Joseph Pitts

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, the people of Sudan have suffered terrible devastation in recent history, and even today as we sit in this Chamber. One report tells of a woman who asked visitors surveying the destruction in her village, ``Why do people in the West care about saving the dolphins, but not about saving us?'' A poignant, sharp statement asked out of great need for help--A good question about why people in the West for so long have ignored the plight of those sold into slavery, those whose villages, hospitals, schools and churches are bombed by the Khartoum regime that says it wants peace, but does not act that way. Studies have shown that the devastation and destruction of tribes and peoples in Sudan is genocidal. Statistics show that over 2 million people have died in Sudan--Do we not care? I care--and that is precisely why I stand in firm support of Congressman Tancredo and the Sudan Peace Act. I urge other Members to vote for this act to support the people of Southern Sudan, to fight against the destruction of entire tribes of people, and to fight against slavery that exists today.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, millions of Americans will be taking dad out for dinner to celebrate Father's Day. Father's Day is the one day every year that we set aside to say thank you to the men who raised us, taught us to fish, to play baseball, taught us to know right from wrong. But there is a sad side to Father's Day as well. See, everyone has a father, but not everyone has a dad. In fact, fatherhood is in real trouble in America today. One-third of the children in America today do not live with their father, and one-third of all American children live in a house without an adult male. Since 1960, the percentage of single parent families has grown 248 percent. What is the result: 226 percent increase in violent crime, 430 percent increase in out-of-wedlock teen pregnancy, sadly 134 percent increase in teen suicides. Now an absent father is not the only reason so many kids are in trouble. But can anyone doubt that it is at least part of the reason? All the absent fathers and all the deadbeat dads in America should think hard this weekend about the role they could be playing in the lives of their children. A father's job is an important one. We should all remember that.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the last decade has seen some of the greatest prosperity in American history. This has provided new opportunities not only for the savvy Wall Street investor, but also for those who are gainfully employed for the first time. And while some economic indicators are down a bit, we still have a great opportunity to help those who once had few opportunities. We have the chance to help them find new ways to gain a permanent foothold in the financial mainstream. Today, Congressman Charlie Stenholm and 33 other bipartisan cosponsors are joining me to re-introduce The Savings For Working Families Act. This legislation will provide tax credits to banks providing matching funds for Individual Development Account (IDA) savings. IDAs are savings accounts that may be used for education, housing, or to start a small business. IDAs are a proven success in my home state of Pennsylvania. For example, Jacqui Fulton, a 66-year-old woman from Philadelphia told the Philadelphia Daily News recently that when she used to get depressed about her circumstances, she would raid the cookie jar where she kept her money and go buy herself a manicure. It made her feel better for a short time. But now, she goes to the bank every week and deposits another twenty dollars into her IDA account. She now says that she ``almost skips to the bank''--it makes her feels so good. Jacqui started saving in her IDA account in July of 1997. She saved over 12 hundred dollars and received her saving match of six hundred dollars in August of 1999. She used the money to expand a talent search business called Direction and Exposure. She says, ``This is one of the smart moves I made to have more money to invest in my business.'' She feels good about herself, and she's saving money to make a dream come true. And she's no longer raiding her cookie jar. Jacqui's is just one success story among many. This program is working in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has one of the largest IDA programs in the country. The Commonwealth has appropriated $4.5 million dollars to the program to date, and another $1.5 million is included in this year's budget. Right now, there are 2584 contracted accounts divided among 15 financial institutions around the state. At the end of last year, IDA investors in Pennsylvania had saved almost three- quarters of a million dollars. IDAs are a proven success in many other states too. But they are under utilized. Where they have been made available, they have worked. They are meant to be a springboard to continued prosperity. Making higher education possible makes prosperity possible. Helping people start small businesses makes prosperity possible. But without hopeful that will be very soon. I look forward to working with the President, House Leadership, and all of the cosponsors of this legislation to make this dream come true.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today, along with 34 cosponsors, I am reintroducing the bill to establish Individual Development Accounts on a national level. They already exist in several States, including Pennsylvania. IDAs allow working poor families to save and invest and receive matching contributions from their financial institutions. They can be withdrawn and used only to buy a home, start a small business, or get higher education. Finally, after decades of government-funded poverty, we are encouraging poor and working poor Americans to provide for themselves and plan for their futures. Just like welfare reform, this program will help those who need help, but IDAs will help people help themselves. Imagine the pride of a new investor who has saved enough to go into business for himself or the joy of putting a down payment on a house one thought one would never be able to afford or opportunities made possible by a college diploma. IDAs are a good idea for this country. They are part of the President's community renewal plan. I encourage my colleagues to join me in making them a reality.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, many of us were shocked when we opened the newspaper this morning to read that China is selling arms to Cuba. The Cold War has been over for more than a decade. Very few Communist nations still survive, countries like Cuba, North Korea and Vietnam. Each of these countries continues to oppress its people. For many in these countries there is not enough food to eat, and the freedoms the rest of the world enjoys do not exist. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Cuba has lost billions of dollars in annual subsidies. Its people are hungry, poor and oppressed. Yet somehow it can afford to buy dangerous weapons from the last big Communist power, China. What does Cuba need these arms for? Is Fidel Castro planning to return to his old ways of exporting Communist revolution and terrorism? Or does he need these weapons to keep on suppressing the freedoms his people are yearning for? China should stop selling weapons to Cuba. Cuba should stop buying them from China. Communist leaders should worry about feeding their people before buying weapons to make war. What is next? A Chinese Bay of Pigs missile crisis in Cuba?

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, for months now pundits have been talking about whether America has been teetering on the brink of a recession. Gross domestic product has fallen from a whopping 7.3 percent in the last quarter of 1999 to just 1.3 percent in the first quarter of this year. The current quarter is a mystery. We do not know if GDP grew or contracted for the second quarter until it is over. But through all of this, the President has told us if his tax cut package was passed into law, it would provide a much-needed stimulus to the economy. Now it is going to happen. Tomorrow the President signs the bill into law. Every taxpayer will get a refund in the mail and see more take-home pay in their paychecks. David Wyss of Standard & Poors says, ``Roughly half the population is struggling and living paycheck to paycheck. Those folks will use the rebate almost immediately.'' Mr. Speaker, this President promised and this President delivered. This Congress promised and this Congress delivered. This should help stimulate our economy; and this, my friends, is good government.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, last week Congress passed the biggest tax relief package since the start of the Reagan administration. Every American taxpayer is going to get a refund check in the mail this summer. Over the coming years, rates will decline, the death tax will be repealed, the marriage tax penalty will be partially fixed, we will be able to put more in our retirement plans, and be able to deduct more for the cost of college education. This is real help for real Americans. But the American taxpayers deserve to know that there were a lot of big-spending liberals who thought they did not deserve these tax cuts. Even though we have been running multi-billion dollar surpluses for several years, some people in Washington did everything they could to stop this tax relief. In fact, the only way to get it done at all was to use what we call ``budget reconciliation,'' which cannot be filibustered in the other body and requires only 51 votes since they could not get to 60. But budget reconciliation only lasts for 10 years. Before the 10 years is up, Congress must extend the tax relief. I hope that Congress will do that. In the meantime, I hope all the big spenders in Congress who voted against this cut will donate their $300 refund check back to the Treasury.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, recent political crises in Indonesia underscore the difficult challenges facing the development of democracy in that nation and region. The spectrum of issues includes human rights violations in Aceh, Irian Jaya, Malukus, Poso, and Padang, the Trisakti shooting, corruption cases, mass rapes of Chinese women in May 1998, and the upcoming parliamentary actions against President Wahid. At this moment, democracy in its infancy is being seriously challenged in Indonesia. No great principle or ideology, however, survives without facing serious challenges--challenges that can be surmounted with great sacrifice and leadership. Democracy is a principle for which it is worth fighting. And, I trust that the people of Indonesia and their leaders will continue to make every effort to see that democracy is established firmly so that the Indonesian people will enjoy true prosperity and peace. Last June I led a delegation to Indonesia and shared with President Wahid deep concern about the presence of Laskar Jihad in the Malukus and the widespread violence and bloodshed perpetrated by this group. The President indicated he had ordered Laskar Jihad to leave and stay out--an encouraging sign for the suffering people in Maluku. Several weeks ago reports detailed the arrest of the leader of Laskar Jihad, Mr. Jafar Umar Thalib. Many hoped that the turmoil and killings in the Malukus would finally come to an end. Important progress has been made among the Moluccans themselves, both the Muslims and the Christians, with reconciliation, rehabilitation and the rebuilding programs for people in the Malukus. This reflects a foundation and strong desire for the Moluccan people to reconcile without interference from militant and extremist groups such as Laskar Jihad. Unfortunately, continued reports from Indonesia about the arrest and then release of leaders promoting violence, particularly the release of Mr. Jafar Thalib from police custody, have discouraged many within Indonesia. There are widespread implications of the release of an individual who seems to only promote violence, bloodshed, and division. Mr. Thalib's, and other militant leaders' desires undermine the establishment and continued development of democracy, civil society, freedom, and peace for the people of Indonesia. In addition, the proposals of some groups to impose Sharia law on the entire nation raises great concerns. One is hard-pressed to find a country anywhere in the world in which democracy and Sharia law coexist. The unrest and strife resulted in $90 billion in foreign investment leaving Indonesia in the year 2000. Yet, the international business community hopes to return investment to Indonesia and increase business and therefore jobs for local economies. Lack of rule of law and civil society create instability--an environment that threatens any economic growth. Businesses will find other markets in which to grow in Asia. I, and many other Members of Congress, fully support the establishment and development of democracy in Indonesia. Civil society and stability will create a lasting atmosphere in which the beauty, diversity, and resources of Indonesia and the Indonesian people can grow and be enjoyed in peace and prosperity.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the government of Indonesia to ensure that the roots of democracy are firmly established so the Indonesian people can enjoy peace and prosperity now and in the future. President Wahid should be commended for the steps he has taken to help build a foundation for democracy, and other leaders in Indonesia should be encouraged to build on that foundation. Unfortunately, there are individuals and organizations who desire to foment violence, bloodshed and destruction in communities in the Malukus, Aceh, Irian Jaya, Padang and other regions. I urge the government of Indonesia to bring to justice those responsible for recent and past criminal attacks against the Indonesian people and to assure that those criminal leaders are prosecuted, especially Malaskar Jihad, who committed violence against Muslims and Christians in the Malukus. Mr. Speaker, I urge the government of Indonesia to ensure that perpetrators of crime in Indonesia are punished for their crimes and brought to justice.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Graves amendment. Since I came to Congress, I have been working to promote this idea of getting 95 cents out of every Federal education tax dollar to the classrooms of America. I applaud my friend from Missouri (Mr. Graves) for offering this amendment today, an amendment that puts children first in education. Several States have reported that, although they receive less than 10 percent of their education funding from the Federal Government, more than 50 percent of their paperwork is associated with those Federal dollars. In 1998, the Department of Education paperwork and data reporting requirements totaled 40 million ``burden hours,'' the equivalent of 19,300 people working 40 hours a week for 1 year just to comply with Federal programs. Instead of spending money on bureaucracy, I believe that Federal dollars are better spent directly in our Nation's classrooms, on things like textbooks, computers, maps, teacher aids, microscopes, other classroom aids, things that help teachers teach and children learn. Local schools are best suited to make decisions about allocating resources. They understand their students' background, the needs. They can respond to them most directly with proven methods of instruction. This amendment sets a standard to reduce bureaucracy and ineffective spending, gets more money into the hands of a person who knows a child's name. We must prioritize the way we spend our education tax dollars and put children first. I urge support for this amendment.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, America does not have enough energy to supply all of the demands today. Californians are facing rolling blackouts and Americans everywhere are paying nearly $2 a gallon for gasoline. Mr. Speaker, this energy crunch should not be a surprise to anyone. We have known for years that this was coming, and we have not built a major oil refinery in the United States in 25 years. It has been just as long since we have built a nuclear power plant. Our dependence on foreign oil has gone up since the 1970s and 1980s, not down, and the rules for when and where one can sell different kinds of gasoline are so complicated, it is amazing we can keep track of it at all. This energy crunch has been looming for years, and the previous administration did nothing to prevent it from happening. Last week, our new President presented a balanced comprehensive and sensible plan for getting us out of this mess. But the liberals in town are calling for price caps. If there is anything we learned in the 20th century, it is that Soviet-style command economies do not work. Just look at what happened in California. Mr. Speaker, we need real solutions. Congress needs to get behind the President's plan, and we need to do it now.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, few Americans realize that it can cost between $8,000 and $30,000 to adopt a child nowadays. That is a problem we should also be addressing. But until we do, American couples need help. Too many loving families say no to adoption because they cannot afford it. Others have to take out a second mortgage. They should not have to do that. The Hope for Children Act will extend and increase the adoption tax credit for families who adopt. This is more than a good idea, it is a necessary measure. I want to thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr DeMint), my friend, for taking the lead on this measure. I think we should also thank our former colleague, Tom Bliley, who worked so hard to advance this legislation for so many years. Mr. Speaker, every child deserves a loving home, but we need to help adopting families overcome the financial impediments to taking a child into their home. This is a good bill. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for it.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I rise to express strong support for the Hyde-Barcia-Smith-Oberstar amendment. When President Bush took office, he reinstated the Mexico City policy. This policy does not reduce by one penny the $425 million allocated for population control funding. Under President Clinton in fiscal year 2000, we enacted a compromise Mexico City policy, where groups received their funding and they were required to certify that they would not perform abortions, violate the laws of the host country, or lobby to change the country's laws. Groups who refused to abide by these pro-life protections could still receive funds. Well, the sky did not fall. Women were not hurt. Family planning continued. In fact, 448 out of 457 groups agreed to abide by this simple policy. Only 9 international abortion groups refused, a mere 2 percent. Mr. Chairman, we all want to ensure that our funding benefits the poorest women, helping them with actual family planning decisions. This will happen under the Mexico City policy. We all agree that AIDS is a tragedy. However, some supporters of the Lee amendment have been claiming that Mexico City will harm international AIDS programs. It should be said in no way will the Mexico City policy negatively affect efforts to eradicate this terrible disease. We are spending over a half-billion dollars per year in anti-AIDS efforts around the world. Nor is there any indirect effect on HIV-AIDS through reduction in population assistance which might help prevent AIDS because we will spend the same amount on population assistance. Do not be misled. While we differ on abortion, I urge that we support the Hyde amendment and stand with President Bush in protecting women overseas and taxpayers' consciences.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, on February 24-26, 2001, accompanied by former Ambassador David Laux, I traveled to Algeria to meet with key officials and attend celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the Sahrawi Republic in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria. The meetings and discussions with the President, Prime Minister and Cabinet Members in Algeria reflected officials who hold great concern for their nation and the development of their economy and society, as well as concern for North Africa and the whole of Africa. Creative solutions were presented for problems facing the government as they seek to modernize the financial, security, and democracy aspects of Algeria. There were clear indications that the Algerian government desires to stabilize their economy to attract foreign, particularly U.S. investment (current U.S. investment is $3.5 billion, projected to grow to $6 billion in the next two years due to increased energy investment), and to cooperate in security/terrorism issues with the U.S. Government. A two and a half hour meeting with President Bouteflicka revealed a statesman with great insight, leadership abilities and vision for his nation and the continent, exemplified in the President's key role in helping bring peace in the Ethiopia/Eritrea conflict and his leadership in the OAU in pursuing economic development in all of Africa. The impressive character and qualities of the President also are reflected in his Cabinet and the current Ambassador of Algeria serving in Washington, D.C. His Excellency Idriss Jazairy. The Algerian people and government are also to be commended for their great hospitality towards the Sahrawi refugees. Many of the Sahrawi people fled their homeland of Western Sahara over 25 years ago due to the conflict over Western Sahara. The Algerian people have graciously allowed the Sahrawis to live in refugee camps in Tindouf and have been supportive of humanitarian aid to assist the refugees arriving from all over the world. Under the leadership of President Bouteflicka, Algeria has continued to extend hospitality to the refugees and not presented obstacles to the Sahrawis governing themselves in the Sahrawi Democratic Republic. Upon my return to the United States, I shared my impressions about Algeria with a number of individuals, including Secretary of State Colin Powell. I suggested to Secretary Powell the idea of holding an Africa Summit with key African leaders, such as President Bouteflicka of Algeria, for President Bush to listen and learn from those leaders as he shapes his policies on Africa and for the African leaders to garner international support for their vision to help eliminate poverty, elevate standards of living, and bring hope to the people of Africa through a variety of measures. In light of the various visions and solutions discussed in the meetings, there are several long term and short term practical actions the people of Pennsylvania and the U.S. government can take to support democratic, economic, and security developments in Algeria. My hope is to assist in building a strong relationship between the people of Algeria and United States and our governments through the following projects: Encourage President Bush to hold an Africa Summit with the leaders of the OAU in which the President can learn about Africa and African leaders can share ways in which the international community can support their vision to help the people of Africa. Assist the Algerian Minister of Agriculture on his visit to the U.S. by arranging meetings with leading agricultural companies and producers. Interact with leading U.S. wheat producers regarding the potential opportunities for investment in Algeria. Encourage the U.S. Department of State, Near East Division, about the need for increased counter-terrorism training and cooperation between Algeria and the United States. Encourage the establishment of an Algerian-U.S. business council. Assist in coordinating training seminars for Algerian Army regarding democracy and human rights. Assist in coordinating police training seminars for Algerian police. Assist in coordinating lecture, seminar series/academic exchanges at U.S. and Algerian universities. Investigate water resource issues and possible expertise cooperation. People to people exchanges and humanitarian projects, including medical equipment, police/forensics equipment, English textbooks, etc.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that H.R. 10, The Comprehensive Retirement Security and Pension Reform Act, is before the House today. I applaud Congressmen Portman and Cardin for creating this package that will allow Americans to set more aside in IRA or 401(k)-type plans, modernize pension laws, and provide regulatory relief to encourage more small businesses to offer retirement plans. This fair, bipartisan plan will help millions of Americans. Mr. Speaker, I am also pleased the Ways and Means Committee included an amendment offered by my colleague Phil English that will improve the retirement options available to the Amish. This amendment corrects a line in the tax code that excludes Amish from deducting contributions to Keogh, SEP, or Simple IRA retirement plans. In 1989, Congress passed a law permitting self-employed members of certain religious faiths, like the Amish, to treat their self-employed earnings as eligible income, even though they are exempt from self- employment tax. This was done to allow these individuals to deduct contributions to IRAs from their taxes. However, Congress didn't change the sections of the code which apply to SEP, Keogh, and Simple IRA plans. As a result, Amish members have been able to deduct contributions to IRAs, but cannot deduct contributions to Keogh and SEP, and Simple IRA plans. Mr. Speaker, this was clearly an oversight made in 1989. With the inclusion of Mr. English's amendment, Amish will now be able to deduct their contributions to all of these plans. On behalf of the Amish, I wish to thank Chairman Thomas, Mr. Portman, and Mr. English for working hard to include this technical yet important, provision for the Amish.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, retirement is something every American needs to prepare for, but with the prices of everything from college educations to gasoline as high as they are, putting away money is difficult for many Americans. It is not made any easier by a government that takes about 40 percent away in taxes. This week, the House is going to vote on a bill to make retirement easier for working Americans. We are going to increase IRA contribution limits from $2,000 a year to $5,000. We are going to increase the limit on 401(k) contributions to $15,000. And we are going to allow people close to retirement an additional $5,000 in catch-up contributions to their 401(k)'s. Helping people keep more of their own money so they can invest it and retire comfortably is a cause every Member of this body should support. We have not increased IRA limits in 20 years. This legislation is long overdue. Yes, Republicans passed this legislation before; but this time we have a President who will sign the bill. This time it will become law. I thank the President for joining us in doing the right thing.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, look at this picture of Tracy Marciniak and her dead son. This little boy is not a zygote, not a blastocyst, not an embryo, not a fetus, not anything but a little baby, a little child who was brutally killed. His name was Zachariah. He was killed by his father, a man by the name of Glendale Black, 4 days before he was due to be born. He was beaten in the womb where he bled to death. And his father got away with it. Yes, Glendale Black went to jail, but not because he killed Zachariah. He went to jail for assaulting Zachariah's mother. At the time, it was not a crime to kill a woman's baby in Wisconsin as long as he did it before he was born. If he had done it 4 or 5 days later, he might have gotten life imprisonment. Instead, he is now eligible for parole. Wisconsin has since changed its law. If Tracy's ex-husband committed the same crime today, he would be charged with killing her child as well as assaulting her. But the Federal Government has no such law. In Federal jurisdictions, that man could get away with killing again. Look again at this picture. How can anyone say that this child is not a human being? How can anyone say that Zachariah should not have the same right to live as you and I have? How can anyone say that the crime Zachariah's father committed was not more than just assault, but also taking of human life? Or as his mother Tracy herself says, ``If you really think that nobody died that night, then vote for the one-victim amendment. But please remember Zachariah's name and face when you decide.'' Mr. Speaker, America's first war was fought to prove that each of us has an inalienable right to life as well as liberty and pursuit of happiness. We need to affirm that we still believe in these principles. We need to show that we still believe in God-given rights, the right to life. We need to pass this good legislation. We need to pass it unanimously. And we should reject the so-called one-victim amendment. Pretending that nobody died the night Glendale Black beat his wife and killed his son is to deny reality. Even worse, it is to turn our backs on everything America stands for.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, though many people do not know it, today has been designated by the industry as National Pretzel Day. This is a multimillion-dollar industry, and I have a number of large pretzel producers in my district, including Auntie Anne's, which you see in the shopping malls, Herr's, Anderson, Sturgis, Hammond and others. Everybody, it seems, eats pretzels today; but few of us know about the history of the pretzel and that they are one of the world's oldest snack foods. Pretzels go back as far as 610 A.D., when young students in North Italian monasteries received them as rewards for correctly reciting their prayers. A monk designed the pretzel to resemble the way students cross their arms across their chest in prayer, and that is also where the pretzel gets its name. Pretzel comes from ``pretiola,'' the Latin word for ``little reward.'' Pretzels have come a long way in the last 1,400 years and they are now a multimillion dollar industry in the U.S., and they are very popular. I am very proud to say that many of America's most popular pretzels come from Lancaster and Chester Counties in Pennsylvania.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to commend Dr. James Billington and the employees of the Library of Congress, particularly those working in the Congressional Research Service. On almost a daily basis, my staff and I rely on the expertise and wealth of knowledge that that staff provides. Since CRS employees work across the street from us, over in the Library, their dedication and work often go unnoticed. So thank you to all of you at CRS. In particular, I would like to thank a few individuals who have been extremely helpful to my office: Mr. Wayne Riddle in education; Mr. Christopher Bolkcom in National Defense; Ms. Kerry Dumbaugh in Foreign Affairs; Mr. David Brumbaugh in Public Finance; Ms. Barbara Leitch LePoer in Foreign Affairs; and yesterday, Mr. Len Krueger and Ms. Angela Gilroy in Telecommunications. Madam Speaker, I commend these individuals for their important and tireless service to the Congress and to our Nation.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, China's President should apologize to the United States for its aggression in the accident with one of our airplanes over international waters. This is not the first time Chinese Air Force fighter pilots have recklessly and aggressively flown by our slower-moving planes over international waters well outside of China's boundaries to harass our Air Force planes. They have done this repeatedly and have been warned of the danger. Unfortunately, this time, the Chinese fighter caused an accident. This reckless aggression, the forced landing of our disabled plane, and now the holding of our crew and plane as hostages, and now China's belligerence is outrageous. It violates international agreements that China has signed; it damages U.S.-China relations. President Bush should stand firm and strong and demand an apology from the dictators in Beijing, the immediate return of the American crew and plane. China is at fault on this one.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, China is holding two dozen American citizens who were forced to make an emergency landing after an air collision that appears to be the fault of the Chinese Air Force. They are not just holding American citizens, they are also holding very sensitive American technology. Causing this collision and holding the plane and its crew are flagrant violations of international agreements China is party to. What other agreements will they violate? It may be China is saber-rattling to try to keep us from protecting our national interests. Maybe they are trying to keep us from assisting our friends in Taiwan. Perhaps China is testing our new President to see what he is made of. President Bush should make it clear, we will defend our national interests. We will make sure Taiwan can defend itself; we should sell Taiwan the Aegis cruisers and the Patriot missiles they need to defend themselves. Madam Speaker, China should not test America. It is in China's interest to return that plane and its crew to us immediately.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, later this week, we will again vote to remove the marriage penalty from our Tax Code, and this time we have a President who will sign the bill. Eighty-five percent of the American people want us to do this, and with good reason. Forty percent of all first marriages end in divorce, single-parent families have increased 248 percent since 1960, and the percentage of children born out of wedlock has gone from 10 to 33 percent during the same period. Mr. Speaker, we need to strengthen families in this country. The Tax Code is not the only reason this has happened. For 30 years we had a welfare system that tore families apart. Fortunately, a Republican Congress reformed that system. We still spend $1,000 supporting single-parent families for every $1 we spend encouraging couples to marry and stay together. Clearly, we have a lot of work to do to strengthen marriages in America. This week we will have a chance to change the Tax Code that penalizes couples for getting married in the first place. I urge all my colleagues to support this very important bill.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, at noon today, some of us will be hearing from Jill Stanek, a nurse from Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. She will be sharing some actual experiences with us, telling us what happens when a baby survives an abortion. That is something we do not often hear about. Just what does happen? Babies survive abortion more often than one might think. One day Julie found a small living baby in a soiled utility room at her hospital, 22 weeks old, aborted because he had Down's Syndrome. His mother had an abortion, but he survived. The hospital did not know what to do with him, so he was just left in that cold room, lying naked on the counter. No one lifted a finger to help him live. Jill sat and cradled him in her arms for 45 minutes until he died. Mr. Speaker, last year we passed the Born Alive Infants Protection Act in the House to make it clear that all infants who are born alive, even if they were supposed to be aborted, are treated as legal persons under Federal law. Soon, it will be introduced again. Today, I invite my colleagues just to come and listen to Jill tell her story. It will take place in Room 311 Cannon at 12 noon.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, over the last 6 months, we have seen some major changes in our economy. We lost 94,000 manufacturing jobs just in February. Overall economic growth slowed to just 1.1 percent in the fourth quarter of last year. In the quarter before that, the growth was 5.6 percent. I do not need to remind anyone how far down the stock market has gone. Clearly, we need to take action. Some in this body are claiming that even by talking about the slowdown in the economy, we are pushing the country into recession. But we need to have a sensible discussion about what needs to be done to breathe new life into the American economy. This is too important to make it political. Yesterday's cut in interest rates will help, but we need tax cuts as well. Only by getting more money into the hands of the people who spend can we get our economy going again. Let us pass the President's tax relief package. In fact, let us even make it bigger and retroactive. And let us do it now.