Nancy Pelosi

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, the 20th century began with Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair pointing out the dangers in the workplace to American workers. Here we are at the beginning of a new century much more enlightened, yet still debating whether or not we should protect workers. Let us not ignore this historical context. As we look with great embarrassment at the exploitation of workers at the beginning of this century, we must have a different start to this one. The new information technology has presented some challenges with many more people at keyboards, but science has given us answers. Today, the Republican majority is taking extreme measures to undermine the voluminous scientific evidence supporting a workplace safety standard. In prior Republican administrations, Labor Secretaries supported an ergonomic standard. Secretary Dole stated, ``By reducing repetitive motion injuries, we will increase both the safety and productivity of America's workforce. I have no higher priority than accomplishing just that.'' And Secretary Lynn Martin also reiterated her commitment in 1992 to an OSHA rule. Secretary Chao yesterday indicated her intention to pursue a ``comprehensive approach to ergonomics,'' her words. She said she would be open to working on a new rule that would ``provide employers with achievable measures that protect their employees before injuries occur.'' Mr. Speaker, a vote on this repeal today would foreclose that option to the Secretary. She would not be able to do that. Only a vote in this body to sustain that would allow us to have those negotiations with the Secretary. The scientific evidence supporting a standard is extensive. The National Academy of Science, responding to conservatives and business groups, issued a report saying that the weight of evidence justifies the introduction of appropriate and selective interventions to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders of low back and upper extremities. No wonder the Republicans did not want Members to have a briefing on that report. This disproportionately affects women. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Smith) for his kindness in allowing me this time, and I want to join others in commending the Congressional Black Caucus and our colleague, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones), for her leadership in calling this Special Order today. Nothing speaks to the contribution made by the African American community to our great country than the eloquence that we heard on this floor today from our Members and the fine record of achievement by the African American community and the members of the Congressional Black Caucus to Congress over time. The focus today on this celebration of Black History Month has been election reform. My colleagues, including the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), talked about the history of voting rights in this country and how African Americans first got those rights and what the struggle has been. Now, as we look to the future, we must improve. The issue of electronic voting, using technologies for the future, having a uniform standard, even if it is not a uniform manner of casting ballots and counting them, is essential. We must be very proactive in making sure that the people in all of our communities, including the African American community, know that when they vote, they will be counted, that indeed they do count. We must be aware of the fact that some of the technology may increase the disparity that we have, so I caution us as we go forward to involve ourselves in those technologies which increase participation and which are more uniform in their standard rather than again advantaging those who have more resources with technology at home. So while we have big challenges ahead, again we are blessed with the resources, the human resources of the Congressional Black Caucus in this Congress. And I want to point with pride to a newly elected member of our Board of Supervisors in San Francisco, Sophie Maxwell. She comes from a proud tradition. Her mother, Enola Maxwell, is very active in education and other social and economic justice issues in our community. Sophie is a member of the Democratic State Central Committee. She has been a leader on issues in our community. She has made us, and will make us, all very proud. But back to the Congressional Black Caucus, I want to thank them for what they are doing. It is important to the black community and important to the Black Caucus, and it is important to our great country. With that, Mr. Speaker, though I have so much more to say but only a little time, I wish to yield to a great leader, someone we are very, very proud of in California, she is a national leader on this and so many other subjects important to strengthening our country and making the future brighter for all of America's children, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise with pride and deep sadness to pay my respects to a San Francisco leader, Michael ``Rick'' Pacurar, who tragically passed away last month from AIDS-related complications. Rick was a tireless advocate for the causes he believed in, and his work touched the lives of many people. He will be long remembered with great affection and respect. Rick Pacurar graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford University with a degree in psychology. He began attending Harvard Business School but soon moved to San Francisco after deciding his studies there were not taking him in the direction he wished to go. He found the satisfaction from his work which had been missing in business school as an activist in San Francisco. Early on in the AIDS crisis, Rick helped to publish a pamphlet, ``Can We Talk,'' and founded the Harvey Milk AIDS Education Fund to raise awareness about the disease. For these and other efforts, he was asked to serve on the San Francisco Joint Task Force on HIV. Rick was also an advocate for San Francisco artists and served as the director of a live-work complex for artists named Project Artaud. Rick's activism extended into his work for candidates and elected officials. He worked on campaigns for Senator Barbara Boxer, former San Francisco Mayor Art Agnos, and San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano. He also served as an aide to former Supervisor Harry Britt and to then- Assemblyman John Burton. Rick's passing is a great loss for San Francisco. Despite his illness, he was always ready and willing to fight for what he believed in. His activity and commitment were inspirational, and he put his heart into everything that he did. Rick was a true friend to the community, and he was loved for it. We will miss him greatly. My thoughts and prayers are with his partner, Mike Housh; his parents, Victor and Doris; his sister, Vicki Lekas; and all of his family and friends.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a wonderful San Franciscan as she celebrates her 50th birthday. Barbara Bass Bakar is a leader in our community whose commitment to quality health care, education, and the performing arts has greatly benefited our city. It is my honor to commend and thank her for her work. Barbara has actively worked to promote better health care. Her efforts on behalf of the University of California, San Francisco's (UCSF) programs in the areas of cancer science and patient care have made a difference in many people's lives. She serves on the UCSF Board of Directors and helped to create the UCSF Foundation Wellness Lecture Series and the Raising Hope benefit series. With her husband, Gerson, she established the Gerson and Barbara Bass Bakar Distinguished Professor of Cancer Biology at UCSF's Cancer Research Institute. Barbara's commitment to education is exemplified by her contributions to the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCF) Foundation, Inc. She has volunteered her time for many years on the Board of Directors of the ARCF Foundation and has been instrumental in their success at promoting science education in the U.S. through graduate scholarships. In the arts community, Barbara is highly regarded for her service on the Board of the American Conservatory Theater. She has served on the Executive and Finance Committees of this resident professional theater. Barbara has also donated her time to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, including as a member of the Accessions Committee, and to the endowment committee of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund. All of Barbara's contributions to our community life are in addition to her remarkable career in the business world. After successful tenures with Bloomingdales, Macy's California, and Burdines, she rose to the post of President and CEO of Emporium and Weinstocks. Prior to that, she served as Chair and CEO of I. Magnin. She also sits on the Board of Directors of the Bombay Company and the DFS Group Ltd. and DFS Holdings Ltd. San Francisco is fortunate to count Barbara Bass Bakar among its residents as she continues to direct her considerable talents and energies toward improving our world. It is my honor to thank her and to join her husband, Gerson, in wishing her a Happy Birthday.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Democratic substitute to the rules package before us. Earlier today, over 430 Members of this House swore an oath of office to uphold the Constitution of the United States. That Constitution calls for a democratic form of government, ensuring the right to vote to all eligible people in our country. However, the Republican package does nothing to address the election that we have just gone through, and I commend our Democratic leader, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Gephardt), for making the Democratic substitute have swift action by the Committee on the Judiciary to report by March 1 on urgent election reform measures to correct the problems that occurred in the last election. Implicit in the right to vote is the fact that your vote will be counted. We must remove obstacles to participation in voting and counting before the next election. Also implicit is representation in Congress. That means representation on committees as well. Nothing is more American than a sense of fairness. That sense of fairness is absent in this Committee on Rules package put forth. Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to support the Democratic substitute.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this omnibus measure, which includes funding for many programs of vital importance to the American people. The programs funded within the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill are so important because they affect families at work, in school, at home, and in their communities. I commend Chairman Porter and Ranking Member Obey for negotiating a strong bill that reflects our national values. In particular, I would like to thank Chairman Porter for his many years of dedicated service on our subcommittee and in Congress. His knowledge, dedication, and ability to reach across party lines will be sorely missed. David Obey's hard work, commitment, and advocacy for Democratic priorities must also be recognized. In addition, I commend the Clinton Administration for holding firm on its initiatives and funding priorities, which helped us provide the largest single year increase for health and education programs in our nation's history. Funding for health programs is increased significantly over the measure passed by the House in June. The increase of $6.6 billion, 16 percent over fiscal year 2000, includes significant increases for HIV/ AIDS programs, community health centers, biomedical research, substance abuse treatment, breast and cervical cancer screening, and programs that reduce the harmful impacts of environmental pollutants on human health. The bill also increases education programs $6.5 billion or 18 percent above last year, significantly increasing funding for Class Size Reduction, Title I grants for disadvantaged students, teacher quality improvement programs, and student financial aide assistance, including Pell Grants, and providing $1.2 billion for a new School Renovation Program. It also helps children's programs, including Head Start, the Community Child Care Block Grant, After School Centers, and campus based child care [CAMPUS]. To further address the nation's shortage of high quality child care facilities, I also pushed to create a new $2.5 million demonstration program to provide technical assistance to child care providers in low-income communities, which is included in the final bill. The $664 million increase for the Labor Department is 6 percent more than last year's funding level and increases Youth Job Training Programs and worker protection programs, including OSHA and the International Labor Affairs Bureau. These are great accomplishments, and we should all be very proud. I am especially pleased that we were able to substantially increase funds for HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and research. My community in San Francisco has been devastated by this terrible epidemic, but we have seen tremendous progress over the past decade as the resources available to fight HIV/AIDS have been increased. The Ryan White CARE Act, which was reauthorized for 5 additional years earlier this session, will receive $1.808 billion this year, an increase of $213 million over last year. Approximately two-thirds of the people living with HIV/AIDS in this country receive CARE Act services, and the recent declines in AIDS deaths are a direct result of the therapies and services made more widely available through this vital program. In addition, we have provided a combined increase of $159 million for our global and domestic HIV prevention programs. This investment, which now totals $923 million, will allow greater access to voluntary counseling and testing, stronger linkages between prevention and treatment, and a reduction in the number of the new HIV infections worldwide. Finally, we have succeeded in securing a substantial increase of $100 million for the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative. The impact of HIV/AIDS on communities of color has steadily increased in recent years, and now the majority of people living with AIDS are people of color. This initiative will provide $350 million to enhance existing systems of HIV/AIDS care in minority communities. For the third year in a row, we have provided dramatic increases in biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health. In addition to progress in the search for better treatments and, eventually, a vaccine for AIDS, these investments are yielding phenomenal progress in our understanding of the human body and how we are affected by our environment. One of the great achievements in the history of science, the mapping of the human genome, was completed by NIH researchers earlier this year. The potential impact on human health cannot be over- exaggerated. This map will soon enable scientists to identify genetic causes and develop precise medical interventions for Alzheimer's, cancer, heart disease, and many other health conditions that adversely affect millions of Americans each year. We have also dramatically strengthened our commitment to understanding and preventing illnesses that result from environmental pollutants. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention will receive nearly $47 million to assess human exposures to toxic substances, screen newborns for treatable conditions linked to such exposures, and respond to emerging environmental health threats as they develop. Access to quality health care for the uninsured has been improved in a number of important ways. Funding for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program at the CDC has been increased $18 million to $174 million. This program provides lifesaving screening to uninsured and underinsured women, and prevents thousands of cases of cancer each year. Currently, these programs reach only 12-15 percent of the women eligible for services in each state. This year's increases will allow more at-risk women to be reached, but clearly we must further expand this program in fiscal year 2002. An increase of $150 million was also included for the nation's community health centers. The number of uninsured individuals in need of health care continues to increase and community health centers provide high quality primary and preventive care that would otherwise be obtained through costly emergency room visits, or not at all. An additional $125 million has been included for the Community Access Program which provides funds that community health centers across the country use to streamline administrative procedures and expand crucial primary care services. This omnibus measure also includes important provisions that correct changes to reimbursement rates in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 which drastically reduced payments for Medicare and other federally funded health care programs. These refinements will help hospitals, nursing homes, and academic health centers continue to provide the high quality care that beneficiaries deserve. Although funding for the Substance Abuse Block Grant increased by $65 million above last year's level, it is disappointing that the leadership did not support a larger increase. An estimated 3.6 million Americans do not receive the substance abuse treatment they need. Earlier this year, to address the treatment gap, I offered a $1.3 billion amendment to increase treatment and prevention, the most effective means to address abuse. In that debate, we cited a Rand Corporation study sponsored by the Office of Drug Control Policy and the United States Army which demonstrated that to reduce cocaine consumption funds invested in drug treatment were 23 times more effective than source country control, 11 times more effective than interdiction, and 7 times more effective than law enforcement. It is unfortunate that on party lines, the Republicans nonetheless voted in Committee to oppose increased treatment and prevention funds, and voted in the Rules Committee to prevent my amendment from being offered on the House floor. I urge the 107th Congress to address this treatment and increase funding. This bill takes important needed steps to address America's troubling child care crisis by significantly increasing funding for child care programs. The bill substantially increases the Community Child Care Block Grant by 70 percent or $817 million above last year and increases Head Start $933 million or 18 percent. Funding for After School Centers will nearly double, increasing $393 million, and the Child Care Access Means Parents in School program will increase 400 percent from $5 million to $25 million. This small, but important program supports and enhances campus based child care opportunities for low-income parents. We must grow this program and work to ensure all parents attending school have access to child care on campus so they are able to pursue their educational goals. While I commend these significant and much needed increases, we must recognize the gravity of America's child care problems. To address the nation's shortage of child care facilities, I pushed to create a new $2.5 million demonstration program that will provide technical assistance to child care providers to improve the quality and supply of child care facilities in low-income communities. America's child care facilities are inadequate and many low-income communities face a severe shortage of quality child care space and equipment. This crisis is expected to worsen as increasing numbers of welfare recipients enter the workforce, and it threatens the ability of parents to find and maintain stable employment. This demonstration will provide grant funds to non-profit intermediaries to deliver technical assistance to home and center-based child care providers to strengthen the physical infrastructure of child care facilities and enhance business management and entrepreneurial skills to ensure the long-term viability of their centers. This federal investment would leverage funds from the private sector, stimulate valuable public/private partnerships, and provide small, seed-money investments to leverage existing community resources. While this demonstration starts small, I know it will succeed and expect that we will increase this funding in subsequent years. I commend the bill for its large funding increase for education and know that local school districts will put their Class Size Reduction and new School Renovation Program funds to excellent use. There is no more important priority than educating our children and passing our knowledge and values to the next generation. These funds will help local schools recruit, hire, and retain more quality teachers and enhance the school learning environment for both teachers and students. Teacher quality improvement funds also ensure that new teachers, as well as seasoned veterans, may enhance their professional development. The increases for Title I grants, Special Education, and student financial assistance increase access at all educational levels for students with low-incomes, learning disabilities, or social disadvantages. Together, this bill ensures that teachers can teach, students can learn, and parents can participate in the learning process. I am pleased that this agreement deletes a GOP rider to stop the Department of Labor from moving forward with and enforcing its recently published final Ergonomics Standard. This Standard is vitally important to protect America's working men and women and will annually prevent 460,000 workplace injuries. The final standard requires employers to identify and fix workplace hazards that cause ergonomic injuries and follows the existing business practices of competitive firms such as the Ford Motor Company and Xerox. It provides Work Restriction Protection to workers suffering on the job injuries and enables them to maintain their earnings and full benefits for a limited period while it is unsafe to return to work. After years of Republican-led delays, it is significant that Congress will now permit the Labor Department to enforce ergonomics protections. This success demonstrates the value we place on safeguarding America's workers. It is my hope that Congress will not revisit this issue in our next session, and that the Labor Department will fully enforce these important workplace protections. Programs dedicated to the education, health, and working conditions of America's families are among our most important responsibilities in the Congress. This bill responds to these responsibilities, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, on December 5th, I spoke to volunteers and staff at the Peace Corps headquarters here in Washington, D.C. to mark the International Day of the Volunteer. In 1985, the United Nations General Assembly declared December 5th as ``International Volunteer Day'' to honor the accomplishments of volunteers and volunteer organizations. It is a day to recognize volunteers, promote the concept of volunteerism, and provide an opportunity for volunteer organizations to come together for joint planning, service, and other activities. Today I'd like to salute the 161,000 Americans who have served as volunteers in the Peace Corps since 1961. For 40 years, Peace Corps Volunteers have worked in over 130 countries to answer President John F. Kennedy's call to service: ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country, and to the citizens of the world, ask not what America can do for you, but what we can do working together for the freedom of mankind.'' Volunteers have answered his call and helped pave the way for progress for countless individuals who want to build a better life for themselves, their children, and their communities. This year, Peace Corps Volunteers, Trainees, and Peace Corps staff members will be participating in activities with other local and international volunteer organizations in their countries to mark this day, which takes on special significance this year as the launch for the United Nations International Year of Volunteers 2001--a world-wide celebration to recognize, support, and promote volunteering. In Lesotho, a Peace Corps volunteer will speak at a ceremony attended by members of the government. In Tanzania, there will be a special swearing-in ceremony of new volunteers. In Moldova, volunteers will raise funds for children's charities. In Washington, Peace Corps staff from headquarters will volunteer at Food and Friends to help deliver meals and groceries to families of people living with HIV/AIDS. In honor of the International Year of Volunteers 2001, other international volunteer sending organizations such as Australian Volunteers International, Canada World Youth, United Nations Volunteers, and the United Kingdom's Voluntary Services Overseas are joining with the Peace Corps to make a commitment to expand their HIV/ AIDS education efforts throughout the world. Throughout the world, and particularly Africa, HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect on people of all ages by threatening the future of development and well being of their communities. This year the Peace Corps launched a special initiative to retrain all 2,400 volunteers serving in Africa to become HIV/AIDS prevention educators. In a sign of solidarity and support, the leaders of Australian Volunteers International, Canada World Youth, United Nations Volunteers and the United Kingdom's Voluntary Services Overseas have joined with the Peace Corps in committing the best and most effective strategies to meet the enormous challenge of halting the spread of HIV/AIDS. Today, I commend the Peace Corps and other volunteer organizations for being committed to spreading the concept of volunteerism. In honor of International Volunteer Day and the International Year of Volunteers 2001, it is my privilege to salute the important work of the Peace Corps and volunteers throughout the world.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, further reserving the right to object, as the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) has indicated, the President vetoed an earlier version of this bill because it contained a provision that would have further criminalized the intentional disclosure of classified information. In my view, the notion that this so-called ``leaks provision'' was carefully crafted and targeted with laser-like precision on a small hole in the criminal code is simply wrong. I believe the provision had the potential to do great harm to civil liberties. I did not sign the intelligence authorization conference report because it contained the leaks provision. I believe the President was right to veto the measure over this matter. In fact, I commend him for doing that. The gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) and our late distinguished colleague and friend, Julian Dixon, are to be commended for introducing a new bill which does not contain the leaks provision. I am pleased that the actions taken by the Senate on that bill, which is now before the House, did not attempt to add new language on the leaks issue. As the distinguished chairman said, it is entirely out of the bill. Unauthorized disclosures of classified information can damage national security, and that type of conduct should have consequences. Administrative and criminal sanctions are available currently. The vetoed leaks provision, however, would have placed the full force of Federal criminal law behind a classification system which is based not in statute but in executive order, and therefore, it is changeable at the sole discretion of the President. That would have been a serious mistake, so I am very pleased on that aspect of the bill. I also want to associate myself with the comments of our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), concerning the provision in the bill of the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), and look forward to working with him in the next Congress. It is just a strange way that the Congress operates that a provision that could pass the conference committee could be yanked from the bill in the manner it was. I am, however, prepared to accept the decision of the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Goss) on how best to deal with the changes on the National Reconnaissance Office contracting matter made by the Senate, although this issue was fully debated and I believe resolved by the conferees in October. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I want to underscore Mr. Dixon's remarks on November 13 when this bill was considered by the House, that the statement of managers on the vetoed conference report should be regarded as the expression of the intent of Congress on how the intelligence programs and activities authorized for fiscal year 2001 are to be conducted. In referencing Mr. Dixon's remarks, of course, we cannot ignore the fact that our dear colleague is now lying in state. We take every opportunity we can to recognize his tremendous service to this Congress, to this country, and indeed, to this committee. One very high profile challenge we had in this committee was dealing with the labs, and Mr. Dixon was always the voice of reason and balance and fairness in those deliberations, and in fact, in every deliberation he was ever a part of. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I yield to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss) so he might explain more fully how the legislation covered by his unanimous consent request differs from the bill sent to the Senate on November 13, 2000.

Ms. PELOSI. Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop).

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I wish today to pay tribute to the Reverend Jim Mitulski, a true friend and hero to thousands of people in need. For 15 years Reverend Mitulski has lead the congregation at the metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in San Francisco. Through his caring and compassion, his action and his deeds, he epitomizes the real spirit of Christianity. Fifteen years ago, when Reverend Mitulski first came to MCC, situated in the heart of San Francisco's Castro District, the city was facing the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic. Reverend Mitulski recognized the needs and rose to the challenge, providing sanctuary and sustenance-- physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological--to his congregants and other members of the community. He provided a safe haven, support, acceptance, and love for the sick and dying, some of whom had been rejected by their own families. He ministered to those in need with unflagging compassion and enabled them to live out their lives with dignity. Over the course of his service at MCC, Reverend Mitulski presided over 500 funerals of his parishioners. He never gave up hope and he never stopped serving as a source of faith and inspiration to the survivors. Mr. Speaker, I join the other members of the San Francisco community who have met Reverend Mitulski's decision to resign with a mixture of sadness and happiness. We are sad that he is stepping down, but happy that he is finding new ways to contribute to our community and to grow. Mostly, however, we are grateful for his leadership, his spirit of Christianity, his unselfish offering up of everything he had, and his untiring willingness to work within a community in crisis as it faced untold losses. Rev. Jim Mitulski is an example of the best of what San Francisco has to offer. We have been blessed by his years of service and wish him all the best in his new endeavors.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, as the gentleman mentioned, he will be yielding to the gentleman from California (Mr. Stark), the senior member of the California delegation, for a resolution. I know our distinguished Democratic leader is on the floor and will be yielded to as well. But as the senior Member on the floor at this time when the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) is breaking this very sad news to us, I want to join my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), as a fellow Californian and say on behalf of our delegation what a tragedy this is for us. Julian Dixon has been a magnificent Member of Congress. He served in the State legislature before coming here. He has done some heavy lifting for this Congress. On the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and now as the ranking member on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and all of his work as a member of the Committee on Appropriations, he represented the values of our country in the struggle over budget priorities. On the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence he represented the strength of our country in the important work of that committee. Most importantly though, he was a beautiful, lovely man. His work was imbued with a sense of fairness, a sense of great intellect, great balance, great willingness to be bipartisan, and everything on behalf of people in our country, so everyone would have an opportunity. We will say more in our California remarks. I just want to close by saying that this is really what is known as a tragedy, a very unexpected loss to this House and to this Congress and to our great country. So, as a Californian, as his colleague on the Committee on Appropriations, as a colleague on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I know the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn) speaks from the standpoint of many capacities, including the Black Caucus, but my point is that everyone who came in contact with him in every way admired him, loved him, respected him. I hope it is a comfort to his family that so many people share their loss and are mourning with them at this time and are praying with them.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me, and for taking this special order. Mr. Speaker, as a Californian, I say to my colleagues, they have to know that our entire State will be in mourning over the loss of Julian Dixon. He served so well in the State legislature. The gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) mentioned the words ``model Member of Congress''. He was a model public servant, indeed, imbued with a sense of great intellect, as I mentioned earlier; with a sense of fairness, whether it was on the ethics Committee, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on Appropriations, the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia of the Committee on Appropriations where he served; he served appropriating and authorizing there. He cared about people. As I say, as a member of the State assembly, he was a fixture of our State. It is a terrible, terrible loss for us. Really, he was a giant of a man and a real teacher and mentor to so many of us. So to Bettye and his family, again, I hope it is a comfort to them that so many people share their loss, are grieving with them at this terribly difficult time, and are praying that they have the strength to get through it. Think of our State as crying at this time. California cries over the loss of the great Julian Dixon.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for getting us this extra time. Mr. Speaker, it is very interesting to see that so many people from the State of Texas, so many people who have served on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services, indeed, so many people who served with Henry B. in the Congress want to participate in the special order. I think, Mr. Speaker, this is a very special day in the House of Representatives. All of us who serve here have a special honor, but to have served with Henry Gonzalez was a very special privilege indeed. He was a teacher, a teacher about principle, about integrity, about justice. Mr. Speaker, I had the privilege of serving on the Committee on Banking and Financial Services under his leadership and saw firsthand his determined commitment to addressing the needs of the country's poorest people. He was a fierce advocate on behalf of those individuals and groups many would consider the least among us. His leadership on many issues from insuring access to safe decent and affordable housing, to improving the living conditions of residents of the colonias made an enormous difference in the lives of countless people around the Nation. He was a passionate person, as we all know and as has been testified to here, but he was an extremely knowledgeable person, a very, very smart leader. His passion was something that drove him, but his knowledge has benefitted all Americans, including his campaign to open the workings of the Federal Reserve to more public scrutiny, his stewardship of the investigation of the S&L scandal and his legislation to fix the FDIC. His zeal for truth and justice were a hallmark of his decades of public service. I hope it is a source of comfort to you, Charlie, and to your family, that so many people share your grief, and are praying for you at this time. My condolences and those of all of my constituents to whom Henry B. was a hero. He visited us in San Francisco. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kanjorski) was on that occasion when we honored Henry B. in San Francisco, and on behalf of those constituents, I extend to you, to your mother, Bertha, and to your entire family our deepest sympathy and our very great gratitude for the life and service of Henry B. Gonzalez.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act which would enhance America's affordable housing and promote homeownership opportunities. Far too many, an estimated 5.4 million Americans, suffer worst-case housing needs, paying more than 50 percent of their income for housing, and this bill takes important steps to address this and related housing needs. The bill would enable tenants to use their section 8 rental assistance as a downpayment toward homeownership, strengthen the service delivery of elderly and disabled service coordinators, and streamline manufactured housing standards. I strongly support the important provisions in this bill that would protect tenants of project based section 8 buildings, especially those who have experienced conversion of their units to market rent levels, through owner opt-outs or prepayments. Tenant protections are needed to avoid displacing HUD tenants, to provide converted tenants with enhanced vouchers, and to reduce other harmful effects. It is vital that Congress enact all the needed legal steps and HUD take the needed administrative steps to ensure project based tenants may continue to reside in their units and are held harmless against conversion's adverse consequences. This bill takes important steps and in the next Congress, I will continue working toward this goal. I strongly support this bill's reach back provision, ``Use of Section 8 Vouchers for Opt-Outs'', which would protect tenants whose properties were converted in the years before Congress addressed the owner opt-out problem. This provision would enable HUD to grant converted tenants protective enhanced vouchers in opt-out situations extending back to fiscal year 1994. This bill also contains an important provision, ``Maximum Payment Standard for Enhanced Vouchers'', which would grant some HUD discretion to limit the enhanced voucher payment standard, yet deny this discretion where it adversely affects HUD tenants. The House passed Manufactured Housing Improvement Act includes these provisions in sections 902 and 903. HUD also supports them. It is disappointing that the Senate did not support, and this bill does not include, the House passed provisions to promote homeownership for public service employees, which would enable teachers and public safety officers to obtain FHA loans with a 1-percent downpayment. Earlier this year, in coordination with concerned constituents, I authored a successful amendment to the House passed American Homeownership and Economic Opportunity Act, H.R. 1776, to extend this opportunity to prekindergarten teachers. Many cities and rural communities, including the district I represent, San Francisco, suffer a shortage of quality teachers and are experiencing problems recruiting and retaining teachers. To alleviate this problem, we must take additional steps to help teachers and public sector employees obtain affordable housing in the communities they serve. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and continue working to increase affordable housing opportunities across the country.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay my final respects to David Brower, one of the true heroes of the environmental movement. David Brower was utterly devoted to the health of our planet. He affected America's physical and cultural landscape with his staunch defense of the Earth. He changed the way Americans view the environment and changed the environment in which they lived. David Brower was one of the Earth's greatest friends. When David Brower joined the Sierra Club in 1933, the group was mainly an association of hikers interested more in enjoying nature than in preserving it. An able mountaineer, he spent a great deal of time climbing the peaks in Yosemite and nearby areas. During World War II, Brower joined the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division, where he wrote a training manual on mountaineering and taught climbing techniques. In 1952, after having published the Sierra Club Handbook and having served on the Board of Directors, Brower became the first Executive Director of the Sierra Club. Under his leadership, the group, and indeed the conservation movement, changed dramatically. The organization of 2,000 hikers became a national political force with 77,000 members. Its budget grew from $75,000 to $3 million. Brower turned the Sierra Club into an uncompromising defender of the Earth. One of his first campaigns was to stop the federal government from building dams in the Dinosaur National Monument on the Utah- Colorado border. Brower won by building public support for the cause through an array of innovative means; he produced a film about the area, conducted boat tours on the river, and published a book that supported his position. Over the years, he became known for these and other creative techniques including full-page newspaper advertisements and coffee-table books. In the 1960's, he vigorously fought efforts to build two hydroelectric dams in the Grand Canyon. He also worked to create new national parks and national seashores and to pass the Wilderness Act of 1964 in Congress. In 1969, he left his position as Executive Director of the Sierra Club. He immediately founded Friends of the Earth and co-founded the League of Conservation Voters and carried on with his work. In 1982, he founded the Earth Island Institute to support environmental projects in other countries. Most recently, he founded the Global Conservation, Preservation, and Restoration Service to work to restore damaged areas. Through these groups, he continued to be in the forefront of the environmental movement. David Brower can never be replaced, but his work will live on in the people he inspired and the groups he founded. His principles dictated his every action, and his commitment was contagious. His impact was felt across the country and around the world. David Brower was the greatest conservationist of modern times, and he will be sorely missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Anne, his children, Kenneth, Barbara, Robert, and John, and all of his family.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Franciscan Friars. The Franciscan Friars of the Santa Barbara Province have been compassionately responding to the needs of San Franciscans since 1887. It is my pleasure to honor them for their tremendous contributions on the Fiftieth Anniversary of one of their most successful projects, the St. Anthony Foundation. The Franciscan Friars improve our city through their work at St. Boniface Church. For years, they have been feeding the poor and homeless and caring for those in need. In particular, the Friars have ministered to the immigrant communities of San Francisco's Tenderloin District, first with the German community and expanding more recently to the Hispanic, Vietnamese and Filipino communities. The St. Anthony Foundation was founded by Franciscan Friar Alfred Boeddeker, while pastor of St. Boniface Church, to ``feed, clothe, heal and shelter the needy, empower the powerless, and promote a social order in which all persons flourish.'' Today, the Foundation serves an extraordinary number of people with their drug rehabilitation, food, health, housing, and other social service programs. The Franciscan Friars have provided the spirit, vision, and direction for the St. Anthony Foundation to complete 50 years of service to the most marginalized in our community. The Franciscan Friars and the St. Anthony Foundation make San Francisco a better place. Their selfless dedication to those in need calls us to a higher standard. It is my honor to commend them on fifty years of service through the St. Anthony Foundation.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me, and for his leadership in presenting this motion to instruct. Mr. Speaker, I listened with great interest as our distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), was talking about what is in this bill. Indeed, there are many good things in it for education. That is why the Democratic negotiators, with the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey) leading our side, on the House side, were willing to agree to the compromise bill. In recognizing all of the good provisions for education that are in the bill, it makes one wonder why the Republican leadership would pull the rug from under its own negotiators, make their words worthless in reaching an agreement, when so many good provisions are in there for education. Of course, the reason is that they were beholden to the extreme elements in the business community who would not accept a compromise on workplace safety. Mr. Speaker, I have five children, four grandchildren. I am glad we want smart grandparents, too. We have an expression: The children can hear us. Children are very smart. We tell children that their education is very important to their self-fulfillment, to their ability to earn a living, and also to the competitiveness of our great country. Yet, we send children another message when we say to them, now, you go to school in a place that is dilapidated, that is leaking, that is not wired for the future. When we say that to kids, they see the hypocrisy of it, the inconsistency of it. The strongest message we can send children about the value of education is to send them to a place that is appropriate for them where children can learn, where teachers can teach, and where parents can participate. So it is really quite sad that when this compromise was reached, the leadership did not respect the word of its own negotiators on the Republican side. That is what has made the motion to recommit by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) so necessary. If it is not going to be a compromise, we want the original provisions that the Democrats had been advocating for smaller classes and more modern schools for our children.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I want to join those who have commended the gentleman for his leadership on the education issue so important to our country. I would also like to commend the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling). This may be the last debate on education, one never knows. I listened with great interest to the gentleman's comments earlier about all of the good provisions that were in the Labor-HHS appropriations bill, and now bemoan the fact that the Republican leadership has walked away from all the good things that the gentleman says are in there. Of course, I think it is important for us to do everything in our power to help equip our children with the tools necessary for them to reach their self-fulfillment. It is in their personal interest, as well as in the competitiveness of our great country, to have an educated work force. That is why it is so sad to see the Republican leadership walk away from the Labor-HHS bill that was negotiated by chairmen, respective chairmen in the House and Senate, on this bill. If it is, as the gentleman says, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling) and others on the majority have said, that it contains all of these great provisions, why squander all of that just to pander to the needs of the extreme in the business community that does not want to have workplace safety for so many millions of Americans who are susceptible to repetitive stress injuries? I want to get back to the professional development that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) talked about. He has been a champion over the years on this, as well. The research that is contained in this very bill, the funding for the National Institutes of Health and the institutes within that that study how children learn, tells us that children learn better in smaller classes. Indeed, they do better in smaller schools. We cannot have smaller classes and smaller schools without school construction. We talked about that in the previous motion to instruct. The motion of the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) addresses the need for more teachers. If we are going to have the smaller classes that the scientists tell us help children learn better and thrive better and succeed, then it is necessary, of course, to have more teachers, better trained, and have the professional development that is necessary. The $1.7 billion that was in the bill is a good start. It goes a long way. Then we see the need that this very science describes that we in this body fund, that we support, and then, what, turn away from it because the business community did not like chapter and verse of an agreement reached in good faith by Republicans and Democrats in a bipartisan way on the Labor-HHS appropriations bill? So again, I always say the same thing: The children can hear us. They hear us when we speak, especially when we speak about them. Let us not send them a mixed message that education is important, but we do not want to spend the money on it to help them reach their fulfillment. Education is fulfillment, it is important, except if the business community does not like some other comma or semicolon in the bill. I urge my colleagues to support the gentleman's motion to instruct.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, Toby Rosenblatt is a remarkable individual we are fortunate to have in our San Francisco midst. He has accomplished extraordinary feats in various roles and over many years of public service to the community. Toby was honored today by Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt for his outstanding work to preserve the scenic and recreational lands of our Golden Gate National Parks in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has made an immense and indelible contribution to our natural landscape. The San Francisco community joins the Department of Interior in congratulating Toby on this special recognition to a most deserving individual. One of the highlights of this lifetime of accomplishment is Toby's leadership to return Crissy Field, a former World War II airstrip, to historic wetlands along the Presidio's window to the Bay. This is a phenomenal accomplishment--to bring the resources, talent and energy together in a great success that reverberates for the entire Bay Area Community, as well as for all of our national parks. As Chairman of the Golden Gate National Parks Association (GGNPA), Toby has led the successful drive to bring over $50 million in private donations to this spectacular project. By engaging the public in this effort, Toby had sparked a new awareness in the importance of our national parks and has led the way in forging the most successful public-private partnership in the history of the National Park Service. As the Secretary's citation notes: Under Toby's leadership at the GGNPA, ``the Parks Association has become a national leader of NPS friends groups . . .'' with contributions totaling over $50 million, ``the largest of any individual friends group.'' In addition to serving as the volunteer Chairman of the GGNPA, Toby also wears the hat of Chairman of the Presidio Trust. In this capacity, he has led the Trust in preserving the Presidio's integrity as a national park and in meeting the goal set by Congress to reduce costs. On behalf of our community, I extend my congratulations to Toby for this well-deserved honor, and also to his wife, Sally, and their sons Jamie and Adam. Toby has served as the epicenter for many great accomplishments at the GGNPA and the Presidio and we look forward to his continued leadership in our community on behalf of our national parks.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I wish to, in the course of this debate, associate myself with the comments of our colleagues who spoke in favor of that. I would first like to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for his tremendous leadership in initiating this legislation, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson), with whom I serve on the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education on the Committee on Appropriations, who has been a relentless supporter in ending the disparity and access to quality health care research and prevention, and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), who has been a leader on this issue, as well as the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton). I thank them all for their tremendous work on this issue. They have been great leaders in the effort to reduce health disparities, and this bill is a testament to their hard work and commitment. Mr. Speaker, numerous studies have shown that minority communities suffer disproportionately from many severe health problems and have higher mortality rates than whites for many treatable health conditions. Although we have seen giant leaps in scientific knowledge, particularly in recent years, as we have increased our investment in the National Institutes of Health, the benefits of those advances are not clearly reaching all segments of our society. At this point, I would like to recognize the tremendous work of the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gekas). He and I are co-chairs of the Biomedical Research Caucus, but he is our leader in having monthly meetings where Members and staff can be made aware of the scientific opportunities in the biomedical community. He is a giant on that issue in this Congress. During our NIH hearings in the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, we have heard many alarming statistics on racial and ethnic health disparities, including significantly higher rates of death from cancer and heart disease, as well as higher rates of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and other health problems. HIV/AIDS has been particularly devastating in minority communities. African Americans and Hispanics, who represent 12 and 11 percent respectively of our Nation's population, now account for 70 percent of new HIV cases and nearly 60 percent of new AIDS cases. And African- American and Hispanic women account for 78 percent of the newly reported infections among women. Not enough research is being done to understand and eliminate racial and ethnic health disparities. According to an Institute of Medicine study published in February 1999, Federal efforts to research cancer in minority communities are insufficient. The IOM recommended an increase in resources in development of a strategic plan to coordinate this research. I commend the administration for responding to this need by implementing the initiative to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in health. The initiative identifies the steps necessary to eliminate disparities in the areas of cardiovascular disease, cancer screening and management, diabetes, infant mortality, HIV/AIDS and immunizations by 2010. At this point, I would also like to commend the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) for her relentless efforts ongoing but especially when she was Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus in getting the minority initiative passed and funded. It made a drastic difference, but it is still not enough. Fulfilling the goals of this initiative must be a top priority. Next decade, however, these goals cannot be met without a comprehensive effort to improve research on the health of my minority communities and develop the interventions capable of reducing these disparities. The Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities created by the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act and the full grant-making authority conferred upon it is an important step toward this effort. And while I am pleased that this critical issue is finally gaining the attention it deserves and again commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis) for his leadership, the next step forward must be full institute status. This creates a center. It does have full grant-making authority, and that is an important distinction. Usually an institute gives full grant-making. But I do not know why we cannot make this a full institute at the National Institutes of Health. It is imperative that, as we continue to increase NIH funding, we provide this ongoing issue the permanent attention necessary to eliminate current health disparities and prevent future health disparities from emerging. All Americans deserve a healthy future. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act.

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this important issue. Mr. Speaker, at the turn of the century, the last century, 100 years ago, Ida Tarbell and Upton Sinclair shocked this Nation with their accounts of dangers in the workplace to American workers. The exploitation of American workers challenged the conscience of our country. Here we are 100 years later, and we have scientific evidence of that same kind of exploitation, that same kind of danger to American workers. Yet the Republican majority is opposing any opportunity to correct that. If you use a computer, if you drive a truck for a living, if you are in the health care industry and lift patients, if you are in the food processing industry, if you have to chop off the leg of a chicken for 8 hours a day with very little interruption and rest, there are so many occupations that are affected by this. In fact, Mr. Speaker, women who are prevalent in occupations that are mostly for women have a disproportionate share of these musculoskeletal injuries. Every year 600,000 workers in America lose time from work because of repetitive motion, back, and other disabling injuries. These injuries are often extremely painful and disabling. Sometimes they are permanent. The gentleman from Michigan pointed out the cost to our economy of this, the cost to the personal quality of life for workers because of this. By the way, not all businesses are so unenlightened. Those who have instituted voluntary guidelines have a payback on their bottom line of greater productivity from their workers, much higher morale from their workers, and lower cost for health care for these workers. This is not just about everybody in business, painting them all with the same brush; but it is about some that the Republican majority cannot say ``no'' to. In order not to say ``no'' to their special interest friends, they will not say ``yes'' to the Democrats who have bipartisan support for the prescription drug benefit, we have bipartisan support for the Patients' Bill of Rights, we have bipartisan support for the minimum wage bill, and now they have blown up the Labor-HHS bill, which has so much in it for education for America's children. We do a lot of talking around here about family values. But what is more of a family value? The economic security of America's families has an impact on children and their education and the pension security and the health security of their seniors. Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the support for these repetitive motion injuries guidelines has bipartisan support. It has been referenced that Secretary Elizabeth Dole, Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole has stated, and these are her words, quote, ``By reducing repetitive motion injuries, we will increase both the safety and productivity of America's workforce.'' She said, ``I have no higher priority than accomplishing just that.'' Secretary of Labor Lynn Martin said, ``OSHA agrees that ergonomic hazards are well recognized occupational hazards and OSHA's review of the available data has persuaded the agency.'' She also supported that. Chairman Livingston did, too. There is bipartisan support. I say to our colleagues, take ``yes'' for an answer.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me the time. I thank her for her great leadership on the Committee on the Judiciary on issues of fairness in relationship to our immigration policy, whether it is the H1-B visa and what the impact is on our engineers in our own country and recognition of the need for the H1-B but also for the need to educate and train our own workers, for her leadership on the immigration fairness issues, for equity for the 245(i), for parity, et cetera, in the fairness issues, and I associate myself fully with her remarks on those subjects again commending her for her tremendous leadership, her relentlessness on behalf of fairness in our immigration policy. I thank the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) and commend her for her leadership on this issue, which is the immigration fairness issues, as well as on the health disparity issue.

Ms. PELOSI

Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership in championing this issue over the years, the issue of school construction. Anyone who is a parent or anyone who has been a child, so that includes all of us, is familiar with the expression, the children are listening. Indeed, the children do listen. They hear us telling them that education is key to their personal fulfillment and their success in life, that they must apply themselves in school so that they can succeed; and yet we send these same children a different message when we send them to schools that are dilapidated, that are not even capable of being wired for the future and are very, very unconducive to study. What do children think if we say this is a value, it is very important that you get a good education and by the way, we are placing a very low value on it when it comes to the place in which we want you to study. We spend money, the taxpayers' money here on research that we all herald as important, and that research tells us that children do better in smaller classes and indeed, that they do better in smaller schools, Mr. Speaker. The distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) has documented the need very clearly, a growing need, more than doubled since 1996 for these improvements, these modernizations, or these replacements of these schools. How can the Republican majority ignore the scientific basis, which we fund and support and praise, about children needing smaller classes and doing much better in those circumstances, by not insisting that the funds that we put aside for school construction and modernization, for smaller classes, not be used for that purpose? So I commend the gentlewoman for her motion, and I urge my colleagues to support it, because, Mr. Speaker, the children are listening. Let us not send them a confused message. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support Representative Lowey's Motion to Instruct the Labor-HHS Appropriations Conferees to support the Democratic initiative on school construction. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership has continually refused to support vital funding to help local communities reduce class size at public schools. America's schools are teaching more students than ever before and generally, our schools work for most students. However, we can improve our public schools by focusing our efforts on underperforming schools and low-income areas with ongoing problems. We can overcome this significant problem--the infrastructure and facilities at our schools require modernization and investment. what is the need? Today, school enrollments are higher than ever, with a record 53.2 million children enrolled in our schools. By 2008, another million students will be in America's schools. By 2003, to meet rising student enrollments, America will need another 2,400 new schools. The average American public school is 42 years old. After 40 years, school buildings begin to deteriorate rapidly and repair costs soon exceed the costs to construct new schools. According to the GAO report ``School Facilities: The Condition of America's Schools'', one-third of all schools need extensive repairs or replacement. what would it cost to address these conditions? According to a 1996 GAO report, it would cost $112 billion to repair our schools. According to a 2000 National Education Association report, it would cost $322 billion to repair our schools. would it help? Smaller class sizes are important because studies demonstrate that reduced class size leads to more individual attention and increased accountability. We know that this investment in school construction would benefit our schools, our teachers, and most importantly our children. I have heard personal stories about: teachers teaching in converted bathrooms; students eating lunch in shifts starting at 9:45 due to overcrowding; leaky roofs and exposed lead paint leading to health and safety hazards. These conditions are intolerable, Mr. Speaker. I rise to support the Motion to Instruct and urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Motion.