Ralph Regula

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. I think the only thing, I think the gentleman would agree that if we are going to have trade agreements and they are going to mean anything, they should be respected by our trading partners and they should not be allowed to violate them?

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I thank the gentleman for his comments. He is absolutely right. The tools are there. We need the will to use them. And, obviously, it is not just steel jobs, but there is an enormous ripple effect, because the steel families will purchase goods in the communities they live in, they support the schools, the United Way, it has an enormous impact. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Weller).

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, the steel industry and the steelworkers and their families are feeling the unfair impact of cheap steel being imported in the United States market in very large quantities. This hardship threatens to grow much worse in the months ahead as other markets dry up and the United States becomes the target of dumping in order to gain hard currency. Mr. Speaker, I tell the President that Congress has provided him with the tools to help steelworkers. There are already a number of remedies under the United States trade laws that the President should use, if appropriate, to deal with the significant increase of steel imports. Number one, the most significant and far-reaching power is under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act. Under this act, the President may block imports to deal with any unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States if he declares a national emergency. Two, under the anti-dumping laws, the President may impose anti- dumping duties that equal the amount of dumping if injury to the United States industry is shown. (A) These duties may be imposed retroactively if the administration finds critical circumstances deemed to exist when there have been massive imports over a relatively short period and there is a history or knowledge of dumping and injury. (B) The President may accelerate the statutory deadlines for determining whether dumping exists so that duties may be imposed sooner. Three, under the countervailing duty law, the President may impose countervailing duties that equal the amount of any subsidy provided by the foreign government, if injury to the United States industry is shown. As with dumping, these duties may be imposed retroactively and accelerated. Four, under Section 201, the President may take action, including imposing duties, a tariff rate quota, or quantitative restrictions to respond to a surge of imports that is substantially causing serious injury to the United States industry, and I might add parenthetically that that is exactly what the European Union has done. Five, under Section 301, the President must take unilateral action if he determines a country is taking action in violation of a trade agreement or is unjustifiable or burdens or restricts U.S. commerce. Mr. Speaker, the President clearly has the authority to do something to help our steel companies and workers. He should use this authority today. I urge the President, do not ignore this growing erosion of steel jobs in America and the disastrous consequences for the families of the steelworkers. Stand up for the steelworkers and their families

Mr. REGULA. I yield to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Most of it, yes.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I was referring to the privileged resolution that the gentleman from Indiana introduced, and he was the sponsor of that.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, we have heard the slogan, ``Stand up for steel.'' Today we are standing up for steel. What we are really talking about are two objectives. One is to save steel jobs in this Nation, the other is to get the President and the Cabinet members energized to help us save those steel jobs. This is the message that we want to send down Pennsylvania Avenue. We have had discussions. We have had a lot of talk, but now we need action. Other speakers have detailed the extent of the problem. Exports are up from Russia, 45 percent; from Korea, 89 percent; from Japan, 113 percent; Indonesia, 308 percent. And, of course, the European Union put in quotas, as was mentioned earlier. Even though their population is the same as ours, roughly, they import one-tenth as does the United States. I think it tells us very clearly how we are being the target for all the surplus steel capacity around the world. What we do in this resolution is say to the administration: Take action. It is a strong message. We can talk about semantics. We can split hairs. The real answer is we have got to get the message down there. And whether it is the resolution offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Visclosky), whether it is mine, whether it is the resolution offered by the gentleman from Texas (Chairman Archer), none of those will mean anything unless the administration is willing to take action. But I would point out to my colleagues that in this resolution before us today we call for the President of the United States to pursue vigorous enforcement of our unfair trading laws using all remedies available under all laws. In other words, use all of the tools available. Are there tools? Yes, there are tools. The President can invoke national security matters and immediately put on quantitative restraints, if the President were willing to do this. Mr. Speaker, he can pursue the test of emergency conditions in the United States, and there is an emergency. Again, the President can act without any further action. Thirdly, the President and the Commerce Department can bring 201 and 301 cases. They have not done so. Fourthly, they can find critical circumstances under dumping, allowing retroactive imposition of duties. So, there are many tools available. Last week I, as chairman of the Steel Caucus, along with the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) met with Senator Specter, chairman in the Senate, and Senator Rockefeller, and we met with Treasury Secretary Rubin, Secretary of Commerce Dailey, with Trade Ambassador Barshefsky, and with the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, Mr. Gene Sperling. We gave them the outlines of the problem. And what we had from them is talk. As I said to them, there is a Chinese proverb that says, ``Talk does not cook rice.'' What we need is for this administration to start dealing with this problem and not giving us talk. This resolution provides for disclosure to the public so we know what is going on. And I think that it will require action by our Committee on Ways and Means. I would point out of all the resolutions, this is the one coming out of our Committee on Ways and Means. To really work on this problem, we need the cooperation and we need the help and we need action by the Committee on Ways and Means. But right now, the President of the United States can take action to save those steel jobs. Mr. Speaker, I say to the President, ``Mr. President, we want you and your cabinet and your administration to stand up for steel.''

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, it is with much regret that I bid farewell to my good colleague Joe McDade. Having served with Joe during my entire tenure in Congress, I will miss his friendship, his advice, and his experience counsel on many challenging issues. Joe unfailingly served the 10th district of Pennsylvania with sincerity and dedication. His constituents always knew this and kept returning him to office by ever greater margins. Even when critics were vocal, the people of the 10th district understood Joe's basic goodness and refused to withdraw their support. He has always understood the importance of maintaining and promoting job growth in the hard pressed coal-producing areas of his state. And if Joe taught us anything, it would be the principle of perseverance. Winston Churchill said in 1941, ``Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never--in nothing, great or small, large or petty--never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.'' Joe never gave in and in the end success was the outcome. I have valued Joe's role on the Appropriations Committee and his ability to guide complicated and controversial legislation through the House. He understands the need to exercise good oversight of government programs. Joe brought a thoughtfulness to government which is not always plentiful here, nor even in high demand at times. But it was this thoughtfulness which endeared him to many of us. I wish him well in his future outside of Congress. may he enjoy all that life has to offer-- good health, firm friends, a loving family, and the joy of watching grandchildren grow. I will always cherish the friendship we have shared as colleagues in one of life's greatest opportunities to leave a legacy of value for future generations.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. Maxwell Anderson wrote of George Washington: There are some men who lift the age they inhabit until all men walk on higher ground in that lifetime. Lee Hamilton, by his presence, has lifted the age in which he has inhabited the House of Representatives. Perhaps the greatest comment on a person's life is the legacy one leaves behind, and Lee's legacy will be his unwavering dedication to the House and our legislative responsibilities in regard to our Nation's role in world affairs as well as domestic challenges. Lee has long recognized that we must not look only inward, we must be a Nation actively engaged in the word around us. Lee has been a leader in promoting an appropriate role for Congress in the foreign policy- making process and, at the same time, educating legislators, his colleagues, on world affairs and their need to understand those issues. He nonetheless never has forgotten his roots in the soil of Indiana. Buckeyes and Hoosiers are down to earth people, well grounded, if you will. That grounding in love of country and a profound understanding of its good people augmented Lee's ability to represent our Nation's foreign policy in Congress and overseas. Now he leaves us to embark on a new mission as Director of the Woodrow Wilson Center. I have raised some challenges to the Wilson Center in the past few years, because I believe that the center has strayed from its mission and its dedication to serving the public purpose. With Lee's leadership, I am confident that the Wilson Center will be in good hands and will be responsive to fulfilling its goals. I am also pleased that in this new assignment I will have the opportunity to continue working with Lee. I wish Lee and Nancy the best for their continued success; Lee in the role of inspiring Americans through the Wilson Center; and Nancy in the world of beauty through art.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing a concurrent resolution today, along with 76 of my colleagues as original cosponsors, which calls on the Administration to take all necessary measures to respond to the surge of steel imports resulting from the financial crises occurring in Asia, Russia and in other areas of the world. In two briefings held last Thursday and today, the Congressional Steel Caucus heard from top executives of the large integrated steel companies, from the President of the United Steelworkers of America and top executives of other steel industry sectors. The news is not good. Steel imports are pouring into the United States at very low prices and are threatening the existence of the U.S. steel industry and the jobs of persons working in this important industry. And I should remind everyone that every job in the steel industry also supports numerous jobs in terms of suppliers and downstream industries. We should not be faced with this situation--the U.S. steel industry and its workers have sacrificed over the last decade and have invested heavily to make this industry the most competitive in the world. Demand for steel is high and the industry is lean and competitive. But the industry and the jobs of its workers are being threatened by unfairly priced and unfairly traded steel imports. Between June of 1997 and June of 1998, steel imports to the U.S. from Russia increased 45.8 percent; from Korea, 89.5 percent; from Japan, 113 percent; and from Indonesia, 308 percent. There are indications that these import figures will grow even larger in the third quarter of 1998. We are asking that the Administration take the following immediate actions to help stem these injurious imports: (1) to pursue enhanced enforcement of U.S. trade laws to protect the domestic steel industry and its jobs; (2) to pursue all available remedies to ensure a more equitable sharing by other nations of the burden of accepting these imports; (3) to establish a task force to closely monitor steel imports into the U.S.; and (4) to report to Congress by January 5, 1999 on a comprehensive plan for responding to this import crisis. We cannot stand by and lose this vital U.S. industry and these important jobs as foreign nations attempt to export their way out of their own economic woes.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, as a member of the subcommittee and a longtime supporter of the DARE program, I would like to associate myself with the remarks of the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt). There is need for expanding the DARE program to middle schools and to ensure that the best available curriculum is used. Additionally, the success of the DARE program is not solely limited to Federal resources. In my district and across the country, DARE has the support and financial backing of communities and private industry.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. In my early years here I used to visit agencies to get a better understanding of how the various departments functioned. One of those I visited was the CIA. This is where I first met President George Bush. I was tremendously impressed. It was so great that, as the Director, he took a lot of time to explain to me the function of the CIA and all the various facets of this organization. I thought at the time when I first met him, this is a person I would like to support as President of the United States. Fortunately, I had that opportunity in subsequent years, and I have always been pleased that I could be one of the backers of President Bush for the highest office. I was proud to have been part of his team, with the integrity and the leadership he brought to this office. A couple of things I would mention. One of the great diplomatic achievements, I think, was the transition in Russia during times of President Gorbachev, when there was a lot of turmoil in that country. As outlined in Ambassador Jack Matlock's book ``Autopsy of an Empire,'' President Bush had to make some really tough decisions as to what the position of the United States would be in light of the events in Russia. I thought he handled it with great skill, and I believe that the success of the transition in that nation, from what was formerly the U.S.S.R. to what we have today, was due in no small part, or I should say due in large part to the sense of diplomacy, the sense of understanding that President Bush brought to his role of leadership in establishing the position of the United States. Also, I think it is very appropriate to name this building after President Bush because it does have a connection to our international relationships. His leadership during Desert Storm was just remarkable. His ability and the confidence and respect for him throughout the world and particularly with the other leaders enabled him to reach out and get the support that was essential for a successful Desert Storm. I think it was a remarkable achievement that a President of the United States could pick up the phone and elicit the kind of support that we had in the venture known as Desert Storm and without question the success of the coalition of governments in prosecuting Desert Storm was due in large part to the leadership of President George Bush.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers) for yielding this time to me, and I want to say he did a great job of balancing the many very difficult issues in the subcommittee. It was tough to balance out the multitude of requests. One of the highlights of this bill is the initiative to combat juvenile delinquency. It is disturbing to note that since 1989 arrests of juveniles in Ohio for violent crimes have risen 44 percent and 20 percent of all violent crimes nationally are committed by youths under the age of 18. There are many solutions being sought, and this bill contains a $42.2 million increase for funding for juvenile justice programs, to fund the same. The increased funding is directed not only toward law enforcement initiatives to punish violent juvenile offenders, but, perhaps more importantly, it is also directed to quality intervention and prevention programs to help our youth from falling into the delinquency trap. There is a lot of truth that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. The juvenile justice programs provide funding for the Ohio Attorney General's juvenile crime initiative called OASIS, Ohio's Accelerated School-Based Intervention Solution. This program is aimed at providing teens with in-depth support during the middle school years so they can avoid moving into a life of delinquency and incarceration. Project OASIS represents an effective solution crafted by a Federal, State and local partnership. I strongly support this, because it really is a partnership among all levels of government. I would also like to thank the chairman for once again recognizing the importance of engaging students in continued research and outreach on coastal and ocean environments under the JASON project. The bill includes $2 million for the second year funding for the JASON project to build on the successful partnership that it has developed with the Department of Commerce. The JASON project serves over 2.5 million students across the United States, including students in Wooster, Ohio, by providing an exciting interactive program of education that makes science more accessible and real to students. It is real time. Students can interact. I know in one instance in the JASON project they were on the bottom of the Monterey Bay, interacting with students in schools in Ohio that were equipped, as well as across the Nation. This additional funding will allow the JASON project to develop further curricula and to expand the number of students participating. Another important aspect funded in this bill is the $4.1 million increase above the amount requested for the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration. I support this increase because expanding exports as well as protecting domestic companies against unfair foreign trade practices are both crucial to the creating and maintaining of high wage jobs in the United States. The Commerce Department is performing important work by promoting U.S. exports abroad and enforcing U.S. trade laws at home to ensure that the United States companies have a level playing field in the global marketplace. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I look forward to working with the chairman when the bill reaches conference.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of the tributes to the memory of the two slain police officers, John Michael Gibson and Jacob Joseph Chestnut.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, John Curran in his speech ``Upon the Right of Election'' said, ``Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.'' Visiting the United States Capitol is one of this Nation's cherished liberties. As I have visited other capitals around the world, it is rare to see the flood of visitors that is found in our Nation's Capitol Building. The vigilance of our Capitol Police to protect the freedom of access for visitors, as exemplified by the service of Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson, is a cornerstone of the sense of security felt by visitors to the Capitol. These two dedicated officers put the security and safety of their fellow citizens ahead of personal fear, and thanks to their vigilance, many lives were spared. Their dedication to duty stands as a shining example of the men and women who make the Capitol a shrine to be revered by thousands of visitors each day. In the future, the continued accessibility of our Nation's Capitol to be shared without fear by millions will stand as a sacred testament to the bravery of Officers J.J. Chestnut and John Gibson. To the families of our two heroes, you can take pride in knowing that your husbands and your fathers stood for all that is good about America: bravery, love of fellow citizens, and devotion to duty. I along with millions of Americans join in extending our heartfelt sympathy to the loved ones of Jacob Chestnut and John Gibson.

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, before I make the final comments, I also want to mention that this will be the last time working on the Interior bill for the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. McDade), one of our really cherished Members, one that we all care a lot about and all respect. Where is he at? Also, a last time for a rather recent vintage member of our committee, but a very thoughtful Member and one that I have treasured, the representative from Colorado (Mr. David Skaggs). Mr. Speaker, let me say about Sid, we have said a lot. Words cannot describe him. He is fair, he is a gentleman, he is thoughtful and he is a person of absolute integrity. He has a wonderful helpmate, his wife, Addie, and I want to mention her because she has been very much a part of Sid's life. I want to thank you, Sid. I enjoy symphonies a lot more than I did when I started on the committee 24 years ago. We wish you well. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my point of order.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve a point of order.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Livingston), the chairman of the full committee.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey).

Mr. REGULA

Mr. REGULA. I yield to the gentleman from Washington.

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt).

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. REGULA. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks).