alone. The AFS report also identified 214 additional native naturally-spawning salmonid runs at risk of extinction in the Northwest and Northern California: 101 at high risk of extinction, 58 at moderate risk of extinction, and another 54 of special concern. The productive capacity of the salmon resource has been enormous. Even as recently as 1988, and in spite of already serious existing depletions in the Columbia River and elsewhere, the Northwest salmon fishing industry (including both commercial and recreational components) still supported an estimated 62,750 family wage jobs in the Northwest and Northern California, including my district, and generated $1.25 billion in economic personal income impacts to the region. H.R. 1157 continues the program of Federal matching assistance to the West Coast states to rebuild this important fishery. The bill would authorize funding for states and tribal governments to restore damaged and degraded salmon habitat in a scientifically based and cost- effective manner. Emphasis would be placed on the recovery of salmon runs listed under the Endangered Species Act to prevent their extinction and eventually permit the lifting of the restrictions that are set in place when a species is listed. Funds will be spent only for projects approved as part of state and tribal restoration plans. H.R. 1157 is an investment in a healthful food source, an industry of hard working men and women, and a precious element of our ecosystem and natural heritage. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 1157, and I urge my colleagues to support the preservation and restoration of West Coast salmon.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) for yielding the time to me, and I want to commend him and the majority side of the Committee on International Relations for bringing this important piece of legislation to the floor. This committee has challenged the conscience of this Congress and of our country on many occasions. Today I am sorry I missed the debate on Sudan but will be submitting a statement on the record for that. But I also want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) for his leadership in introducing this resolution. I am proud to be an original sponsor of it. In his dear colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) calls what is happening in Afghanistan a horror, a horror. That is a perfect word for it. The Taliban in their activities that I will talk about a bit and that our Members have addressed over and over again today, their activities there have placed them outside the circle of civilized human behavior. It is very important that people in the rest of the world speak out; the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) gives us that opportunity here today. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). We have written, under the leadership of the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), to the President of the United States because we were concerned about this yellow badge that the Hindus were obliged to wear in Afghanistan. We are appreciating his considering our request that our Nation lead in its opposition to this dangerous, dangerous plan. Mr. Speaker, much has been stated on the floor of this House about our commitment to religion and the free expression of religion, and that is why it is so important that we all join the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the committee and join with people of all faiths around the world in standing against the religious persecution by the Taliban regime. The gentleman's resolution strongly condemns the Taliban's use of Nazi tactics to force Hindus in Afghanistan to wear symbols identifying them as Hindus. These are strong words. But these are terrible actions, and this is how we can meet this challenge. So I am pleased to be, as I said, an original cosponsor. I commend the maker of the motion, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel). I once again applaud the Committee on International Relations for challenging the conscience of this Congress. Hopefully our whole country will rise to that challenge.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in honor of a true pioneer and a pathbreaker for women in politics: Shirley Chisholm. I commend Congresswoman Lee for bringing this resolution forward. In 1968, Shirley Chisholm became the first African-American woman to win a seat in the United States Congress, joining 8 other African- American House members. Three decades later, 39 African-American members belong to this body, including 15 women. This is a clear sign of progress, but we have a long way to go to achieve full representation for women and people of color. In 1972, Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman to run for President, saying later, ``I knew I wouldn't be president, but somebody had to break the ice, somebody with the nerve and bravado to do it.'' At each bold step in her career, she was regularly told, ``You've just committed political suicide,'' But she carried on. She said, ``Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth.'' Thank you for the opportunity to honor Shirley Chisholm for her achievements and her indomitable spirit, and for paving the way for other people of color--and for women of all ethnic backgrounds--to serve in public office.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 643, legislation which would re-authorize the African Elephant Conservation Act. I am pleased that today we are also considering H.R. 700 to reauthorize the Asia Elephant Conservation Act. These bills are vital to insuring the survival of one of the earth's ``flagship'' species. Less than two decades ago, the African Elephant population teetered on the brink of extinction. Rampant poaching fueled by the black market trade of ivory and the encroachment of human development had reduced the once abundant population to a small trace of its former prosperity. The African Elephant Conservation Act was enacted in 1988 in response to this crisis. The grants initiated under the act have dramatically reduced poaching by working with local communities to eliminate the illegal trade in endangered wildlife and to foster sustainable conservation practices. At a time when we are confronting the loss of many species, every effort must be made in Congress to preserve species of plants, animals and their habitats throughout the world. We must continue to strengthen endangered species laws and to support the strongest possible measures to ensure the survival of the world's elephants and other wildlife populations.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the life and work of San Francisco Police Chief Thomas Cahill as he celebrates his 90th birthday today, June 8, 2001. The residents of San Francisco owe him great thanks for his visionary leadership and tireless service. Mr. Cahill has spent a lifetime defending the streets and people of San Francisco, but his journey did not begin there. On February 2, 1930, at the age of 16, Mr. Cahill said goodbye to his native Ireland. Mr. Cahill did not immediately begin his life in San Francisco fighting crime. He credits his first job as an ice deliveryman with giving him a map of San Francisco in his head, which later proved to be useful during his beat walks. Mr. Cahill was appointed to the San Francisco Police Department on July 13, 1942. He rose rapidly through the police ranks, from walking a beat to the Accident Investigation Bureau to the Detective Bureau and the Homicide Detail, where he rose to the rank of Inspector. In February of 1956, Mr. Cahill was appointed Deputy Chief of Police. He was appointed Chief of Police in September of 1958. Chief Cahill's swift rise was unprecedented, as were his accomplishments as Chief of Police. He introduced the Police Cadet Program, the Tactical Crime Prevention Squad and the Canine Unit among others. President Lyndon Johnson appointed Chief Cahill to serve as a member of the President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice in 1965. Chief Cahill was the only Chief of Police to receive such distinction. Chief Cahill also served as the President of the International Association of Chiefs of Police from October 1968 to October 1969, representing 65 nations in the free world. In 1970, Chief Cahill retired from the police department after 28 years of dedicated service so that he could spend more time with his family, but his dedication to our city never wavered. It is my honor to recognize the achievements of my constituent and treasured San Francisco figure, Chief Thomas Cahill. In 1994, San Francisco honored the Police Chief by renaming the Hall of Justice in San Francisco as the Thomas J. Cahill Hall of Justice. San Francisco is unquestionably a better city because of his dedicated service. Chief Cahill's commitment to the San Francisco community and his family earn him the respect and admiration of all who know him. I join his family and friends in wishing him a Happy 90th Birthday!

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for organizing this tribute in honor of our precious Joe Moakley and for the great friendship that he had with Joe. The words that he expressed on many occasions on events honoring Joe in the months before his leaving us, in expressing those words, Jim McGovern expressed so much of what all of us felt about Joe. Of course he felt it more intensely and more universally, but we all had some level of participation in those comments. We all know how much Joe loved Jim McGovern. Indeed, I think Jim's election to Congress at one point meant more to Joe Moakley than his own. It was his mission. When you were elected, it was in your own right but with great pleasure to Joe Moakley. To Jim McGovern, a former staff member and then colleague to the great Joe Moakley and to his personal staff and the staff of the Committee on Rules, thank you for all that you did to make his work in Congress so great. The sympathies of my own office and those of my constituents go out to the staff, both staffs of Joe Moakley. We are all in your debt for all of the work that you helped Joe do in this Congress. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) mentioned the card. I am glad he did, because one of the wonderful things at Joe's funeral is when I met his brothers and sisters-in-law, they said to me how much Joe enjoyed the card. The note I sent with it was that this card was signed by every woman, Democrat and Republican, in the House of Representatives. I think that is unprecedented. We all competed to have the most important message for Joe that would get his attention. Some of us did better than others. Joe's family told me that they were going to frame the card and place it in his library in Suffolk. That should be a source of great pride and enjoyment to the women Members. It was a card from the women Members. With an accompanying note we said that we wanted everyone who took care of Joe in the hospital and everyone who cared for Joe personally to know how precious he was to the women Members of Congress; that the men were jealous they could not sign the card, they thought we were putting our phone numbers, but I guess that was just to amuse Joe. Also at Joe's funeral, we were blessed to see such an outpouring of support from his constituents and from the clergy in South Boston and indeed from the Boston area led by the Cardinal. Our own Chaplain was there. We all know that the cocelebrants were overflowing from the altar and filling pews in the church. Such was the recognition of the greatness of this man and the humanitarian contribution that he made. One of those participants, Monsignor Thomas J. McDonnell, whom the gentleman from Massachusetts has entered his full eulogy into the Record, but in that eulogy, Monsignor Tom McDonnell emphasized Joe's roots as South Boston Irish-Italian Catholic American. I was so delighted to hear the Italian part because Moakley being an Irish name that is where a lot of the emphasis was, had been in the final tributes. But Joe took great pride in his Italian American heritage as well as has been mentioned here and of course the Italian American community took great pride in Joe Moakley. No wonder he understood coalition politics. He was the personification of it himself, being Irish, Italian, Catholic and Democrat from South Boston. I think that the pride that he took in his ethnicity, in his Italian and his Irish background, that pride he took made him understand more clearly the pride that so many other ethnic groups and nationalities take in their own backgrounds. That gave him a sense of respect for all the people that he came in contact with. We all know his important work with the Jesuits in El Salvador, but I wanted to take a half a moment to talk about his work with the Salvadorans in America. Our colleague the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) talked about Joe and the Gospel of Matthew of the least of our brethren and seeing the spark of divinity in all of these people. He certainly did with the Salvadorans and the Guatemalans, in this case focusing on the Salvadorans when they were about to be deported to El Salvador because the U.S. Government did not view the fear of persecution that they had in the same way as they viewed the fear of persecution for Nicaraguans. Joe Moakley stepped in to stop that deportation. He was a leader. He came to my district. We had 80,000 Salvadorans and Guatemalans to be deported in San Francisco. Joe came and met with the representatives of that group. They received great hope from that meeting. They saw in his eyes his understanding, his empathy, his sympathy for their cause; and they knew that they would be better off for it. I just wanted to add that to the, of course, great history that we all know of Joe and the assassination of the six Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter. For the last 14 years, I and everybody who has been in this body even one day, some of our very newest Members who may have shared only a week or two of being a Member of Congress while Joe was, will always be able to take pride in the fact that they served as a colleague to Joe Moakley. That is a badge of honor, to have been his colleague. He did great work which many of our colleagues have discussed here in detail. He never forgot his roots, his South Boston, Irish-Italian, Catholic American roots, and he worked in this body to represent those people, to represent the needy. In doing so, he was working on the side of the angels; and now he is with them.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to St. Patrick's Church in San Francisco as it celebrates its 150th anniversary. Located in the same neighborhood where it was founded, St. Patrick's has been steadfast in meeting the spiritual needs of its parishioners even as the neighborhood has changed around it. Recently seismically retrofitted, it is may honor to congratulate St. Patrick's as it prepares for the next 150 years. The founding of St. Patrick's was part of the boom that accompanied the Gold Rush; the dramatic increase in population required a similar increase in services. As housing was constructed and new businesses opened their doors, Father John Maginnis held St. Patrick's first mass in a rented hall in 1851. Within a few months, a temporary church's future expansion. Construction began in 1870, and on March 17, 1872 the new church was built nearby. By 1854, it became evident that St. Patrick's would need a larger home, and a lot was purchased for the church's future expansion. Construction began in 1870, and on March 17, 1872 the new church was dedicated at its current location on Mission Street between Third and Fourth Streets. Like much of San Francisco, the church was destroyed in the earthquake and subsequent fire of 1906. Though it temporarily did not have a home, it did have a calling. St. Patrick's deferred its own full reconstruction in order to minister to the immediate needs of the city. When the current building was completed and dedicated in 1914, it quickly became a San Francisco landmark. Beautifully designed under the supervision of Monsignor John Roberts, the church is decorated in the Irish national colors and tells the story of St. Patrick and other Irish saints. Throughout its history, St. Patrick's has served the community. In the first year of the Parish, St. Patrick's worked with the Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg, Maryland to run the St. Vincent's School for Girls and the St. Patrick's School for Boys. In 1927, Father Rogers built the Tir-Na-Nog (Gaelic for ``land of youth'') men's shelter. When the Boys and Girls schools were closed in 1964 due to changing neighborhood demographics, St. Patrick's helped to build the Alexis Apartments for the elderly on the same site. The church provides meals, housing, clothing, and furniture to those in need. The congregation of St. Patrick's has changed over the years but it commitment to serving those who come through its doors has never wavered. The church was originally composed of Irish immigrants and their descendants. In the middle of this century, the parishioners came increasingly from Spanish-speaking countries. More recently, it has been the City's Filipino population that has found a home at St. Patrick's. Its downtown location and status as a tourist destination also ensure a diverse group of worshippers on any particualr Sunday. Around St. Patrick's, the buildings have grown higher and the rents more expensive; its neighbors now include a luxury hotel and a billion dollar entertainment complex. St. Patrick's, through, remains an oasis in the middle of a bustling city, tending to the poor and those in need for 150 years. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to congratulate St. Patrick's Church on this Anniversary and to thank Monsignor Fred Bitanga and all of the staff at St. Patrick's for their work in our City.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my colleague, in observing the 20-year anniversary of the discovery of the HIV virus. This was a terrible time. In our community in San Francisco, at the University of California San Francisco, we were hearing rumors 20 years ago about illnesses that had not been seen since the Middle Ages, or read about or heard about; that immune systems were so devastated that people were susceptible to afflictions that were grotesque. It was frightening. We knew we had to do something about it. It never dawned on us then that 20 years later, projecting into the future 20 years, that we would be here still talking about funding for research, prevention, and care. A lot has been accomplished in the past 20 years, but a lot needs to be done. I want to associate myself with the comments that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) made about work of the caucuses in the Congress, in the House, the Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus and the work that they have done to recognize the changing face of AIDS. In the beginning, it started as a gay men's disease; now we know it permeates our society, and it is taking a very big bite out of the minority community. Just last week we were all saddened by the news that new HIV infections among young gay men, particularly among young, gay African American gay men, had risen dramatically. Many young people have come of age in a world where protease inhibitors are extending life. They do not remember the terror that we went through 20 years ago and since; and these treatments that we have now, while important, are not a cure. Until we have a true cure, an effective vaccine prevention is our best weapon. We must intensify our prevention efforts, including targeted education about behavioral risk and research for a vaccine. Mr. Speaker, I just want to observe some of the contributions of some of the Members of this body. Ted Weiss, who passed away some years ago, but was one of the leaders in the Congress on this issue; certainly the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman), our colleague, not only made a tremendous contribution in his own right, but served as mentor to so many of us who have worked on this issue over the years. Under his leadership and that of others, we were able to pass the Ryan White Care Act and its reauthorization. We increased the funding dramatically in research, prevention, and care for people with HIV and AIDS. We have funded housing opportunities for people with AIDS. We have spent money on international global AIDS issues. Not enough, but certainly tremendous increases in this regard. Our biggest lack, of course, is on the international AIDS issues, and many people in our minority caucuses are taking the lead, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for one, who will be speaking later; and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), and many others who have been leaders in this arena. Today, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), the Democratic leader, and I introduced legislation which would qualify people with HIV for Medicaid. Many uninsured Americans still do not have access to AIDS medications because HIV-positive individuals do not meet Medicaid requirements until they are disabled by full-blown AIDS. Everything we know about HIV and AIDS is early intervention, early intervention, early intervention; and yet under the law, if one is just HIV infected, one cannot qualify for Medicaid until one has a full-blown case of AIDS. Under our legislation, which I am proud to say on this 20-year day of memory, is that we will have over 100 cosponsors for the legislation. Early treatment saves lives, improves the quality of life, and reduces health care costs as progression from HIV to full-blown AIDS is prevented or delayed. It also strengthens our economy as healthy individuals return to work, increasing both productivity and tax revenue. So we can make a very strong business case for this. I mentioned some of the initiatives, whether it is housing, international, prevention, care and treatment. One other initiative, the minority AIDS initiative, which is a very important one, deserves double funding this year; and I want to associate myself with that aspiration, bringing it up to over $500 million. The observance of this occasion for us is not only a time to remember and celebrate the lives of loved ones we have lost, it is an opportunity to measure our progress and renew our commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. That must include sufficient funding in the budget, leadership in the fight against AIDS in the developing world, and access to health care for all Americans who are living with this disease. Two young people become infected with HIV in this country every hour, and there are 11 new infections worldwide every minute. The figures that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) used were that around 450,000 people have died in the U.S. of AIDS, 22 million worldwide. We must do more to protect this new generation from suffering. That is all too familiar to previous generations. Mr. Speaker, I call on my colleagues to work with us to increase the funding, to improve the quality of life, to end the scourge of AIDS.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, we have talked about early intervention, early intervention; and this legislation would enable this to happen. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a member of the Asian Pacific American Islander Caucus in joining my colleagues and commending the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Mrs. Christensen) for their leadership on this important issue. This Special Order tonight represents the changing face of AIDS. When I came to Congress 14 years ago this week, thousands of people had already died in my district. It was largely a gay man's disease. We tried to teach the rest of the country what we learned about prevention, care, and research. Some of the legislation we are putting forth today is bearing the fruit of that. I join the gentleman in putting forth the $540 million request for the Minority AIDS Initiative. I do not want anybody to think that any minority access to AIDS is only to that pot of money. That is the entry level to the bigger pot of money. So it opens the door to all of the other billions of dollars that are available. It is necessary to have that door opening, and I thank my colleagues for that. Mr. Speaker, I did have an opportunity to speak on the floor earlier today on this, but I wanted to commend the caucuses for their leadership on this; and I look forward to working with them as an appropriator and as a member of one of the caucuses, for increased funding, for improving the quality of life, and for ending this terrible pandemic.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I am proud to honor the diverse Asian Pacific American community I represent in San Francisco, which includes people whose heritage spans the globe--including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, Thai and Hmong. The Asian Pacific American population is growing at rapid rates nationally and this trend has been particularly significant in the Eighth Congressional District of California. The Asian Pacific American population in San Francisco has increased by 5.3% during the 1990's. The District I am honored to represent now has the fourth highest Asian Pacific American population of any U.S. congressional district. While we celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we must redouble our commitment to fighting discrimination. Recent studies have documented a troubling increase in negative attitudes toward and hostile acts against Asian Pacific Americans by portions of the American public. There are legitimate concerns about the governmental policies of some Asian countries. These concerns, however, do not and should not reflect on Asian Pacific Americans. The district I represent, with its vibrant and diverse Asian Pacific American community, is a national treasure. We are all enriched by the contributions of the Asian Pacific American community, which shares responsibility for the success and achievements of our country, deepening our lives and strengthening our neighborhoods with its strong family values, proud work ethic and achievements in a wide variety of professions. We need to continue to recognize the contributions of Asian Pacific Americans through education, curriculum and other forms of public awareness. San Francisco became a magnificent cosmopolitan success story because of its diversity. As we celebrate Asian Pacific Islanders Month, let us renew our commitment to overcoming misperceptions of Asian Pacific American people and culture, so that the inspiring and fascinating culture that I experience everyday in my congressional district can be known and celebrated by all.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Howard and Mary Lester for their longstanding entrepreneurial and philanthropic commitment to the San Francisco community. The Lesters are being honored on May 30, 2001 by San Francisco's Delancey Street Foundation, a residential rehabilitation community that provides housing and training to thousands of ex-convicts and recovering addicts at no cost to the client or taxpayers. Delancey Street will thank the Lesters for their generosity in donating furniture, dishes and flatware to the foundation's Crossroads Cafe, making it possible for hundreds of people to be trained in the hospitality field. Howard Lester purchased Williams-Sonoma, Inc. in 1978. As Chief Executive Officer and Board Chair, he built Williams-Sonoma, The Pottery Barn, Hold Everything, and Chambers into phenomenal success stories. In April 2001, he turned over his CEO responsibilities, but remains Chairman of the Board. In addition, he has committed to sharing his expertise and success with young people through his endowment of the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of California at Berkeley. Mary Lester is a longtime philanthropist whose activism with various nonprofit boards and community organizations has greatly enriched the City of San Francisco. She chaired the Raising Hope charity campaign, raising millions of dollars for cancer research programs at the University of California at San Francisco Medical Center. I am proud to join my constituents in thanking Howard and Mary Lester for their years of service. Our community has been blessed by their visions and generosity.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, next week my constituents in San Francisco are gathering to celebrate the homecoming of two very special people, Richard and Barbara Sklar. Ambassador Richard Sklar returns to San Francisco from 5 years in Southeastern Europe where he coordinated programs with the European Union, World Bank, IMF and other donor countries to promote the economic reconstruction and strategic reform of eight Balkan countries. Now home in San Francisco, Richard will oversee the building of new energy plants for the State of California and build a private international mediation program. Barbara Sklar, an accomplished artist for the past 35 years, has shown her work in galleries and group shows from New York to California. For the past five years, Barbara has worked in Bosnia, New York and Rome, and has exhibited her work from Florence to Sarajevo. An accredited specialist on aging, Barbara has shared her expertise the several Bay Area communities through her service at the Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco. Richard and Barbara Sklar are being honored May 30, 2001 by San Francisco's Delancey Street Foundation, a residential rehabilitation community that provides housing and training to thousands of ex- convicts and recovering addicts at no cost to the client or taxpayers. At that time, Delancey Street's Crossroads Cafe will show Barbara's watercolor exhibit ``Round Trip,'' a portion of the proceeds of which will assist in making it possible for hundreds of people to be trained in the hospitality field. The Sklar's service to our country and our community is indeed a cause for celebration.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans are attempting to justify their tax bill by saying this tax break for their wealthy friends is needed to offset a slowdown in the economy. My Republican colleagues, in case you have not noticed, the biggest threat to the economy is the energy crisis which will be felt throughout the country. There is a solution, and these solutions are the wave of the future, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Yet this tax cut necessitates a cut by 50 percent in research and renewable energy and 30 percent in energy efficiency. Instead of passing this reckless tax bill, and, yes, instead of letting this House lie silent for two whole days, we should have taken up an energy bill. We should have passed the Inslee bill to help the entire West. Do not let the Republicans tank the economy with their reckless tax vote. Vote no. Vote responsibly. Vote no on this bill.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong support for a real extension of Section 245(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, and my concern that the four-month extension in this bill is far too short. Section 245(i) allows undocumented immigrants who are in the United States and who become eligible for permanent residency because of their family relationships or job skills to remain in the country while they seek to adjust their status. They must qualify and pay a $1,000 penalty before they obtain permanent residency. In last year's final budget agreement, this provision was extended by four months, through April 30 of this year. With the expiration of Section 245(i), immigrants who wish to apply for legal residence must return to their country of origin, where they are barred from returning to the U.S. for up to 10 years. I know from my constituents that this requirement will create a serious hardship for many families, forcing loved ones to live apart for years. The extension of Section 245(i) through April 30 offered a woefully insufficient window of opportunity for immigrants to pursue legal status. There simply were not enough community, professional, and INS resources to meet the demand in such a brief amount of time. I am pleased to be a cosponsor of H.R. 1195, introduced by Mr. Rangel, which would extend the deadline by a full year. The bill we are considering today, while it takes a step in the right direction by extending Section 245(i) by four months, would result in a replay of the same problems we witnessed leading up to the April 30 deadline. At the INS office in my district in San Francisco and around the country, thousands of individuals stood in line on April 30, trying to beat the deadline. Many were unsuccessful. Four months is simply too short. I will continue my efforts to implement a long-term solution to this problem. If we care about families, we need to help keep them together.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise in opposition to this rule. This is a rule for education, yet it is not a very smart rule, because it does not allow us to have the debate and vote on school construction and school modernization. Mr. Speaker, all of the science tells us that children do better in smaller classes, and indeed, in smaller schools, in some cases. Children are smart. We cannot tell them that education is important to them, that it is about their self-fulfillment, about their way to earn a living and our competitiveness internationally, and yet send them to schools that are in disrepair, instead of sending them to smaller classes where they will get the attention they need and classrooms which are wired for the future. Children are smart. They see the contradiction. If education is so important, why then is it not important to the Democrats and to the Republicans, to the Congress of the United States? That is why I cannot understand for the life of me why an education bill would come to this floor, after all the science this Congress has paid for and told us that children need smaller classes, and this Republican Party will not even allow us the opportunity to debate that amendment on the floor. I urge our colleagues to vote no on this very unsmart rule on the education bill.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time and congratulate him and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for their leadership on the committee in putting forth this global democracy act. I also want to commend the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) for writing those words in an independent bill. Mr. Chairman, I want to address some of the concerns raised by our colleagues. This language that is in this bill is good because it goes a long way to address the concerns, in fact, the entire way to address the concerns Members have about international family planning. This is the first time Members will have to vote on this particular language. This is not tied to anything they have ever voted for before. It is simply saying we treat non-governmental organizations in other countries the way we treat our own people over there. The gentleman used the argument of fungibility. The President of the United States, when issuing this executive order, used the argument of fungibility. Yet no one says anything when the faith-based initiatives say that organizations can use their own money for religion, while using our money for social services. Let us be consistent. Let us let these organizations use their own money, just as we do in the U.S., for reproductive freedom, for pregnancy counseling, issues like that, using our money for international family planning.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Democratic alternative and commend our distinguished ranking member for bringing it to the floor and in opposition to the Republican's risky tax cut. Our best hope for reducing dependence on foreign oil and reducing pollution is through renewable energy and energy efficiency. Yet funding for renewable energy is cut by almost one-half and energy efficiency research and development is cut by over 30 percent. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans attempt to justify the tax bill by saying it is needed to offset a slow down in the economy. My colleagues, in case you haven't noticed, the biggest threat to our economy is the energy crises which will be felt throughout the country. The Republicans are willing to tank the economy with their cavalier attitude toward the energy needs of Western United States. The Bush budget cuts about one-half billion from energy research into renewable sources which are the wave of the future. Indeed even without the energy concerns, the Republican tax bill is excessive, which is based on a surplus which we may not have and comes at the expense of investments which are priorities to the American people. Administration have repeatedly spoken of ``hard budgeting times'' and the need therefore to make difficult choices. In other words in order to pay for this risky tax cut, Bush's budget cut millions of dollars from breast and cervical cancer even when we know that early detection saves lives. Cuts in child care block grants, ignoring school modernization needs modernization needs and the cuts in investments go on. Don't let the Republicans tank the economy---- Vote ``no'' on their risky tax cut!

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I was congratulating the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) for getting more substance into 1 minute than I have heard in the Congress before. Mr. Speaker, as you know, today the Congress has a very important decision to make. We are voting on our budget. Many of us believe that our Federal budget should be a statement of our national values. What is important to us should be what we commit our resources to. Clearly, this Republican budget before us is not. It disproportionately gives a tax break to the top 1 percent in our country at the expense of our children. All scientific research shows us that children do better in smaller classes and, indeed, yes, in smaller schools. The American people have made education their highest priority. Why, then, does this budget just play lip service? It talks the talk, but it does not walk the walk for education. Children are smart. If one tells them that education is important, the key to their future, important to the competitiveness of our country internationally, and then not commit the resources to education and send them to school in dilapidated schools that are not clean, well-lighted places, wired to the future, they get a mixed message from us. So let us reject this budget which rejects the notion of school modernization by not committing funds for smaller classes and more teachers. This budget only gives an increase of inflation for education. It does not even recognize student growth and the growth in our population of our students. So let us ask the question: Is it a statement of our national values to give a tax break at the high end at the expense of our children? Is it a statement of our national values to ignore the infrastructure needs of our children and their needs for qualified teachers to give a tax break to the high end? I think not. I urge our colleagues to reject this budget and to get real about it. This is a charade. We want a real budget that addresses the needs of the American people and serves our national values.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay my final respects to Robert E. Burton. Bob's family and friends will gather on Friday to remember him, and it is with great sadness and deep respect that I share with my colleagues the following words from his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle: Robert E. Burton, a prison teacher, public servant, sailor and middle brother in San Francisco's most powerful political dynasty, died Sunday at California Pacific Medical Center at the age of 72. From the time Mr. Burton entered the Navy at the close of World War II, he almost never stopped working for the public. He was a merchant seaman, a teacher at San Quentin prison for nearly two decades and a member of various state boards and commissions. But among the three Burton brothers who shaped California politics for several decades, he was the least publicly visible and the least involved in the machinery of politics. Mr. Burton's older brother, Phillip Burton, was a powerful U.S. representative and legendary political tactician who died in 1983. His younger brother--whom Mr. Burton still called ``the kid'' even into his 60s--is Senate President Pro Tem John Burton, D-San Francisco, the state's most powerful lawmaker. ``Everyone used to say he was the nice brother,'' Sen. Burton said yesterday. ``And I think innately he was the smartest of the three of us.'' Mr. Burton was born in 1928 and lived much of his life in the same Sloat Boulevard house in which he was raised. But friends said his greatest memory was somewhere else: a sailing trip across the Pacific in a 30-foot boat, which he took with three friends after he left the Navy in 1947. ``He was fearless,'' Sen Burton said. ``It was a hell of an adventure.'' When he returned from Tahiti, Mr. Burton joined the merchant marine as an able-bodied seaman, then got a degree in history from San Francisco State College when he decided to settle back in the city. Mr. Burton then took a job teaching in the loneliest, most dangerous place in the state--the bowels of San Quentin State Prison. It was there that he often divided his time between African American militants and white supremacists, teaching them how to read and write. ``He would tell people stories and start with, `When I was in the joint,' like he had done 20 years of hard time,'' Sen. Burton said. ``I guess at the time there weren't many jobs, so he took it. He just loved it, and the cons loved him.'' When Mr. Burton retired from the prison in 1976, members from both militant groups told him there was a ``hit'' out on him. But this was a good thing, he was informed: Anyone threatening or harming Mr. Burton would face their wrath. He was protected. ``He connected with the guys, and they connected with him,'' said Bill O'Brien of San Francisco, a longtime friend. ``It was a passion for him. He wanted them to learn; It really wasn't about having a job.'' Mr. Burton was a lifelong Democrat and founding member of the San Francisco Democratic League. He was co-chairman of the voter registration efforts for the California Democratic Party from 1962 to 1982. At the time of his death, Mr. Burton was a commissioner on the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and a member of the City College of San Francisco Board of Trustees. He also had served for 15 years on the prison Industry Board and on two parole boards for the state. Former Gov. Jerry Brown appointed him to the adult parole board in 1976, after two commissioners were removed for voting to release Robert Kennedy's killer, Sirhan Sirhan. Friends said Mr. Burton loved the San Francisco Giants, gambling and playing bridge. Ken Harrington of San Francisco, a longtime friend, said he ``didn't know a single person when you mentioned Bob Burton who didn't get a smile on their face.'' ``He was, at least, the most outwardly compassionate of the three brothers,'' Harrington said. ``John doesn't want anyone to know his soft spots, but Bob kind of wore it on his sleeve.'' Mr. Burton is survived by his brother, Sen. John Burton, and a niece, San Francisco Public Defender Kimiko Burton- Cruz. His wife of more than four decades, Shirley Burton, preceded him in death. Bob Burton was a man of the people. He never asked for recognition or reward for his work and was rarely in the public eye, but his life touched the lives of so many others. Bob joined his brothers Phillip and John in typifying the true Burton tradition of helping the disadvantaged. It is my honor to pay tribute to Bob and to express my appreciation for his life of service and for his friendship. My thoughts and prayers are with his brother, John, and niece, Kimi.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a prominent and beloved San Franciscan, Doris Merrill Magowan. Mrs. Magowan recently passed away, and she will be missed not only in San Francisco, a City she called home, but across the country. San Francisco had to share Mrs. Magowan with several other cities, and each benefited from its association with her. Mrs. Magowan divided her time among California, New York, and Florida and was an active member of her community in every location. In San Francisco, she served on the Board of Directors of the Fine Arts Museum, the Strybing Arboretum, Children's Hospital, and Grace Cathedral Episcopal Church. A lover of art, gardens, and antiques, she founded the San Francisco Antique Show in 1979. The event has become one of the premier events in the field. In New York City, she served on the Board of the Greenwich House, the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Association, and the New York Infirmary. In South Hampton, New York, she worked with the Fresh Air Home, St. Andrews Dune Church, and South Hampton Hospital. In Palm Beach, Florida, she served with the society of the Four Arts and Bethesda-by- the-Sea. Nationally and internationally, she was involved with the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the World Wildlife Fund, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. Family was of great importance to Doris Magowan, and her family members were as impressive as she was. Her father, Charles Edward Merrill, founded the financial services company Merrill Lynch. Her brother, James Ingram Merrill, was a Pulitzer Prize winning poet. Her brother, Charles Edward Merrill, served as the President of Morehouse College in Atlanta. Her husband, Robert Anderson Magowan, was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Safeway grocery store company. She also leaves five successful sons, Robin, Merrill, Peter, Stephen, and Mark. It has been my privilege to know this exceptional family, including Peter in his capacity as President and Managing General Partner of the San Francisco Giants. Doris Magowan was an inspiration and a friend to many. Her commitment to her community and her family earned her the respect and admiration of all who knew her. My thoughts and prayers are with her sons, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren at this sad time.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) for yielding me this time, and for her great leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary as well for facilitating the Lofgren amendment coming to the floor. It is masterful, it really is, because it answers the concerns that are posed by the proposers of the original bill to expand the penalty for those who commit violence against pregnant women, and it does so in a way that achieves that goal but is constitutional. Mr. Speaker, we can all agree that acts of violence against pregnant women are reprehensible and should be punished. We all agree that acts of violence that harm a fetus are obviously unacceptable and repulsive to us. We can all agree that we must prevent violence against women whether pregnant or not. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith), who just spoke, whom I hold in very high esteem, asked the question how could otherwise intelligent, caring people come to the floor and be opposed to this legislation that is being opposed by our colleagues on the other side? He said, could it be, he had a series of could-it-be's, that we could ignore violence against a pregnant woman? But we are not ignoring it. The Lofgren amendment addresses it very directly without doing violence to the issue. I urge my colleagues to vote for the substitute proposed by my colleague. The substitute would create a separate Federal criminal offense for harm to pregnant women, but would not confer new legal status on the fetus. So I respond to my colleague, could it be that, as a woman, I know a little bit more about this subject than maybe he does? Could it be that as a mother of five, a grandmother of four, and hopefully more grandchildren to come, that I understand how reprehensible violence against a pregnant woman is? But if that is the issue, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren) has responded to it. The bill on the floor is unconstitutional. It is a move to undo, which it cannot do, unless it is a constitutional amendment, but it is an attempt to undo Roe v. Wade. In 1973, we all know the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade stated that the unborn have never been recognized in the laws as persons in the whole sense. The Court specifically rejected the theory that grants personage to the fetus because it may override the rights of pregnant women that are at stake. I urge my colleagues to accept the solution that is here, that addresses the problem in a constitutional way, and does not do violence to a woman's rights.