Rob Portman

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise to respond to a few of the comments made by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) just spoke about the fact to focus on our own backyard and not just focus on interdiction and blaming other countries. He also indicated he would be supportive of interdiction, but we needed to do more than that. The previous speaker talked about the importance of interdiction but also said, while interdiction may make sense, it is not the only thing we should be doing. I guess what I am here this evening to talk about is the fact that that is not all we are doing in this Congress, and we need to draw attention to that. Yes, the President has a plan to try to save Colombia, which is a national security issue as well as a substance abuse or drug issue, and it is a crisis. It is appropriate, I think, to deal with that in a supplemental appropriations bill. But this Congress, Mr. Chairman, over the last several years has made progress on doing exactly what the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Rodriguez) is talking about, what the previous speaker is talking about, looking at this issue in a more comprehensive way. Despite what I have heard on the floor today, I think we need to recognize that and look at the track record of this Congress. First, on a bipartisan basis, we have passed some good legislation from the Drug Free Communities Act, for instance, we passed in 1997. It supports community-based solutions. It focuses on prevention, education, and treatment. It brings all segments of the community together and forces them to deal with the problem in a comprehensive way. It is working. There are about 3,000 community coalitions now around the country. We hope to double that in the next several years. Incidentally, we are looking for $40 million for that program this year in the appropriations process. Those who have spoken today and who care about this issue might want to focus on that. The administration requested only $35 million, under the authorized amount. The National Youth Antidrug Media Campaign this Congress passed a few years ago, the funding started 2 years ago, an unprecedented amount of Federal support from this Congress to support, yes, an antidrug media campaign that focuses on prevention. It is working. The ads are being tested. $185 million was appropriated by this Congress last year for that program. Over the 5-year period for which it is authorized by this Congress, we will spend, when we conclude the private match over $2 billion, the largest media campaign in history on drugs or any other issue. This is something this Congress has done, and we need to do more of it. We need to continue to support that. I have not heard much about that today. The Drug Demand Reduction Act we passed in 1998 increases the effectiveness of the Safe and Drug Free Schools Act. It authorizes the media campaign I just talked about. It streamlines the antidrug bureaucracy we have of 54 different departments and agencies, to reduce the duplication. If my colleagues want to be supportive of what is going on here in our backyard, there are lots of ways to do it. There is the Drug Free Workplace Act, which again has been a bipartisan effort of this Congress. We got about $4 million provided in last year's budget. We are going for more this year. For those who care about issue, through the normal appropriations process, my colleagues will have an opportunity to support the Drug Free Workplace Act. It establishes a new grant program for nonprofits to expand on drug-free workplaces. It also has the Small Business Administration involved directly in efforts to promote drug-free workplaces. We are asking to do even more in the area of prevention, education, and treatment this year in the appropriations process. I am delighted we have had this debate today, because I have found there is a lot more support for it than I thought there was. I am not sure the supplemental appropriations bill is the right place to do it. Let us take it through the normal process. Let us support what we have already done. Let us build on that. This year, let us have a teen drivers' act, where when teens go to get their driver's license, they are asked to be tested. There is a monitoring of that. There is an incentive through insurance discounts if they do it, a voluntary program with real discounts and real incentives. Let us put enhanced treatment in our jails, in our prisons. If we talk to folks who are involved in this, the only way, we believe, to stop the revolving door to cut that link between addiction and crime is to get more treatment in our jails and prisons. Only 9 percent of prisoners today at those levels are getting that kind of treatment. We do not have a Federal program to do that now. We need one. The money we would dump into SAMSHA would not help in that regard. That is something this Congress can work on in a bipartisan basis, and there will be proposals to do that later this year. This is something that we can do and we can do through the regular order. My only point is not that we should not be focused on the comprehensive picture, it is that we have been. And this Congress, over the last few years, has a lot to be proud of in terms of focus and in terms of resources, putting unprecedented amounts of money into prevention, education, and treatment. We need now to build on that. We need not, though, at the same time, to say that there is not an issue with regard to interdiction. I have tended to focus more on the demand side. But if we take our eye off the ball on the supply side, what will happen? We will get increased supplies from foreign countries and what we will have is also reduced cost and cost is a factor in this. So we need to do both. It needs to be a balanced approach. We need to reduce demand for drugs, and we need to help move this country toward a drug free America. The Speaker spoke earlier today about his willingness to do that. He spoke about his willingness through the regular process, not through the crisis in Colombia, but through the regular process to enhance our efforts on prevention, education and treatment, and I think this Congress ought to take him up on that.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commend the partnership the Ohio Valley Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. recently forged with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These two groups have mutually recognized the importance of providing a safe work environment for our nation's construction workforce. I am pleased to see the federal government and the private sector working so closely toward a common goal--worker safety and health. As part of this innovative partnership, participating contractors from the Ohio Valley chapter will voluntarily improve their current safety and health programs and adhere to a more stringent set of standards. In return, OSHA will recognize contractors who have demonstrated exemplary safety records. According to the agreement, ABC and OSHA will take positive steps together, such as: maintaining an open communications policy at the regional, chapter, and national levels; sharing knowledge of the best industry technology, innovations, and practices that improve safety; cooperating in the development and improvement of safety programs; ensuring that policies and practices are effective, consistent, and fair; and promoting the principles of good faith and fair dealings. This agreement is good for ABC contractors, OSHA, and most importantly, workers on the job site. I firmly believe that commonsense partnerships such as these, characterized by cooperation and communication, will best serve those it was meant to help--the worker.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo).

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English).

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2\1/2\ minutes to respond to some of the comments that were just made and talk a little bit about this package. First, I want to commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) for putting this good tax relief package together. We have to recall where we are. We are in the process of raising the minimum wage, and this is simply an attempt to try to cushion the impact of that minimum wage on job loss in this country, because all the studies show there will be an impact on the economy particularly among smaller businesses. So these proposals are focused on smaller businesses. In the pension area in particular, the problem we have of a gap of people not having pensions is primarily among smaller businesses. There are about 70 million Americans today who do not have pension coverage. That is unacceptable. That has happened increasingly with the administration's position that I just heard announced about pension reform. It will continue to happen. It will continue to have fewer and fewer people getting pensions because the administration seems to be taking the position that any kind of pension reform that would at all incur, increase, and expand coverage for defined contribution plans and defined benefit plans somehow is going to help the rich too much. Let me tell my colleagues about the limits that the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal) just talked about. He said the administration is opposed to raising the limits, the contribution limits and the benefit limits on pensions. Somehow this would be counterproductive. It would hurt low-wage workers. Let me tell my colleagues what the limits are today. Today the limit is about $170,000 compensation limit under defined contribution plan and defined benefit plan. We propose raising it to $200,000 a year. In 1993, under a Democrat Congress, I might say, that limit was at $235,000. It was reduced over time, strictly as a revenue grab, in order to effect the deficit we lived in and had in this country. If that $235,000 were adjusted to inflation today, it would be $290,000 limit. Now, tell me, if the Treasury Department opposes this pension provision because the limits are too high, why did a Democrat Congress have $235,000 limit that would now be almost $300,000? We are talking about just raising it up to $200,000 because, yes, we believe that those 70 million Americans who do not have a pension now, particularly in small businesses, where only 19 percent of small businesses because of the costs and the burdens and the liabilities now have any coverage. We believe those small businesses ought to be able to offer a pension plan to their employees. We want every employee in America to have a pension plan. That is the purpose of this legislation. It is focused on small business because that is where most of the problem is with regard to the pension coverage, but it is going to help every American be able to put more aside for retirement. It also provides for portability and people to take a pension from job to job. Finally, it provides, yes, for some common sense regulatory relief so that the costs and burdens are reduced for those smaller businesses. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds. Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with my colleague the gentleman from Hawaii (Mr. Abercrombie) that we need to work together on these proposals. I would just suggest to him that many of the proposals that he talked about, the 415 changes from multi-employer plans that are so important to unions, the health care insurance for those who are self- employed, the provisions in here for community renewal I certainly think should be bipartisan. The pension provisions have been bipartisan from the start. We have 80 Democrat cosponsors and 80 Republican cosponsors. I think this is sort of America's bill. There are people who think the Democrat bill does not do that. The Small Business Survival Committee has written us a letter saying that the Democrat alternative is a de facto tax increase on small businesses. We can talk more about that later. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly) for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I would say absolutely that her understanding is correct. In fact, just the opposite is intended by these provisions and will be the effect of these provisions, which is to say that they will expand pension coverage for American workers.

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth) a member of the Committee on Ways and Means.

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to respond briefly. We are going to hear a lot about tax cuts for the rich from the other side apparently. I would just like to remind Members about what is actually in this legislation. There is health insurance for those who are self-employed. Those are people who are primarily small businesspeople. These are not the rich. There is community renewal here for our very poorest neighborhoods, rural and urban neighborhoods around America. Those are the people who will benefit. With regard to the low-income tax credit, that is going to benefit not the rich; it is going to benefit people who need the benefit of government help in housing. With regard to pensions, and I see my colleague here from North Dakota. Let us look at the benefits. Seventy-seven percent of the people who are currently participating in pensions make less than $50,000 a year. These are not rich people. These are people who need our help. I would just say, I have now had a chance to look at the Democratic alternative, as I have been sitting here, in more detail. It provides a net $8 million in tax relief as I see it over 5 years. The Republican alternative provides through all those items I just mentioned about $48 billion worth of needed tax relief that is going to help all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Reynolds).

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Ben Thornburg, who is being honored by the National Association of Music Educators for his composition entitled ``A Prayer.'' Ben is a senior at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, and he will be honored tonight at the Music Educators National Conference in Washington, D.C., where his composition will be performed by the Princeton High School A Cappella Choir in the Omni Shoreham Ballroom. The Music Educators National Conference's nationwide Student Composition Competition recognizes talented young music students in the United States. Ben is one of only 24 elementary through university- level students chosen from across the country. He is an exceptional student composer, and he represents his school and his community well. By every indication, Ben has a very promising future. I know that the people of Greater Cincinnati join me in wishing him the very best tonight. We are very proud of Ben's achievements and we hope this is the beginning of a bright and successful career.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for yielding me this time, and more importantly for raising the unfunded mandate point of order. I would just say to my friend from New York that it is not a foolish piece of legislation and yes, indeed there is an unfunded mandate here. This is precisely what this legislation was intended to do when we passed it 5 years ago. One, to provide for information. We now have a Congressional Budget Office impact statement which shows there is going to be an $880 million impact on State and local government because of the minimum wage bill we are about to vote on. Second, it provides for accountability. The gentleman from Oklahoma says he is going to ask for a vote. I think that is great. We are having a debate on this issue, we are having the information provided to us which we would not have had 5 years ago, and now we are going to have a vote on whether we as a Congress are going to impose an additional almost $1 billion unfunded mandate on State and local government. If we really believe that in Congress we ought not to be imposing these costs on State and local government that have to take it out of things like fire and police services or raise taxes on our citizens back home, then we ought to take a very careful look at the unfunded mandate impact. And in my case, I am going to vote no, because a ``no'' vote means you are upholding the point of order, a ``no'' vote means you recognize that there will be an impact on State and local government that is inappropriate. I encourage my colleagues to vote no.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Martha Burns, a good friend and community leader who is planning to step down from her duties as a Member of the Board of Trustees, Co-Chair of the Parent/School/Youth Task Force, and Director of Parent Training with the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. Martha has been invaluable to the Coalition. In 1996, Martha attended a meeting at Sycamore High School regarding teenage drug abuse and efforts to get parents involved in a new organization being formed to address the problem--the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. Martha went home that night and made the decision with her husband, Bruce Burns, to get involved in the effort to prevent teenage drug use in our community. Martha has been the Coalition's hardest working volunteer. She and Bruce were trained as facilitators of our Parent-to-Parent program and began recruiting others to do the same. As the Director of Parent Training for the Coalition, Martha coordinated Parent-to-Parent training classes throughout Greater Cincinnati. To date, over 4,000 parents in 30 school districts have been trained in how to talk to their kids about the dangers of substance abuse and how to recognize signs that a child may be in trouble. Most recently, Martha has worked to bring the parent training classes into the workplace. Martha's work and contributions to the community do not, however, end with the Coalition. She also volunteers at the local library, is Secretary of the local Boy Scout troop, teaches Bible classes, and is an Officer and Board Member of the Sycamore High School Parent Teacher Organization. Martha's efforts with the Coalition have helped literally thousands of local parents to learn more about how to keep their kids drug-free. And, it is not a stretch to say that her work has saved the lives of children in our area. Her selfless dedication to the cause of fighting drug use in our community makes her a true hero. We will miss Martha as a Board Member, Co-Chair of the Parent/School/Youth Task Force, and Director of Parent Training, but look forward to continuing to work with her as a Coalition volunteer in the future.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me the time; and I want to thank him and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Archer) and other members of the Committee on Ways and Mean who have put this legislation forward. I rise in very strong support of it, the Senior Citizens' Freedom to Work Act, properly named, as well. The gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Ramstad) talked earlier about a constituent who had come into his office and talked about the penalty that she now lives under, which is about 4,000 a year, and does not enable her to do things she needs to do for herself. Let me tell my colleagues another story. And there are so many out there. Each of us knows people in our districts, maybe in our family, who are affected by this. But Marjorie Thompson is a dear friend of mine back home. She is a caregiver. She is a nurse. She takes care of elderly patients primarily. She is a compassionate, a skilled person who has a very strong work ethic and wants to work. Marjorie is in her late sixties, and she wants to go to work every day. She has come to me and she has said, Rob, should I work? And I have to tell her that her marginal tax rate for every additional dollar she earns now is about 80 percent. She is getting advice now from everybody she knows that say, of course she should not work, not with that kind of penalty. If we could take away the earnings penalty from her, she would work and she would work a full year and she would not stop when she has reached that cap. People like Marjorie Thompson are needed. They are needed to care for our elderly. They are needed throughout our economy. These are people that have a lot to contribute. And it is not just economically. They have a lot to contribute to our society. They want to work. They want to have the dignity and the self-respect that comes with work. The last thing that this Congress and this Government should be doing is discouraging them from working. We have to remove this penalty from the Tax Code. It is overdue. Again, I commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and others, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Sam Johnson) who put this forward. And I am really looking forward to its being enacted into law.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, due to a previous commitment in my district, I was absent for rollcall vote No. 26. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for yielding me this time. I appreciate his efforts to bring marriage penalty relief to the floor today. He has been a real champion on this issue. I also commend the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) for moving it through the Committee on Ways and Means. Let me just start by saying that we have a non-Social Security budget surplus projected that is over $2 trillion. The marriage penalty we are talking about today is about one dime out of the dollar of that non- Social Security budget surplus. To say that we cannot take care of paying down the debt, to say that we cannot take care of Social Security and Medicare in that context is just not right. We can. We can do that, and we can take care of this unfairness in the Tax Code. This is a good bill because 25 million couples out there pay, on average, about $1,400 on average more than people who are in their situation but not married. That is just unfair. That may not be much money by Washington standards; but in my district, that is a lot of money. That means about 63,000 couples in the second district of Ohio have more money to save for their own retirement, more money to save for their kids' education, more money to make a down payment on a car or a home. Frankly, it is just not fair. This is their money. This part of the code has to be changed. I have heard some of my friends from the other side of the aisle say today, well, our bill is more targeted. We want to target it more. Well, if you target it, two things happen. Number one, people who deserve the benefit, who deserve to get outside of the marriage penalty do not get it. This includes, yes, people who itemize, people who own their own homes. Yes, it includes stay-at-home moms. It even includes some folks that they say they would like to help. Because if they target it and be too specific and refine it too much, they are going to miss some people who need the help. The second thing that happens is in order to target it and refine it the way that Democrats would like to do they add enormous complexity to the Tax Code. Now, I hope all of us will focus on that today. We are doing this, not only in a way that provides relief to people who are being penalized by this unfair part of our Tax Code, but we are doing it in a way that is as simple as possible so we are not adding tremendous complexity to the Tax Code. My colleagues have to add that complexity if they try to target and try to social engineer too much with this proposal. So I would say to my friends on the other side of the aisle, let us ask the couples in our districts, do they want to get outside of this unfair marriage penalty. The answer will be a resounding yes. We have an opportunity to do it today. Let us join together and pass real marriage penalty relief, and I urge everyone to vote yes on final passage.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a community leader who will be honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 4, 2000, by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. He was selected for his outstanding community service, business and civic accomplishments, awareness of the needs of others, and achievements that have brought favorable attention to the Cincinnati area. A native of Alabama, Rev. Shuttlesworth moved to the Cincinnati area in 1961 to pastor at the Revelation Baptist Church. In 1966, he founded the Greater New Light Baptist Church in Avondale where he continues to lead worship. He has four children. Rev. Shuttlesworth earned a bachelor's degree in science from Alabama State University in 1951. He went on to do graduate work at Alabama State and then received seminary training at Cedar Grove Academy and Selma University. The Rev. Shuttlesworth is perhaps best known for his heroic work as a civil rights leader. Many place him among the ``big three'' in the civil rights movement--next to Dr. Martin Luther King and the Rev. Ralph Abernathy. Willing to risk his life for freedom and equality, the Rev. Shuttlesworth was nearly killed three times, jailed more than 25 times, and endured more than 36 criminal and civil actions. Words such as bravery do little to capture the conviction and heroism that Rev. Shuttlesworth exhibits. A sampling of Rev. Shuttlesworth's accomplishments include the organization of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights in 1956, which was founded in response to Alabama politicians outlawing of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In 1957, he was one of five organizers of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference where he still serves as a member of its National Board. In addition, he served for several years as a member of the National Advisory Board of Congress on Racial Equality. But he has also been actively involved in our community and I have seen firsthand his good works. In 1988, Rev. Shuttlesworth established The Shuttlesworth Housing Foundation to help needy families afford down payments for the purchase of homes. As of November 1999, Rev. Shuttlesworth helped over 460 low-income families become homeowners. In June of 1988, the City of Birmingham renamed Huntsville Road ``F.L. Shuttlesworth Drive,'' and on November 14, 1992, Birmingham dedicated an 8-foot statue of Rev. Shuttlesworth at the opening of its Civil Rights Institute. In 1998, the City of Cincinnati renamed North and South Crescent Avenues as ``Fred Shuttlesworth Circle.'' Rev. Shuttlesworth says that he has done ``little'' and he professes to do ``more and . . . all I can until I leave here.'' Cincinnati is blessed by the Rev. Shuttlesworth's leadership and good will. We are most fortunate for his service and commitment to our nation and local community.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mrs. Bobbie Sterne, a community leader who will be honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 4, 2000, by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. She was selected for her outstanding community service, business and civic accomplishments, awareness of the needs of others, and achievements that have brought favorable attention to the Cincinnati area. Mrs. Sterne grew up in Moran, Ohio, and currently resides in North Avondale. She graduated from Akron City Hospital School of Nursing and attended both the University of Akron and the University of Cincinnati. She and her husband, the late Dr. Eugene Sterne, have two daughters. During World War II, she served at the rank of first lieutenant with the 25th General Hospital Unit in Europe. Mrs. Sterne has made a difference in the community of Cincinnati-- particularly through her 25 years of service as an elected official. She served on the Cincinnati City Council from 1971 to 1985 and then from 1987 to 1998 and in 1976, she became the first woman mayor of Cincinnati. Mrs. Sterne has received numerous awards and honors, including the Citizen's committee on Youth's Most Valuable Citizen Award; Council of Jewish Women Hannah G. Solomon Award; Ohio Woman of the Year; Inquirer Woman of the Year; Ohio Woman Hall of Fame; YMCA's Career Women of Achievement; the Salvation Army's ``Other'' Award; the Ohio Veteran's Hall of Fame; the Lighthouse Youth Services Beacon of Light Humanitarian Award; and the Alcoholism Council Tracy Bissell Memorial Award, among others. Mrs. Sterne still actively serves the commuunity on numerous boards, including the Charter Committee; Government Relations Committee of the Community Chest; Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Woman Sports Association Board; the Ohio United Way Board; the Hamilton County Department of Human Services Planning Committee; the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati; the Fountain Square Fund Restoration Committee; and Chair of the Emergency Service Coalition. Mrs. Sterne's commitment to community service was instilled at an early age. In her family, one was brought up to ``leave the world a better place than you found it.'' Mrs. Sterne has certainly succeeded in doing so in our community. Cincinnati is grateful for her leadership, service, and commitment.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to rise in tribute to Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk, on the occasion of his 25th anniversary of his ordination as a bishop. During his forty years in the priesthood, Archbishop Pilarczyk has compiled an impressive and distinguished history of service to the church and the community. After eight years of service as Auxiliary Bishop of Cincinnati, he became Archbishop in 1982. He is the spiritual leader of 550,000 Catholics in more than 200 parishes, and he manages close to 7,500 workers in Ohio. In addition, he has served as president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as chairman of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy. Archbishop Pilarczyk is a strong believer in education and has made it one of his top priorities during his time at the helm of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is the ninth largest Catholic school system in the country. He has served our community in so many other ways including serving on the boards of St. Rita's School for the Deaf, the Pontifical College Josephinum, Catholic University of America and the coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati. He holds a masters degree from Xavier University and a doctorate from the University of Cincinnati, as well as seven honorary degrees. In addition, he has authored 18 books as well as numerous articles. Daniel Pilarczyk is a Southwest Ohio native and he has given so much back to our community. I've had the chance to work with him in his role as founding board member of the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati where he made an important contribution as a thoughtful and dedicated board member and a person with a sincere interest in our youth and their future. All of us in Southwest Ohio wish Archbishop Pilarczyk the very best on the 25th anniversary of his ordination as bishop. We are proud to count him as one of our true religious, spiritual, and community leaders.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Charles Mechem, Jr., a dear friend and community leader who will be honored as a Great Living Cincinnatian on February 4, 2000, by the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce. He was selected for this honor because of his outstanding business accomplishments, awareness of the needs of others, community service, civic accomplishments and contributions that have increased the quality of life in Cincinnati and Southwest Ohio. Mr. Mechem grew up in Nelsonville, Ohio, and currently lives in Clifton with his wife, Marilyn. They have three children. A graduate of Miami University and Yale Law School, Mr. Mechem has had a most distinguished career, bringing business and entertainment to the Greater Cincinnati area. Mr. Mechem likes to say he has enjoyed four careers: as a partner at Taft, Stettinius & Hollister; as CEO of Taft Broadcasting; as commissioner of the Ladies Professional Golf Association; and in his own words, ``life after that''--which includes serving as Chairman of the Board at Convergys and as the personal business adviser to golf legend Arnold Palmer. For more than 40 years, Mr. Mechem has focused on bringing entertainment opportunities to the Cincinnati area. As he puts it, he ``was motivated . . . to do things that made this community a fun place to live in.'' Mr. Mechem was instrumental in bringing the Cincinnati Bengals franchise to town; spearheading the vision and construction of Kings Island; and helping to provide the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra a new home at Riverbend by donating the site adjacent to Coney Island. Nationally, Mr. Mechem worked tireless for five years with the LPGA to lead a national resurgence of interest in the game. In the business community, Mr. Mechem served Cincinnati as President of the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce in 1977 and Co-Chaired the Chamber's Blue Chip Campaign from 1979-86. His other leadership roles include: National Chairman, Miami University Goals for Enrichment Campaign; President, Family Service; Co-Chair, Cincinnati Business Committee; and Founder/President of the Greater Cincinnati Sports & Events Commission. In addition to being the Chairman of the Board at Convergys, Mr. Mechem also serves on the Board of Directors at Mead Corp., Ohio National Life Insurance, Arnold Palmer Golf Co., The J.M. Smucker Co. and Myers Y. Cooper Company. All of us in Cincinnati are grateful to him for his full devotion and service to community.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a family in the district I represent that has brightened the holiday season for generation of Southwest Ohioans. For the last 30 years, Carl and Judy Rudd have put on a remarkable Christman display at their farm near Blue Creek, Ohio. Rudds' Christman Farm is the largest free outdoor Christmas display in the state of Ohio, with over one mile of pathways covering two hillsides on the farm property. With more than one million lights and a 62-foot-wide Christmas wreath, Rudds' Christmas Farm is truly a sight to behold. And the overall effect is complemented by the sound of Christmas music echoing from the hills. The Rudds started their Christmas display as a testimony to their deep and abiding Christmas faith. Throughout the farm, there are life- sized religious figures, paintings and slide projections that tell the story of Christmas. They have never asked a penny for admission, and for many years they would take out a loan to finance the display. This year, Carl and Judy Rudd will welcome the public to their wonderful Christmas Farm for the last time. They have decided that the time has come to retire after organizing their Christmas display for 30 years. All of us in Southwest Ohio wish to share our appreciation to Carl and Judy Rudd for the Christmas joy they have brought to entire generations. And we wish them the best for a healthy and enjoyable retirement.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the tax extender and Ticket to Work package. I commend the Chairman and my colleagues Rick Lazio of New York and Kenny Hulshof of Missouri for their leadership on this issue. So many people with disabilities want to work, and technological as well as medical advances now make it possible for many of them to do so. Unfortunately, the current Social Security Disability program has an inherent number of obstacles and disincentives for people to leave the rolls and seek gainful employment because they will lose cash and critical Medicare benefits. This proposal before us today is designed to eliminate those obstacles and allow beneficiaries to select from a wider choice of rehabilitation and support services. It also extends health benefits for disabled people returning to work, which has been one of the single biggest challenges for helping people to make this transition. Specifically, it expands state options under the Medicaid program for workers with disabilities, and it extends Medicare coverage for SSDI beneficiaries. Importantly, this bill not only will well serve the disabled, and also will save millions of Social Security dollars in the coming years. The key to this bill is that it will provide people with the opportunities and means they have asked us for to become productive members of society. This is a good and fiscally responsible bill. I'd also like to express my support for the important package of tax extenders contained in this legislation. These extenders--like the R&D tax credit and others--are essential elements in our effort to maintain our strong economy. I urge my colleagues to support this responsible package.

Mr. PORTMAN

Mr. PORTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Ronald R. Rogers, a constituent, who recently became Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons for 1999-2000. Mr. Rogers has an extensive Masonic record. He began his Masonic career as Master Councilor of Ivanhoe Chapter of the Order of DeMolay. He received his Chavalier Degree in 1952 and was awarded the Active Legion of Honor in 1976. He became a Master Mason in Norwood Lodge No. 576 in 1972. Before becoming Grand Master, Mr. Rogers was elected Junior Grand Warden in 1996, Senior Grand Warden in 1997, and Deputy Grand Master in 1998. A Cincinnati native, Mr. Rogers is a graduate of Norwood High School and received his B.A. from the University of Cincinnati. He worked for Clayton L. Scroggins, a management consulting firm in Cincinnati, for 35 years. Mr. Rogers is the proud father of a daughter, Robin, and the proud grandfather of a granddaughter, Leslie. Active in his community, Mr. Rogers is a member of the Forest Chapel United Methodist Church. He has served Forest Chapel as Chairman of Finance, Chairman of Music and a member of the Administrative Board. He sang in the Forest Chapel Chancel Choir and also served as its president. Mr. Rogers is a past Area Financial Officer of United Way and past President of the Forest Park Band Boosters. We congratulate Ronald Rogers on his position as Grand Master, and wish him every success during his tenure.