José Serrano

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. I object, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I was in my office listening to the comments by the two Members from Florida on an amendment that was passed last night concerning the ever-present and sad Cuban issue. Let me first set the record straight. I presented the amendment because I felt it was right. I printed it under the rules of the House. I presented it under the procedures set up by the Republican majority, the amendment was voted on by voice vote and it was passed. If they desire now to quiet me and quiet the issue by bringing up the vote, that is fine; they have a right to do that. But I think we have to understand what is going on here. This bill includes provisions that ask the administration and other agencies to report to the Congress every 3 months on how the administration is enforcing the Cuban embargo. I am an opponent of the Cuban embargo. I feel it is improper and I feel it is foolish and it has not gained any success for our country. Therefore, in a desire to strike some balance, I have said on many occasions that there are complaints that come from the Cuban Government that deal with the behavior of some American citizens and American residents, complaints such as, on more than 10 occasions before the tragic downing of 2 airplanes flown by Florida residents, on more than 10 occasions prior to that time, the Cuban Government had officially complained to our Government that these planes and planes from the same organization were violating Cuban air space. On that July, prior to that tragic incident, the Cuban Government had complained officially to the United States and to the rest of the world, if anybody wanted to listen, that planes from that organization had flown over Havanna, dropped leaflets, dropped paint, and incited or attempted to insight a riot. Now please understand what I am talking about. If Cuban airplanes flew over the capital, each one of us would expect our Government to shoot them down immediately. And I would be the first one to say that that would be the proper action to take, but because it is Cuba and it is the desire of this country and of some people to continue to press them until they come begging forgiveness for their different form of government, nothing gets done. So all my amendment does, the amendment that was passed properly last night, is to say every 3 months tell us what official complaints have been brought forth by the Cuban Government, complaints that deal with violation of air space, complaints that deal with American citizens or residents who enter Cuban territory, complaints that deal, official complaints with ships getting beyond international waters into Cuban territory, and recently complaints that deal with American residents or citizens that have been accused by the Cuban Government of being involved in what we would call terrorist actions. What is it that some people want to hide that they do not want simply the truth to come out? I am not suggesting in my amendment that we do anything about those actions. Interestingly enough, I am not suggesting in my amendment that we arrest anyone, I am not suggesting in my amendment that we stop anyone from doing these things. All I am suggesting is that we know as Members of Congress so that we can balance the Cuban issue and the Cuban approach. Now, there are people who stand on this floor and accuse my amendment of being the worst amendment they ever saw and accuse my actions of being the worst actions any Member can take, but let me say something. I strongly believe that we are wrong in our policy toward Cuba and I will not rest until my country, this country, realizes that the best way to deal with this issue is the way we dealt with the Soviet Union, the way we are dealing with China, the way we are dealing with Vietnam, the way we are dealing with Korea. If there are Members that do not like that, I apologize for bringing grief upon their lives. But I will not move back, nor any approach on their part will make me move back from this that I believe so strongly. What is right is to let the amendment go through. What are we afraid of? To learn the truth? The vote will be taken today. I would hope that all Members on both sides take into consideration the fact that an amendment properly presented before this House was approved. If they want to kill it, there are other ways to do that, in conference, in the Senate, but they should let this amendment go through because I presented it properly and it was approved properly.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. That is not true, and I am sorry to say that. CNN happens to have been seen in Cuba year after year after year. It is that way that the Cuban people get information about us. No. 2, as the gentleman knows, before CNN could go to Cuba, it had to get an OK from certain segments of the Cuban/American community that they are doing----

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, the gentleman has not obviously looked at the fact that the U.N. pumps a lot of money into the United States economy, because New York City is that kind of a national and international town where any money that is pumped into that economy in fact has ramifications throughout the Nation. That is a fact of life. To say that it should move out because the Giants moved out, first of all, I think it is very unfair to remind me that the Giants and the Jets moved out and the Nets moved out, and the Yankees are thinking of moving out. I have not recovered from the Dodgers moving out or the Giants moving out. Granted, if the gentleman can get me the Dodgers back, I will trade the U.N., but for now, for now let us leave the U.N. in New York.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I think the gentleman from Florida is mixing mangoes with papayas here, because there is a feeling by some folks that the U.N. should not exist or that the U.N. should be reformed, or that the U.N. should be downsized. But that should not be a reason for taking the U.N. out of the United States or the U.N. out of New York. I come from a district where we fear on a daily basis the loss of the New York Yankees moving out of State, or maybe if the gentleman succeeds at this, they may move out of the country. I just cannot understand why this desire all of a sudden to bash the U.N. and bash it in a way, in a way which says that the way to deal with this is to have them move out of New York. I do not want to believe that this is a New York bashing bill, a proposal, because I know the gentleman better than that. I have great respect for him. But I think we have to just look very briefly at some history. There is a reason why the U.N. is in New York. The decision was made based on a couple of things. Obviously, the land was donated by one of the families in the United States. The construction took place with a lot of help from private capital. But there was a desire, and I think a great statement made by that organization, that it wanted to go to the freest and most democratic country on earth, and that in there it wanted to be situated in an international city which was known as a melting pot in this country and definitely throughout the world. So there was a reason why the U.N. was put in New York. That reason still remains a very valid reason today. Today New York City continues to be a place that attracts people from all over the world to live, to visit, to set up businesses. The U.N. being in New York is very much a part of what the U.N. is supposed to be about. I understand that the gentleman is one of a group that feels that the U.N. should disappear. Try doing that. Some of us may oppose the gentleman, but try doing that. In the meantime, leave it in New York unless he wants it in Florida. If that is the point, then please make that.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, we are not. The Foreign Minister has made a statement, I am sure CNN will deal with it. I will be the first one to say that CNN has all the rights available to them.

Mr. SERRANO. Well, we have regulations about how the media behaves in this country.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. SERRANO. It is my time, and first of all it is nice to hear the gentlewoman quote statements that she has no facts to back up. The last one, well I am sure CNN will deal with that issue and I am very confident that CNN will get their way in doing what they have to do. That is why they are there, that is why the community in Miami accepted CNN and the Government accepted CNN, the fact that CNN will be unbiased and will report properly, and I have no problems with CNN telling me what is going on in Cuba because it will tell me what is bad about Cuba, but I suspect for the first time CNN may tell me there are some good things in Cuba which we have never been told by any of the Miami journalists.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, my comment to the gentleman from New Jersey is that no matter how we strike it, the fact of life is that CNN is seen, has been seen and will be seen much more than TV Marti, and it is wasted money, American dollars, is seen at this moment. And second, since we are talking about fiscal austerity in this House, CNN is probably financed. TV Marti comes out of my tax dollars and my constituents' tax dollars, and I know the gentleman can make a better argument for some expenditures rather than TV Marti.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, as my colleagues know, a lot of very honorable people have gotten up to speak today, and I mean that sincerely. My only problem with some of their comments is I really cannot believe they believe what they are saying. This is at the minimum a major waste of money. Last time I checked, nothing had really changed. TV Marti was seen a couple of times in Cuba over the last many years, and one night all we broadcasted was Popeye cartoons. Mr. Chairman, Popeye cartoons in English may not be the message that we are paying for to get across. I could question the choice of cartoons; Tom and Jerry, the Cartoon Channel, might have been a better choice. But here is the problem: We were told some time ago that the reason we had to keep TV Marti was because it was going to change the attitude of the Cuban people that informed them of what goes on in this country and our desire to inform them of what goes on in their country. Now, of course, they have their own television, and now we have CNN there so I do not understand why we need TV Marti. And then last year or the year before, if my colleagues will recall, at a major cost, which we still do not really know how much it costs, but it was a lot of money, we were told that if we move Radio and TV Marti's offices to Miami, somehow it would be closer and the signal would be better or the quality of the work would be better or the employee pool would be better. I do not know what would be better, but we did it, and here we are again with the same situation: Nothing is working. Now we are told it is UHF. Now that is interesting. UHF versus VHF versus cable channels; come on, this is a waste of time. What are we going to do? Now next year, when we fail again at it, we are going to say we now broadcast in 3-dimensional color and stereophonic sound, the message will get across. The fact of life is that this is another example of a miserable, misguided and totally improper policy on the part of this country. Mr. Chairman, if we really want to get closer to the Cuban people, why do we not do what we did with the Soviet Union and other people? We never stopped listening to their classical music. We never stopped sending them our jazz and our rock and roll. We never stopped watching their artists perform here. But with Cuba our desire is to totally isolate them, isolate them until they come here begging for mercy and screaming Uncle Sam. Mr. Chairman, it is not working, and now we heard the gentleman from Florida, a dear friend of ours, say that the regime, as he calls it, moments are dwindling down to a few. I have been hearing this for 38 years, so I do not know what the few is that we are talking about. My colleagues, the Skaggs amendment, which I speak on behalf of and in favor of, is a good amendment. It is a fiscally sound amendment. The gentleman from Colorado has to be commended for the fact that year after year he is courageous enough to stand on this floor, suspecting what the outcome of the vote may be, as others do, but knowing that this is the right thing to do, to say that TV Marti is a waste of time, a waste of dollars, and a bad policy. Now anyone who is in the TV business or who understands electronics will tell us that this approach serves no purpose because if indeed the Government in Cuba wants to jam the signal, some people have told me that we could jam the UHF signal much easier than we can any other signal. So we are just buying into it. Now, like I said before, we moved the offices to Miami, and that did not work. I do not think we will be able to move them next year to Havana so that we can get a closer signal into the island. Please, if we sound somewhat sarcastic, it is because this is ridiculous. But I would urge very much for my colleagues to defeat this amendment and to bring back some sanity to this policy.

Mr. SERRANO. I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, this bill that is before us today has some new provisions which speak about reports that the administration has to come up with to deal with the issue of the enforcement of the Cuban embargo, the embargo on Cuba. I feel that our country in my opinion is involved in a Cold War with Cuba, and as such I think that it is time that we begin to balance all reports and all information that we get here in Congress. Therefore, what my amendment does is to state that effective in 3 months and every 3 months thereafter, the Secretary of State would report to Congress on all official complaints put forth by the Cuban Government regarding actions taken by residents or citizens of this country that deal with the daily lives of Cubans and the island of Cuba. For instance, before the Brothers to the Rescue planes were shot down on the 24th of February of 1996, Cuba made over 10 complaints to the FAA about the group's violations of Cuban airspace. If Congress had seen these complaints, this tragedy might have been prevented. On a regular basis, we hear reports about the fact that the Cuban Government is complaining to the American Government about actions that are being taken individually by either groups in this country or individuals who go into the sea and go over Cuban airspace and create situations which could lead us into a more serious confrontation once again with the Cuban Government. What my amendment therefore says is that the Secretary of State would let us know about all of these complaints. For instance, the Cuban Government makes formal protests to the State Department, but the FAA and the American interest section in Havana hear other complaints such as violation of Cuban airspace, dropping of leaflets in Cuba, that the Cuban Government finds offensive and provocative in many ways; American residents traveling too close to Cuban shores, and in some cases acts that could be considered by our Government as paramilitary or military in nature in Cuban territory. Please understand, Mr. Chairman, that these complaints are complaints that our Government knows about but Members of Congress do not know about. My amendment would ask that we be kept informed. I do this with the full understanding that some people, some colleagues, would say that this somehow helps the Cuban Government, that it strengthens their ability to make public statements, that it gives them publicity that they do not deserve. But I think it is only fair that if we are going to continue to enforce the embargo against Cuba, something that I oppose, if we are going to continue to ask for the Cuban Government to behave in a certain way, then we have to propose the same behavior for our citizens. Picture, if you will, the situation on February 24. After that incident and after the tragic loss of life of American citizens in that incident, it has been pretty well established that on many occasions, many individuals have ventured into Cuban territory and continue to do so today. Put the shoe on the other foot. If a Cuban airplane were flying over our capital, what would be our response? I would hope our response would be the proper one, which is to ask them to come down immediately and land or to shoot them down, no different than perhaps the behavior by the Cuban Government. Therefore, I think that as we move into this new era of having the administration report to us on a regular basis as to how the embargo is being enforced, that we ask our own Government to report to us and keep us informed. If that happens, then I believe that in the future we would have situations that we can prevent by having enough information in our hands. Anyone who opposes this bill, I think, would have to really understand that we are not asking for any action to be taken, we are not asking for anyone to be arrested for these actions. All we want to know is when does this happen, when the Cuban Government complains about it, and use that as we deliberate future actions with and toward the Government of Cuba.

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson, Jr. who will be honored on Saturday at the fifteenth pastoral anniversary banquet of the Thessalonia Baptist Church of New York. In short, Pastor Sampson lives to help other people. He has been diligent in providing spiritual guidance and support to the members of our community. In addition to his services as Pastor, he led the erection of our Cultural Community Center, and co-founded the Thessalonia Elementary Academy, the Thessalonia Institute of Religion, and the church's bookstore. Among other activities he is also the president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of greater New York City and vicinity, a member of the Afro-American clergy advisory group to the mayor, an education commissioner at the New York State convention, a teacher at the New York and National Baptist congresses, and a co-founder of south Bronx churches. Pastor Sampson is an educator and is very actively involved in programs to assist minority students. The killing of his 25-year-old son, Kitu Sampson, a religious disc jockey in Franklin Township, PA, motivated him and strengthened his belief in the need to educate the city's youth. ``It works both ways,'' he said. ``Life is unpredictable. You never know when disaster's going to strike. So, it makes you determined to get the young people educated.'' He earned a bachelor's degree in science from Rutgers University, a Master of Divinity degree, and a doctorate in Christian education from Drew University. A firm believer in education, he is currently pursuing another doctorate in education from Temple University. He served as Dean of Education at Shiloh Baptist Association in New Jersey, was the co-commissioner of education at New Jersey State Baptist convention, president of Northern Baptist School of Religion--formerly known as Northern Baptist University--headmaster at Convent Academy, and executive director at Baptist Education Center. His wife, Deloranzo, heads the Thessalonia Elementary Academy. As it is written in Hebrews 6:10, ``for God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them,'' the community, too, recognizes him and is honoring him. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Rev. Dr. Shellie Sampson, Jr. for his fifteen years as Pastor at Thessalonia Baptist Church and his dedication to our south Bronx community.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Bishop Francisco Garmendia, who will be honored on June 7 for his 50 years of service to the Catholic Church and for the spiritual leadership he continues to provide the Hispanic community in my congressional district, the South Bronx. As the first Hispanic bishop in the Archdiocese of New York, Bishop Garmendia is truly an example of excellence in leadership. But ask any one of his parishioners and he will certainly tell you that our own ``good shepherd'' not only leads his flock but sacrifices and cares for it as well. Born in Lazcano, Spain, Bishop Garmendia was truly raised in the faith. After attending a private school run by the Benedictine Fathers there, Bishop Garmendia entered the seminary in 1935 and, in 1947, was ordained a priest. Almost as soon as he finished saying his first mass his journey of service began, one that would take him across the globe to touch the lives of many. After studying in England he was transferred to Salta, Argentina, where he taught English and chemistry in the Colegio Belgrano of Salta. When not teaching, Bishop Garmendia would give up his weekends to minister to the native community. Bishop Garmendia's understanding of people and his experience with diversity cleared the way for his mission in New York. Since his transfer in 1964, Bishop Garmendia has earned not only the trust and respect of the Church--he was consecrated bishop by Cardinal Cooke in 1977--but also the love and support of the Hispanic community. Over the years, Bishop Garmendia has worked tirelessly to spread God's Word not just from the pulpit but on radio and television as well. We also recognize Bishop Garmendia for his tremendous social work and his struggles to provide services for those in need. Among his many accomplishments, Bishop Garmendia instituted the Spanish Orientation Center and sponsored the establishment of The Resource Center for Community Development, Inc., better known as The Hope Line, a free service which provides thousands of immigrants with legal, material, and spiritual assistance. Although he has been threatened by drug dealers and even physically attacked, Bishop Garmendia has not wavered in his commitment to serve his God and his community. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Bishop Francisco Garmendia for his selfless devotion to the Church and the Hispanic community of New York. In a time when service often goes unappreciated, we should recognize great servants like Bishop Garmendia and encourage them to continue in their courageous efforts.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, it is with great joy that I rise today to pay tribute to the National Puerto Rican Parade on its 40 years of history. The parade, to be held on June 8 in New York City, is the largest celebration of Puerto Rican culture in the United States. Throughout its history, the parade has grown into a national event under the leadership of its president, Ramon S. Velez. The event attracts thousands of Puerto Ricans from across the Nation and from Puerto Rico, as well as many other individuals, their families and children, from all ethnic backgrounds. This year's parade will honor the life of a Puerto Rican hero, Roberto Clemente. Mr. Clemente's exceptional athletic talent was paired with his outstanding humanitarian and charitable contributions to this Nation. He died 25 years ago in an airplane crash, while he was on a mission to help the victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. Mr. Clemente's memory has also been honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed to an individual by the U.S. Congress. Clemente's legacy is an inspiration and an example to the children of Puerto Rico, as well as those of this Nation. As a Puerto Rican, a New Yorker, and a Member of Congress, it is an honor to once again participate in this national event, in which thousands of individuals will march along Fifth Avenue, in Manhattan, in celebration of our Puerto Rican heritage and our achievements in this Nation. Among other accomplishments, Puerto Ricans have been instrumental in transforming New York City into a great bilingual city. Moreover, the parade has served as a national landmark in which people from all ethnic groups unite to commemorate our Nation's glorious immigrant history. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Roberto Clemente and the National Puerto Rican Parade, in its celebration of our Puerto Rican legacy, and the many contributions made by the sons and daughters of Puerto Rico to the greatness of this Nation.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, Governor Rossello has proposed an economic growth incentive for Puerto Rico that would encourage U.S. companies to stay and expand on the island. This program has been endorsed by the President and has received bipartisan support in Congress. Senators D'Amato and Moynihan have introduced legislation in the Senate to implement this proposal. It is a priority of most of the Hispanic Members of Congress. This has the unified support of the public and private sectors in Puerto Rico. This job creation incentive should be included in legislation being considered this year to spur economic growth for the Nation as a whole. Puerto Rico has paid a very high price this decade to fund legislation which expanded existing economic incentives or created new ones from which it will not benefit. In the 1993 budget bill, for example, business operations in Puerto Rico saw a net tax increase of almost $4 billion, while individuals and businesses on the mainland enjoyed $25 billion in new or expanded tax benefits. In 1996, Congress again increased taxes on commerce in Puerto Rico by $11 billion while reducing taxes on mainland businesses and individuals by $30 billion. The 1996 changes are especially harmful to economic growth in Puerto Rico. In effect, Congress eliminated altogether the Federal economic incentives that help attract companies to the island. Sections 936 and 30A of the Internal Revenue Code will continue for ten years but at a significantly reduced level and only for companies and lines of business that were already on the island on October 13, 1995. As a result of these changes, Puerto Rico now has no Federal economic incentives to attract new business. Further, companies subject to the 10-year phase out may not, without losing all of their incentives, introduce new lines of business. The 1996 tax bill enacted a number of special tax incentives for small businesses and tax credits for both small and large companies. The 1996 small business tax credits were intended to help companies offset an increase in the minimum wage. Ironically, while employers in Puerto Rico are subject to the minimum wage, they also saw the elimination of their Federal economic incentives. These changes present the Government of Puerto Rico with a serious threat to its goal of expanding private sector employment while reducing the size and cost of both Government and welfare. Without any economic incentives for new job creation or investment, it will be difficult to stop employers from leaving the island for foreign locations. Moreover, without any incentives, the Puerto Rican economy, where per capita income is less than 30 percent of the United States mainland, and where unemployment is two to three times the average in the States, cannot possibly catchup; it can only fall further behind, with implications for state and Federal balanced budget goals. The D'Amato-Moynihan bill would modify the wage credit in section 30A to: (1) Apply to new business; (2) eliminate the ``cap'' limitations that were put in place last year; and (3) remain in effect until Puerto Rico increases its economic performance. These modifications would be made without reducing in any way the economic incentives that apply to existing business operations in Puerto Rico that are being phased out. There are compelling reasons to act now. Most importantly, we should not wait until there are visible declines in the Puerto Rican economy. These job creation incentives take time to generate results, and Puerto Rico needs results now. Deferring this program until all incentives for existing operations terminate is like playing Russian roulette with the 4 million Americans in Puerto Rico. As time goes by the cost of providing new economic incentives for Puerto Rico will increase, especially as the negative impact of the 1996 tax law changes are felt. It will be far less expensive to keep companies in Puerto Rico by acting now, rather than to try and get them back after they leave. Moreover, should Congress and the President agree on a long-term budget plan this year, it is unlikely that a major budget or tax vehicle will be considered for some time to come. As a result, this may be the last best opportunity to act. It is in the national interest to establish these economic growth incentives for Puerto Rico this year.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Beatrice Castiglia-Catullo, an outstanding individual who has dedicated her life to the care of those in need. Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo is our Mother Teresa of the South Bronx. Her life is an example of kindness, selflessness, faithfulness, generosity, and fruitfulness. While working as a charge nurse, Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo faced the enormous challenge of her demanding work, raising three children, taking care of her mother-in-law who was terminally ill, and managing the household. Her faith in God provided her with the strength to meet her daily responsibilities. In response to her answered prayers, she decided to devote more time to helping others in the community. Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo raised funds for the Sister Servants of Mary who had helped her in her difficult times. She also organized and became the first president of the Parkchester Chapter of Cancer Care, Inc., and founded the Medical Mission Aid Center at St. Raymond's Parish. Being a nurse, Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo was well aware of the need to provide continuing services to patients who were discharged from the hospital without proper home care. In 1964, she founded a home attendant service to take care of elderly patients. Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo decided to name the organization R.A.I.N., for Regional Aid for Interim Needs, after she looked up to the sky for God's inspiration and saw that it was raining. She devoted her time and her own financial resources to the care of her patients. In gratitude and admiration for her generosity, one of her patients made a $500 donation to the organization. While still working at the hospital, Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo rented a space on Westchester Avenue to establish R.A.I.N. Through hard work and devotion she turned an office that held a desk, a chair, and a telephone, into an operation with a $33 million budget. R.A.I.N. home attendant services now assists over 1,100 disabled, homebound, disadvantaged elderly and youth. The organization serves over 2,000 meals daily through 5 senior citizen centers, Meals-On- Wheels, and the 3-H Program. In her personal life, Mrs. Castiglia-Catullo has been blessed with three successful children and nine grandchildren. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me, the family of Beatrice Castiglia-Catullo, her friends, the people she has served, and the South Bronx community, in expressing our gratitude for her loving and longstanding service to the community.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in defense of, surely, the most vulnerable sector of our society: women, infants, and children. And, I rise in strong support of restoring the funding request of $76 million to the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children; known as WIC. I am deeply concerned with, and I did not support, the decision of the Appropriations Committee to cut the funds requested for the WIC Program in the fiscal year 1997 supplemental appropriations bill. By slicing in half the $76 million in funding needed to avert participation reductions of approximately 360,000 women, infants, and children, this bill will cause 180,000 eligible participants to be dropped from the rolls. I ask my colleagues to reconsider. This year in New York City, for the first time ever, the appropriation was less than the preceeding year. Therefore, we began the fiscal year 1997 $6 million in the hole. According to WIC Program directors in the Bronx, the impact of cuts to their budgets may be devastating. I do not understand how a Congress that seems eager to support tens of billions of tax cuts to many of the wealthiest individuals in America through large reductions in capital gains taxes and taxes on the very largest estates cannot find $38 million to prevent poor children from going without the nutritional supplements they so desperately need. I ask my colleagues to reconsider. This bill paints a very ugly picture and the families of the South Bronx, New York City, and indeed, of our great Nation deserve more. In this picture, we see families already being turned away from food pantries and soup kitchens in the Bronx. In this picture, we see a pregnant woman who is receiving WIC benefits for her unborn baby, and herself, but her 2-year-old is placed on a waiting list. Of course, she will use her WIC foods to feed her 2-year-old, she is a mother, she will protect her child. In this scenario, everyone suffers: the mom, the 2-year-old, and the unborn baby. This debate should not be about fiscal conservatism or policy differences with State officials over management of the WIC Program. Simply, this debate should be about providing poor women, infants, and children with milk, eggs, and juice. Again, I ask my colleagues to reconsider and exhibit real leadership on this issue. Let us renew our commitment to the families of this Nation by ending a strong message that avoiding potential human disasters is just as important as providing funding to respond to natural disasters.

Mr. SERRANO

Mr. SERRANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the 19th Annual Bronx Community College Hall of Fame Run, a 10-kilometer race sponsored by Bronx Community College. This year's race will be held on May 3 starting from Bronx Community College in my congressional district of the South Bronx, NY. The Hall of Fame Run was established in 1979 under the leadership of former Bronx Community College president Dr. Roscoe C. Brown, Jr., and continues under the presidency of Dr. Carolyn Grubbs Williams. The race brings together runners of all ages from the five boroughs of New York City to compete in a wholesome community event. The run was named after the Hall of Fame for Great Americans, a national landmark established in 1900 to honor the achievements of men and women in science, the arts, humanities, business, and government. This beautiful landmark, designed by architect Stanford White, features a granite colonnade containing the bronze busts of 97 distinguished Americans. This year will mark my 16th year of participation in Bronx Community College Hall of Fame Run and I am thrilled to be part of this annual spring ritual. The event, which was originally a 10-kilometer race, now includes a 10-kilometer walk and a 2-mile fitness walk. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Bronx Community College Hall of Fame Run in its 19th year of uniting the community through healthy competition.