John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we celebrate the greatest generation, our World War II veterans. I am here to say that I think we have the next greatest generation, and that is our men and women serving today around the world. This is an e-mail from one of them: ``Thank you, sir, for the note. I appreciate your concern for the troops stationed in Iraq. I am flying Blackhawks based in Balad, Iraq. I am currently working with another West Point graduate, a very capable infantry officer from the class of 2001, in developing an Air QRF team to respond to mortar and rocket attacks on the air base. We have been operational for about 10 days and are still refining our tactics and writing SOPs, but it is going well. I am impressed with the commitment the Army has made to good food, hot showers and decent living conditions. ``I have spent 16 years training, burned countless gallons of jet fuel and have flown over 1,800 hours in preparation for this deployment, and I am proud to serve and give the country something back for all it has invested in me. ``I have a wife and two young boys. I miss them very much. We are blessed with close family and friends, and it is a comfort to know that they are well cared for in my absence. My mom has always been a special source of comfort in difficult times. I speak with her often and just today received a box of her homemade cookies. ``Thanks for taking the time to offer your support. I believe our task here is a difficult one. I hope we will stay the course.'' To this young man, I say, we will.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress, as a West Point graduate, and as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves, I am saddened by recent revelations at Abu Ghraib Prison. I am sad and disappointed and feel personally attacked by an organization I hold in high esteem. The Chaplain said today in his prayer that we seek justice, equity, and freedom. In this case, we failed. A commander is responsible for all his unit does and fails to do. This is a basic creed of the United States Army. As the criminal proceedings unfold and those involved receive the consequences of their actions, some officers in charge need to stand up and say, I was in command, and I failed.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, in April it was reported that employers added 288,000 jobs to the payroll, including 21,000 in the manufacturing sector. Progress is being made. The outsourcing- insourcing debate then has waned a little bit. But I want to highlight Richland County in Illinois, 16,000 people in the community of Olney, that has 8,000. They actively pursue and ask for international business to come. In fact they are home for companies from Germany, Austria, Japan, Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlands. These international companies located in rural Illinois provide high wages and great benefits to their citizens. We should be appreciative of all companies that create jobs, both U.S. companies and international companies, that want to do business in the United States.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, to the chairman and the ranking member I want to thank them for bringing this resolution to the floor. I have had a chance to speak in a Special Order and tie the EU expansion also to NATO expansion. And what it does is it brings a Europe whole, united, and free; and I think it brings great opportunity for the world, stability in the region, the ability for the European Union countries to help be more active in their backyard as they have committed to bolster their ability to respond based upon the Petersburg task but also a commitment to NATO in the Article V self-defense relationship that makes the transatlantic nations so important. It ties the North American continent to Europe in a stronger fabric that I think will really benefit the Nation and democratic institutions for years to come. As we know, there are constant threats to democracy and liberty around the world. So I think I speak for many of our colleagues who will get a chance to either vocally vote ``yes'' or to do it through a registered vote by saying wherever democracy, liberty, freedom, the rule of law prevail, we as a country and as a world are stronger because of that. So I, too, want to welcome the new members to the EU. I also want to applaud the old members for their reaching out and the invitation for these new members; and I want to tie that to the great self-defense organization that we know and have loved for so long, which is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. That transatlantic link will serve us both well from now and into the future. I want to applaud the ranking member; I want to applaud the chairman. And I thank the chairman for yielding me this time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Corporal Forest Jostes who recently was killed in action fighting for freedom in Iraq. Corporal Jostes was a 21-year-old from Albion, Illinois who served as an Army Corporal with the 1st Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division from Ft. Hood, Texas. He was a 2000 graduate of Edwards County High School, after which he joined the National Guard at the age of 17. He had only been in Iraq for about a week, when military personnel say his Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing Jostes and the driver, in a suburb of Baghdad. Corporal Jostes is survived by his parents, Von and Diane Ibbotson; a sister, Michelle Lee Teeter; two brothers Benjamin L. Jostes and Evan R. Ibbotson; and his grandparents, John and Laura Ibbotson, Glen and Darlene Kellison and Norman and Shirley Costley. I am proud of the service this young man has given to our country and the service he and others are doing everyday. Not enough can be said about Corporal Jostes and our other brave men and women who are serving in Iraq. It is troops like him that are risking their lives every day to ensure our freedom here at home and to others throughout the rest of the world. I salute him and my best wishes go out to his family and all the troops fighting to ensure freedom and democracy.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Torrey Stoffel-Gray, who was recently killed in action in Iraq. Lance Cpl. Torrey Stoffel-Gray was a 19-year-old Marine from Patoka, Illinois. Patoka is a rural town in my district with a population around 630. At 16 he left Patoka to enter Lincoln Challenge, a military-style alternative school at Rantoul, Ill. Many friends and family say that Lincoln Challenge changed his life and helped him find his way. This young man was recently killed in action in Iraq when his convoy was struck by rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire in the Al Anbar Province. My condolences go out to his family and friends. Lance Cpl. Stoffel-Gray is survived by his mother, Mary Stoffel, his stepfather Jerry Stoffel and his three brothers, Brandon, Russell, and Blake. Lance Cpl. Stoffel-Gray was awarded the Purple Heart, which was presented to his mother at the time of his burial. Not enough can be said about Lance Cpl. Stoffel-Gray and the rest of our brave men and women serving in Iraq. These soldiers are risking their lives everyday to ensure our freedom here at home and to others throughout the world. I salute him and my best wishes go out to his family and all the troops fighting to ensure freedom and democracy.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Kim Bigley who was recently killed in Kosovo. Kim Bigley was an employee of DynCorp International which was serving with the United Nations as international police officers. Kim and other members were fired upon by a Jordanian police officer for unknown reason and she and two others were killed in the resulting firefight. Kim Bigley was a 47-year-old who lived most of her life in southern and southwestern Illinois. She was the former warden of the Shawnee Correctional Center, and had just completed her first day of job orientation when she was killed. She is survived by her parents, Jim and Janice Bigley of Greenfield; sons, Casey Morrow of Springfield and Quinn Morrow of Decatur; daughter, Karly Morrow of Paducah; and a brother, Joe Bigley of Sherman. My thoughts and prayers go out to her families and loved ones. Ms. Bigley gave her life in an effort to improve the lives of others. This sacrifice should never be forgotten.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Captain John Tipton who was recently killed in Iraq. Capt. Tipton, 32, a 1989 Granite City High School graduate, died this past Sunday in an explosion during combat in the Al Anbar Province in Iraq. The province, west of Baghdad, is where Camp Fallujah is located and is one of the most hostile regions in Iraq. Capt. Tipton was commander of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas with his wife, Susie Tipton, of Collinsville, and their two children, Austin, 4, and Kaitlyn, 2. I am proud of the service Capt. Tipton has given to our country and the service he and others provide on a daily basis. Not enough can be said about the sacrifice and dedication these men and women display while serving in Iraq. It is troops like Capt. Tipton, those risking their lives everyday, that ensure our freedom here at home and to others throughout the rest of the world. I salute him and my heart felt condolences go out to his family and all the troops continually fighting to ensure freedom and democracy.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, I have a special honor. I get to present the World War II medals that my uncle earned in the war to him. He is what Tom Brokaw has called part of the Greatest Generation. In fact, last week we opened the World War II Memorial, with a formal ceremony coming Memorial Day weekend. Since we are in a challenging world environment, many people are saying today that we are seeing the next Greatest Generation. The services are reporting that they are meeting their recruiting goals. Imagine that. In an environment where we are at war, soldiers are dying, recruitment levels are being met. Truly, we are seeing a revival of patriotism and, very possibly, another ``greatest generation.'' However, that is not without cost, and today I am here to mention five individuals from my district who have lost their lives in service to their country, not all in Iraq, as we will come to see. Each of these people gave their lives in pursuit of freedom and democracy. They should be recognized for their sacrifices. Corporal Foster Jostes was a 21-year-old from Albion, Illinois who served as an Army Corporal in the 1st Battalion, 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas. He was a 2000 graduate of Edwards County High School, after which he joined the National Guard at age 17. He had only been in Iraq for about a week when military personnel say his Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade, killing Jostes and the driver, in a suburb of Baghdad. Lance Corporal Torrey Stoffel-Gray was a 19-year-old Marine from Patoka, Illinois. Patoka is a rural town in my district with around 630 people. At 16, Lance Corporal Stoffel-Gray left Patoka to enter Lincoln Challenge, a military-style alternative school at Rantoul, Illinois. Many friends and family say that Lincoln Challenge changed his life and helped him find his way. This young man was recently killed in action in Iraq when his convoy was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade and gunfire in the Al Anbar Province. Gary Weston was a 52-year-old from Vienna, Illinois. He was employed by DynCorp International, serving with the United Nations as international police officers. He and other officers were fired upon by a Jordanian police officer for unknown reasons. Two fellow workers were killed in the resulting fire fight. Gary was flown to a hospital after receiving several gunshot wounds. He later died from complications from the gunshot wounds. His wife Nina Weston was there by her husband's side. Kim Bigley was a 47-year-old who lived most of her life in southern and Southwestern Illinois. She was an employee of DynCorp International, which was serving with the United Nations as an international police officer and was a former warden at the Shawnee Correctional Center. She had just completed her first day of job orientation when she was killed. Along with Mr. Weston, Kim was fired upon by a Jordanian police officer for unknown reasons and was killed as a result of the fire fight. Captain John Tipton was a 32-year-old who grew up in Granite City, Illinois. He died recently in an explosion during combat in the Al Anbar Province in Iraq. The province, west of Baghdad, and is one of the most hostile regions in Iraq. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas with his wife, Susie Tipton of Collinsville and their two children: Austin, 4 and Kaitlyn, 2. He was commander of Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 1st Infantry Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. I cannot say enough about these men and women who are putting their lives on the line every day in the hopes of making a difference in far- away lands. They made the ultimate sacrifice and should never be taken for granted. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the troops, their families and their loved ones. Truly, we are seeing the next ``greatest generation.'' May God bless our troops and may God bless America.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Gary Weston, who was recently killed in Kosovo. Gary Weston was an employee of DynCorp International, which was serving with the United Nations as international police officers. Gary and other members were fired upon by a Jordanian police officer for unknown reason. Two fellow workers were killed in the resulting firefight. Gary was flown to a hospital after receiving several gunshots. He later died from complications of the gunshot wounds, his wife Nina Weston was there by her husband's side. Gary Weston was 52 years old and lived in Vienna, Illinois. Not enough can be said about the great sacrifice this man made for his country, the ultimate sacrifice. He is survived by wife, Nina Weston; his mother, Christine Weston of Metropolis; a son, Richard N. Weston of Granite City; two daughters, Rachel A. Weston of Honolulu, Hawaii and Elizabeth E. Weston of Vienna; five grandchildren, Trey, Derek, Heather, Dalton and Parker; two brothers, Ben and wife Jan Weston of Vienna and Ed and wife Susan Weston of Cape Girardeau; a sister, Melinda and husband Ron White of Austin, Texas; and his mother-in-law, Marilyn Whiteside of Vienna. My thoughts and prayers go out to his families and loved ones. Gary Weston gave his life in an effort to improve the lives of others. This sacrifice should never be forgotten.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Illinois State Senator Ralph Dunn on May 3. Senator Dunn had a long list of accomplishments during his years as a State Senator, a State Representative and as a member of the Illinois Constitutional Convention--which he described as ``the greatest thing I've ever been involved with.'' Illinois State Representative Mike Bost said, ``He gave me some tremendous advice, even after he left office. He was well-respected and he served his district and his state well. Everybody knew Ralph was a square shooter. I never got in trouble if I followed him.'' Du Quoin Mayor John Rednour said, ``I always knew the best way to get something done for my town was to call Ralph. He was not only a gentleman, he was a gentle man.'' Mayor Rednour, Representative Bost and many others will join together on Friday, May 7th to celebrate the life and legacy of this Southern Illinois giant. There is little doubt that Ralph and his wife Ellen will be watching with their typical mix of pride and humility. They have earned this moment of recognition as well as our thanks for a lifetime of service to all of us.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Illinois State Senator Vince Demuzio who passed away on April 27. Senator Demuzio, or Vince as most people knew him, lived a life dedicated to public service. While committing himself to the public good, Vince still found time for his family--his wife, Deanna, their two children and their four grandchildren. In central Illinois, Vince Demuzio is remembered as a champion for education, a fighter for good jobs and roadways, and a tireless advocate for the needs of his constituents. Illinois Senate Minority Leader, Frank Watson, said of Vince, ``If we all emulate the concerns that Vince Demuzio had for the people he represented and the people of this state . . . we would all be better off and be better people for it.'' I couldn't agree more. Illinois has lost a great leader with the passing of State Senator Vince Demuzio.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, the world has seen some tremendous advancements in the last couple of months. We have had NATO enlarge with 10 new members. Just Friday we saw the EU expand also, now including 25 European nations. We do have a Europe united, whole and free. An exciting new thing about the new entrants to NATO and the new members of the European Union is that they are involved and they are engaged and they are dedicated to promoting freedom and democracy and liberty around the world, not just in our conflict with international terrorism; and many of the new entrants are part of the coalition of the willing, but also in neighboring states, being involved in helping promote the formation of democratic ideas, the formation of the rule of law, judicial courts. It is these new former Eastern Bloc countries, new entrants to the EU, new entrants to NATO that are engaged in transforming Europe to be united, whole, free and at peace. However, Mr. Speaker, there is a glaring exception in Europe and that exception is the nation of Belarus of which I speak just for a few moments tonight. Belarus is the last dictatorship in Europe. As we follow and as I follow and the Nation follows the upcoming elections, I want the people of Belarus to know that the United States will be watching these upcoming elections and that they have a partner that wants to ensure democracy wins. However, current events threaten those elections. Current events continue to plague the people of Belarus and those who want democratic reform and freedom. On May 3, Anatoly Lebedko, chairman of the United Civic Party, was questioned at Minsk's Sovetsky District Police Department over his alleged participation in the unsanctioned April 26 Charnobylski Shlyakh (Path of Chernobyl) march in Minsk. The police alleged that Lebedko was an ``offender'' for participating in the march and continued their interrogation until it was proven with their own video of the event that Lebedko had not even been there. Despite that, Lebedko remains a target of the police and their harassment. Could it be that Lebedko has emerged as a threat to the current regime by advocating freedom and democracy? The important thing for the current regime in Belarus to understand is that Washington and the world are watching. The exciting thing about the upcoming election is that many of the parties that have for years been adversaries have been united, and they are united in forming a ticket from the UCP to the trade unionists. In fact, they call themselves the Group of Five, five diverse parties from the far left to the far right, united to have a strong presence on the ballot to give the people real choice, one choice that represents freedom and democracy versus an authoritarian totalitarian regime that we now find in Belarus. I ask my colleagues here in this House to continue to keep the people of Belarus in their prayers as we hope and pray that they are the next European country that moves to full, free, and unhindered democratic government and principles and joins the world of nations and the EU as strong participants in the battle for freedom.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, not long ago, all 911 calls were local calls made on wireline phones. Today, it is estimated that nearly 130 million wireless phones are in use, generating an average of 150,000 calls to 911 each day. However, few people realize that most wireless 911 calls do not go to the nearest public safety answering point, do not provide the caller's call-back number, nor do they provide the caller's location. In some areas, wireless callers get an automated voice instead of help when they dial 911. The House passed legislation earlier this year which I introduced with my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo), that attempts to solve these problems by enhancing the coordination of E-911 implementation in each State, discouraging the raiding of E-911 funds, and giving local PSAPs additional funding to help them finally achieve and enhance 911 capability. It is my hope we can get this legislation to the President before the end of the year so local communities can begin upgrading their 911 systems and help first responders locate those in need as quickly as possible.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to again bring attention to the upcoming elections in Belarus. The current leader, Aleksandr Lukashenko told the National Assembly on April 14th, ``The new parliament that is to be elected this fall should include representatives of all groups aside from ``businessmen, merchants and capitalists.'' At a time when Belarus desperately needs business and entreuprenuers, it is appalling that the Belaursian leader would declare that candidates with business backgrounds or professions would not be allowed to run or to serve in the Belarus Assembly. In response to this repressive political environment, we need to focus our efforts on helping to promote the institutional survival of the country's democratic political organizations and helping their leaders and activists prepare for political and public policy. The important thing for the current regime in Belarus to understand is that Washington and the world are watching.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to call attention to a piece of legislation that I introduced, along with my colleagues, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Jackson) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), to address the shortage of medical laboratory personnel, H.R. 623. The United States is facing a severe and increasing problematic shortage of qualified laboratory personnel. Many rural areas and areas served by smaller hospitals are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain qualified laboratory workers. The vital role medical laboratory professionals play in health care must be recognized. Between 70 to 75 percent of all medical diagnoses are based on laboratory test results. But because these important health care practitioners seldom have direct patient contact, their important role in health care often goes unnoticed by patients. Ensuring that our Nation's laboratories possess the human resources, that is, laboratory professionals, to accurately process laboratory testing demands is critical to patient health. The U.S. Department of Labor projects that approximately 13,200 medical laboratory professionals will be needed each year through 2010. Unfortunately, fewer than 5,000 individuals are graduating from accredited training programs each year. The bill includes a scholarship program to help students meet their academic education and clinical training expenses. It provides for loan forgiveness by working in areas designated as having a shortage of medical laboratory personnel or allied health practitioners. In addition, this legislation establishes a program to provide awards to individuals who teach medical laboratory science. These are just a few of the important measures created in H.R. 623. I would encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, last week millions of Americans got a surprise when they filed their tax returns. This year a record 44 million tax returns, one-third of all returns filed, have no income tax liability because of the available credits and deductions in the Tax Code. This is a 50 percent increase in the number of zero-tax filers in just 4 years. The vast majority of these 44 million filers are from low-income households who saw their tax liability disappear thanks to the tax cuts pushed by President Bush and this House. The expansion of the 10 percent bracket, the increased child tax credit, and the marriage penalty relief are the leading reasons that so many people were able to have zero liability. All these tax provisions are in jeopardy if Congress does not act to extend them by the end of this year. These are not tax cuts for the rich. They are tax provisions designed to help working men and women bring home more of their paychecks. In fact, 75 percent of the 44 million will earn less than $20,000 per year, and 97 percent will earn less than $40,000 per year. Congress needs to extend these provisions and continue giving tax relief to working America.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I want to address a ``thank you'' to Mel Gibson and his movie ``The Passion of the Christ.'' I think it is appropriate during this Easter break that we understand that no greater love is this, than one lays down their life for someone else. As we go back to our districts and work and try to address the concerns and problems of our constituents and the Nation, I think it is just appropriate to remember that we are all one family and we need to work together to solve our problems. Mr. Speaker, I wish all my colleagues a happy Easter break.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the upcoming elections in Belarus. While most of the former Eastern Bloc countries have demonstrated varying degrees of democratic progress since the Soviet collapse, Belarus has slipped back into a Soviet Union-style dictatorship. Belarus's current President, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, was elected in July, 1994. The country's political and economic repression intensified in 1996 when President Lukashenka orchestrated passage of a constitutional referendum that provided him control over all of the branches of government and society as a whole. The President then disbanded the parliament, and only those members loyal to him chose to serve in the new legislature. He extended his term of office to 2001, and the 2001 election lacked transparency and democratic administration. In response to the repressive political environment, we need to focus our efforts on helping to promote an institutional survival of the country's democratic political organizations and helping their leaders and activists prepare for political and public policy roles in a future democratic Belarus. The important thing for the current regime in Belarus to understand is that Washington and the world are watching.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the current status of manufacturing jobs in this country. Last week, there was an article in the Boston Globe entitled, ``What the Jobless Statistics Do Not Reveal,'' written by Paul E. Harrington and Andrew Sum. The article focused on the debate of when job creation will begin and why there is a huge difference in the report of job growth between two surveys, the payroll survey and the household survey. The payroll survey is the corporate survey, which indicates a decreased loss of 620,000 jobs. However, the household survey says there is a 2.3 million increase in employment during this same period of time. Why the disparity? Well, the household survey counts self-employed and contractors. If you are self-employed like a farmer in my district, you are not counted as being an employee under the payroll survey reports. The authors point out that the disparity is due to the fact that it has become so expensive to add new workers to payroll due to high cost of health insurance, unemployment insurance, worker compensation, payroll taxes, and it is easier and cheaper to hire and pay overtime. If we want to stem the loss of manufacturing in the corporate sector, our legislative response is clear. We are going to have to address these issues of high cost.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to talk on the Medicare Modernization Act. Tax-free health savings accounts that are accumulative allows the individual to pick up basic health care costs and shop around for quality and service, one of the great benefits of the Medicare Modernization Act. The other thing is then moving individuals into catastrophic health insurance plans which will be, obviously, in essence a lot lower than health care costs today. What people fear is the ability to lose their life savings on catastrophic illnesses. By having the catastrophic health insurance account, that will not occur and it will be at a cost that people can assume. But the only way we are going to bring down health care costs in America is to make sure that the consumer is involved in choosing their services based upon quality and service. No middlemen, the consumer. That is the benefit of the health savings account. The Medicare Modernization Act was real reform, and I am proud to have supported it.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Again, I thank my colleague, Mr. Speaker. Actually, he has mentioned some of the things that I probably should have mentioned, being a little more parochial. I am so passionate about this because for southern Illinois this bill is the best bill I think we will ever see coming across the pike. And why would I say that? First of all, if you looked at a geological map of what is called the Illinois coal basin, it in essence is the entire State of Illinois, with the exception of Chicago and the suburbs. It actually bleeds over into Indiana, and it bleeds over into Kentucky. It has as much energy resources there, 250 years of Btu burning capability, as Saudi Arabia has oil. Why will we not have access and use of those energy issues? Illinois is also a highly nuclearized State. We have 11 operating nuclear facilities in the State of Illinois. As my colleague from Colorado said, nuclear power is, as far as emission-wise, there are no emissions, but of course we have concerns with individuals. I want the public to understand base load generating, which is the everyday needs for electricity, just to run the lights on average the whole year, and then peak load generating, which is the times where you really need additional electricity, and that is best met with natural gas, where you can turn it on and turn it off. But base load generating is those standard fuels that we have used for many, many years: hydroelectric, coal, and nuclear power. They have to be part of a national energy policy, and in our bill they are, they remain, and that will help us have safety and security in the energy markets for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for again managing this hour on energy.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the kind words from my colleague from Colorado Mr. Beauprez. I am here to talk about a subject that is just critical. We just have to get down to, really, the brass tacks. It is really hard for me to understand. I hope my colleague from New Mexico stays around because maybe we can get involved in a debate and discussion on the multitude of issues. This energy bill took in numerous committee work from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, to the Committee on Resources, to the Committee on Ways and Means, the Committee on Agriculture had a part in it, the Committee on House Administration had provisions, the Committee on Science had provisions. This is one of the few times that you have a comprehensive national energy bill and plan. And we are there. We are so close, I could almost taste the finish line. Because the critical nature is readily evident to all of us. It is amazing that when you have the highest gasoline prices that many of us have ever seen and you definitely have the highest natural gas prices that anyone has seen, to huge blackouts in the Northeast, millions of people without power, why cannot we move an energy bill? Why cannot we have a vote and then a passage of a plan that would bring some security, some safety, some reliability to the energy markets and the energy industry and the folks that want to conserve? There are actually great conservation provisions in this energy bill. We worked at great length to make sure that all stakeholders were involved in the debate. It was a free and open debate, taking many hours in the Committee on Commerce, late into the night, open, amendments passed, amendments defeated. The bill brought before the floor, the bill passed overwhelmingly in the House. The conference committee did its work, brought the bill back to the House and had another good vote on the conference side, and now we are held hostage by a minority in the other body. It is unfortunate because unless we act on legislation, unless we have the public policy debate on energy, on where we want to be in the future, then we are going to see the same type of activities that we are seeing today. And, of course, in this political season, the opposition would love to see no energy bill. It is hypocritical to complain about the high cost of gasoline when you voted no on the energy bill. It is hypocritical to talk about the loss of manufacturing jobs in this country when you voted against an energy bill. It is hypocritical to continue to spout the same rhetoric when our grid goes unchanged, new investments not flowing to protect the grid, ensuring that if we make no changes a risk of future blackouts could be in the foreseeable future. I am at a loss for words sometimes in the way we operate here. I love the institution, I love the ability to come on the floor, to have great debates on public policy, but eventually you have to move on. A majority has to speak its will and especially in the needs that were addressed earlier on energy. It is so vital to our economy. It is so vital to our national security. It is so vital for the things that we take for granted. I remember reading an analysis of our use of electricity in our homes and power tools and all the neat little gadgets we have. The average citizen, because of our ability of using electricity and machines and technology, it is like we have 340 servants. The stuff that we are able to do because of the use of electricity and machines would be similar to having many, many servants doing our every whim. That is part of the reason why we have prospered so greatly in this country, because we are willing to take risks, we are willing to take capital, put it at risk, hoping to get a return. And when we want the economy to move forward, when we want job creation, when we want to keep manufacturing, one of the major costs in the manufacturing is the energy cost. But yet we are hamstrung, I think, because of political calculations on an upcoming election that we do not want to see improvement in the economy, that we do not want to see job creation, that we want to complain about no security on our electricity grid. We still want to see higher costs for natural gas. We want to see high gas prices. They want to blame this administration, the only administration that has brought a comprehensive energy bill before the legislative body and the House and the Senate has been vetted and voted on. Again, very hypocritical and embarrassing to my point of view. As we continue to focus on the manufacturing jobs, I find some relief in the debate that there is a difference between the payroll survey and the household survey on jobs and job creation. But, having said that, even though the numbers are better, the job loss statistics are only based upon payrolls. So in my district in southern Illinois, there are a lot of farmers. They are self-employed. They are not counted on the payroll surveys because they are self-employed. So in all these jobs statistics they are not there, because they are not salaried. But we do know that the manufacturing economy is stressed. If we want to ensure that we have job creation, we are going to move a highway bill. I think it is going to be a good bill. It is going to bring, obviously, leveraging dollars from the Federal Government and State governments to be able to build roads and infrastructure; and we want that. Listen to what the Department of Commerce says about job creation in this energy bill. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, America loses 12,389 jobs for every billion we spend on energy imports. And, of course, we spend a lot on energy imports. At today's oil prices that means America is sending more than 1.7 million jobs overseas for oil every year. We have oil in this country. We have it, as we talked about before, in ANWR. We have it on the continental shelf. Illinois is the tenth leading oil-producing state. A lot of people do not know that. A lot of our wells are marginal wells. They take energy to get the crude oil out of the ground. We have a gusher that was hit about a year and a half ago. It is new technology. It drills underneath a wildlife preserve. It is producing for us a million barrels a year, which is a pretty good add toward meeting the demands that we have here. It is not going to solve our problems. We are still going to have needs for export, but we do have great natural gas reserves in this country. We have got enough, and I am continuing to look at my friend on the Committee on Resources because they deal with this all the time, to meet our natural gas demands for 25 years, if we would just get access to them; and this is all not natural wildlife refuges in pristine areas. It is Bureau of Land Management scrub land. It is nothing that we even need to worry about other than it is the Federal Government's land, and we cannot even permit ourselves to go and look for natural gas reserves. Again, it just boggles your mind. An estimated 85,000 jobs have been lost by the U.S. chemical makers since natural gas prices began to rise in mid-2000. If we cannot get natural gas at an affordable price, more and more the production facilities will be forced to pack up and leave the country. One of our problems in this whole fuel debate is we have not built a new refinery in 25 years in this country, and we have a Balkanized fuel market, which means we have specific fuels for specific reasons. I always tell the story, I fly into St. Louis. I am a St. Louis metropolitan Member of Congress. I live over in Illinois, and my hometown is Collinsville, but if I were to fly in and we get picked up, I would have to go to the northern part of my district, the State capital of Springfield, and I would have to gas up the car before I took the drive. Well, the gas that I put in in Missouri would be different than the gas, regular unleaded, would be different than the gas in my hometown of Collinsville which is only 30 minutes from the airport, which would be different from the gas in Springfield, Illinois, regular unleaded, only 90 miles north. Three different blends of fuel in less than a 200-mile area. Now, when people ask why are we having a gas crisis, I will tell you one reason is we cannot move product from point A to point B because it is not the proper mix for a proper region. You know what the energy bill does? It addresses this. There are 48 different fuel mixes in this country, and it tries to pare them down to five. It still says you need different fuels for different regions; but let us get realistic and say five regionally, that way you can move product when the supply and demand equation goes wacky. It is a great provision. It probably would have been helpful in this time of our energy needs. The energy bill will help create or maintain over 156,000 full-time and part-time jobs in my home State of Illinois. That is how important this energy bill is for me, just my parochial interest, as a Member from Illinois. Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan has repeatedly testified that energy prices are the single greatest threat to job creation and the continued growth of an otherwise burgeoning economy; but instead of getting a national energy policy, the people of America wait. They see energy prices rising higher and higher. They see jobs in manufacturing disappear because a plant closes due to high energy prices. They see us sending billions of dollars to foreign countries to buy oil. What they do not see is an energy bill. The House passed the energy bill conference report, and we are still waiting, obviously, for the other body to at least do something. It is time for Congress to send an energy bill to the President that will create and maintain needed jobs across this country. This is an important debate, and I applaud my colleague for organizing this Special Order because in the public policy arena, I mean, we have to be in the arena. We have to be debating the major issues of our time that not only affect us for the next election cycle, but really this is a comprehensive energy plan that will affect our children and our grandchildren. So I applaud my colleague from Colorado. I hope to stay around for a few minutes and maybe can add based upon what other things are mentioned or added, but I really appreciate that.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Madam Speaker, it is a wonderful day. Actually, the great day was yesterday, and it is an honor to be here on the floor with the gentleman from Nebraska (Chairman Bereuter) and the gentleman from California (Ranking Member Lantos), who have become great friends in this battle. It is a battle that I have really been fortunate to join, really at the closing of it. It is an important step forward to President Bush's goal and others within the administration's goal of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. It was great at the ceremonies yesterday when, on the lawn, on the east lawn, not only was the current administration there, but representatives of previous administrations: the Honorable Jean Kirkpatrick was there, the Honorable Madeleine Albright was there, Sandy Berger was there. So it really shows that NATO enlargement is really something that has lasted the test of time. At a time in our country where there seems to be great divisiveness, one unifying aspect is NATO enlargement. I am proud to be a Member of the House where I think all enlargements, actually, the momentum has always started, I think from the Madrid enlargement to even this most recent round. I think the other body gets a lot of credit because of their votes, but we do not want to shy away or take a second seat to anybody in our position and our push for NATO enlargement. I have enjoyed the relationship with the American citizens who still have a great respect and honor for their ethnic heritage and their home countries. These American citizens, who have fought in our wars and have given their lives for freedom and democracy, really ask their government to do a simple thing and help return that type of stability, peace, and freedom to their home countries, the countries of their birth, the countries of their forefathers. NATO does that. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization brings a collective self- defense mission to again address that area of a Europe whole and free, so it is just a very important and exciting day. So I appreciate the resolution, because we should be part of the celebratory aspect and make sure that we are on record saying a job well done. There is still much work to go before us, as both the gentleman from Nebraska (Chairman Bereuter) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) have mentioned. But we are going to be much stronger as a united world, united under basic principles of freedom and democracy and the rule of law when we address totalitarian regimes than we would be to continue to have a fractured environment in Europe. We know what these new entrants are already doing. Actually, they have come through the membership action plan, which was not an easy task. When we have these democracies move from a centralized market economy to a free market economy, that creates a lot of stress on the way that the government used to provide services. These governments had to decide whether they needed to move aggressively with large parts of their dollars to transform themselves to be prepared to enter NATO. That is not easy, when you are changing from a system where the government is providing for all of the basic needs and now you are taking money away to increase the ability for self-defense. So they need to be applauded. They have gone through the process of reform in the military, in the economy, the rule of law; and the membership action plan really helped do that. Now they have also come to the forefront in the war on international terrorism. I know a lot of folks understand that it is important what they have given after September 11, their involvement in Afghanistan and for many their involvement in Iraq; and it is not a small task to ask these new emerging democracies to send their sons and daughters overseas for a cause of freedom, peace, and security in the world. So this is really appropriate that we do this. Bulgaria is focused on engineers and mine-sweepers; Romania on unmanned aerial vehicles and mountain troops; Slovakia, nuclear, biological, and chemical defense units; Slovenia, mountain warfare troops; Estonia, military divers and mine countermeasures; Latvia, explosive ordnance disposal; and Lithuania, Bulgaria, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia will provide special operations forces. So they are going to be additive to NATO. But where they are really going to be more additive, actually a multiplier, is really their heart and soul. These countries still have the scars of totalitarian regimes. They still hurt as they look at what has occurred to their countries over the decades. They bring an understanding of the cause for freedom and democracy. That is a message that sometimes those of us who have experienced and benefited from democratic governance for many years, we sort of take for granted and forget. Not after September 11, of course. But they are reenergizing NATO. They are bringing their commitment, their heart and soul. I wholly applaud, really, the international community, the United States for our leadership, and really the membership countries for saying, this is the right thing to do at the right time. The world will be stronger and more at peace because of the most historical organization in the history of the world that has kept the peace for over 50 years, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. I am honored to have the chance to be on the floor to recognize them. I look forward to their added power as we move forward in this very dangerous and difficult time in this world.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give recognition to three members of the ``Coalition of the Willing''--Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. These Baltic nations have answered the call to freedom. The people of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania should feel very proud of the effort their governments have given to the rebuilding of Iraq and during Operation Iraqi Freedom. They have troops deployed in Iraq and these men and women are putting their lives on the line in the fight for freedom and democracy. In fact Latvia has deployed 150 soldiers, Estonia 55, and Lithuania 85. The sacrifice they are making should not be taken lightly. These countries understand what freedom is, and what it takes to ensure it. I wish more countries had the same sense of duty and responsibility as these three nations. When the future is written, what they have done and sacrificed will not be forgotten. I applaud all of their efforts and I am very proud of what they have accomplished. The Coalition of the Willing has been criticized as being ``token allies'' and claims of ulterior motives have been made. I for one don't believe any of this and I am glad these countries have joined our efforts. This is a fight worth fighting, and I salute our friends from Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.