Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, during the Stenberg v. Carhart case, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas accurately described the partial-birth abortion method when he said the following, and I apologize for the graphic nature of the quote, but this is the reality of what a partial-birth abortion act is. He says: ``After dilating the cervix, the doctor will grab the fetus by its feet and pull the fetal body out of its uterus into the vaginal cavity. At this stage of development, the head is the largest part of the body. The head will be held inside the uterus by the cervix. While the fetus is stuck in this position, dangling partly out of the woman's body and just a few inches from a completed birth, the doctor uses an instrument, such as a pair of scissors, to tear or perforate the skull. The doctor will then either crush the skull or will use a vacuum to remove the brain and other intracranial contents from the fetal skull, collapse the fetus's head, and pull the fetus from the uterus.'' Mr. Speaker, this terrible act, known as partial-birth abortion, is what we are urging our colleagues to ban today. As noted in H.R. 4965, congressional findings further signal that partial-birth abortion is not medically indicated to preserve the health of the mother; and it is in fact unrecognized as a valid abortion procedure by the mainstream medical community. To quote the American Medical Association: ``The partial delivery of a living fetus for the purpose of killing it outside the womb is ethically offensive to most Americans and physicians.'' Furthermore, the AMA could not find any identified circumstance in which the procedure was the only safe and effective abortion method. Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the deceptive, pro-abortion lobby would like us to believe, partial-birth abortions involve killing almost fully delivered babies from the later stages of pregnancy, and not only in cases of fetal disorders or maternal distress. Contrary to the lies of the pro-abortion campaign, this is not a rare act that is only performed in extraordinary circumstances. In fact, most are performed for strictly elective reasons, and I quote abortionist Martin Haskell, who reported to the American Medical News, ``most of my abortions are elective in that 20-24 week range. In my particular case, probably 20 percent are performed for genetic reasons, and the other 80 percent are purely elective.'' But the worst tragedy of all is that partial-birth abortions are currently legal. This legislative body has twice approved to ban this atrocious act, only to have it vetoed twice by former President Bill Clinton. Today we have another historic opportunity to help stop this abhorrent act of killing the innocent unborn. I urge Members to take action and vote in favor of H.R. 4965.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I rise to lend my strong and unequivocal support to the amendment offered by the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Goss), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This is an amendment which seeks to protect our citizens from the imminent threats emanating from a state sponsor of terrorism, a declared enemy of the United States in our own backyard. On Tuesday of just this week, President Bush presented his national strategy for homeland security, and in it he outlined what is the beginning of a long and difficult struggle to protect our Nation from the threat of terrorism. It establishes a foundation upon which to organize our efforts and it provides initial guidance to prioritize the work ahead, and two of the most important objectives include preventing terrorist attacks within the United States and reducing America's vulnerability to terrorism. The Goss amendment before us, Mr. Chairman, accomplishes just that. The Castro dictatorship, a totalitarian regime long known to be a safe haven for terrorists and a nerve center for international espionage, is a continuing and growing threat to our national security that we cannot afford to underestimate. We must be acutely aware of the reality that the closest foreign staging ground friendly to terrorist elements is a mere 90 miles from our borders. The Goss amendment recognizes the inherent danger posed by this dictatorship whose maniacal leader has pledged to ``bring America to its knees,'' a regime which along with other pariah states plays a critical role in abetting and facilitating terrorist operations, a regime with an expansive network of spies, equipment, and facilities that are targeting military, political, and economic information from and about the United States only so that they can share it with other terrorist nations. Without the provisions by rogue states such as Cuba of training facilities, sanctuary, financial support, safe havens and other passive forms of support, many terrorist groups would find it far more difficult to continue to operate. To reiterate, the Goss amendment acknowledges this reality and it implements steps to help us counter the threats stemming from a nation so close to our own. Further, it establishes a mechanism to address and protect our great Nation from a new wave of terrorism, one potentially involving the world's most destructive weapons. Our enemies are working to obtain chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons for the purposes of wreaking unprecedented damage on America. The Castro regime is no different, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Ken Alibek, the former head of the Soviet Biological Weapons program, has referenced in congressional testimony the existence of a center close to Havana involved in military biological technology. He asserts that the Castro regime has the capacity and the desire to develop such biological weapons. And the former director of research and development at Cuba's Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Dr. Jose de la Fuente, has detailed the Castro regime's sales of technology to Iran which could be used to produce lethal agents like anthrax. The concerns are not new nor are they limited to the statements by Under Secretary John Bolton earlier this year. In 1997 a Defense Intelligence Agency report raised concerns about Cuba's potential for a biological weapons program. This is a very real possibility and one which the Goss amendment seeks to address. The Goss amendment is crucial to reducing our vulnerability to the threats posed by Cuba's terrorist regime, by requiring a presidential certification that the regime is not facilitating nor engaging in any of the following three fronts critical to our homeland security efforts. It requires proof that the Castro regime first does not possess and is not developing biological weapons. Do we not want that assertion that it does not provide terrorist states technology that could be used to produce, develop, or deliver biological weapons, do we not want such proof? And, lastly, the regime must state and the President must certify that it does not provide support or sanctuary to international terrorists. Mr. Chairman, following the deplorable acts of September 11, President Bush divided the world into two camps with a basic guiding principle, ``Either you are with us or you are with the terrorists.'' Ironically enough, today the United States is facing the same question and that is what the Goss amendment seeks to address today, and I urge my colleagues to adopt the Goss amendment.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the Miami Job Corps Center for all of its hard work in providing quality training programs and employment opportunities for our South Florida youth. I want to send special thanks to the center's director, Luis Cerezo, whose generous devotion to our community's young people has made this organization a great success. Through the Miami Job Corps Center, young adults in our community have been able to participate in mentoring programs and job fairs which have reinforced employability and interviewing skills, leadership training, dress code and business etiquette. In particular, one project with the School for Integrated Academics and Technologies provides student trainees the opportunity to finish their high school studies in a classroom-based, high-tech environment which will better prepare them to achieve in the working world. I again want to thank all of the dedicated workers of the Miami Job Corps Center for giving our community's young people greater opportunities for success.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Miami Children's Hospital for recently having been recognized among America's best hospitals by U.S. News and World Report. ``We are here for our children'' is the motto of Miami Children's Hospital, and this principle is demonstrated every day by always seeking innovative ways to better serve the children of south Florida. A recent groundbreaking celebrated the hospital's new expansion efforts to renovate its medical campus. These include a radiology expansion, an ambulatory care building, a helistop, and a hurricane- proof encapsulation. Based on the vision of one man, Ambassador David Walters, Miami Children's Hospital is indeed building on a dream. Under the leadership of its President and CEO, Thomas Rozek, it is demonstrating a never- ending commitment to children and its pioneering achievements in pediatric care. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Miami Children's Hospital for this prestigious achievement and recognition.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Smith).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I ask Members tonight to not be part of what Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick calls the ``blame America first'' crowd, and that is what we have in front of us in the Rangel amendment. The sole mastermind behind Castro's degrading treatment of its own citizens is himself. Fidel Castro. Yet this amendment says if we lift the embargo, all will be swell in Cuba. That means U.S. policy is to blame for all of the misery in Cuba that we have discussed tonight. But our policy does not create the lack of due process. Our policy does not say that independent journalists and independent libraries are banned in Cuba. That is Fidel Castro's policy. Our policy does not maintain a system of remote and unmonitored gulags for prisoners of conscience. That is Fidel Castro's policy. Our policy does not forbid independent labor unions. That is Fidel Castro's policy. Our policy is not the cause of systematic mistreatment of religious believers. That is Fidel Castro's policy. Our policy is not to punish nonviolent opposition movement leaders. That is Fidel Castro's policy. We do not say that community activists and dissidents are going to be harassed, prosecuted and persecuted. That is Fidel Castro's policy. The embargo is not what drives a police officer to beat unconscious a political prisoner who is on a hunger strike. That is Fidel Castro's policy. That is not U.S. policy. Our policy does not mandate the summary execution of independent journalists and conscientious objectors. That is Fidel Castro's policy. Do not confuse the issue. Do not be part of Jeanne Kirkpatrick's ``blame America first'' crowd. It is Fidel Castro that is at fault, not the U.S. embargo.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the remainder of my time. Just to answer the points made by my good friend, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt), if Castro poses no threat to the United States, I would like the gentleman to place a call to the parents of Carlos Costa, Armando Alejandre, Mario de la Pena and Pablo Morales, and four young men, three of whom were United States citizens, one of whom was a United States resident, one was a decorated Vietnam veteran, who were killed by Fidel Castro's air force when they were in international air space. Apparently he poses a threat to some United States citizens. The gentleman is right. The Pope did go to Cuba. Jimmy Carter did go to Cuba. And what happened? The greatest crackdown on dissidents yet after Jimmy Carter's visit and every international human rights organization will tell you, the greatest crackdown in Cuban history since Castro took power after the visit of the Pope, after the visit of Jimmy Carter and after the visit of 500,000 American visitors to the island of Cuba. And as repeatedly articulated by President Bush, one of the pillars of our efforts to eradicate this cancer of global terrorism, and to secure the security and domestic tranquility of our country is to deny, impair, and expose the financial infrastructure which provides a lifeline to these agents of terror, agents like Fidel Castro. To deny, impair and expose. That is precisely what our current U.S./Cuba policy does. Why are we discussing an amendment that would instead provide funds to the Castro dictatorship, a country which every recent administration, Democrat or Republican, has repeatedly labeled as a state sponsor of terrorism. As has been pointed out on the floor, Paul O'Neill, Secretary of the Treasury, Colin Powell, Secretary of the State recently stated that this country has an implacable hostility to the United States. I would point my colleagues to a news report that just came out hours ago in a meeting between Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Rodrigo Alvarez Cambras, special envoy of Cuban dictator Fidel Castro. Cambras emphasized the Castro regime's ``support for Iraq against the threats from the United States.'' And he reiterated their firm commitment of both these terrorist states to expand their bilateral cooperation, two sworn enemies of the United States working together motivated by their hatred of our country. I ask my colleagues tonight to not help the enemy, to support freedom, to support our U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, to vote ``no'' on the Flake amendment, vote ``yes'' on the Goss amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to our friend, the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Wamp), to speak in opposition to the Flake amendment, an amendment which runs contrary to the spirit and letter of our U.S. anti-terrorism policy.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 188) expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of the People's Republic of China should cease its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, as amended.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Falun Gong is based on the principles of truthfulness, of compassion and forbearance. It is about spirituality and peace. Yet for this, as we have heard tonight, practitioners are subjected to the most cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment imaginable at the hands of the Chinese authorities. Young or old, male or female, adult or child, the Chinese authorities show no regard for human life, no mercy, and no remorse. And now the PRC is seeking to extend its rein of terror over the Falun Gong to the United States. The persecution of the Falun Gong must end, and it must end now. I ask my colleagues to vote yes on the manager's amendment to H. Con. Res. 188.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. 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 the resolution under consideration.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. In the past 3 years there has been a systematic escalation of horrific attacks launched by Chinese authorities against Falun Gong practitioners. The deplorable action by the Chinese authorities has included the brutal torture of followers, particularly women, who have been arrested, gang-raped and brutally beaten. In one instance, a 19-year-old woman who was arrested in Tiananmen Square died 13 days later while still in police custody. Her face and lips were severely swollen, both ears were plugged with blood-soaked cotton, and her nose had collapsed as a result of repeated beatings. Another woman and her 8-month-old son were tortured to death while in police custody. Her neck and knuckle bones were broken, and her skull was sunken in. Her infant son's ankles had deep bruises from being hung upside down by handcuffs. There were bruises on the baby's head and blood in his nose. Since the crackdown officially began on July 21, 1999, many Falun Gong followers have been suspended or expelled from school. They have been demoted or dismissed from their employment. They have been held in prison. They have been sent to labor camps and psychiatric hospitals, all because they chose to live by the strength of their convictions and refused to renounce their religious beliefs. Thus, as a human being and a refugee of another Communist regime who oppresses its people and also has a policy of intolerance, I was compelled to act. I filed House Concurrent Resolution 188, which is supported by over 100 of our colleagues in this House. This resolution calls on the Chinese leadership to stop its persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. It further directs the agencies of our United States Government to use every appropriate public and private forum to press the Chinese authorities to release all Falun Gong religious prisoners and to immediately stop the use of torture against the Falun Gong and other prisoners of conscience. Since the resolution was passed by our Committee on International Relations last July, this situation for the Falun Gong has worsened, and the determination of the PRC to suppress the Falun Gong at all costs has become increasingly evident. Secret documents issued by the PRC and unveiled by human rights organizations in May of this year underscored that Falun Gong practitioners and instigators should be cracked down to a greater degree, and this is their exact quote, ``As soon as they are discovered, they should first be arrested and then the formalities be dealt with.'' The PRC's persecution of the Falun Gong in China constitutes the most deplorable and inhumane behavior. Disturbingly, these practices are now being employed in the United States against the Falun Gong. Falun Gong practitioners here in the United States are the victims of death threats, of car bombs, of vandalism against their homes, of cyber attacks and harassment. Given the increased evidence linking Chinese officials to this wave of persecution, Mr. Speaker, it is imperative that we in the United States act swiftly and decisively to address this serious matter. We must send a clear message to the PRC that such behavior will not be tolerated in this country and that violators will be held accountable for their actions, and that is what the manager's amendment seeks to accomplish. In addition to technical changes, the manager's amendment includes two substantive changes to the bill introduced. The new whereas clause underscores the victimization of U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are subjected to arbitrary detention, imprisonment and torture by the PRC, and the new resolve clause calls on the United States Government to investigate reports of persecution of American citizens and residents by PRC officials and agents in the U.S. It calls on the U.S. Government to investigate harassment of U.S. State and local officials in an attempt to intimidate the State and local officials into withdrawing support for the Falun Gong; and it further calls on the United States Government to take appropriate action to address this illegal and unacceptable behavior. Mr. Speaker, it has been said that the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men and women to do nothing. Therefore, I call on my colleagues to render their support to the Falun Gong and other victims of oppression in China, and to vote for the manager's amendment to House Concurrent Resolution 188. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, on this 25th anniversary of the founding of the Congressional Women's Caucus, I rise along with my colleagues to congratulate its founder, the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives to have served in such a high distinction, Corinne ``Lindy'' Claiborne Boggs. The first woman to chair a national political convention and the first to be elected as ambassador to the Vatican, Lindy Boggs broke the glass ceiling and helped pave the way for the many numbers of women who today humbly serve in our United States Congress. During the 101st Congress, I had the great privilege of serving alongside Lindy Boggs as she assumed the responsibility of compiling photographs and brief biographies of the 129 women who had served in the House and Senate as of that time. To date, the published volume, which is entitled ``Women in Congress, 1917 to 1990,'' proudly marks Congress' anniversary as it highlights the progress and the contributions made by women to the history of our Nation. That book, ``Women in Congress,'' remains a historical resource which has inspired many readers across America to seek careers in public service. Through the bipartisan caucus that Lindy Boggs helped found, she remained committed to empowering women and improving the lives of our families. With her leadership, she helped shepherd vital pieces of legislation and helped to create the Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families, proving her dedication to the once underprivileged of our society. Today, the Women's Caucus continues to make history, helping to enact legislation imperative to the lives of women such as the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act and the Violence Against Women Act. Mr. Speaker, that is why I rise today to thank Corinne ``Lindy'' Claiborne Boggs, for which the Ladies' Reading Room is named and which is expertly directed by my good friend Susan Dean, for her vision, for Lindy's diligence and for making the women of this legislative body very proud.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, for too many years this Congress has been making its opinion known about the heinous reality that persists on the divided island of Cyprus. Twenty eight years ago this week, Cypriot citizens became refugees within their own country. Homeowners became homeless. Families were divided. Hundreds were killed or disappeared, as they ran for their lives. The divide that endures in Cyprus is one that becomes more evident with every anniversary of the Turkish occupation of the north. Last night, in the Rayburn Building, I hosted a briefing and film viewing on Cyprus' reunification. That movie, Beyond Division: Reunifying the Republic of Cyprus, began with a very powerful quote which read, ``My father says love your country. My country is divided into two. Which part should I love?'' It is taken from a poem entitled Love Your Country by Neshe Yashin, a Turkish Cypriot who fled her birthplace in search of safety. These words capture perfectly the history that plagued Cyprus. A fraternal, peaceful, and bi-communal society was divided and torn by a violent and foreign invasion. The end result was the alienation and isolation of neighbor from neighbor, family member from family member. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the persistent efforts of my colleagues, Michael Bilirakis and Carolyn Maloney, for calling this special order and arduously maintaining the plight of the people of Cyprus, particularly those who endure under Turkish control, in the minds of their fellow Members of Congress. It is shameful that, as we stand here today marking this 28th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Turkey has not only threatened to annex the north of the island, but has increased its military presence there. Last month's increase of 5,500 troops in the north bolsters the Turkish presence there to more than 40,000 soldiers--by some accounts the highest degree ever. Twenty eight years ago, when Turkey invaded, 200,000 Greek Cypriots-- victims of a policy of ethnic cleansing--were forced from their homes and became internally displaced people, essentially refugees in their own country. They were pushed out to accommodate over 80,000 settlers from mainland Turkey. The U.S. Committee for Refugees calls the internal displacement of people in Cyprus the ``longest standing in the [European] region.'' Furthermore, Turkish armed forces responsible for the disappearance of 1,463 Greek Cypriots, including four Cypriot-Americans, have remained protected by the impunity the Turkish government has afforded them, despite its obligations under the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances. In addition, just over a year ago the European Court of Human Rights rendered a decision, finding Turkey guilty of violating 14 articles of the European Convention on Human Rights, and of being an illegal and illegitimate occupying force in Cyprus. As Cyprus continues on its ensured path towards EU accession, it boggles the mind that Turkey--a NATO member--continues to occupy one- third of Cyprus. If a settlement to Cyprus is not reached by the end of the year, when the island is expected to join Europe, Turkey will be occupying European territory and hampering its chances of attaining that same status during its volatile economic and political crisis. Mr. Speaker, the government of Turkey and Denktash are to be held responsible for the continual separation of the country of Cyprus. Despite the progress that has been made in the settlement talks that began in December of last year, they have halted development keeping the whole of the Cypriot community from a life of peace and freedom. However, hold-ups with the talks, increased deployment of Turkish troops to northern occupied Cyprus, and threats of annexation have proven futile in eroding international support of Cyprus' EU accession, settlement, or Clerides' government. We cannot let this body forget the terror and fear that Turkey struck in every Cypriot's heart when they invaded in 1974. As the fifth round of the latest settlement talks commenced this week, we remain watchful, as well as hopeful, that peace may finally reach Cyprus and join both sides.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to congratulate Captain Joseph Nimmich and the rest of the men and women of the United States Coast Guard Group Key West for hosting a community outreach event on Trumbo Point in Key West. This event is sponsored by the Navy League Key West and the Key West Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee. I am very proud to recognize this group, because the work that they do is truly amazing and selfless. In the average month, the men and women of the Coast Guard Group Key West provide the people of Florida with invaluable services. Saving lives, conducting search-and-rescue missions and providing marine exams and aids to navigation are everyday activities for these brave and selfless individuals. This is a particularly special event, because it also celebrates the Coast Guard's 212th anniversary with the Key West community. I ask my Congressional colleagues to join me in congratulating and commending Captain Nimmich and his colleagues on this special celebration.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, this Saturday marks the 28th anniversary of the invasion of Cyprus that still keeps the island divided. To mark this tragic event, today at 5 p.m. at 2255 Rayburn, I am hosting a viewing of the award-winning film ``Beyond Division: Reunifying the Republic of Cyprus.'' It captures the Cypriot people's suffering resulting from the brutal invasion of their country and the hope for a brighter future when their island is no longer divided. It is shameful that a fellow NATO member continues to occupy one- third of Cyprus. A settlement to the Cyprus issue must be reached by the end of the year, when the island is expected to join the rest of the European territory. Mr. Speaker, I invite all of my colleagues to watch this award- winning film and learn about the ongoing tragedy of the occupation of Cyprus, and also about the prospects of reunification and the EU accession. I hope to see Members today at 5 p.m. at 2255 Rayburn.

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the graduating class of City College, a 4-year, private institution with three Florida campuses, including one in my hometown of South Miami. City College was established in Kentucky more than 70 years ago as a branch of a junior business college. Today it provides degrees in 12 areas of study and remains committed to the quality of education in an atmosphere of personalized instruction. City College's motto remains ``Your job tomorrow is our job today,'' and it can be your job tomorrow, and even improve it. The dedicated faculty at City College ensures academic preparedness and provides career assistance, as well as training for a full life and a successful career. On July 19, just a few days from today, City College will proudly graduate approximately 350 students, all of whom are undoubtedly excited to brave today's working world. As they do, I wish each and every one of them the best for triumphant success, and I ask that my colleagues also wish them a hearty congratulations with their motto, ``Your job tomorrow is our job today.''

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN

Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, upon retiring from baseball due to a debilitating disease known as ALS, Lou Gehrig said, ``I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth . . . I might have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.'' Today this attitude is personified in Matthias Radits, the corporate chef of The Breakers resort, who was diagnosed with ALS last year. With The Breakers' kitchen serving as the classroom, Mr. Radits has established an apprenticeship for high school graduates interested in culinary arts. ALS is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease that attacks nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord. When cells die, voluntary muscle control and movement ceases, yet a patient's mind remains intact. The average life expectancy is 2 to 5 years. But with recent advancements, ALS patients are living longer and having more productive lives. I urge my colleagues to work hard towards additional funding for ALS so that more aggressive and productive research can be done and we can imagine a day when this disease disappears for all of the Matthias Raditses of the world.