Jim Ramstad

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act. Madam Chairman, in 1992, Presidential candidate Bill Clinton pledged to ``end welfare as we know it.'' Today 4 years later, welfare recipients and taxpayers are still waiting for President Clinton to make good on his promise. The President could keep his word by signing the welfare reform waiver proposals on his desk from Wisconsin and Minnesota, as well as the comprehensive Federal welfare reform bill before us today which would empower States to proceed with innovative changes. To hasten approval of badly needed welfare reform, we in this Congress took a bold step toward meeting the President halfway when we separated welfare reform from the Medicaid reform bill that had threatened to doom both reforms. The time for action is long overdue. Our Nation's welfare system is in dire need of reform. America has spent $5.4 trillion on social welfare programs since the beginning of the ``War on Poverty'' in the 1960's. Yet, the poverty rate has not decreased and the number of families on welfare has skyrocketed from 1.9 million in 1970 to 5 million today. The sad history of welfare is one of three generations of people who have become trapped in a cycle of dependency. Since 1993 alone, the number of single women who are heads of households in poverty has increased by 175,000 women. Frustrated by inaction at the Federal level, individual States have moved forward with their own reform proposals. Minnesota and Wisconsin, for example, have put together comprehensive welfare reform plans to move welfare recipients from welfare to work. A Minnesota Department of Human Services pilot project--the Minnesota Family Investment Plan [MFIP]--has resulted in reduced caseloads for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children [AFDC] program in the seven counties in which it operates. Minnesota would like to expand MFIP throughout the State as well as implement a number of additional pioneering measures recently passed by the State legislature. Wisconsin would like to implement ``Wisconsin Works,'' the welfare plan praised by President Clinton during his May 18 Saturday radio address as a ``sweeping welfare reform plan, one of [the] boldest yet attempted in America * * * We should get it done.'' Unfortunately, since the President has twice vetoed welfare reform passed by Congress that would allow States to change the welfare system in ways which meet the needs of their residents, States must still go through an arduous special waiver process to enact their reform plans. But the President has yet to approve the waiver requests of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Minnesota submitted its waiver requests last March 28. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services, it is critical these waivers be approved before the end of this month. And while the President said he would make the final decision on the Wisconsin waiver request by mid-July, he has yet to do so. I remain hopeful the President has truly had a change of heart and will approve both States' requests. It should be pointed out that the Clinton administration has granted several waivers to allow other States to implement similar proposals. But why should we approach this in a piecemeal, one-waiver-at-a-time fashion and waste valuable time and taxpayer dollars--time and money which could be better spent helping families and children escape the web of welfare dependency? How much longer can we continue to wait for the President to ``end welfare as we know it?'' How much longer will the President defend the welfare status quo and deny people in need and American taxpayers the opportunity for true reform? I believe the time is right to move beyond the piecemeal waiver process, put partisan politics aside and pass the comprehensive welfare reform legislation before us today. Madam Chairman, it's time to change the failed welfare system's vicious cycle of dependency. When this legislation is placed before the President again soon, we will find out if he has, indeed, really changed his position or if he will continue to fight to preserve the status quo. I hope the President will take the opportunity to support the Minnesota and Wisconsin plans--as well as proposals for the 48 other States--and sign the bill. Without national welfare reform for all 50 States, the cycle of poverty is destined to continue indefinitely.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise a very special person from the Third District of Minnesota, who exemplifies the unconquerable spirit of America, a man who overcame tremendous obstacles to become one of the greatest baseball players in major league history. All Minnesotans and baseball fans across the Nation were stunned last Friday when Kirby Puckett announced his retirement from baseball because of irreversible damage to his right eye. But Kirby Puckett's place in the hearts of Minnesotans and baseball fans everywhere will live everywhere. What a remarkable career: 2,304 hits. In 1989, he became the first right-handed hitter to win a batting title in two decades, played in 10 consecutive All-Star games and won the Most Valuable Player Award in 1993. Kirby collected more hits in his first 10 seasons than any other major league player in this century. Kirby Puckett's hall of fame career closely parallels his hall of fame performance as a role model for young people, his hall of fame work ethic, and his hall of fame public service in our community. From visiting kids in the hospital to raising badly needed funds for Children's Heartlink and inner city youth programs, Kirby Puckett has done so much for our community and State. On behalf of all of the people of Minnesota, I want to thank Kirby Puckett for the joy he has brought to our lives. Kirby Puckett's greatness and impact on the lives of people, Mr. Speaker, cannot be measured by mere statistics. His power will forever be felt in one place, where numbers do not matter, in the heart. Good luck, Kirby; we will be cheering for you for the rest of our lives. And we wish Kirby and Tonya and their two beautiful children the very best that life has to offer.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for an amendment offered by Representative Furse to the Interior appropriations bill that was voted on last week and would have repealed the emergency timber salvage provisions enacted last summer. I was in Minnesota on a leave of absence due to illness and unable to be here for the vote, but had I been here I would have voted in favor of Representative Furse's amendment. Like many of my colleagues, I voted for the original emergency timber salvage provisions because I believe that salvage logging, when used properly, can be an important tool in forest management. Unfortunately, I am disappointed with the implementation of the law and have come to realize it was too broadly written. I am concerned that waiving the environmental laws that would ordinarily apply to timber sales increases the strain timber, in general, have on the environment. I am also concerned that there may not be the economic benefits to salvage sales that we had hoped. While I understand it is the environmental regulations and analyses that are blamed for much of the added costs to timber sales, and that by waiving these requirements the sales will be more economical, I am concerned that taxpayers will still lose money on the sales. For these reasons, I would have voted for the Furse amendment to the Interior appropriations bill.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, Bill Emerson was loved by all of us in this body and he will be missed by all of us. We all knew Bill Emerson was a skillful legislator who represented the best in public service. I always knew Bill Emerson the person. He was one of my closest friends here. I knew the loving, caring, honest guy Bill was. He cared deeply about people, all people, from all walks of life. But his passion, Mr. Speaker, was to reach out to people like me, people recovering from alcoholism. Until his cancer incapacitated him, Bill held meetings in his office every Wednesday noon, always there, for all of us, always there with a listening ear, always there to help others still suffering the ravages of alcoholism and drug addiction, always there setting up interventions for families, always there to talk to spouses of Members who are in trouble with this disease of alcoholism. Bill Emerson was a true inspiration to all of us who care about this disease of alcoholism. I am not breaching his anonymity because Bill Emerson has given this talk before, publicly. He was a true profile in courage, a true profile in courage for the way he lived and the way he died. I talked to Bill Emerson a week before he passed on. He said, ``Jim, if I'm not going to make it, I'm going to go sober.'' Bill left us sober, and he left us a wonderful, wonderful legacy, those of us recovering and all of us as well as those still suffering from this disease. To Jo Ann and Bill's four wonderful daughters, thank you for sharing this truly wonderful human being with all of us. Bill, we love you.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay special tribute to a unique community which has pulled together in a truly inspiring way to accomplish something remarkable. On Saturday, May 25, 1996, a dream will be fulfilled and history will be relived. On that day, a canary yellow, 70-foot-long, 76,000-pound, authentically steampowered craft--the express, or streetcar, boat Minnehaha--will once again be officially back on the beautiful and historic waters of Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota, making its maiden voyage from Excelsior to Wayzata. Mr. Speaker, on Saturday there will be oceanwide smiles on the faces of boaters in a celebrating flotilla of accompanying watercraft and spectators on the shores of Minnesota's most history-steeped lake. This historic event is the product of 6 years--and 80,000 hours--of hard work by dedicated, committed volunteers organized through the Minnesota Transportation Museum over the last decade and a half. Area children, citizens, and corporations gave $500,000 to make this dream possible. On behalf of all the people of our area, State, and Nation, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks and deepest appreciation to all of them for resurrecting part of our history. Once upon a time, 1906 to be exact, a half dozen of these fast, steam-powered express boats were launched on Lake Minnetonka: Minnehaha; White Bear; Hopkins; Stillwater; Como; and Harriet. For two decades, these yellow vessels provided not so much a source of pleasure boating as they were the critical transportation of the time to the many communities stretched out across this lake of many bays. To provide a bit of history, please let me read a brief excerpt from Eric Sayer Peterson's ``The Little Yellow Fleet; A History of the Lake Minnetonka Streetcar Boats'': At the turn of the century, Thomas Lowry's renowned Twin City Rapid Transit Company was hard at work carving its own special niche in American history. To provide his patrons with even more services, Lowry decided to build a fleet of six steamboats to travel the waters of beautiful Lake Minnetonka, complementing his immense electric streetcar line which stretched all the way from Stillwater to the lakeshore at Excelsior, Minnesota. Lake Minnetonka was one of the few places in the world where passengers could transfer from a land-based streetcar and continue their journey in a steamboat that was owned and operated by the parent streetcar company. The unique vessels that Lowry built were the famed Lake Minnetonka streetcar boats. But time, 20 years, and the Model `T' brought the demise of this proud fleet. In 1926, the Minnehaha filed with red clay roofing tiles and scuttled north of Big Island. Relocated in 1979 in 70 feet of water at the bottom of Lake Minnetonka and successfully raised to the surface in 1980, the boat then rotted on shore for another 10 years. In fact, less damage occurred to her structure through more than a half century mired in the lake bottom than in the decade up on shore prior to the launch of the restoration effort. Then the Minnesota Transportation Museum and an energetic legion of volunteers and boat lovers went to work. The Minnehaha was lovingly and painstakingly taken apart and pieced back together. The people of our Lake Minnetonka community came forward with original parts from the streetcar boats they had stored in the corners of their homes. And on Saturday, May 25, 1996, in Excelsior, MN, the culmination of all that hard work will take place. Bands will play. Then the Minnehaha will be rechristened and headed for Wayzata and other ports of Lake Minnetonka. The Minnehaha will continue to make those runs now, just as it did in Lake Minnetonka's glory days of the past, all summer long. And for many summers to come. Rescued from the bottom of Lake Minnetonka, restored lovingly through the boundless generosity of hard-working volunteers, and rechristened with communitywide affection this Saturday, the Minnehaha will now be as much a part of our area's future as it has been our past. For that, and for all the hard work and dedication of so many volunteers, we are eternally grateful.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Missing Children's Day May 25, and ask that my colleagues and the entire Nation remember the 1 million children reported missing in the United States. Every State in our Nation has experienced the tragedy of a child heartlessly taken from family, friends, and the community at the hands of a kidnapper. In my home State of Minnesota, the community of St. Joseph continues to struggle and tries to understand the abduction of Jacob Wetterling, a healthy, happy child who this year would have graduated with the rest of his classmates at Apollo High School in St. Cloud. Jacob Wetterling was abducted in 1989. Since his tragic disappearance, Jacob's family and friends have reminded us that life can be dramatically changed in a matter of moments. They remind us that even the seemingly most peaceful town can face tragedy of massive proportions. They remind us that every community in every State has a responsibility to offer safety and protection to its children. Jacob's family and friends have shown their commitment to Jacob and other children by establishing the Jacob Wetterling Foundation. The foundation works tirelessly to promote child safety, support families, and search for missing children. The Jacob Wetterling Foundation played an essential role in my efforts to enact Federal legislation to address the horrendous epidemic of sexual crimes against children. Fully two-thirds of the nonfamily child abduction cases reported to police involve sexual assault. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that 74 percent of imprisoned child sex offenders had one or more prior convictions for a sexual offense against a child. Another study found that those who prey on young boys commit an average of 281 acts of molestation. According to the Department of Justice, over 100,000 children are targets of attempted abductions each year. Thankfully, most attempts are unsuccessful, but thousands like Jacob tragically disappear. That's why the Wetterling Foundation and Jacob's parents, Patty and Jerry Wetterling, worked tirelessly to help me pass the 1994 Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Registration Act. The Wetterling Act provides for the registration of convicted child sex offenders and violent sexual predators. This national requirement was needed because of the propensity of these offenders to repeat their heinous crimes again and again after their release from prison. Some States--like my home State of Minnesota--already provided for sex offender registration, but many offenders simply moved to another State and avoided detection and registration. The children of America and their families needed the Wetterling Act to protect them from those who prey on children. Every major law enforcement organization asked for it as a resource for investigating child abduction and molestation cases. Until recently, law enforcement was simply allowed to notify the community when dangerous child sexual offenders were released and living in the community. Congress recently passed Megan's law, which will require community notification. This is good news for America's children and families. Mr. Speaker, May 25 is National Missing Children's Day. Jacob's family and friends, the people of St. Joseph and all Minnesotans will remember Jacob Wetterling and other children who have been abducted. The Wetterling Foundation has asked Minnesotan to leave their front porch lights glowing for National Missing Children's Day. These porch lights represent hope that Jacob and the other missing children will be found and returned home safely. They also represent a brighter future where children can be free from worry and fear because they are part of a community that makes child safety and protection the single most important priority. I invite the citizens of every State in the Nation to join my fellow Minnesotans in leaving on their porch lights. Leave your lights on for Jacob Wetterling and the million other children who are still missing. Let them know we love them and will never stop looking for them.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on National Peace Officers Memorial day to pay tribute to the 14,064 peace officers who have given their lives to protect our communities. The names of these 14,064 brave men and women are permanently etched on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, located just a few blocks from here. This year, Mr. Speaker, 161 new names were added in a candlelight vigil representing police offices who were killed during 1995, and anyone who attended the ceremony today saw the families of these 161 police officers had to be profoundly moved, just as they were by the President's heartfelt remarks and by the beautiful singing of Mariah Carey. Mr. Speaker, my home State of Minnesota has suffered the loss of three police officers who have died on duty since July of 1995: Paul Moen, a Minneapolis police officer died during a struggle; Brian Klinefelter, a St. Joseph, Minnesota police officer was killed just 3 months ago by a liquor store robber; and less than 2 weeks ago we lost Rice County Deputy John Liebenstein when his car was rammed by the teenaged driver of a stolen car. Tragedies like these, Mr. Speaker, remind me of cop friends I have lost over the years: Sergeant J.W. Anderson of the Wayzata Police Department; Officer Jerry Haaf of the Minneapolis Police Department. Just yesterday I met with St. Paul police officers Mike and Frank O'Brien, whose brother, John, was killed in the line of duty 15 years ago. In spite of these and many other tragic killings repeated far too often in far too many communities, we must never lose hope in the war against crime, and with the selfless dedication of law enforcement professionals like John O'Brien, like Sergeant J.W. Anderson, like Jerry Haaf, like Paul Moen, like Brian Klinefelter, like John Liebenstein, we will prevail in the war against crime, selfless, dedicated law enforcement professionals like these brave men and women honored today at the steps of the Capitol. Mr. Speaker, there truly is no greater love than the love shown by those who lay down their lives for their friends and their fellow citizens. We must never forget the ultimate sacrifice of police officers who have laid down their lives for people they do not even know. Every single visitor to our Nation's capital should pay a visit to the Law enforcement Officers Memorial located at the Judiciary Square Metro stop. The names carved in the wall of the memorial are a powerful, powerful testament to the thousands of officers who have sacrificed their lives and the hundreds of thousands more who risk their lives every day protecting our communities. Mr. Speaker, we honor the dead by respecting the living, and today we honor law enforcement officials and their families for their sacrifices. Every single time a police officer puts that uniform on, he or she puts their life on the line. I also hope, Mr. Speaker, we will continue to honor the memory of our fallen heroes through our actions in this Chamber, promoting policies which prevent crime and violence and supporting our brave men and women in law enforcement.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise the entire Eden Prairie High School community for being named winner of the U.S Department of Education's prestigious Blue Ribbon Award. The Department of Education could not have selected a more deserving high school for this highly coveted honor. When it comes to a comprehensive and successful approach to excellence in teaching, student achievement, leadership and parental involvement, Eden Prairie has, for a long time, set a lofty standard. Mr. Speaker, this high distinction was well earned. Everyone at Eden Prairie High School played a role in achieving this extraordinary level of educational excellence. Under the visionary leadership of a most remarkable man, Principal Arne Johnson, Eden Prairie High School has flourished. Arne is always there for each and every student. He provides at all hours of the day a willing ear, an understanding shoulder and a marvelous and diverse source of advice and encouragement. Former superintendent Jerry McCoy and new superintendent Bill Gaslin have also been instrumental in preparing the fertile ground and providing the necessary resources to grow the special love for learning that exists at Eden Prairie. The students have blossomed under their effective management. A school board full of caring and committed citizens has selflessly devoted the time, talent and energy necessary to make Eden Prairie High School one of the best in all of America. This historic designation was accomplished through the pioneering and innovative contributions of a truly dedicated administrative staff and dynamic collection of committed teachers. Their deep and unwavering commitment to the students forms the foundation for a very special relationship with the young people at Eden Prairie High School. The teachers and staff have gone above and beyond all reasonable expectations to help kids, from the extra hours spent coaching and teaching extracurricular events to their efforts to bolster their professional credentials through additional postsecondary education. Mr. Speaker, another key ingredient in the overwhelming success of Eden Prairie High School has been the precedent-setting and inspiring level of involvement by parents and members of the community. In this day and age when we in Congress hear so much blame being placed on the lack of participation by parents in their children's education. Eden Prairie's parents and other residents stand out as a shining lighthouse of an example of the miracles that can happen when adults take the time to help out at their schools. But, Mr. Speaker, the No. 1 reason Eden Prairie High School has been chosen as a Blue Ribbon Award winner is its spirited students. This student body is focused in a most impressive way on real achievement and a relentless pursuit of the highest standards of excellence. The students have worked hard to create a safe, supportive and drug-free environment. They have worked hard to establish a record of academic excellence across the board. From student leadership to participation in public service projects to help people in need in the community, from the heavy emphasis on scholastic achievement to the enthusiastic way they revel in the success of their classmates, the students of Eden Prairie High School deserve to claim this national honor as their own. The students at Eden Prairie High School are the kind of young people any parent would be proud to call their own. Mr. Speaker, please join me in congratulating the entire Eden Prairie High School Community on a job well done and for setting such a powerful example of what can be accomplished by a school if everyone pitches in and strives to do their best. Today we salute Eden Prairie High School as a blue ribbon award winner and for proving that schools all across America can succeed if everyone puts their minds and hearts into the effort like they do at Eden Prairie High School.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 9:15 a.m. tomorrow, May 16, 1996.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, as the author of the Jacob Wetterling Crimes Against Children Act, which became law in 1994, I am grateful we are voting today to pass a bill to make it even stronger. The Wetterling Act was named after Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted by a stranger at gunpoint in St. Joseph, MN, in 1989. Jacob's parents, Patty and Jerry, worked tirelessly to help me pass the Wetterling Act. The Wetterling Act provides for the registration of convicted child sex offenders and violent sexual predators. This national tracking requirement was needed because of the propensity of these offenders to repeat their heinous crimes again and again after their release from prison. Some States--like my home State of Minnesota--already provided for sex offender registration, but many offenders simply moved to another State and avoided detection. The children of America and their families needed the Wetterling Act to protect them from those who prey on children. Every major law enforcement organization asked for it as a resource for investigating child abduction and molestation cases. Under the Wetterling bill, law enforcement was allowed to notify the community when the dangerous offenders required to register under the Wetterling Act were released and living in the area. The bill we are considering today, Megan's Law, will require community notification. I strongly support this strengthening of the Wetterling Act, to make our communities a safer place for our kids to grow up.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, as a strong supporter of home- and community-based services for the elderly and individuals with disabilities, I rise to introduce legislation to extend the demonstration authority under the Medicare Program for community nursing organizations [CNO]. In 1987, Congress authorized the CNO demonstrations to test the efficacy of capitated nursing delivery organizations at providing quality services outside the nursing home setting, without requiring beneficiaries to join HMO's. CNO programs serve Medicare beneficiaries in home and community-based settings under contracts that provide a fixed, monthly capitation payment for each beneficiary who elects to enroll. The benefits include not only Medicare-covered home care and medical equipment and supplies, but other services not presently covered by traditional Medicare, including patient education, case management and health assessments. CNO's are able to offer extra benefits without increasing Medicare costs because of their emphasis on primary and preventative care and their coordinated management of the patient's care. At the end of this year, current authority will expire for these effective and growing programs, which currently serve approximately 6,000 Medicare patients in four States. Mr. Speaker, we need to act now to extend this demonstration authority for another 3 years. This experiment provides an important example of how coordinated care can provide additional benefits without increasing Medicare costs. For Medicare enrollees, extra benefits include expanded coverage for physical and occupational therapy, health education, routine assessments, and case management services--all for an average monthly capitation rate of about $21. In my home State of Minnesota, the Health Seniors Project is a CNO serving over 1,500 patients in four sites, two of which are urban and two rural. These demonstrations should also be extended in order to ensure a full and fair test of the CNO managed care concept. These demonstrations are consistent with our efforts to introduce a wider range of managed care options for Medicare beneficiaries. I believe we need more time to evaluate the impact of CNO's on patient outcomes and to assess their capacity for operating under fixed budgets. Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that the extension of this demonstration will not increase Medicare expenditures for care. CNO's actually save Medicare dollars by providing better and more accessible care in home and community settings, allowing beneficiaries to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and nursing home admissions. By demonstrating what a primary care oriented nursing practice can accomplish with patients who are elderly or disabled, CNO's are helping show us how to increase benefits, save scarce dollars, and improve the quality of life for patients. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to consider this bill carefully and join me in seeking to extend these cost-savings and patient-enhancing CNO demonstrations for another 3 years.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 842, which would take the transportation trust funds off-budget, thereby giving them special status so the rules that apply to almost all other portions of the budget would not apply. I certainly appreciate the important role the Federal Government plays in maintaining Federal highways and helping States to build and repair State and local roads, highways, bridges and mass transit projects. I also understand the concerns of States whose citizens contribute more in taxes to the trust funds than they receive back in transportation assistance from the Federal Government. While at one time I supported this proposal, I now believe that taking the trust funds off-budget is not the most responsible or appropriate solution to the transportation funding problem. I also believe it would cause a budgetary nightmare that would make our efforts to balance the Federal budget--already a Herculean task that we have yet to complete--virtually impossible. Rather than having some States receive less than their fair share back from the highway trust fund, we should reform the structure by which the Federal Government collects taxes and returns money back to the States for transportation projects. If a State were allowed to keep the money, it would be better able to plan and execute highway construction and upkeep. The main problem with H.R. 842 is the impact it would have on our efforts to balance the Federal budget. Balancing the budget must be our highest priority. The Congressional Budget Office [CBO] has estimated that taking the trust funds off-budget would increase the Federal budget deficit by more than $20 billion over the next 5 years. That means we would need to find an additional $20 billion in order to balance the budget. Where would the $20 billion in cuts come from? Education? Environmental protection? Medical research? The Federal Government has spent $6 billion more on transportation projects than it has collected in gas taxes since the creation of the highway trust fund in 1957. The $19 billion surplus everyone talks does not exist in any form other than an accounting entry at the Department of the Treasury. Because of my overriding concern about the impact this legislation would have on our efforts to balance the Federal budget, I must vote against this bill.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, as chair of the task force which crafted the legal reform plank of the Contract With America, I feel extremely gratified to see an important part of our efforts come so far in the process. Although the reforms contained in the conference report are not as sweeping as those the House put forward last year, they are a vast improvement over the present legal system. Our present system results in higher prices for consumers, lost jobs, and stifled innovation. I want to talk about a particular provision in this conference report which is more than just sound economic policy; it is sound health policy. Over 11 million Americans rely on implanted medical technologies, ranging from artificial joints to complex mechanical devices such as cardiac defribrillators and drug infusion pumps. Unfortunately, the spectre of product liability litigation has caused many raw material suppliers to restrict the use of their products in implanted medical devices. The lack of materials and components for these medical devices jeopardizes the well-being--and in some cases the very lives--of the millions of Americans who depend on these technologies. The biomaterials access assurance provisions of H.R. 956 will help ensure that the threat of product liability litigation will not hurt patients who need access to implanted medical devices. H.R. 956 will prohibit claims against biomaterials supplier unless the company acted irresponsibly and its mistake actually caused the harm. It is also important to note what the biomaterials access assurance provisions will not do. Nothing will reduce the amount of money to which a person injured by a defective implant is entitled. Device manufacturers will design suitability and performance specifications for the raw materials, certified by the FDA, and suppliers will continue to be liable when materials or components do not meet the specifications. But suppliers will not be responsible when their products meet the manufacturer's specifications. In these circumstances, the manufacturers will be responsible for any product defect. This commonsense approach protects the rights of injured plaintiffs, but at the same time presents a biomaterials shortage our country just cannot afford. I urge my colleagues to support this important bill.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, last year alone, $31 billion was lost to Medicare fraud and abuse, Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse. Everyone here talks about doing something about waste, fraud and abuse in our health care system. This bill finally does something to eliminate these parasites on our health care system. Mr. Speaker, our bill establishes the Medicare integrity program, which increases the ability of Medicare to prevent payments for fraudulent, abusive or erroneous claims. We, for the first time, require the Health Care Finance Agency to use state-of-the-art computer software, the same type used by private insurers, and to hire private sector companies with proven track records to prevent fraud and abuse. This will result, according to the CBO, in a net savings of almost $2 billion over the next 6 years. The other provisions that fight health care fraud and abuse are listed on this chart, Mr. Speaker. I urge approval of this bill to get at waste, fraud, and abuse.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the prestigious history and legacy of excellence for more than a century of the Apollo Club Male Chorus of Minneapolis, MN. Just last year, the Apollo Club celebrated 100 years of truly superior musical performances. This marvelous chorus of amateur musicians exemplifies the spirit that makes our country great--friends from all walks of life, gathering outside of their daily and professional lives to fashion a powerful bond made possible only by a common, shared goal in which the group takes precedence over the individual. The members of the Apollo Chorus have proven for more than 100 years what can be accomplished through a strong work ethic, teamworks and a commitment to excellence. The chorus has sung the works of history's greatest composers--Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and others--all around our great Nation as well as overseas, wowing audiences with its unique, full, and mellow sounds. Mr. Speaker, from its birthplace at the home of Col. Charles McC. Reeve on the south shore of Lake Harriet in Minneapolis, the chorus has graced a global stage over the years which has included performances at President Eisenhower's inaugural in 1957, the World's Fair in Brussels in 1958, the memorial atop the sunken Battleship Arizona at the Pearl Harbor commemorative ceremony in 1985 and international festivals from Wales to Nancy, France. Among its many awards and honors, the Apollo Male Chorus won second place at the renowned Eisteddfod Choral Festival in 1982. But despite the chorus' success in musical competition, the Apollo Club's real focus has been on moving people with their special music, and educating audiences about the choral style they practice so eloquently. Mr. Speaker, the members of the Apollo Chorus through the years have been true pioneers of choral song. Audiences swing and sing to the Apollo's international collection of rhythms. In Greek mythology, Apollo stood for clarity, order, and harmony. In a world that too often leaves us stunned because of its chaos and discord, the Apollo Club delivers a much-needed message of peace and togetherness. Today we thank all the club's singers, leaders, officers, and special musical guests for their gift of beautiful music and extraordinary harmony. Today, we salute the Apollo Club Male Chorus of Minneapolis for a century of wonderful entertainment and we honor this outstanding group for the joy its members have brought to our lives. The people of Minnesota are proud of the Apollo Club Male Chorus, and we wish them many more years of success.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to praise a man from the Third District of Minnesota who exemplifies the unconquerable spirit of America, a man who overcame tremendous personal pain and, through outstanding dedication, perseverance and leadership, coached the U.S.A. Junior Baseball team to the world title. As a result, he has been recognized by his peers around the world as the best in his field for 1996. Steve Cohen of Plymouth, MN, recently was named International Baseball Coach of the Year by the International Baseball Association. Steve is the son of a longtime and close personal friend of mine, Phil Cohen. Many of you in this Chamber and the other know Phil Cohen, who for many years worked for Senator David Durenberger of Minnesota. His son, Steve, is the baseball coach at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, MN, in Minnesota's Third Congressional District. But I want to talk about more than what happened on the field of every ballplayer's dreams. For Steve Cohen was also living out any son's worst nightmare, all at the same time. Steve Cohen's impressive accomplishments are made all the more inspiring by the personal courage and fortitude he showed last year as coach of Team USA. Steve led his players to a 10-0 victory over the Chinese Taipei squad in the final game of the World Junior Baseball Championship at historic Fenway Park in Boston on August 20. It was the first title for Team USA since 1989. Fenway Park is known for its left field wall, the Green Monster, which rises high above the park. That wall is not far from home, but it is a difficult task, even for a player with the biggest heart, to hit the ball over the Monster with the swing of the bat. Steve Cohen could have succumbed to the wall of pain and disappointment he was facing. He was far from home, too, far from his mother, Bev Cohen. Bev was suffering from terminal cancer back in Minnesota. Steve did not know if he would make it home in time to see his mother before she passed away. But Steve Cohen showed the heart of a champion, leading his Team USA to the world title. Mr. Speaker, Steve Cohen put his personal trauma behind him and focused his remarkable baseball mind and superior teaching skills on his young players. And he successfully scaled that wall climbed only by champions with real heart. Thankfully, Steve made it home in time to present his mother Bev the gold medal before she passed on. Wearing his Team USA uniform, Steve Cohen gave his mother a tremendous lift. In her typical style, Bev Cohen told her son: ``If you hadn't won that gold medal, I'd have booted you out of the house.'' Bev Cohen died on Labor Day, 1995, shortly after Steve Cohen got back home. Steve Cohen called his mother ``a real war horse'' during that awful time when Bev was suffering so greatly. Mr. Speaker, Steve Cohen is a war horse, too, with a heart the size of a stallion's. Combining his inspiring leadership, courage, teaching skills, and keen baseball eye, Steve Cohen brought Team USA the world championship. And then Steve Cohen brought his mother back home one final, joyous gift, the gift only a child raised so lovingly and so well could give. So, we will all rise together later this year when, on September 14, in Lausanne, Switzerland, the International Baseball Association presents Steve Cohen with his award as International Baseball Coach of the Year. Steve Cohen scaled a wall that few are capable of climbing, putting aside personal pain of the worst kind to lead his team past such talented teams as those from Cuba, Australia, and Taipei. Mr. Speaker, this honor is truly well deserved. And we all know Bev Cohen's smile will be shining like a lighthouse out in left when Steve receives his award. The people of Minnesota are proud of Steve Cohen, the courageous, compassionate person and outstanding coach. Steve Cohen represents the spirit of Minnesota and is a real credit to our State and Nation. Baseball fans everywhere thank you, Coach Cohen, and salute you on being named International Baseball Coach of the Year.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend in Friedberg, Germany, I visited our troops of the 1st Armored Division, U.S. Army, who are being deployed to Bosnia. One young soldier who served in both Somalia and Haiti told me, ``The Bosnian mission is so much harder to understand. We're going in as neutral peacekeepers but also to get the Bosnian Muslims armed. You can't have it both ways!'' Mr. Speaker, this young soldier points out the inherent contradiction in the Administration's Bosnia policy. As Vice President Gore said on Meet the Press Sunday, ``We're going to make sure it (referring to arming the Bosnian Muslims) gets done.'' The President is putting 20,000 American lives in harm's way, as neutral peacekeepers, while simultaneously helping arm one of the combatants. You cannot have it both ways! This past weekend, as part of the congressional fact finding mission to the Balkans, I also heard Admiral ``Snuffy'' Smith, IFOR Commander, say that he does not want to be involved in any way with equipping, arming or training the Bosnian Moslems. And he also said we're not neutral because the Serbs don't think we're neutral. After all, Mr. Speaker, we just bombed them into submission. My overriding concern is that we are placing our troops in an untenable position and committing them to ``mission impossible.'' As Serbian President Milosevic told our delegation, ``If the Bosnians are armed, peace will be endangered and the treaty will fail.'' Mr. Speaker, the Dayton peace accord has a rigid formula on weaponry that, relatively speaking, ensures the Bosnian Moslems remain weak. Therein lies the basic problem with the President's Bosnia policy. If a balance of power in the Balkans is not established, how in the world can we ever expect long-term peace and stability in the region? Yes, we should lift the arms embargo. Yes, we should train and equip the Bosnian Moslems to defend themselves. But, no, Mr. Speaker, not with 20,000 U.S. troops on Bosnia soil at the same time. Let us establish the equilibrium of power in the Balkans by creating a stable military balance. But let us arm, equip and train the Bosnian Moslems in a neutral country and out of harm's way for 20,000 American troops. Mr. Speaker, as we heard from every military officer on our recent trip to the Balkans, this is a very dangerous mission. There are as many as 6 million land mines awaiting our troops in the snow where they are almost impossible to find. Also, Bosnian Serb mortar and sniper positions are well-established. Our troops are being deployed primarily to Tuzla where 71 civilians were killed in a single mortar attack in May. The mujahadeen--some 4,000 Islamic extremists--represent a real threat to our troops as well. And as one commander put it, ``The threat of guerrilla warfare with grenades is very real.'' Mr. Speaker, our ambassador to Croatia told us that the biggest problem is Serb Sarajevo. He said, ``We can expect big trouble if the Serbs there don't accept the peace agreement.'' Yesterday, the Serbs in Sarajevo overwhelmingly rejected the agreement in a referendum. As one Serb woman in Sarajevo told me, ``I would rather kill myself than accept the new boundaries.'' Mr. Speaker, I stand here with a heavy heart because I want to support our Commander in Chief on foreign policy matters, especially those involving U.S. troops. However, Mr. Speaker, my first obligation is to our troops and their safety. I cannot and will not support a policy that is fundamentally flawed and inherently inconsistent. But if our troops are deployed, as it now appears they will be, I will support them 100 percent and do everything I can to see than they return home safely and as soon as possible.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished chairman for yield me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this legislation. One provision of this bill, Mr. Speaker, cuts off benefits for those individuals considered disabled solely based on their addiction to either drugs or alcohol. I strongly support this provision. Mr. Speaker, as a recovering alcoholic who spends a great deal of my time with other alcoholics and addicts who are still suffering the ravages of chemical addiction, I can tell you that paying cash benefits to these people is not the kind of help that they need. In fact, cash benefits only make the problem of addiction worse, only serve to enable, to fuel the addiction. Those addicted to drugs or alcohol do not need cash, they need treatment. This bill, Mr. Speaker, provides $200 million in additional money to the States through an existing block grant program for the prevention and treatment of substance abuse. So I commend my distinguished colleague on the Committee on Ways and Means, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security, for bringing this thoughtful piece of legislation to the floor, and I urge all of my colleagues to give substance abusers the help that they need. Support this legislation.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I too am deeply concerned about the President's announced commitment to deploy 20,000 United States ground troops in Bosnia. I do not believe, Mr. Speaker, that document has articulated a compelling national interest in Bosnia worth the loss of American soldiers. We have no overriding national interest in Bosnia, and there is absolutely no reason American troops should be placed in harm's way as part of an ill-defined mission there. Mr. Speaker, calling this mission a peacekeeping mission is a misnomer. This is a tenuous peace at best, and a potential quagmire for our troops at worst. This is clearly not a legitimate peacekeeping mission, or 240,000 troops would not be required. Yes, I say 240,500, as the spokesperson at the Pentagon was quoted in Defense News today, counting the support troops. We hear the number 60,000, including 20,000 American servicemen and women, but the total number of troops, according to this statement today, is 240,000 troops. Mr. Speaker, this mission goes way beyond peacekeeping to nation building. History should have taught us that we cannot build a nation from the outside. Mr. Speaker, I ask, how much longer can the United States be denying a one-one number for the rest of the world? This is a European conflict, and using United States troops as a global peace force is neither a defensible function nor a practicing pragmatic reality for our military. Using our troops as a global police force in my judgment, and I say this respectfully, but I believe that it reflects a basic misunderstanding of our military's historic mission and capabilities. Mr. Speaker, this situation is fraught with danger. Our troops will be sitting ducks, literally, physically, sitting ducks, positioned between the two warring factions. Mr. Speaker, I think we have to recognize what is going on, what the political realities are in this part of the world. This is a war that has been going on for ethnic strife for 4,000 years. The present fighting has been going on for 40 years and longer. [[Page H 13710]] Just today, just today, the Serb leader, Karadzic, and the mayors of the Sarajevo suburbs held a protest march; and some of the things they were saying, and I am quoting now, that the Dayton Agreement has created a new Beirut in Europe, referring of course to Lebanon's 15- year civil war, and that there will be bloodshed for centuries to come, that the ethnic Serbs will not be dominated by the Croats and the Moslems, that this is a Balkan powder keg. We all know, Mr. Speaker, there are 6 million land mines waiting in the former Yugoslavia for our troops. Sixty thousand ethnic Serbs, according to Karadzic, will have grenades in their pockets. Well, Mr. Speaker, we have to be aware of these dangers. The President mentioned the unspeakable human rights' violations. Certainly these crimes against humanity are as loathsome as any in the history of the world. But, Mr. Speaker, similar crimes have been documented by Amnesty International in 58 other countries. Why not Afghanistan? Why not go to Rwanda, to China, to Cuba, and all of the other countries in which similar crimes are being perpetrated against humanity? Mr. Speaker, this mission is a logistical nightmare and will be extremely dangerous for U.S. troops who will be potentially under fire from all three factions. Mr. Speaker, what is the solution here in this very complex and difficult situation? I would ask unanimous consent to submit for the Record, and I would commend all of my colleagues' attention to this editorial from today's Wall Street Journal, November 28, 1995, by two former Under Secretaries of Defense. Let me quote from this very provocative and profound piece: The goal of U.S. policy toward Bosnia should be Bosnian self-reliance. We should aim to make it possible for the Bosnian government to defend its own country militarily. Congress should oppose the deployment of U.S. forces to Bosnia unless the administration make clear and binding commitment to create, by arming and training Bosnian Federation forces, a qualitative military balance between Bosnian-Croatian and Serb forces in the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Speaker, that criterion has not been met. This article goes on to say, very wisely, Unfortunately, the Daytona Accords lack clear commitments to equip and train the Bosnian forces. Administration statements are disturbingly ambiguous on this point. This piece concludes by saying, If we are unable to help put the Bosnian government in a position to defend itself, the administration will find, when it wants to withdraw our forces after a year or so, that if cannot do so without triggering a catastrophe. This piece is written by two people who served in previous administrations in the Defense Department who know about what they are writing. Mr. Speaker, I hope and pray that the Congress will have its say on behalf of the American people before this deployment is made. I fear that we will not have such a voice in this deployment. I think each one of us here in this body, in the people's House, needs to examine our consciences, needs to listen to the people we represent and press this issue in the people's House. I know in Minnesota, in the Third District, my calls in the last 2 days have run 178 to 2 against this deployment. Mr. Speaker, I offer for the Record the following article which I referred to earlier. [From the Wall Street Journal, Nov. 28, 1995] The Argument Clinton Isn't Making on Bosnia (By Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas J. Feith) Having committed an armored division of American ``peacekeepers'' for Bosnia with little analysis and even less consultation, the Clinton administration now contends that Congress has no responsible choice but to concur. To be sure, if it repudiates the president's troop commitment, Congress would be blamed for bringing about resumption of the war, a collapse of American leadership in NATO and perhaps of the alliance itself, and a dangerous perception around the world of the U.S. becoming isolationist and unreliable. But even worse than not backing the president's commitment would be for Congress to approve uncritically a flawed policy that could fail disastrously. Congress has a duty to try to force the administration to define sensible goals for the mission. Americans remember Lebanon and Somalia, where we managed to lose both men and credibility. we remain dubious of the operation in Haiti, which may succeed in restoring dictatorship rather than democracy. If U.S. troops end their Bosnia mission without having achieved what they came to do, especially if they take significant casualties, the consequences will be graver by far. little guidance The administration acknowledges the problem by stressing that U.S. troops will not be deployed unless there is a peace to enforce. But this rather sensible condition for getting in gives little guidance for how and when to get out. There is one compelling rationale for U.S. participation in the international peacekeeping force: Bosnia has been the victim of international aggression and of crimes against humanity that the Bosnian Serbs, supported by the Milosevic regime in Belgrade, have committed against hundreds of thousands of predominantly Muslim Bosnians. The U.S. and our European allies and others bear a large measure of responsibility for these horrors because we have maintained an international arms embargo on Bosnia. The Bosnian government's troops have numerical superiority over their enemies, but, as a result of the embargo, they have remained inferior in equipment, especially heavy armor and artillery. The goal of U.S. policy toward Bosnia should be Bosnian self-reliance. We should aim to make it possible for the Bosnian government to defend its own country militarily. Congress should oppose the deployment of U.S. forces to Bosnia unless the administration makes a clear and binding commitment to create, by arming and training Bosnian Federation forces, a qualitative military balance between Bosnian-Croatian and Serb forces in the former Yugoslavia. If the peacekeeping force is conceived as a means of keeping Bosnia subject to unrealistic arms limitation schemes, and therefore doomed to remain a ward of NATO or the U.S., Congress should oppose it. But if peacekeepers are intended to deter aggression for the year or so needed for the Bosnian government to move toward self-reliance in the defense field, then the strategic and moral case for U.S. participation should be easier for Americans to credit. Unfortunately, the Dayton Accords lack clear commitments to equip and train the Bosnian forces. Administration statements are disturbingly ambiguous on this point. U.S. officials say they have assured the Bosnians that federation forces will be equipped and trained, but that assurance itself is hedged by a misplaced faith that new arms control agreements might make it unnecessary. According to the accords, no weapons will be delivered for 90 days and no heavy weapons for 180 days, pending arms control talks. Also, U.S. statements make it clear that we will try to get others to do the equipping and training. (It is not reassuring that we still lack a good estimate of Bosnian requirements, even though for three years the Clinton administration said that it aimed to lift the arms embargo.) These limitations imply that moving quickly or openly to arm the Bosnians would be destabilizing, but the opposite is true. To ensure a stable Bosnia and to be able to withdraw our troops on schedule, we must be committed, publicly and resolutely, to a rapid equip-and-train program. (Defensive systems not covered by the envisioned arms control regime, such as anti-tank missiles and counter-battery radars, are needed with particular urgency, given the precarious position of Sarajevo.) The administration's hesitations seem to reflect a belief that equipping and training federation forces would be inconsistent with a ``neutral'' role for American peacekeepers. It is important, however, to see clearly the purpose of the peacekeeping force: It must uphold the peace agreement generally, but it is intended also to deter the Serbs from taking advantage of their current (temporary) advantage in armaments. It is not correct or constructive to talk of the peacekeepers as ``neutral.'' They do not have to be neutral to perform their mission any more than police have to be neutral as between shopkeepers and robbers. In fact, pretending to be neutral when none of the parties so regards us actually increases the danger to U.S. forces at a tactical level, by making it more difficult for them to decide how to respond to provocations or ambiguous situations on the ground. It was this posture that helped produce the inadequate security precautions taken by U.S. Marines in Beirut. The best way to shore up the peace is through a policy that deters Serbian aggression and secures Bosnian compliance through American support and cooperation. exit strategy If the administration is to allay public and congressional skepticism about the troop deployment, it must make clear that arming and training Bosnian Federation forces is not only consistent with our role in the peacekeeping force, it is also the key to the ``exit strategy'' for our troops. If we are unable to help put the Bosnian government in a position to defend itself, the administration will find, when it wants to withdraw our forces after a year or so, that it cannot do so without triggering a catastrophe.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to retired Associate Justice Rosalie Wahl of the Minnesota Supreme Court, an outstanding jurist and an exceptional human being. When Justice Rosalie Wahl was appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1977, she was the first woman to serve on Minnesota's highest court. Years later, she saw the court become the first in the Nation with a majority of women justices. And in the surest sign of progress, she retired last year in an era when a woman's appointment to the bench was no longer a big news story. From the moment Rosalie Wahl became an associate justice, she hit the ground running and quickly earned a reputation as a tireless worker and a thoughtful, compassionate jurist. Justice Wahl faced a tough election battle less than a year after she took her seat, and Chief Justice Sheran offered to reduce her caseload. However, she declined because of her [[Page E 2205]] desire not to burden the other justices with extra cases. Justice Wahl developed a strong work ethic long before she joined the supreme court. She was already the mother of four children upon entering law school at age 38. Justice Wahl had her fifth child during her second year of night classes. Following graduation, she served 6 years in the State public defender's office, then 4 years as a law professor at the William Mitchell College of Law. Her ability to juggle the competing demands of family, academics, and career prepared her well for challenges on the bench. Rosalie Wahl's tenure as associate justice was important for women, and not just because her appointment ended the all-male history of the Minnesota Supreme Court. One of her most enduring legacies of Justice Wahl's work as chair of a task force on gender fairness in the legal system. As a coauthor of the Violence Against Women Act, which Congress passed in 1994, I have a special appreciation for Rosalie Wahl's pioneering efforts. Her 1989 task force recommendations provided the basis for the Minnesota law to assist sexual assault and domestic abuse victims. In turn, the Minnesota statute helped shape the Federal law. Justice Wahl also chaired a racial bias task force, which published recommendations in 1993. Her commitment to equal justice for all Americans is another lasting legacy. Shortly before her retirement, Justice Wahl remarked, ``I think the law should have a human face. Everything we do affects people; it doesn't become a dry bunch of words in books on the shelf.'' Rosalie Wahl had a special affinity for the underprivileged and people in need, and she was always mindful of the human impact of court decisions. But Justice Wahl also tried to apply the law as it was written, even when she would have preferred a different result. It has been said that the best judges have both a heart and a head for justice. The Minnesota Supreme Court was well served by Associate Justice Rosalie Wahl, who used her heart and her head on behalf of those who came seeking justice. The State of Minnesota will always be grateful for Rosalie Wahl's years of service and sacrifice.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, this is it. This is the moment of reckoning. The entire Nation is focused on Congress, and the taxpayers of America expect us to balance the budget now. No more excuses. No more gimmicks. No more playing the Medicare card. As the Washington Post's lead editorial put it yesterday, ``If the Democrats play the Medicare card and win, they will have set back for years--for the worst of political reasons--the very cause of rational government in behalf of which they profess to be behaving. ``The question is whether the President and the Democrats will meet or flee their obligations,'' continued the Post's editorial. Let's be straight with the American people. The question is very clear: ``Do you support a balanced budget in 7 years?'' Yes or no. In other words, do you think the Federal Government can get by with increasing spending $12 trillion over the next 7 years instead of a $13 trillion increase? Is there anybody here who really believes that we must spend $13 trillion more instead of $12 trillion? Defenders of the status quo say we're mean spirited because we're only increasing spending by $12 trillion. Let me tell you what's really mean spirited. What's really mean spirited is to continue mortgaging our children's and grandchildren's futures. What's really mean spirited is to continue spending more money than we take in--which has jeopardized the financial future of our great Nation. What's really mean spirited is to promise more than we can deliver, simply for political gain. Let's pass the Balanced Budget Act of 1995. The people of America and our children and grandchildren deserve nothing less.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I want to read a letter I received today from a constituent: Jim, please do not send our young men and women to Bosnia. I was a combat corpsman in Viet Nam, I volunteered to go. The death and carnage which is caused by war can not be described. This is not our war. We are being used by small ego driven foreign leaders. They could care less about our young men and women. You and your fellow representatives must care. Jim, I packed many body bags with parts of what was left of young men. I held young men as they died in my arms and there was nothing to do. You can do everything to save these men and women . . . it is not our war . . . for the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, please do not allow our young people to be killed . . . Sincerely, Bill Wenmark. Mr. Speaker, this letter says it all. Support the Hefley resolution.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the efforts of an outstanding Minnesotan, John Turner, chief executive of Reliastar Financial and the new chair of the American Council of Life Insurers [ACLI]. In his role as chair of the ACLI, John Turner will continue to work to improve the image of the life insurance industry by encouraging the Nation's life insurers to adopt a code of ethical market conduct. By imposing strict standards on itself, in addition to those State insurance regulators used to police the industry, life insurers will take strides in improving their standing with the public and their customers. While scandals have damaged the reputation of some life insurance companies and agents in recent years, with John Turner at the helm, Reliastar's image has remained unblemished. In addition, Turner helped the company through some tough financial times in the early 1990's, and its financial position is solid. I wish John Turner the best as he works with life insurers across the country in the coming months, urging them to embrace higher standards and increased accountability. If his track record is any indication, John Turner's latest endeavor is sure to be a resounding success. [[Page E 2197]]

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the proud history, rich tradition and remarkable accomplishments of Boy Scout Troop 283 of Wayzata, MN, in my Third Congressional District. This Sunday, November 19, Troop 283 will be celebrating its 80th anniversary. I am particularly proud of Boy Scout Troop 283 since it is based at my own Wayzata Community Church. I know the great work this troop has done and its commitment to excellence. Boy Scout Troop 283 has represented the highest standards in Scouting for eight decades. The hundreds of Scouts and their many volunteer leaders have displayed an inspiring dedication through these past 80 years which has had a powerful and positive impact on the quality of life in our area. The young people of today, who now more than ever need strong adult guidance and parental involvement in learning valuable skills that will help them mature into good citizens, have been extremely well-served by the generous and dedicated volunteers and parents who have led Troop 283 through the years. Troop 283's emphasis on providing our young people with positive role models, the importance of community service to help people in the need and protect the environment, and the critical value of exercising active, good citizenship has been truly remarkable. There is no price you can place on that kind of public service, leadership, and good citizenship. The participation of adult volunteers and the Scouts of Troop 283 will continue to make a huge difference in the future of our community, State, and Nation. These young people are tomorrow's leaders and they are getting the skills, knowledge, moral guidance, and inspiration they need to keep America the greatest country in the world and a lighthouse for freedom and liberty into the 21st century. Everyone who has been involved with Boy Scout Troop 283 through the years is to be congratulated on their invaluable 80-year investment in the future of our Nation. Troop 283 has our deepest admiration and sincerest gratitude for a job well done, as well as our best wishes for the future. On behalf of all the people in our area, I wholeheartedly thank Boy Scout Troop 283 for its contributions to making our area a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, this is truly the most difficult speech that I have ever made before this body. Yesterday, I was a pallbearer at the funeral of my extremely gifted and talented field director, David Hetland. David passed away Saturday at the age of 28 after a courageous struggle with cancer. Dave Hetland was a dear friend, treasured employee, and a committed public servant. Dave had a vibrant spirit that was there right up to the end as he battled this awful disease. He did not even know he had cancer until 4 short months ago, yet he never got down and he never gave up. Dave will be sorely missed by all of us who knew and loved him. Dave and Jeanne Broz Hetland, his brave and loving wife, and their wonderful family are in our thoughts and prayers. Jeanne exhibited amazing strength during David's ordeal. Their love for each other was truly a lasting inspiration to each of the 600 mourners who were at the Colonial Church of Edina, MN, yesterday for the funeral. Pastor Gary Klingsporn, who also officiated at their marriage ceremony just this past August at the same church, said it beautifully in his very moving homily. He talked about the courageous, inspiring way in which Jeanne Hetland lived up to the wedding vows that she had made just 2 months ago. She truly lived the words about being there for Dave in sickness and in health. In a statement that made each of us in that church nod in unison and wipe our tear-filled eyes, Rev. Klingsporn noted that if the roles had been reversed, that Dave would have been at Jeanne's side, night and day, day and night, just as she was there for him over these last difficult months. Jeanne was truly the perfect partner for Dave, except when Purdue University played Dave's alma mater, the University of Minnesota. I will never forget when Dave came to me when they first started dating and asked for tickets for that game so they could sit in the middle of the University of Minnesota section. The Gophers lost, but Dave won the heart of one diehard Boilermaker fan. Dave and Jeanne have a wonderful love story that has inspired us all. Dave has been a key staff member for me since 1991, my first term here. I met Dave through my predecessor and mentor, Congressman Bill Frenzel. Dave served as a college intern for Bill. Dave came to us energized to pursue the highest standards of public service, and he really represented the absolute best in public service. He had a spirit and motivation that never waned and never left him. That spirit of Dave Hetland will be with me and my staff always, driving us even harder to help people in need and to respond to their problems back in Minnesota. As my field director in Minnesota, every day Dave Hetland showed up for work performing at the absolute highest level. He was known throughout the district as always being well-prepared and well-versed on the issues before Congress and how they affected the people that we represent. One of the many accomplishments that Dave will be remembered for is his creation of our ``School of the Month'' program. We recognize one outstanding elementary school each month in our district, based on Dave's research of a lengthy list of applicants each month. My school visits with Dave would include a short talk to the students and then a presentation of the award. Dave was an expert at making these presentations interesting to the students and understandable to the young people in our district. Dave Hetland was a wonderful teacher himself. He taught me and everyone in our office a great deal about life and living. He also taught us about death and dying. He never made any excuses when his pain was too much for any mortal to endure. In fact, I remember the last time I saw Dave at the office he could barely walk to his car, but he was there working for the people of our district, putting them above his own needs. Dave faced death and dying the same courageous, upbeat way that he lived his life. He was a true profile in courage. Dave remained optimistic to the end and focused on helping constituents and his other work, which he always performed in a first- rate manner. Dave's favorite part of his job, one of his favorite parts of his job, was Service Academy Coordinator. Just recently, the Air Force Academy Associate Athletic Director, Jim Bauman, visited my office in Washington and said that Dave Hetland was personally responsible for bringing enough Minnesotans to the Academy to field their [[Page H 12068]] hockey team and to make them competitive with the best in the land. Dave's special skills in dealing with constituents and their problems and his deep sense of compassion served the people of the Third District of Minnesota very, very well. His friendly ways and relentless pursuit of solving problems helped literally hundreds and hundreds of Minnesota people. Another area in which Dave shined was working with people with disabilities. It is a major emphasis in our office, and Dave organized many meetings for people with disabilities to listen to their concerns and to convey those concerns back here to Washington. Dave also knew every member of the police departments in the Third District by their first name and worked with me on crime legislation. He was always there when I was back in the district, a wonderful adviser and trusted friend. Mr. Speaker, in one of the most touching eulogies I have ever heard, Dave's father-in-law put it best when he said, ``Dave told me something after his cancer was diagnosed that I will never forget. He turned to me and said, `You know, Jim, relationships are the most important thing in life.' '' Dave, speaking for all of us in our office, let me say we could not agree with you more. We will treasure our very special relationship with you forever. We love you, Dave. We are devastated by your passing. We will miss you a lot, but your special spirit will be with us every day for the rest of our lives. We will never forget the lessons you taught us, Dave, nor the inspiration you gave us. Dave Hetland, you will live forever in our hearts. The SPEAKER pro tempo (Mr. Allard). Our hearts and prayers go out to Dave Hetland and his family and friends.