Jim Ramstad

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great Minnesotan who has devoted his life to ministering to others and has made a huge difference in the lives of the people of our Wayzata, Minnesota community. The Rev. Dr. Harold G. S. King, Senior Minister Emeritus of Wayzata Community Church, is one of our nation's best and brightest theologians and religious leaders. Dr. King is truly deserving of special recognition. On Sunday, the members of Wayzata Community Church and Dr. King's many friends and supporters will celebrate the life accomplishments of this great servant leader with a special ceremony reflecting his distinguished career. Mr. Speaker, when Dr. King retired, he described his role in the life of the church as that of a ``general practitioner.'' Of course, Dr. King was much more than that, but his great humility and commitment to service are captured perfectly in that simple title. Dr. King's greatness was reflected in all three major areas of a minister's work: pastoral, teaching and leadership. A graduate of Harvard Divinity School, Dr. King served as Senior Minister of Wayzata Community Church from 1957 to 1977. He served only two churches during his four decades in the ministry which, in itself, is a true distinction among clergy. A real visionary, Dr. King's long-range planning for Wayzata Community Church made it fertile ground for the tremendous explosion in membership, teaching and outreach programs that marked his two decades with the church. Mission Festival, Koinonia groups and the Advent Workshop were all initiated by Dr. King. Under Dr. King's leadership, membership and church staff doubled. Educational offerings for all ages boomed. Ecumenicism blossomed with other area churches, and pioneering efforts were launched to help people in need. The church spire that is a landmark in the Wayzata community was just the tip of Dr. King's inspiring building efforts, which included expanded church school space, the Wakefield Chapel, the Witcher Colonnade, and the Shirley King Parlor which is appropriately named after his late wife. Dr. King's building efforts with bricks and mortar were only exceeded by his building efforts with the human spirit. Dr. King has comforted all of us fortunate enough to have been members of his flock. His compassion and wise counsel have steered many of us safely along the rocky shores of tragedy and loss. It's difficult to find the words to adequately describe my appreciation for all Dr. King has done for all the members of our congregation and community. Dr. King was known to us in the congregation as the ``Great Encourager.'' He is deeply sensitive to other people and their hearts and minds, and he has a special ability to relate to other on an intimate basis. We also know Dr. King as the ``Hugging Minister.'' He distributes his hugs without hesitation and they do a world of good! In addition, we celebrate and appreciate the ministry of Dr. King because he made his sermons relevant and memorable. He talked about what was going on in real people's lives. Judiciously employing humor and scripture, Dr. King's messages eloquently and profoundly delivered the word of God. Mr. Speaker, Dr. King continues to be a guiding light in so many ways, just as his family has been a beacon in our church for three generations. Dr. King's father was a minister and college president, and his son is also a minister in the United Church of Christ. In addition, Dr. King's wonderful wife and partner, Estelle, has been an active member and lay leader in our church for many years. Jake Beard, a good friend and a noted historian in our community, once asked Dr. King what he would say if he had to write a note for future generations. Dr. King responded: ``God works for good with those who love him.'' Mr. Speaker, our church family and our community love Dr. Harold King and we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for working with all of us for good through God. Thank you, Dr. King, and may God bless you and Estelle and your family, just as your life continues to be a blessing for all of us.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, the front page of the Wall Street Journal yesterday announced the Food and Drug Administration's approval of a break-through medical device produced by St. Jude Medical, and company located in my home state of Minnesota. St. Jude is part of Minnesota's Medical Alley, made up of 300 medical technology companies in the Twin Cities area, which has led the innovation explosion in health care. Increasingly, new medical devices are saving lives, improving the quality of life and reducing health care costs for Americans. Congress can be proud of its work over the past several years to reform the FDA so Americans can get access to life-saving medical technologies. However, much more remains to be done, including reforming the way Medicare reimburses seniors for these health care technologies. As co-chair of the House Medical Technology Caucus and a member of the Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, I encourage my colleagues to join me in promoting reforms that will make technologies like St. Jude's ``sutureless'' heart surgery device available to seniors and the other Americans who desperately need them. [From the Wall Street Journal, May 24, 2001] New Tools May Make Heart-Bypass Surgery Quicker and Less Risky (By Ron Winslow) Berne, Switzerland.--As Thierry Carrel stands over his patient in operating room No. 1 at University Hospital here, he may be poised at the threshold of a new era in heart surgery. For more than three decades, surgeons have used needle and thread to sew new blood vessels into patients during coronary-bypass operations, which are typically performed through a massive incision in the chest. The vessels are used to reroute blood around blockages in the arteries that feed the heart. And the procedure's success hinges largely on the surgeon's skill at stitching them into place. But at the moment, Dr. Carrel isn't using his sewing talents. Instead, he takes a device loaded with a vein, inserts it into a small hole he has just cut in the patient's aorta and pushes a button. Click. The device, which resembles a long-handled screwdriver, releases a tiny web of wires that unfolds to form a star-shaped rivet. In less than 10 seconds, Dr. Carrel has attached the vein to the aorta mechanically. That compares with the three to five minutes it might have taken him to make the same attachment with stitches. Foreign Debut Dr. Carrel is one of a handful of surgeons in Europe and Canada who have used the device during the past several months on a total of about 1,000 patients. St. Jude Medical Inc., the U.S. company that makes the product, rolled it out quietly in Europe last fall, but has largely kept it under wraps. Now, that is about to change. Today, St. Jude plans to announce that the Food and Drug Administration has approved the device for use in the U.S. That makes the St. Paul, Minn., company the early front- runner in an emerging race to equip doctors to perform ``sutureless'' bypass surgery. If surgeons embrace the new technology, it could transform the procedure by triggering wider use of techniques designed to make the operation easier on the patient and reduce the incidence of serious side effects. St. Jude calls its new product the aortic connector. While it is designed to make just one type of the various critical attachments that bypass surgery requires, the company is planning to introduce a full line of connectors over the next year or two, aiming to automate the entire vessel-grafting process. The typical bypass operation involves three or four vessel grafts in which a doctor performs five to seven individual sewing procedures. Not Going to Fly Anymore As the first to the market, St. Jude faces several hurdles in winning acceptance of its device. Among them: the added cost of using it and the long-term track record of conventional heart surgery, which is impressive enough that many doctors may feel little need to meddle with it. But there also are compelling arguments for heart surgeons to adopt sutureless connectors. Leading the list is the growing push to make bypass surgery--one of medicine's most invasive operations--more patient-friendly. ``For 35 years, we've been doing by-pass surgery the same way and gotten away with it,'' says Hani Shennib, a heart surgeon at McGill University Health Center in Montreal. ``That's not going to fly anymore. Patients really want to have the same outcome as surgery but with procedures that are a lot less invasive.'' The most promising strategy along those lines is beating- heart surgery, in which the surgeon operates on the heart as it continues to pump blood. The goal is to avoid putting the patient on a heart-lung machine, or the ``pump,'' as surgeons call it. Time on the pump, which takes over the heart's function so surgeons can operate on a still organ, has been associated with complications arising from bypasses. A Moving Target But the beating-heart technique, which emerged in the mid- 1990s, is used in only about 20% of the more than 700,000 bypass surgeries performed world-wide each year. The main reason: the painstaking work of suturing bypass vessels into place--which surgeons call ``the anastomosis''--is much harder to do on a beating heart. Devices that automate the process could make beating-heart surgery much less challenging and potentially more popular. ``The only reason you put a patient on a pump is to accommodate the guy tying the knots,'' says St. Jude's Daniel J. Sullivan, the aortic connector's chief inventor. ``We're the first ones to go after the sewing process as an issue.'' In addition, proponents say, mechanical connectors could make bypass surgery safer by reducing the risk of stroke and other neurological side effects that recent studies have linked to the operation. In February, Duke University researchers reported that 42% of bypass patients suffer such problems as loss of memory, confusion and inability to pay attention for as long as five years after the surgery. About 3% of bypass patients suffer a debilitating stroke as a result of the procedure. Some doctors say a connector could help doctors avoid clamping the aorta, a step in the surgery that is believed to be a key cause of such brain damage. Another potential benefit: consistency of surgical results. ``Hand-sewn bypass grafts are irregular. Every one is a little different,'' says Robert Emery, a Minneapolis heart surgeon who served as a paid consultant to St. Jude in developing its device. ``With this thing, every one is the same.'' St. Jude isn't alone is seeing a big opportunity for such technology. Johnson & Johnson, in a venture with Bypass Inc., of Israel, has tested a ``suture-less anastomotic device'' in small-scale human trials. J&J says it has begun discussions with the FDA about what would be required to gain approval. Tyco International Ltd.'s U.S. Surgical unit and Abbott Laboratories' Perclose unit both are developing mechanical connectors, as are several smaller closely held companies. ``A lot of people think this is going to be a big deal in coronary surgery,'' says Dr. Emery. In the U.S., St. Jude plans to sell its new device only to hospitals whose surgeons have been trained in its use. As a result, the company, which had $1.18 billion in revenue last year, is projecting to sell only a few million dollars worth of the connectors this year. In years ahead, St. Jude hopes the devices will become a major contributor to its revenue and profit growth. The St. Jude product includes a cutter that makes a round hole in the aorta for attaching the replacement vessel, rather than the jagged opening left by the punch that surgeons now typically use for that job. The wire rivet that the device deploys is made of a stable metal and is designed to expand slightly to fill the hole as it clamps the vessel to the aorta. But St. Jude must persuade surgeons that the device will match or improve on the success rate of conventional bypass surgery. Death rates from the procedure are only about 3% at most hospitals. For the vast majority of patients, the surgery is an effective treatment for angina, the severe chest pain caused by blocked coronary arteries. And it could take several years to show whether mechanical vein attachments are as durable as sewn ones. Even the product's fans say that its cost could be a deterrent, because issuers usually pay doctors and hospitals a fixed amount for bypass operations. St. Jude plans to charge between $400 and $450 for the single-use devices. Assuming a full line of connectors becomes available, that could add more than $2,000 to the cost of a typical bypass operation. St. Jude says that shorter operating times and other savings will partly offset the additional cost. A device that diminishes the value of a surgeon's suturing skills could be hard to sell to some members of a profession in which ``good hands'' are a hallmark of stature. ``Doing the anastomosis is the essence of our specialty,'' says David Fullerton, chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. During his decade of surgical training, Dr. Fullerton says he would hone his technique during off hours by tying surgical knots in his shoelaces, and by slicing open chicken breasts and sewing them up before popping them on the grill. ``For most of us, it took so much effort to acquire these skills, we're reluctant to give them up,'' he adds. That isn't to say that St. Jude's device will banish sutures from the operating room anytime soon. For one thing, the new connector is designed only for attaching saphenous veins--replacement blood vessels that are harvested from a patient's leg--and then only to attach the end of the vein upstream from the blockage being bypassed. For now, surgeons who use the device will need to stitch the other end of the vein to an artery on the heart, below the obstruction. St. Jude is at work on a second device to make this lower, or distal, connection, That's a trickier task for the surgeon because there the diameter of the leg vein is typically much wider than the vessel it is being connected to, requiring special care to make sure the anastomosis doesn't leak. In addition, that graft, which typically can take a surgeon 10 minutes to 15 minutes to complete, often must be connected to harder-to-reach areas on the side or back of the heart. In Berne, Dr. Carrel and his colleague Friedrich Eckstein have used St. Jude's distal connector in about 20 patients so far, with encouraging results. St. Jude says it hopes to have this second device on the market in the U.S. by mid-2002. Amount other things, it is designed to eliminate the problem of mismatched vessel diameters. Another model the company is developing St. Jude is counting on the line to transform it into a major player in the cardiac-surgery market. The company has long dominated the heart-valve market, and it also sells devices that combat heart-rhythm irregularities. But in the late 1990s, its executives launched a search for new technologies that promised future growth. That search led to St. Jude's surprise announcement a year and a half ago that it was acquiring Vascular Science Inc., a closely held Minneapolis company that developed the connector under Mr. Sullivan's leadership. St. Jude paid $80 million for VSI and agreed to pay an additional $20 million if the newly acquired unit met certain development goals. But though the acquisition substantially diluted its earnings, St. Jude largely kept mum about what it was buying. ``We didn't want Guidant, Medtronic, Boston Scientific and every cab driver in New York making these things,'' says Terry L. Shepherd, St. Jude's president and chief executive, referring to rivals in the heart-device business. Some doctors who are impressed by the device believe it won't win broad acceptance until a distal connector is available, so that surgeons can do both ends of their grafts without sutures. However, St. Jude believes there is a robust market for the aortic connector alone, thanks in large part to its potential for reducing neurological side effects from surgery. During conventional bypass operations, when the heart is stopped, doctors clamp off the aorta to keep blood from backing up into the heart. But in patients with clogged coronary arteries, the aorta if often diseased too. That means its lining is layered with plaque, much like a rusty pipe. When the aorta is clamped, some of this gunk can be dislodged. When the clamp is released, the debris is picked up in the blood stream and can get carried to the brain. ``You get an old guy whose vessels look like a Drano commercial, and sometimes you hear an audible crunch'' when the clamp is applied says David Stump, a researcher at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, N.C., who has studied the neurological side effects of heart surgery. Material dislodged by clamps is believed to be one of the chief causes of brain-related side effects in bypass patients. In extreme cases, it can cause a major stroke, or even death. Just how serious and lasting the effects are depends on where in the brain the debris ends up, says Dr. Stump. During beating-heart surgery, blood continues to flow through the aorta. But doctors use what they call a side-bite clamp to pinch off a portion of the vessel to stabilize the site for stitching. That, too, entails a risk of dislodging debris, and other complications. But with the connector, doctors will be able to connect vessels quickly enough to make such clamps unnecessary. ``The first and immediate impact of the St. Jude device is that you don't have to put a clamp on the aorta,'' says Michael Mack, a Dallas heart surgeon with no financial connection to the company. ``That eliminates a potential source of stroke.'' Whether that will prompt widespread use of the device is hard to gauge. Neurological problems can be caused by factors other than clamps, and St. Jude doesn't have any data as yet to demonstrate whether its device indeed cuts the risk of stroke or cognitive impairments. But with the neurological issue getting fresh attention, many doctors may not feel inclined to wait for hard data. ``If you have a patient with a brain problem after an [otherwise] uncomplicated operation, that is disastrous,'' says Dr. Carrel, the Swiss heart surgeon. Five years ago, when Mr. Sullivan and a small group of engineers started thinking about the connector, their goal was to develop technology for doing bypass surgery through the same type of catheters used in balloon angioplasty. In the angioplasty procedure, a balloon-tipped catheter is threaded through a small incision and into the heart, then inflated to open a blocked artery. But early on, it became clear that using sutures to attach vessel grafts via catheter wouldn't work. That set off the plan to develop a mechanical connector for conventional bypass surgery. Still, Mr. Sullivan and others believe that the new technology will lay the groundwork for their original plan, eventually enabling doctors to do bypass surgery without cracking open the patient's chest.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1727) to amend the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 to provide for consistent treatment of survivor benefits for public safety officers killed in the line of duty, as amended.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, we cannot be considering this important legislation on a more appropriate day. Today is Peace Officers Memorial Day. Each year, on May 15, America honors the men and women in law enforcement who have given their lives to keep the American people safe in their communities and on their streets. More than 15,400 brave public safety officers have made the ultimate sacrifice since our Nation was founded. We just considered a resolution honoring these fallen heroes. Now it is time to honor our public safety officers killed in the line of duty by offering tangible help to their loved ones left behind. This is exactly what the legislation before us does. The Fallen Hero Survivor Benefit Fairness Act provides tax-free benefits to families of all public safety officers killed in the line of duty regardless of when the officer was killed. This bill, Mr. Speaker, includes law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue squads, ambulance crews and employees working in disaster or emergency areas. Under present law, a gross inequity exists because survivor benefits are treated differently, depending on when the public safety officer died. Currently, survivor benefits are tax free only if a public safety officer died in the line of duty after December 31, 1996. This inequity, Mr. Speaker, arose from the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 because of revenue constraints. Pursuant to an amendment to that legislation offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman) and me, families of officers killed in the line of duty became eligible to receive survivor benefits tax free for the first time. Unfortunately, however, because of the revenue limitations at the time, the tax-free benefits were limited to officers killed after December 31, 1996. As a result, Mr. Speaker, families of our law enforcement heroes, our fallen heroes, are being treated differently by the Tax Code depending on when the officer was killed. I think all of us in this body and all Americans agree that it is absolutely unconscionable to discriminate against survivors of fallen officers simply because their husband, wife, or parent officer died before 1997. The bill before us today is based on an amendment I offered 2 years ago in the Committee on Ways and Means, which was unanimously adopted in the Taxpayer Refund and Relief Act of 1999. That provision passed both the House and Senate, but unfortunately the President at the time vetoed the larger bill. I want to express my gratitude to the gentleman from California (Chairman Thomas) for expediting H.R. 1727 in the Committee on Ways and Means. I want to also thank the 13 bipartisan members of the committee who joined me in sponsoring this bill and to the other sponsors, especially the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman), and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), who have worked on this issue over the years. I am also grateful to the more than 20 State and national law enforcement organizations who sent letters in support of this important legislation. But most of all, Mr. Speaker, I am eternally grateful to the fallen heroes and their families we honor today. As cochair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, I understand the risks and sacrifices made by our officers every time they put on their badge. Over the past 15 years, I have spent over 1,600 hours riding with Minneapolis and suburban police back home. I have accompanied high-risk entry teams on 65 search warrants. So I have seen, firsthand, officers in harm's way simply because they are doing their job to keep our streets and communities safe. Each year, an average of 62,000 assaults are committed against peace officers, resulting in more than 21,000 injured officers. On the average, it was just said by the previous speakers, an officer is killed every 57 hours in America. Just last year, 150 peace and police officers gave their lives, which represents, by the way, a 12 percent increase in police fatalities over the previous year. The average age of slain peace officers is only 38 years. Seventy-two percent of these officers were married, and the largest percentage had young children. Of course the financial hardship on these families can be devastating on top of dealing with an unbearably painful loss. So, Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by saying this legislation, H.R. 1727, is long overdue. Just a few short hours ago, a memorial service for fallen police officers was held here at the Capitol. Flags on all Federal buildings are currently flying at half-staff. It is time to honor our fallen heroes with deeds as well as words. I urge my colleagues to support this bill which will ensure that all families, all families of slain police officers receive survivor benefits tax free, regardless of when the officers were killed. It is the very least we can do for families of our fallen heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu), an important cosponsor of this legislation, a strong advocate to law enforcement, and a fellow member of the Law Enforcement Caucus.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to again thank my co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak), and the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty), the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Thurman), and the 13 other Ways and Means colleagues who cosponsored this important legislation. I also want to thank the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Sununu) again for his hard work on this issue and the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas), the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, for expediting this legislation at my request. This is the least we can do, Mr. Speaker, for our fallen law enforcement heroes and other public safety officers killed in the line of duty, to give all of the survivors of public safety officers who give their lives for our public safety the tax-free benefits regardless of when their officer relative was killed. So I urge Members to support this important legislation.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous matter on H.R. 1727.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Bill George, who recently retired as the Chief Executive Officer of Medtronic, Inc. Medtronic is one of the leading medical technology companies in the world. This is due in large part to the leadership of Bill George, its COO since 1989 and CEO since 1991. During his tenure, Bill George built Medtronic into a company that employs 25,000 people in 120 countries, with revenues of more than $5 billion. But Bill is more than a successful businessman. He is a policy visionary who believes in patient centered care, which is enabled by medical technology. I want to single out the Patient Summit he hosted in Washington, D.C. last year, which encouraged a dialogue between patients, policymakers and advocacy groups about the role patients can play in directing their own health care. Under his leadership, the Medtronic Foundation has reached out to patient groups in unprecedented ways, giving $12 million last year alone to non-profit organizations in communities worldwide. As a fellow Minnesotan, I've watched Bill's personal efforts in the community with much admiration. His efforts as chair of the board of the United Way of Minneapolis and vice chair of the board of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, as well as his work on the boards of the American Red Cross and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are just a few of the highlights. Mr. Speaker, I highly commend Bill George for his visionary and innovative leadership. He has taken a great company and made it better with his strong commitment to bettering the lives of patients. Bill's integrity and leadership qualities have made him a great role model for many aspiring leaders, and he is a true inspiration to many. Bill George will be sorely missed by Medtronic, but the Twin Cities community will continue to benefit from all that he does for so many. I applaud Bill for a stellar career at Medtronic, and I wish him and his wonderful wife, Penny, and their family continued success and happiness in future years.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of this landmark bipartisan package of pension reforms that will vastly improve the retirement security of American workers. I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin), two colleagues and friends on the Committee on Ways and Means, because without their tireless efforts and their leadership on this important pension reform package, we would not be here today. The need, Mr. Speaker, is clear. Americans are living longer but often they lack the savings needed for a secure retirement. The typical 45-year-old has only 40 percent of the savings needed to avoid a decline in standard of living during retirement. Half of all private sector workers, in fact, still have no pension coverage at all. Worse yet, only 20 percent of job-creating small businesses even offer a pension plan because of the expense and the difficulty of administering such plans. This legislation, H.R. 10, will help reverse this dire situation. I want to highlight, Mr. Speaker, one of the over 50 provisions in this package which will give American workers a meaningful opportunity to save for their retirement. The provision I am referring to would preserve employee stock ownership plans, or as they are called, ESOPs, for the workers of S corporations, many of which are small businesses. ESOPs give workers an opportunity to own a piece of their business, a piece of the rock, which boosts productivity, morale and retirement savings. This proposal is based on a bill that I introduced last year which was cosponsored by 30 members of the Committee on Ways and Means. It would remove a cloud that was left by the previous administration by preserving this highly effective retirement savings program for broad- based S corporation ESOPs. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 10 is a win-win for America. That is why it is supported by such a diverse group of small and large businesses, labor organizations and members of both parties. Most importantly, it is strongly supported by the working people of America. I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation for a secure future for America's workers.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, the people of Eden Prairie, Minnesota are in mourning today as they grieve the loss of a favorite son, West Point Cadet John Heinmiller. There are no words to adequately convey our sympathy to Cadet Heinmiller's family. Our hearts and prayers go out to John's father John, his mother Julie, and younger brothers and sister Joe, Jimmy and Sue, on Cadet Heinmiller's tragic death early Sunday in Garrison, New York. John's loving family and countless friends are in shock over the passing of this remarkable young man who ``left an indelible mark on friends, coaches and teachers,'' to quote from today's front page article in the Star Tribune. Mr. Speaker, John's death is not only a great tragedy for his wonderful family, but also a great tragedy for Eden Prairie High School and the United States Military Academy. John was loved and respected by everyone who knew him. Of the several hundred service academy nominations that I have made over the past decade, John truly stands out for his remarkable personal qualities. John was not only a star in hockey, football and the classroom, John was a star in the way he conducted his life. As I said, when I nominated John to West Point: ``John Heinmiller is destined for success at the Military Academy and beyond because he has it all: highly intelligent, a great student athlete, personally charming, a quick wit and, most importantly, integrity and character that we need in our future leaders.'' It is not easy to stand out, Mr. Speaker, the way John Heinmiller did at a high school renowned for its athletics with more than 3,000 students. An honors student, John was so highly respected for his leadership qualities that his teammates at Eden Prairie High School voted him senior captain of both his football and hockey teams. He also earned his school's highest athletic honor the Scott Ryski Award. As his Eden Prairie High School football coach Mike Grant put it best, ``John was a good football player, but above that, he was an outstanding person. This is a devastating loss to our school, our community and our city. This is a kid who would have been leading our country someday.'' Eden Prairie's boys' hockey coach, Lee Smith, also coached John and said, ``He was also the kind of person that if you spent 2 minutes around, you would see dedication, love, charisma and energy. John was one of the greatest role models who has ever gone through our high school.'' At West Point, John was a freshman hockey player and was called up to play with the varsity this past season. From all reports by West Point officials and coaches, John had already distinguished himself and was headed for great success. Above all, Mr. Speaker, John Heinmiller loved his family very dearly. His younger brothers and sister were his best friends. As John's dad told me yesterday, ``His mother and I could not have asked for a better son in every way.'' Mr. Speaker, my prayer today is that Cadet John Heinmiller's legacy will inspire all of us to greater heights. We thank God for the way John lived his life and the wonderful role model he was. We are also grateful to John for his service to country at West Point. May John Heinmiller's spirit continue to live in each of us and may God bless his family and friends.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a true Minnesota legend. George Mikan, who was acclaimed Mr. Basketball in 1950 for his remarkable performances at DePaul University and with the former Minneapolis Lakers of the National Basketball Association has reached legendary status in the game of basketball and in life because of his hard work, integrity, leadership and character. George Mikan will be honored at a nationally televised halftime ceremony during next Sunday's NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. A life-sized bronze statue of George Mikan will be unveiled at the Target Center in Minneapolis. It will be a special moment for a truly special man who is most deserving of this recognition. At 6 feet 10 inches tall, George Mikan was the first big man to display the agility, touch and skill to dominate basketball games. He was called the trunk of the NBA family tree and he helped the fledgling league draw record crowds in every city. Mikan's mere presence changed the rules of the game because he was so dominant. In fact, in an effort to stop George Mikan, the Mikan rule was invented which widened the lane underneath the basket. With Mikan in the middle, the Minneapolis Lakers won six NBA championships in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including five of the first eight titles in the history of the NBA. On five separate occasions, George Mikan led the NBA in scoring. George Mikan is a charter member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame. He was chosen one of the NBA's 50 greatest players. But, Mr. Speaker, George Mikan's accomplishments outside basketball are just as impressive and reflect perhaps even greater determination. A successful attorney, business owner and civic leader, George Mikan was the first commissioner of the American Basketball Association. In that position, he once again helped revolutionize the game of basketball by implementing the three-point shot and other exciting changes. George Mikan has also overcome a great deal of difficulty in his lifetime. Today, George is taking on a very imposing opponent, the disease of diabetes. Again, George Mikan is showing great courage and determination and is a true inspiration to us all. The original Mr. Basketball continues to make us proud. Today we salute him for his public service, leadership, inspiration and courage. Mr. Speaker, George Mikan is a great American and a legendary basketball player. Please join me in honoring this outstanding Minnesotan for his many contributions to the game of basketball and his many accomplishments off the court as well. George Mikan is truly deserving of this special congressional recognition.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to start by thanking Chairman Thomas for moving the next installment of President Bush's tax relief plan so quickly. Today, we are helping to fulfill a promise made to the American people and delivering $400 billion in relief to families suffering the marriage penalty and families struggling to raise children. We need to provide urgent relief to families suffering from the unfair marriage tax penalty. About 25 million married couples currently pay an average of $1,400 more in taxes than they would as single taxpayers. In my own congressional district alone, 80,000 married couples pay higher taxes simply because they are married. That is wrong. Consider what $1,400 a year would mean to a family struggling to make car or mortgage payments, to buy groceries and clothes for their kids, or to save for their child's college education. If opponents of this measure don't believe marriage penalty tax relief will make a real difference in the lives of real families, then frankly--they are severely out of touch. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support real relief for real families, right now. Support this important measure today and put money back in the pockets of American families.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, Roger Lipelt is a teacher and coach who has had a positive influence on generations of Minnesotans, teaching young people the values of hard work, character, leadership and integrity while working toward a common goal. Mr. Speaker, Roger Lipelt of Wayzata, Minnesota, one of my very best friends, will be inducted into the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association's ``Hall of Fame'' on Friday, March 16. Roger was the highly successful head football coach at Wayzata High School for 22 seasons before retiring in 1998. But if you asked him what he did during those seasons, he would tell you he was first and foremost a teacher. Roger represents the best and the brightest among educators. He's also one of the most successful high school football coaches in Minnesota history. Roger's legendary coaching career stretched over three and a half decades. His teams captured 17 conference and two section titles. His career record was 209 wins and 107 losses. Roger Lipelt has been named recipient of virtually every coaching honor possible. Those awards were won not only because of Roger's superior coaching skills but because of his unique ability to motivate his players in a positive, uplifting way. Roger Lipelt has also been highly successful coaching both wrestling and tennis. His Wayzata High School tennis teams won two Minnesota state titles. ``Coach of the Year,'' Minnesota All-Star Football head coach, and Hall of Fame at his alma mater, Hamline University, are just a few of the awards Roger Lipelt has received. But to simply recite Roger's remarkable coaching credentials is to not take the full measure of this great man. Roger Lipelt truly cares about people and his community. His record of public service is as inspiring as it is long. Besides the countless young people he has helped in immeasurable ways, Roger has reached out to less fortunate people in his own backyard and across the globe in Peru. Over the past dozen years, Roger has been deeply involved in helping the people of Peru. I have accompanied Roger to Peru twice and have seen, firsthand, the difference he has made in the lives of Peru's most impoverished people. Roger has spent countless hours with young abandoned children at CIMA Orphanage, the teenage youth leaders at Bridge House, and the poorest of the poor at Flores de Villes. Roger Lipelt has been a friend to many families in Peru. He has facilitated numerous relationships that have been helpful in many ways. Through his efforts, 26 Minnesota families are now supporting 26 Peruvian families of Lima's ``Shantytown,'' or Flores de Villes. Roger's group in Minnesota is known as Amigos del Peru which consists of Minnesotans who are contributing money and other resources to help the most impoverished people of Peru. Through Roger's leadership, a community health clinic has also been established at Flores de Villes. Just like the young students whose lives Roger impacted at Wayzata High School, Roger Lipelt is now changing lives a continent away. Mr. Speaker, Roger Lipelt is an amazing humanitarian and a legendary football coach. Please join me in honoring this great Minnesotan on his induction into the Minnesota High School Football Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. Roger is truly most deserving of our special recognition.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, for the life of me, I cannot understand how those opposed to tax relief can make spending decisions based on projected revenues. You can spend the taxpayers' money based on projected revenues, but you cannot provide tax relief based on those same revenues? All we are talking about, Mr. Speaker, is returning 1 of 4 surplus dollars back to the taxpayers. It is their overpayments that are creating the surplus. It is the taxpayers' money, not the government's money. Let us put this into context. All we are talking about, those of us who support this much-needed tax relief, we are talking about returning 6 percent of the $28 trillion in government revenues over the next 10 years, 6 percent of $28 trillion in revenues. That is hardly a risky tax scheme or overgenerous to return 1 of 4 surplus dollars based on the same projections that you are spending money, that we are all spending money. Our economy needs the stimulus of a tax cut. Every day in Minnesota, my constituents are telling me sales are slow, orders are slow, inventories are up, consumer confidence is down. More layoffs. This tax relief will bring immediate relief to families who are pinched financially. It will lift consumer confidence and boost our sputtering economy. Our families need this tax relief, our overtaxed taxpayers deserve it, and economic growth in America depends on it. People want to pay off credit-card debt. They want to make car and mortgage payments, pay energy bills. That is why we need to get this tax relief to them, as the President says, as soon as possible. American people are paying the highest level of taxes in peacetime history. We need to return the surplus, the taxpayers' overpayments to them in the form of these marginal rate reductions. This tax cut will not threaten fiscal discipline, but it will mean real relief for American families and for our sinking economy. The taxpayers of America deserve this tax relief now.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 23 I inadvertently pressed the ``yea'' button. I meant to vote ``no.'' Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Sensenbrenner

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great Minnesotan, a true patriot and a long-time friend who represents the greatness and goodness that is America. C. Charles Jackson, Jr., celebrates his 80th birthday on Thursday, January 11, 2001. All who know him call him Charley. We are proud to call him our friend. And we also call him remarkable in so many ways. Mr. Speaker, there are few institutions in Minnesota which have not been touched by Charley's brilliant leadership, his generosity and his time, energy and talent. Charley Jackson is one of those people who works behind the scenes, one of those people who is responsible for getting things done. He has helped countless people in need, sick children, young students and many others. Whenever his community has needed him for a civic or charitable endeavor, Charley Jackson has answered the call. From his early years as a U.S. Navy officer during World War II--to his years as head of a major Minnesota corporation--to his more recent years as a philanthropist, Charley Jackson has performed public service of the highest order. He has worked tirelessly as a board member of numerous Minnesota organizations and charities, ranging from Children's Heartlink and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Minneapolis to the University of Minnesota's Williams Fund, Gustavus Aldophus College and Dunwoody Institute. He is also a national trustee of Ducks Unlimited. Over the past 25 years, I have personally seen Charley Jackson give so generously of himself, without any desire for recognition. Charley is truly one of the most generous and selfless individuals Minnesota has known. When the organ at our Wayzata Community Church needed replacing, Charley was the first member who stepped forward, just as he did to construct our new church sanctuary. One of the finest liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Gustavus Adolphus College has benefited greatly from Charley's generosity, which provided its new student center and numerous scholarships. Charles Jackson has also been a very special friend and key advisor to me. It is hard to find the words to adequately convey my appreciation for Charley's wise counsel and friendship from my very beginning in public office. Mr. Speaker, all of us whose lives have been touched by Charley Jackson wish him well on his 80th birthday, and we thank him for his long record of service and legendary contributions.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I proudly salute a remarkable organization in my district which has been working hard for nearly half a century to raise badly needed resources to fund countless community efforts and held people in need. For 46 years, the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, Lions Club has always been there to help with a wide variety of critical needs. There are no words to adequately convey my admiration and thanks for all that the Brooklyn Center Lions have accomplished through their inspiring public service. Mr. Speaker, it is organizations like the Brooklyn Center Lions Club which keep our country strong. As a fellow Lion, I want to salute the Brooklyn Center Lions who quietly volunteer their time, energy and talent to meet pressing demands in their community. I also applaud the Brooklyn Center Rotary Club for honoring the Brooklyn Center Lions last week. Mr. Speaker, the great city of Brooklyn Center is greater because of the many important contributions of the Brooklyn Center Lions over the last four decades. The Lions live by the motto ``We Serve,'' and the Brooklyn Center Lions personify community service. In 1999 alone, Mr. Speaker, the Brooklyn Center Lions donated $30,203 to the city to provide extra special help wherever and whenever needed. Over the years, the size and scope of the Lions' generosity paints a vivid picture of public service. Through the years, the Lions have donated $160,000 to the city, $125,000 to the schools and $110,000 to youth sports. Since I was first elected to Congress, I have made expanded opportunities for people with disabilities one of my highest priorities. The Lions of Brooklyn Center share that passion and know that our nation is underutilizing a very talented and hard-working population by not offering more people with disabilities the opportunity to contribute. That's why the Brooklyn Center Lions built ramps for people in wheelchairs so they can lead more independent, fulfilling lives. Mr. Speaker, the Lions Club in Brooklyn Center each and every year comes through with funds to get civic projects off the ground. The Lions Club lifts spirits by supporting the hometown Earle Brown Days, concerts, special festivals and the Park and Recreation Department's annual Halloween party. The Brooklyn Center Lions have donated money for a training tower for the Brooklyn Center Fire Department, bikes for the Brooklyn Center Police Department's bike patrol, fitness equipment for police officers and the picnic shelter in Lions Park. Mr. Speaker, the needs of children are always foremost in the minds of Brooklyn Center Lions Club members. Memories will last a lifetime for all the elementary school students who were able to travel to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum because of the generosity of the Lions. The club gives to the Brooklyn Center Charitable Foundation to help children get coats, gloves and school supplies. Clubs like the Lions of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, are the lifeblood of our communities. That is literally the case with the Lions of Brooklyn Center when they support events like the American Cancer Society's ``Relay for Life.'' The Brooklyn Center Lions for almost half a century have rung bells with the Salvation Army, gathered food for the hungry and helped clean up the city parks. Mr. Speaker, the Brooklyn Center Lions truly represent the best in public service, and I am very proud to represent them in Congress. The Brooklyn Center Lions are a model for the nation and a great community resource. Mr. Speaker, please join me in saluting the tremendous public service performed by the Brooklyn Center Lions for 46 years! Thank you, Lions, for all you have done and will continue to do in the years ahead.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I rise proudly to salute a remarkable and visionary public servant from the Lake Minnetonka community in Minnesota who passed away recently. Robert K. Pillsbury of Minnetonka, Minnesota, passed away October 5, 2000, after a long illness. Bob will be sorely missed by all of us who admired and respected his dedicated public stewardship and his love and devotion to his faith, family, friends, and country. By any measure of merit, Bob was one of our nation's best and brightest--a gifted business leader, civic leader and loving husband, father, and grandfather. Bob Pillsbury loved his country and was a true patriot, serving a grateful nation with honor and great courage during World War II as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Mr. Speaker, Minnesotans called him ``Mr. Lake Minnetonka.'' Bob lived on the shores of Lake Minnetonka and there wasn't a more dedicated, vigilant defender of the lake than Bob Pillsbury. He was relentless in the amount of time, energy and talent he devoted to protecting Lake Minnetonka for both current users and future generations. Bob started the Hennepin County Sheriff's Water Patrol on Lake Minnetonka. The Water Patrol has made a huge, life-saving difference in providing safety measures on the surface of this busy, metro-area lake, and it has served as a model for law enforcement agencies all around the nation with jurisdiction over navigable waters. A warm and friendly man with a great wit, Bob Pillsbury represented his community on the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District for many years. His hard work on that citizens' panel led to many innovative practices to clean up and protect Lake Minnetonka, a highly used lake located in the midst of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Bob's bold vision produced environmental policies that will be followed for years to come. With Bob Pillsbury, no detail went overlooked. He was always looking for ways to keep Lake Minnetonka beautiful. One of Bob's favorite crusades was his plan to require dock owners to use green boat canopies rather than white, striped and multicolored ones, all the better to blend the intrusion of development into the natural environment. Mr. Speaker, the resolution never passed, but there are more green canopies on the lake than ever before, including mine. Bob Pillsbury was a highly successful stockbroker because he believed in people and his clients believed in him. He was a man of great integrity and he was a stakeholder in his community in so many ways. He was an original member of the City of Minnetonka's Charter Commission and a long-time member of the Minnetonka Planning Commission. Bob was an active member of the American Legion and the Zuhrah Shrine Temple, as well as the Fox and Hounds and Lafayette Clubs. Bob was also a great fan of University of Minnesota Golden Gopher Football. For 25 years, he organized charter flights to out-of-town Golden Gopher football games and did not miss a Golden Gopher game-- home or away--for 25 years. He was one of the biggest Gopher football fans ever. Despite failing health, Bob continued to watch every game in recent years at the Hillcrest Health Care Center, where he lived the past 5 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with Bob's wonderful family: his lovely wife of 58 years, Elizabeth M. Pillsbury; his sons, Robert, Jr. (wife Tody), and Charles (wife Linda); and his daughter, Sandra (husband David), as well as his four grandchildren and their spouses, and his step-grandson and his spouse and family.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding and for organizing this resolution and tribute to our dear friend and colleague, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Vento). This is, Madam Speaker, truly a sad day for all Minnesotans. We have lost a great public servant. Congress has lost its champion of the environment. Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with Bruce's family, with his wonderful wife, Susan Lynch Vento; with Bruce's sons, Michael, Peter and John; and their families as well. For 24 years, Bruce Vento served the people of Minnesota's Fourth Congressional District with great integrity and a strong commitment to helping people in need. His work to protect the environment, provide affordable housing, his work to help the homeless and open new doors for immigrants, his work has truly established a lasting legacy. I was privileged over the last 10 years to work in this body closely with Bruce Vento on a number of legislative initiatives, and I deeply respected Bruce as a colleague and a friend like all of us here in the House. The people of Minnesota and the Nation will sorely miss Bruce's vigilant protection of our environment. When it comes to protecting the environment, Bruce Vento was truly a global champion. Whether it was defending our precious Boundary Waters Canoe Area wilderness, helping the homeless, providing affordable housing, or aiding our newest immigrants in Minnesota, our Hmong community, Bruce always made his case with great eloquence and great passion. Bruce Vento, Madam Speaker, represented the best in public service. And his integrity, his work ethic, his strong commitment to the people of Minnesota will continue to inspire all of us. May you rest in peace, dear friend.

Mr. RAMSTAD

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Hayworth), an important member of the Committee on Ways and Means and a cosponsor of this legislation.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5117) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to clarify the allowance of the child credit, the deduction for personal exemptions, and the earned income credit for missing children, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5117, as amended.

Mr. RAMSTAD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) of the Committee on Ways and Means for clearing this bill for the suspension calendar and to the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) for putting this important legislation on a fast track bringing it up today. Mr. Speaker, imagine the horror of learning that a stranger has kidnapped your child. Then imagine the courage needed to keep alive the hope of your child's recovery and safe return. Imagine the costs, the financial costs, incurred by heartbroken parents spending every last penny searching for their abducted child. Mr. Speaker, imagine an agency of the Federal Government that steals your hope, that tells you your child is no longer part of your household. It does not get any worse from out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats than to deny the family of a kidnapped child the dependency exemption, even though the family continues to spend thousands of dollars searching for their child and maintains the child's bedroom. Unbelievable, but true. This is exactly what the Internal Revenue Service has been doing to families of missing and abducted children. Beside me right here, Mr. Speaker, is a picture of a young boy who was stolen from his family in 1989 in Minnesota. His name is Jacob Wetterling, and his story has touched countless lives throughout Minnesota and our Nation. Jacob was abducted from the small community of St. Joseph, Minnesota when he was 11 years old. A masked gunman took Jacob from his bicycle while his brother and his friend watched helplessly. His family has not heard from Jacob since that day, but we all hope and pray with them for his safe return, and Jacob's family has turned his tragedy into a national effort that has helped hundreds and hundreds of missing children in this country. Jacob's parents, Patty and Jerry Wetterling, founded the Jacob Wetterling Foundation, an organization that helps prevent and respond to child abductions. Patty Wetterling, as most of my colleagues remember, is a tireless advocate for children traveling around the country, educating communities about child safety. It was Patty's work that inspired me to introduce the Jacob Wetterling bill several years ago. Those of my colleagues who are here remember Patty's effective lobbying efforts to pass that bill, walking the halls of Congress, coming to my colleagues' offices, testifying before the Committee on the Judiciary, working tirelessly on that important legislation, which is now the law of the land, requiring people who are convicted of crimes against children to register with law enforcement whenever they move into a community. The Jacob Wetterling law is working thanks to Patty Wetterling and others who fought for that bill that protects American children from predators. This picture, Mr. Speaker, shows Jacob as he looked at the time he was kidnapped in 1989, this first picture on my colleagues' left. The picture beside it shows how Jacob might look today. That has been age enhanced. Mr. Speaker, if anyone, anyone has any information about Jacob, they should call 1-800-THELOST, 1-800-T-H-E-L-O-S-T. My thanks go to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to Ernie Allen, and all those people there who work so hard with their help with this graphic and for all they do to help bring America's missing children home. Mr. Speaker, the families of missing children fight countless battles. Fighting the IRS should not be one of them. In 1990, the year after Jacob was kidnapped, listen to this, Mr. Speaker, the year after this young boy was kidnapped, his parents, the Wetterlings, were informed they could no longer take the dependency exemption for Jacob on their tax return, this in spite of the fact the Wetterlings continued to spend a fortune looking for Jacob, making long distance phone calls, organizing searchers, printing fliers, mailing them throughout the Nation. At the time, the Wetterlings did not fight the IRS. As Patty Wetterling said, one has to pick one's battles, and she was too exhausted from the other battles to fight the IRS. Mr. Speaker, these families should not have to fight this battle. Congress needs to fight the battle for them and win it for families of abducted children. This year, the IRS had a chance to clarify the dependency exemption for abducted children. A family whose child was stolen by a stranger asked the IRS whether they could continue taking the dependency exemption. They were spending thousands of dollars searching for their child, maintaining the child's room and so forth. The IRS answered in August. Do my colleagues know what their answer was. No. Not in the years after one's child was abducted, even if one maintains the child's room and spends money searching for the missing child. That is why I and a number of Members on both sides of the aisle introduced the bill before us today, H.R. 5117, the Missing Children Tax Fairness Act. This bill will clarify that families whose children are abducted by strangers can continue to take the dependency exemption. It also clarifies other areas of the law so these families will be held harmless with respect to the child tax credit, earned income tax credit, and filing status. The bottom line is this, Mr. Speaker, no families' taxes will increase simply because a stranger abducts their child. Mr. Speaker, just last week, officials at the IRS were informed that this legislation would be considered by the House today. Then on Friday, just this last Friday, the IRS suddenly and dramatically reversed itself and issued another advice memorandum saying that these parents may be able to claim a dependency exemption after all. This is a welcome change of heart by the IRS, but this legislation is still needed. First, the IRS advice memorandum does not establish legal precedent. As we all know, the IRS could very well flip-flop again. We also need to clarify other areas of the Tax Code dealing with children so these families will no longer face the possibility of a tax hike. It is my understanding that a few years ago, another family whose child was abducted asked the IRS about the dependency exemption. The IRS told them flatly, quote from the IRS official, ``We presume your child is dead.'' Mr. Speaker, it is time to put an end to that callous kind of response. As Patty Wetterling put it best, ``I always felt it was awfully cold for the IRS to profit from our great loss.'' Patty also said, and I am quoting, ``I hope Congress will reverse the IRS and provide a huge emotional and financial relief for parents of missing and abducted children.'' Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleagues for the bipartisan outpouring of support for H.R. 5117. Again, I want to express my gratitude to the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer) for clearing this bill for the Suspension Calendar and to our House leadership for putting it on a fast track. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to listen to parents of abducted children, parents like Patty and Jerry Wetterling. Support basic tax fairness and hope for families of missing and abducted children. I urge, in the name of tax fairness and hope, passage of H.R. 5117. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.