George Radanovich

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute.

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Resources be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 2049) to rename Wolf Trap Farm Park for the Performing Arts as ``Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts,'' and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4020) to authorize the addition of land to Sequoia National Park, and for other purposes, with a Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I am troubled by the fact that the State Department has made almost no progress with regard to the disappearance of two Hmong Americans who went missing in Laos more than a year ago. Mr. Michael Vang, a constituent of mine from Fresno, CA, and Mr. Housa Ly, a constituent of Representative Mark Green from Appleton, WI, are believed to have been seized by the Pathet Lao along the border of Thailand and Laos. Our constituents have not been seen or heard from since. I believe the U.S. Congress needs to get tougher with the military dictatorship in Laos and the bureaucrats at the State Department who are content to work gently and cooperatively with the same Lao officials who are likely responsible for the abduction of our constituents. The regime in Laos continues to brutalize and murder its own people, particularly the Lao and Hmong people--many of which have relatives in my Congressional district. Congressmen Vento, Green and I helped to send a strong message to the State Department and to the Laos government last year with the passage of H. Res. 169, which was the first legislation to pass the House of Representatives specific to Laos--and it passed 412 to 20. Among other things it urged the Lao Government to return Mr. Ly and Mr. Vang, or their remains, to United States authorities and their families in America at once; it warned the Lao Government of the serious consequences, including sanctions, of acts of aggression against United States citizens; and finally it urged the Department of State and other appropriate United States agencies to share the maximum amount of information regarding the disappearance of Messrs. Ly and Vang. None of these things have come to pass. So today I want to thank my colleague, Senator Bob Smith from New Hampshire, for his efforts to place an ongoing hold on the appointment of a U.S. Ambassador to Laos until a fundamental overhaul of U.S. policy is made toward Laos, and until changes are made with regard to the way the State Department is handling the case of Mr. Michael Vang and Houa Ly. There are others I would like to thank for their efforts to help us resolve this case. Ms. Susie Vang, the wife of Michael Vang, has repeatedly traveled from Fresno, California to provide crucial testimony at several important events highlighting this case in the 106th Congress. Chairman Ben Gilman, Congressman Mark Green, Congressman Bruce Vento, Congressman Ron Kind, Congressman Wally Herger and Congressman Richard Pombo were also among those who participated. Finally, I am grateful to the Lao Veterans of America, the largest group of Hmong and Lao veterans in the United States based in my district, for their active participation in facilitating Congress' efforts to bring these Hmong Americans home. Mr. Speaker, I submit a letter into the Record that Congressman Mark Green and I recently sent to Senator Bob Smith regarding the need to keep a hold on the appointment of a U.S. Ambassador to Laos until fundamental changes are made in the way the U.S. State Department handles the Government of Laos and our case. October 6, 2000. Hon. Bob Smith, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Senator Smith: We would like to thank you for your recent efforts in the Senate to delay the appointment of Douglas Hartwick as Ambassador to Laos. We agree with those efforts and encourage you to remain steadfast in your position. For years we believe this Administration's policies toward Laos have been fundamentally flawed. Your placing a hold on Mr. Hartwick's Senate approval sends a powerful message that we in Congress reject this Administration's policies toward Laos, and are fully willing to support dramatic steps to force a change in those policies. We support your efforts for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the State Department's handling over the past 17 months of the case of two Americans--our constituents-- missing in Laos since April of last year. As background, we offer the following brief review of the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Messrs. Houa Ly of Appleton, Wisconsin, and Michael Vang of Fresno, California. According to America eyewitnesses who were traveling with Messrs. Ly and Vang, Lao government authorities are responsible for this disappearance--a belief we share. Given the Lao government's dismal record on human rights and other matters, we feel this allegation is entirely plausible. These eyewitnesses have offered the following account of the incident: ``On April 19, 1999, a party of four Hmong-American men-- Mr. Houa Ly, Mr. Michael Vang, Mr. Neng Lee and Mr. Hue Vang--were traveling in Thailand near the city of Chiang Khong. The group, having been advised that the nearby Thai- Lao border was open to tourists and the public, crossed the Mekong River into Laos. ``Once across the border, the party split into two groups. Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang began speaking to several men, some of whom identified themselves as authorities in the Lao government. Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang briefly left the area. When they returned, Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang were missing. ``After a brief search, Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang witnessed Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang being forced onto a boat by Lao men. The boat, with Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang aboard, sped away on the Mekong River. Mr. Ly and Mr. M. Vang have not been heard from since. ``On May 4, 1999, upon their return to Chiang Mai, Thailand, Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang reported this incident to the American Consulate. Two days later, according to Mr. Lee and Mr. H. Vang, an American official from the consulate informed them he had received reports that both men had been imprisoned and that Mr. Ly may have been killed. ``Subsequent independent reports have suggested that the two men are currently imprisoned by Lao government authorities.'' This case was initially brought to our attention in May of last year. Since then, we have been working together with the families of Messrs. Ly and Vang and attempting to work with the State Department to get to the bottom of the matter. We have repeatedly stressed the importance of this case to the State Department. Since our initial letter on the matter to Secretary Albright on May 19, 1999, we have worked to emphasize the urgent need to have this case resolved quickly for the sake of all involved. We have written letters, made repeated phone calls, sponsored meetings, organized briefings, held hearings and even passed House legislation dealing specifically with the disappearances. By the State Department's own admission, the communist government of Laos has been largely uncooperative in the ``joint investigation'' of the matter undertaken by our two governments. The State Department has nevertheless continued to work directly with the Lao government in their investigation, despite evidence indicating Lao government involvement in the disappearance itself. The investigation, not surprisingly, has produced virtually no results. Adding insult to injury, the treatment of the families of these two men at the hands of the State Department has been deplorable. Despite repeated State Department promises to keep family members regularly informed of progress and developments in the case, the families have reported that their contact with the State Department has been sporadic and inadequate. The families feel, and we agree, that the State Department has handled the Lao government with kid gloves while treating the families with skepticism and suspicion. Also, in the course of pursuing answers in this case, Rep. Green and the Ly family were forced to file a formal Freedom of Information Act request with the State Department. An unforgivable seven months passed before the U.S. government documents on the disappearance were finally released to the family. This pace of ``progress'' cannot be permitted to continue. We are resolute in our commitment to see this case resolved, and to provide the families of Mr. Houa Ly and Michael Vang the answers they deserve. We believe that is unlikely to occur unless there is a sweeping change in policy toward Laos within the State Department. The case of these two men is but another result of the deferential, appeasement-oriented Laos policy the State Department has consciously decided to pursue. It is but one of number of damning examples that clearly demonstrate the flaws in that policy. Consider the following as well: 1. Laos continues to exist as an old-style one-party communist state which maintains a monopoly on power and close relations with the world's remaining communist nations. 2. Human rights abuses by the Lao government continue to be appalling and widespread. The government deploys its security forces against many of its own citizens, including incidents last year in which pro-democracy student demonstrators were arrested and imprisoned. In addition, the Lao government denies its citizens' basic human liberties and rights, including freedom of speech, assembly and religion. These abuses have all been repeatedly documented by Amnesty International and other international organizations. Perhaps most alarming of all, at time when human rights in many areas of the world are improving, the human rights situation in Laos appears to be getting worse. 3. With the help of Vietnamese military forces, the Lao government has waged a systematic military campaign against the Hmong ethnic minority in the Laotian highlands. This campaign has caused inestimable civilian casualties and demonstrates that the regime in Vientiane is willing to wage outright war against its own people to maintain its increasingly unsteady grip on power. As these distressing events have taken place, the State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Vientiane have utterly failed to recognize, document and address them. These actions by the Lao government continue to take place for the same reason actions by any dictatorship continue occurring: because no one in power has the courage and determination to stop them. It is our hope that your brave action in the Senate will force a change in U.S. policy toward Laos, will help advance the case of our two missing constituents, and will assist in moving the people of Laos closer to a day when they will live without fear in a free and open society. Sincerely, Mark Green, George Radanovich, Members of Congress.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to submit into the Record the words of the father of John William and Ashley Danielle Carpenter, two innocent children murdered in their home in Merced, California. These words were composed and read at the funeral of the children. Mr. Speaker, I submit this statement to share with my colleagues the grief of a father and his plea for a change in the hearts of a humanity that can allow such an atrocity. While I can not know the impact on the family and friends of the Carpenters, I surely can sympathize with their pain and share their grief, with the hope and prayer of preventing just one act of violence, one time somewhere in this world. Today we stand here grieving the loss of John William and Ashley Danielle Carpenter and somewhere a mother grieves the loss of her son, who has done these hideous crimes. But what saddens me is that the law says we know what took place so it's time to close the book. But I challenge you, as the father of the deceased children that this case is far from over. Because while we sit here mourning the loss of our loved ones, the real killer is still loose. I believe the real killer is the dealer who supplied the drugs to the murderer of my children. I trust and believe that. I sure hope that I can't take this a step further and say it's ``big business'' that did this to my children, with mine and your tax dollars. When I say big business, I mean the White House, excuse my lack of a better word, to the Outhouse. We need to wake and wonder, why are they trying to take our only protection, our handgun, instead of going after the dealers that supply these drugs. It makes me wonder about their motives. There was a gun in my home, but because of the law and what could happen to me, I had it put away in supposedly a safe place. I guess I did, because my 14-year-old daughter and 13-year-old daughter couldn't get to it and neither did the murderer. The only thing I forgot to put a lock on was my pitchfork. How long are we, the people going to believe the lies of the politicians and get back to the root of the problems? We need to change the hearts of men, to start loving their neighbors and the neighbor's children as themselves. What's sad is, it doesn't cost one red cent. In fact it will save us money. My plea to you people today, is put all politics and religions aside and start living life like my little daughter Ashley did, by laying down her life for her sisters. It might cost you your life, but that should be easy to do, you already have an example in my daughter. Do whatever it takes to protect your family and friends. I know the only way she knew to do that was by example, starting with her love for Jesus, she learned at Sunday school. The next example was her mom and dad, who led her and were there for her, instead of chasing their desires. Because with me and my wife, we were raised and taught the same way, I wouldn't trade it for anything, because if I did, I wouldn't be here feeling like the proud father that I am, of all my children. I know without a shadow of doubt where my children are today, and only God knows where the murderer is. Please remember if you don't do as Ashley lived and did in her actions you might never see them again, and it hurts me to know that for you, their little lives might be in vain. I just want to say that for me, John William and Ashley Danielle Carpenter's lives weren't in vain. I will always keep you close to my heart John and Ashley in this life, but I guarantee you, I'll see you in heaven. Love you always and forever. Your Daddy & Buddy.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the record my understanding of the Twenty-first Amendment Enforcement Act as reflected in the Conference Report concerning Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (H.R. 3244). Representative Chris Smith's H.R. 3244 has been in Conference for the past several weeks. That Conference concluded with a report that allows the Twenty-first Amendment Enforcement Act (S. 577--Hatch) to be added to the legislation. I have a strong objection to the addition of this legislation, as it is not germane to the underlying, House-passed bill. However, as I support my esteemed colleague's efforts, I will vote to pass the Conference report. As a proud vintner, I object to the association of my industry with violence against women, sex trafficking and slavery, and believe that S. 577 should not be included for that reason. In addition to my objection, The National Association of State Legislatures took action opposing S. 577 on a 41-7 vote. Mothers Against Drunk Driving does not support Congress' involvement in an internal industry issue under the guise of juvenile access to alcohol. The proponents of S. 577 argue that the legislation is needed in order to avoid distribution of alcoholic beverages to minors. If that is indeed their position, the Conference Report should include language that limits the provisions of S. 577 to enforcement in cases involving minors. It does not; therefore, I believe that the intention of the proponents of S. 577 is in fact broader than the rhetoric would indicate. Previous versions of the Twenty-first Amendment Enforcement Act contained provisions that would have allowed states to unfairly discriminate against out-of-state sellers for the purposes of economic protectionism. Such protectionism would clearly be a violation of the Commerce clause of the Constitution; thus, the current version of this legislation does not allow for such protectionist acts. The Twenty-first Amendment Enforcement Act is simply a jurisdictional statute with very narrow and specific purposes. The bill is not intended to allow the enforcement of invalid or unconstitutional state liquor laws in the federal courts, and is certainly not intended to allow states to unfairly discriminate against out of state sellers. The legislation does provide the federal courts jurisdiction to injunctive relief actions brought by state attorneys general seeking to enforce state laws dealing with the importation or transportation of alcoholic beverages. We are not today saying that those state laws are valid, reasonable or in any manner given import outside of the jurisdiction of the state. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the Conference has reported a bill that confuses, rather than enlightens, the debate within the alcohol beverage industry regarding the best mechanism for consumers to obtain the products they wish to purchase in a free society. As a stand-alone bill, I have worked to make sure that this confusion was not adopted in law. However, the procedural actions that resulted in this bill being included in the Sex Trafficking conference report make such efforts futile, and as I indicated, I will vote to support the report.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, Taiwan is a free democratic nation in the Pacific and a shining example of economic success and total democratization. Taiwan's accomplishments are too numerous to mention here, but I do want to note that Taiwan's success is directly attributable to its people's industriousness and its leader's wisdom. Today nearly everyone in Taiwan is middle class, and is enjoying the country's many amenities--such as good food, adequate housing, a good transportation system, excellent schools and crime-free neighborhoods. Politically, people can freely express their opinions and elect their leaders at every level. Press freedom and human rights are also guaranteed by Taiwan's constitution. Therefore, to my friends in Taiwan, I want to go on record stating that you have done a wonderful job and congratulations on your 89th National Day.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania, chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), for his assistance in bringing H.R. 4216 to the floor. Madam Speaker, I represent the 19th District of California. This region has an agricultural-based economy which brings with it high unemployment rates and an unskilled labor force. While the nationwide job market is the strongest it has been in decades, my district struggles with an unemployment rate that averages from between 12 to 17 percent. I know of small pockets in my district whose unemployment rates have recently been as high as 44 percent. To compound this problem, labor demands are difficult to meet since potential workers in our region have few if any labor skills. With such drastic conditions, we need our local businesses to have the incentive to train and hire people. There used to be programs in my district through which employers would train unskilled laborers and then hire them. This training comes at a cost that local work force development boards used to cover under the Job Training Partnership Act. However, the Workforce Investment Act now only allows a maximum reimbursement of 50 percent through what is known as the customized training program. Employers in my district cannot afford to train unskilled workers if they can only recover up to 50 percent of their costs. If we do not change this law, these valuable programs will cease to exist, both in my district and in areas throughout the country. H.R. 4216 changes the Workforce Investment Act so that it does not limit reimbursement of customized training to only 50 percent. My bill allows the local work force development board to determine the appropriate amount that an employer should contribute to customized training on a case-by-case basis. This change will salvage a form of job training that has been highly effective in adding to the labor force, ending government dependence, and strengthening our economy. Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 4216. It is good for business, it is good for the noticed, and it is good for the economy.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I thank very much the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) noting that I will be talking about the ``War on the West''. I just want to make sure he knows I define the West as anything west of the East Coast. So I appreciate this time to be able to talk on this subject, mainly about rural America and I think this administration's assault on rural America. While the ``War on the West'' might be a tired slogan, it is not nearly as tired as the people who continue to fight their own government to preserve their way of life. As President Clinton's reign over western lands draws to a close, the war has been renewed with fresh vigor. New regulations sprout like kudzu, an unstoppable creeping vine, it strangles the jobs and life out of many western and rural communities. During the past 8 years, the Federal Government has been a tough opponent. Few small businesses and landowners can withstand the due diligence of government lawyers who have unlimited funds and unlimited time. For the victims, bureaucratic time is like Chinese water torture, slowly eroding the small business owner's ability to meet payroll and pay the bills. The waiting game is the government's most powerful weapon against individuals. Delays and uncertainty can destroy any small business. But it is only in the West and in rural America where the Federal Government controls over half of the land, where our economy is dependent on natural resources, that a little bureaucratic red tape puts entire counties out of work. Ask somebody who comes from rural Oregon or ask somebody who comes from rural California. An example, in 1997, the Bureau of Land Management decided to carry out environmental assessments on every single grazing permit renewal. These can be very time consuming and expensive. It was a choice only a bureaucrat with government time and money would make. Over 5,000 permits expired in 1999, nearly a fourth of the total number. Everybody knew that the BLM lacked the manpower to complete all the reviews in time. The ranchers faced enormous uncertainty, they feared they would have no place to put their cows and no extra feed available. The Clinton-Gore administration showed all the concern that we would expect from Federal agents. They did not show much concern about the ranchers without permits who would go out of business. Maybe, Mr. Speaker, that was the point. It took Congress to step in and temporarily renew the permits until the environmental reviews were completed. That move was labeled as an antienvironmental rider that ``offered a perverse incentive for the BLM to delay environmental analysis.'' One thing people do not get is that when one puts ranchers out of business, they sell the ranch. The people who work there lose their jobs. The suppliers in the town lose their jobs. The people who buy the ranch, they build subdivisions. This destruction of America's rural jobs is the unavoidable side effect of the Clinton-Gore public land policies. Politics has driven their systemic effort to demonize people who live on the land. They equate producers with destroyers. They claim to save nature from man, and in the process, they gain political favor in the cities where people do not understand our rural culture, nor do they understand environmental stewardship. Another example, President Clinton's Northwest Forest Plan virtually eliminated timber harvesting from almost 21 acres of forests in Washington and Oregon. Since 1990, almost 20,000 forests and mill workers in those two States have lost their jobs. It is estimated that those industries supported another 40,000 to 60,000 service jobs. This all happened in small communities where unemployment is already over 15 percent. This pattern has been repeated across the West. Thousands of mining, trucking and refining jobs have been lost by preventing the expansion or opening of new mines. The government has starved and destroyed countless small oil and gas producers and drillers by delaying regulatory permits. The Clinton administration is now taking the final step by restricting recreational access as to Federal lands, a move that will erode the very tourism jobs they promised would sustain rural America after they eliminated the resource jobs. What is most disturbing is that these unfortunate rural victims seem to be expendable casualties in the game of Presidential politics. The chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy) recently said that Democrats have basically written off the rural areas. That statement alone sheds light on the rural cleansing machine at work. In 1996, the year of the Clinton-Gore reelection campaign, President Clinton designated 1.8 million-acre of Grand Staircase Escalante Monument in Utah. Initially, the Presidential advisor Katie McGinty, chairman of Council on Environmental Quality, expressed concern about abusing the Antiquities Act and stated that these lands are not really endangered. But she later changed her position, apparently convinced of the political value in making such a designation. The process was pushed forward in spite of statewide outrage, and the Nation lost access to 62 billion tons of clean coal, 3 to 5 billion barrels of oil and 2 to 4 trillion cubic feet of clean-burning natural gas. The children of Utah lost billions of dollars in future royalties to pay for their schools. Fast forward to the year 2000. In this Presidential election year, President Clinton has named 10 new national monuments to the delight of hundreds of important urban activists. One of the most recent, the Sequoia National Monument, was in my California congressional district. In spite of an existing ban on logging within the sequoia groves, and in spite of scientific recommendations that logging provides critical fire control around the groves, the administration decided to clear 330,000 acres off limits to anybody. They immediately put 220 people in Dinuba, California out of work. This tragic result has been compounded by the fact that these families not only lost their primary income, but they also lost their employer- provided health insurance. Possibly the worst effect of the Sequoia Monument, however, is that it has left the Sequoia Monument in the same position as the Bandelier Monument in Los Alamos, New Mexico. There is a virtual timber box of a forest, and prescribed burns are now the only way to control it. Just this year, 75,000 acres burned right next door in the Manter Fire. So today, at the end of the Clinton administration's sovereignty over western lands, we find we are still fighting a war on the West. City folk might be tired of hearing about this, but, Mr. Speaker, believe me, the people in rural America are exhausted after 8 years of living with it. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Peterson) for yielding me this time and also for bringing up this most important issue to my constituents and I think for the country; and that is this administration's attack on rural life in America.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution. I do it on behalf of all the people who live near our National Forests and want to see a change in the way they are managed. As of today, over six and half million acres have burned in the West. That's an area larger than the entire state of Maryland. This is catastrophic fire--not the beneficial natural kind--but the catastrophic. It feeds on brush and trees. It climbs up the ladder of fuels into the crowns of the largest old-growth trees, burning everything. It kills a forest completely and sterilized the ground. Besides the threat to people, these fires kill animals; destroy habitat; release huge amounts of air pollution; and leave barren dead zones. After the fires are extinguished, the exposed soil and debris washes into streams, polluting water and killing fish. On Tuesday, a state of emergency was declared in one of the counties I represent. Tulare County, California, is now preparing for the massive erosion and mudslides that will come from the area of the Manter Fire. That fire burned 75,000 acres just east of the new Sequoia National Monument. It killed nearly every tree. The Administration blames it all on Smokey the Bear. They say the problem is the 100-year-old policy of suppressing forest fires. But that's only half of the problem. In this weekend's radio address, President Clinton blamed ``extreme weather and lightning'' that sparked too many fires this summer. The Assistant Secretary for Land at the Department of Interior, Sylvia Baca, said that, ``Nobody could have predicted the deadly combination of drought, wind and lighting in the West this year.'' But that kind of backward logic ignores the fact that we did know about the accumulation of fuel. We know about the millions of acres of dying forest. We knew there would be a dry spell in the West. We knew that a deadly fire season would occur. Last April, the General Accounting Office reported to Congress that over 39 million acres of our national forests were at high risk of catastrophic fire. Another 26 million acres were reported at risk due to disease and insect infestation. Experts have tagged the overaccumulation of brush and trees as the biggest threat facing the western environment. Let me say that again--The biggest threat to the western environment. Now that biggest threat has become a tragic reality. What has the Forest Service done about it? The answer, Mr. Speaker, is not much. The only real, aggressive strategy of this Administration has been one of deliberate neglect. We have before us a roadless policy that will close fifty million acres of forest lands. We have a Sierra Nevada Framework that will restrict access to over 11 million acres of California forest. We have the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Plan (ICBEMP) that would limit the use of 60 million acres in the northwest. Add to that 2 million acres of new national monuments created just this year. All of these proposals and changes are policies that conflict with, rather than complement, a cohesive national fire strategy. Mr. Speaker, this year we will spend close to a billion dollars fighting catastrophic fires in the West. A lot of that will be emergency money tacked on top of the budget. Then next year, we will spend hundreds of millions more restoring some of these areas to avoid mudslides and erosion. It doesn't have to be this way. The bipartisan resolution I am introducing today, with original cosponsors from the East, the South and the West, calls on the U.S. Forest Service and other land management agencies to create a cohesive fuels strategy. This resolution is identical to the bill that recently passed the California State Assembly. It has strong bipartisan cosponsorship and passed on a unanimous vote. Similar legislation has been adopted by the State Legislatures in Colorado, Idaho and Arizona, also with bipartisan support. Our States are calling out for help. Federal forest lands need better care. Specifically: 1. We need a strategy to reduce accumulated fuels. Dense brush cannot be burned with prescribed fire until the small trees are removed mechanically. A fuels reduction strategy will include both of these important tools. 2. We need a strategy to remove diseased trees. Insects and pathogens infect 26 million acres of federal trees and they threaten state and private forests nearby. These trees can be removed and used in order to improve the overall health of the forest. 3. And we need to include states, locals and private business in the effort. A collaborative approach will ensure that important local variations are included in the plans. Mr. Speaker, the Forest Service is being pulled in so many directions that their mission seems unclear. I want this Congress to give them some leadership. The priority should be fuels reduction and forest health. These are the highest priority the U.S. Congress has for forest management. This resolution says clearly that we want such a strategy incorporated into new regulatory proposals and that we want locals involved. This summer, we have witnessed a real tragedy as millions of acres burned. But keep in mind that over 57 million acres are still at high risk. Not even ten percent of the total has burned this year. There is still time to create a strategy and to save what's left. We need to protect the Western environment and to protect the people who live there.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, yesterday I introduced the National Commission on Budget Concepts Act. Over three decades ago, President Lyndon Johnson established his Commission on Budget Concepts. The Commission's task--to make the Federal budget a more useful document for public policy making--was no easy assignment. Nonetheless, the Commission put forth many sound suggestions that policy makers and the public embraced. That was thirty-three years ago. Times have changed. Before Republicans balanced the budget, we had deficits as far as the eye could see. Now we are forecasting surpluses in the trillions of dollars. Suddenly everybody agrees that the Social Security surplus should not be touched. We are taking trust funds offbudget. We are paying off principle on the debt. Mr. Speaker, we are treading on unfamiliar ground. We should establish a new commission that will review the federal budget in today's terms, and figure out how it can best be presented in today's climate.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very special person, Renee Rose of San Francisco, California, who is a dedicated wife, daughter, mother, grandmother, colleague and friend. Renee Rose is one of those rare individuals who takes care of everyone she knows. Whether you are simply stopping by her office to drop something off, or you are a second cousin of a second cousin looking for a place to stay--Renee will take care of you. She takes care of everyone, and she is wonderful at it. In a day and age when people do not even exchange eye contact, Renee is a beautiful reminder about what people should be all about. And everyone lucky enough to fall into her care is truly blessed. If only we had more Renee's. On behalf of the many that have benefited from your numerous kindnesses, Renee Rose, we rise to celebrate you and your 60th birthday. We wish you 60 more!

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I stand today with my fellow delegates in celebration of the Sesquicentennial of the State of California. As you know, California was admitted into the union as the nation's 31st state 150 years ago. Since that time, our state has developed into a capital of the arts, a headquarters for business, and a distinguished marketplace for agriculture. Mr. Speaker, I represent the 19th District of California, which spreads across the farm country below the Sierra foothills from Visalia, south of Fresno, to the mountainous Mariposa County. Most of the landmass I represent is part of the Sierra Nevada, and it contains most of three national parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. I am truly honored and privileged to represent an area so rich in splendor and American history. Fresno, for example, is a city of both agricultural and industrial importance in California. A creation of the industrial age, Fresno was founded by the Central Pacific Railroad. Its city fathers also bred the local wine grape, developed the raisin industry, and cultivated the Smyrna fig. Now, Fresno County's crops also include cotton, citrus, tomatoes, cantaloupes, plums, peaches, and alfalfa. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Fresno County has grown to currently produce more farm products in dollar value than any other in the country. My home of Mariposa County is also of great historical significance. At one time it occupied more than one-fifth of the state's 30,000 square miles and is currently home to the oldest working courthouse west of the Rocky Mountains. Made of hand-planed local lumber is 1854, the Mariposa County Courthouse remains the seat of government and justice to this day and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse was accepted as a National Historic Landmark because some of the most celebrated and noted civil, mining, and water cases were held in its courtroom: the Fremont land grant title and Biddle Boggs v. Merced Mining Company are but two. During the 1953 centennial celebration of the courthouse, the State Bar recognized the building's significance by declaring it to be preserved as a ``shrine to justice in California.'' As you can see, Mr. Speaker, the 19th District of California has played a fundamental role in California's history. From developing the agriculture industry, to shaping our civil and natural resource laws, the 19th District's cities are models for emerging communities across the country. I am honored to represent this district and to have been a lifelong resident of Mariposa County. Mr. Speaker, please join me in celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the Golden State: California.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the recipients of the fifth annual Excellence in Business Award for their high ethical standards, corporate success and growth, employee and customer service, and concern for the environment. Award winners include businesses across the spectrum of the valley economy: agriculture; charities; finance; banking and insurance; health care; manufacturing; professional services; real estate and construction; nonprofit organizations; small businesses; retail and wholesale. The 2000 Excellence in Business Award winners are: Agriculture--Zacky Farms Charitable--Hope Now for Youth, Inc. Financial/Banking/Insurance--U.S. Small Business Administration Healthcare--Kaiser Permanente Medical Center Manufacturing--Netafim Irrigation, Inc. Nonprofit--The Bulldog Foundation Professional Service--Deloitte & Touche Real Estate/Construction--Webb & Son Retial/Wholesale--Richard Caglia Electric Motor Shop Small Business--BennettFrost Personnel Services, Inc. Hall of Fame--James and Coke Hallowell Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate each of the 2000 Excellence in Business Award winners for their leadership and contributions to the community. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing all of the recipients many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate James and Coke Hallowell for winning the Excellence in Business Hall of Fame Award for 2000. James started working at his father's dealership in 1955, and assumed control of the company in 1968. It was a small company in a rural community. By 1999 Hallowell Chevrolet sold 2,000 vehicles and generated $65 million in sales. James retired from the business in 1999, when he sold the dealership to his partner Bill Hendrick. Over the years James and Coke have received numerous honors. James has received the Leon S. Peters Award, Fresno Junior Chamber of Commerce Award as Fresno's Outstanding Young Man in 1969, Time Magazine's Quality Dealer Award in 1971, and Fresno State's Alumnus of the Year award in 1974. Coke has been the State Center Community College District trustee for two terms. James and Coke have contributed their time, efforts, and money to charitable and civic causes as well. Coke has been deeply committed to the San Joaquin River Parkway since 1985. James has been active with the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra, is currently president-elect of the Fresno Business Council, and has a seat on the Community Medical Center's Board of Directors. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to congratulate James and Coke Hallowell for winning the Excellence in Business Hall of Fame Award for 2000. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing them many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the outstanding work of the Yosemite National Park Volunteer Project. The project is celebrating a decade of effort by the Yosemite Fund and volunteers from Chevron Corporation to restore and preserve one of the crown jewels of our National Park System. Yosemite's 4 million yearly visitors will bear witness to the fruits of this effort: More than 60 acres of meadows, lake area and woodlands have been restored. Nearly 3,000 volunteers donated 27,500 hours to collect and plant 10,000 oak seedlings, remove 1,000 feet of roadway, build 4,000 feet of split rail fence, install 1,500 feet of boardwalk, remove 600,000 pounds of asphalt, plant 100 black oak trees and improve one mile of trails. Mr. Speaker, this is not glamorous work. To the contrary, splitting rails, digging up asphalt and laying boardwalk to protect meadows is hard, physical labor. The Chevron volunteers did it happily, putting to superb use the $1.3 million in contributions provided by Chevron. The Yosemite Fund, the National Park Service and Chevron have created a partnership that invigorates natural conditions in Yosemite which still might be in danger of permanent degradation if it were not for this timely volunteer and financial assistance. This cooperative effort is a model public/private partnership that has made a lasting difference in one of this nation's most beautiful and most important natural settings.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Vernice McKellar on the occasion of her 100th birthday which she celebrated on June 24th, 2000. Mrs. McKellar has dedicated her life to helping others and improving her community. Vernice McKellar was born in Kansas, but spent the majority of her years in California. At the age of seven, her family settled in Lindsay. After graduating from Lindsay High School in 1917, Vernice went on to become a registered nurse at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara in 1926. Vernice McKellar was married to Hugh A. McKellar in 1928 and moved to Ivanhoe where she and her husband farmed a successful Sunkist Orange Ranch, which she still takes part in operating. Vernice has been an active member of the community. Her daughter, Norene March, describes her as ``community minded.'' Her activities include volunteering for the American Red Cross, volunteer nursing in the community, and working with the PTA. Vernice is proud that she voted for the first time at age 21 and has not missed voting in an election since. Vernice encourages her friends to contribute to the Ivanhoe Youth Center in hopes of providing activities for youth and reducing gang activity in Ivanhoe. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Vernice McKellar and congratulate her on the occasion of her 100th birthday. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing her many more years of happiness and success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Madera County Supervisor Gail Hanhart McIntyre for being selected as the recipient of the Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership Award for the year 2000. The award, sponsored by the the Fresno Bee and the Fresno Business Council, honors Senator Vuich, who consistently maintained high ethical standards and earned bipartisan respect throughout her career in the State legislature. It also recognizes elected leaders who symbolize integrity, strength of character, and exemplary ethical behavior. Gail Hanhart McIntyre is the first woman to serve on the Board of Supervisors in Madera County, California. As a member of the Board of Supervisors, she represents the City of Madera and has built consensus among city council members over the years. Ms. McIntyre promotes job growth, protects the agricultural concerns of the area and is working to create a better quality of life for the city of Madera. Currently, Ms. McIntyre is serving her third term as Board Chairman. She has also served on numerous other committees, including: the Private Industry Council, the Mental Health Advisory Board, the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District, and the Fresno Madera Agency on Aging. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Gail Hanhart McIntyre for being selected as the recipient of the Rose Ann Vuich Ethical Leadership Award for the year 2000. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing her many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Fresno Chapter of World Impact, Inc. for their effect on the Fresno Community. World Impact is a nationwide, interdenominational, Christian discipling and church-planting ministry dedicated to ministering God's love in the inner cities of America. The organization nurtures urban disciples who will join in teaching others the gospel. World Impact, Inc. also develops indigenous disciples of Christ in the inner city through ministry to children, teenagers and adults who are committed to Christ and to making Him known to others. Currently, the Fresno Chapter shares the gospel of Jesus Christ in five ministry areas in Fresno, California. They minister to about 250 children and 40 teenagers weekly from these areas and also hold Bible studies for adults. In addition to their five ministry areas, they also have a community center, which includes a gymnasium, recreation rooms, a kitchen, offices, and classrooms. The community center offers Bible classes year round, as well as other community activities. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize the Fresno chapter of World Impact, Inc. for their contributions to the community, and I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing the organization many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, today I congratulate Larry and Sally Quist, as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Larry and Sally Quist were married on July 9, 1950. Larry met Sally (previously Sally Doering) while he was attending Western State College in Gunnison, Colorado. At the time, Sally was still in high school in Montrose, Colorado. She later attended Western State College on a music scholarship. Larry, a retired World War II Navy veteran, was a Park Service naturalist and manager. He retired from the Western Region at San Francisco after 33 years of service. While employed with the Park Service, Larry was stationed at Black Canyon National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Hot Springs National Park, and Zion National Park. He was also the Superintendent of Stones River National Battlefield. Larry was the first Park Superintendent at Herbert Hoover National Historic Site. He served as head of public relations for Yosemite National Park from 1969 to 1971. After his work with Yosemite, he moved to the Park Service Western Region in San Francisco and continued to work in public relations. Sally Quist, a stay-at-home mom, left Western State College to join Larry when he began working with the Park Service. Since moving to the San Francisco Bay area, both she and Larry have been heavily involved in philanthropic support of Sunny Hills Retirement Home in Marin Country, near their home in Novato. Among the Quist's many joys are their sons Kirt and Kris. Kirt is a retired Army officer, who has become a successful insurance and finance executive near Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife, Lynn, have two sons, Kyle and Kevin. Kris is the head curator for the State of California Parks in Monterey, California. He and his wife, Andrea, have a daughter, Lily, and a son, Jameson. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Larry and Sally Quist as they celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing them many more years of happiness.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Tom Archer for a lifetime of public service. Today he retires from years of serving the citizens of Mariposa County as the Human Services Director. Tom's academic endeavors have taken him to some of our nation's top universities. He received a Bachelor's degree in Social Science from the California State University, Stanislaus, a Master's degree in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Social Work degree from West Virginia University. He is currently a Ph.D. candidate at the University of California, Davis. Not only is Tom an accomplished scholar, he is also a compassionate social worker and an American soldier. Tom served in the United States Navy, and has served as Director of the Central Valley Regional Center in Merced, California, as Council Member and Mayor Pro Temp of the City of Merced, and most recently as Human Services Director for the County of Mariposa. Tom has spent his lifetime dedicated to sound community planning, managed growth, and intergovernmental relations in diverse communities throughout the country. He has served selflessly and strengthened every community he has touched with his longstanding interest in extending social and cultural programs to all citizens. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Tom Archer on his achievements and thank him for his dedication to our communities. I ask my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Archer many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Jack Stone for receiving the 2000 Distinguished California Agriculturalist Award. Mr. Stone, a native of Kings County, has given us a lifetime of service and dedication to agriculture in our state. In 1940, Mr. Stone started a small farming project near Five Points. He sold the farm in 1942 and married his wife Hilda. He then spent the next four years in the Army Corps of Engineers, where he retired as a Captain. Mr. Stone returned to farming in 1946 and started J.G. Stone Land Company, growing grain and cotton. Mr. Stone was selected to be president in 1972, four years after being appointed to the Westland's Water District board of directors. During his time as president he led the district through years of challenges. These include two severe droughts, the Reclamation Reform Act of 1982, the Kesterson Reservoir controversy, and the CVP Improvement Act of 1992. He retired in 1993, after 21 years of service with the Westlands board. Mr. Stone has served on numerous boards of community, farming, academic, and water-related organizations. He has been president of the National Cotton Council of America, the chairman of its Producers Steering Committee, a member of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, and president of the Western Grower's Association. He has also won numerous awards such as: the 1995 Kings County Agriculturalist of the Year, the 1995 American Society of Agronomy Honor for Distinguished Contributions to the Advancement of Human Welfare and the Enhancement of California Agriculture, and induction into the Cotton Hall of Fame in 1992. Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize Jack Stone for receiving the 2000 Distinguished California Agriculturalist Award. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing him many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Armenian Relief Society on celebrating 90 years of providing assistance to the Glendale, CA area. As a nonprofit organization, the Armenian Relief Society provides a broad range of services to the Armenian community. It gives humanitarian aid, offers translation services, helps the homeless, and offers English as a second language classes to new immigrants. The agency also offers assistance in health care, job referrals, placement, and in finding housing. The agency has branches in 23 counties, with 18,000 members and 1,400 volunteers in the western United States. To this day, the Armenian Relief Society is still called upon to help the Armenian people and to preserve the cultural identity of the Armenian nation. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Armenian Relief Society as they celebrate 90 years of service. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing the Armenian Relief Society many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate and honor Amorette Yang, who has achieved national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. Amorette of Clovis, California, has been named one of California's top honorees in The 2000 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, an annual honor conferred on the most impressive student volunteers in each State, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Ms. Yang will be recognized with a bronze Distinguished Finalist medallion. Ms. Yang is involved in numerous volunteer activities. Her most recent activities include the Hmong American Women's Association, Inc., Model for Hmong International New Year Cultural Events, Adopt a Highway, Clovis High Tutoring Program, College Church of Christ Nursery, College Church of Christ a cappella choir ``In His Steps,'' CUSD Elementary Cheer Camp Coach, and CUSD Leadership Camp facilitator. With all of her volunteer accomplishments, Ms. Yang still is able to maintain a high grade point average. The program that has brought this young role model to our attention-- The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards--was created by the Prudential Insurance Company in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals in 1995 to impress upon all youth volunteers that their contributions are extremely important and highly valued, and to inspire others to follow their example. In only 5 years, the program has become the Nation's largest youth recognition effort based solely on community service, with nearly 75,000 youngsters participating since its inception. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Amorette Yang, who has received national recognition for exemplary volunteer service in her community. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Amorette Yang many more years of continued success.

Mr. RADANOVICH

Mr. RADANOVICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Doug Harrison for his 30 years of outstanding community service with the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and Fresno County. Mr. Harrison is the General Manager-Secretary of the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, having served in that capacity since 1972. The American Waterworks Association recognized his work in urban run-off quality research as the best water resources research of 1988. Also, Mr. Harrison was acknowledged by the State Water Resource Control Board in 1993 for federal Clean Water Act program assistance. Subsequently, he was named by the American Public Works Association as one of the Top Ten Public Works Leaders in the nation in 1993; and, Manager of the Year, 1999, by the California Special Districts Association. Mr. Harrison has spoken nationally on urban storm water and flood control issues, including frequent testimony before the Congress of the United States and the California State Legislature. He has also published numerous articles and was a contributing author for a national water resources policy white paper developed by the National Water alliance for the Bush Administration. He also serves as a Board Member of the San Joaquin River Conservancy. He is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Association of California Water Agencies, and is also the past President and a current Board Member of the National Association of Flood and Storm Water Management Agencies. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to honor Doug Harrison for his 30 years of service with the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District and Fresno County. I urge my colleagues to join me in wishing Mr. Harrison many more years of continued success.