John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the American Legion, a noble organization, chartered by Congress in 1919. The American Legion turned 85 this week and its members across our Nation are celebrating this historic event. I'm proud to report that my home district celebrated this occasion recently at an event hosted by Retired Air Force Colonel Ted Buck of Mt. Vernon. He served 22 years active duty including 30 months during the Vietnam War. He received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, The Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with a Silver Star and the Purple Heart. He was also awarded the Legion of Merit award for his duty as a pilot for Dr. Henry Kissinger on his historic shuttle diplomacy. I mention Colonel Buck by name because he puts a face on an organization made up of many heroic men and women who, like Colonel Buck, have put their lives on the line for this Nation. While patriotism and support for our men and women in uniform comes in and out of favor here in Washington, D.C. our Nation is blessed to have an organization that exists to meet the needs of our veterans. I consider myself fortunate to be a member of the American Legion and I'm honored to have the opportunity to wish them a happy 85th birthday. I speak for all of my colleagues in wishing the American Legion many more years to continue their work to insure appropriate respect for the American veteran and their families.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about the Medicare prescription drug bill and one of the other great benefits that has come to our Nation, and that has been in the physician payment arena. First, this law will block the impending physician payment cuts that were scheduled for 2004 and 2005, as well as give physicians increases of 1.5 percent for the next 2 years. In Illinois where we are losing physicians because of medical malpractice issues, having a provision that keeps doctors in Illinois is very, very critical. As a result of overturning the cuts and increasing the payments, Illinois stands to keep 400 million for Illinois physicians and the patients they serve. The geographic payment adjuster has been set at 1.0 in 2004 through 2006, which affects how physicians are paid in different regions of the country. The agreement also provides for physician scarcity bonus payments from 2005 to 2007. These grants go to those who practice in areas where there is a shortage of physicians. Mr. Speaker, there is a shortage of physicians in Illinois because of medical malpractice, and physicians are leaving the State. At least in the Medicare prescription drug bill, there is help for keeping some of those.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank today's guest chaplain who talked about the blessings of leadership on this great Nation, which is our task at hand. One of those tasks was the Medicare Modernization Act, which provided great help to this country at large. I want to focus primarily on one part of the Medicare prescription drug plan and the representation of the most generous package ever to rural health care providers. The Medicare law equalizes payments so that rural and suburban hospitals receive billions in much-needed relief over the next decade. They will receive continued standardized amounts of assistance without pause, increased help for DSH rural and small urban hospitals, adjusted payments to low volume hospitals to provide more equitable reimbursements for health care costs, and greater flexibility for rural and small urban hospitals to have more graduate medical residents providing better care. We should not have a discrepancy between the care in urban and suburban areas and rural health care. The Medicare Modernization Act is the best health care package that rural America has ever seen. I am glad it was passed, and I look forward to the implementation of the law.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the upcoming enlargement of NATO when Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia are added as official members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Each of these nations, formerly part of the Soviet bloc, has emerged from their long struggle towards freedom as examples of the good that can come from people working together towards a common goal--in this case democracy and individual freedom. As one of the co-chairs of the Baltic Caucus and a fourth generation Lithuanian, I can personally attest to the efforts and personal sacrifices that the people of these nations have been making for many decades now. Their determination to rid themselves and their countries of communist and dictatorial rule is a humbling lesson for those of us who have never known life without freedom. We should welcome their commitment to freedom and provide them with the support they need to help insure that these growing democracies will flourish and become role models for other nations yearning for the same. Adding these nations to NATO is an extremely important step forward in our efforts to promote freedom and in our efforts against worldwide terrorism. Already, many of these nations have made tremendous contributions to our efforts to stabilize Iraq and have a lasting impact in bringing peace to the Middle East. Clearly, these are nations that recognize the world beyond their own borders. I am extremely proud to welcome Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia into NATO. I especially want to congratulate the many citizens and patriots in these nations and across the world who have struggled to get us to this historic moment. Your efforts will make a difference for generations to come.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentlewoman will continue to yield, I would be glad to.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I have not checked my colleague's voting record, but that is probably a good assumption.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, this is the beginning of my 8th year here, and that therapy cap issue has been presented to us year after year for 8 years, and I think it is right to bring that up. I am just sorry that the gentlewoman had to break her arm to make a point for that therapy issue.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, that also brings competition to the negotiation of prices. If we just have the government negotiating, first of all, it is not a for-profit entity. It is not going to have the incentive to drive a hard bargain; it is just going to set prices with no return. But if we have a handful of companies competing to service a senior population in a competitive model, if you believe in freedom and competition and all of those things that we do, we are going to get a better product. I am excited, and I supported the bill. I think it will be helpful for seniors. I wanted to highlight that on the prescription drug issue. One other aspect of the prescription drug issue is the number one thing that seniors came up to me before the vote that they were concerned about was whether they would lose the coverage that they had that was promised to them in their pension and benefit plans. They would pull me off the parade route or after church, wherever I was, Will I lose it? There are 41 million seniors in the Medicare system, and 13 million are covered by prescription drug plans through their pension and benefit plans. Thirteen million. We could never assume that additional cost, so we have to provide a provision in this to incentivize the pension and benefit plans to keep providing. That is a promise that we provided to these seniors, and that is in the bill. So we met their need. They did ask us, and because it would be very destructive for us, already trying to be fiscally conscious, to add $13 million more entitlements to a system when they are already receiving benefits. The Medicare prescription drug bill is not just about prescription drugs, though. It is the best rural health care package ever passed on the floor of this House. Now, I represent southern Illinois; I have 30 counties. They stretch from as many as 250,000 people in one county to 5,000 in another. I border Indiana, Kentucky, and Missouri. The best rural health care package ever passed by the House of Representatives was in this Medicare prescription drug bill for community hospitals, for critical care hospitals, and for rural home health care agencies. That is part of this debate. So people who want to try to change this Medicare prescription drug bill, they really are threatening the great provisions that have already been passed that will help rural health care throughout not just Illinois but throughout the country. The other thing that I wanted to highlight was the preventive medicine aspects of this Medicare bill. I always talk about modern medicine, and I think the debate when you identify when Medicare was established in the 1960s, what has stayed the same. We do not drive the same cars that were built in the 1960s, we do not live in the same style homes, or use the same type of electrical appliances. We have computers and turbo-charged engines. The only thing that has stayed the same is Medicare. We would pay for reactive measures, not proactive measures. In other words, we would pay to try to fix the blindness, to deal with the amputations, to deal with the effects caused by diabetes; but we would not pay for the drugs needed to treat diabetes, and that is a silly way of doing business. First of all, there is no cost benefit in that. You are a loser financially when you do that. So the preventive aspect, there is going to be a Welcome to Medicare physical. Seniors will get a physical to establish where they are in the health care continuum, initially to make diagnosis. And, obviously, early diagnosis of major diseases through the application of prescription drugs is cheaper and healthier for all involved. I have taken enough time, and I have a lot of colleagues on the floor, and I know they are eager to talk about the great benefits of the prescription drug bill. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am going to speak about a couple of provisions on the Medicare prescription drug bill. I have been to town hall meetings, three hospitals in my community, I have been to some editorial boards. It is an issue that the public needs to hear from us about. This bill has passed and will become law, and we are going to find out real soon how helpful this bill is. Come June, the discount cards are going to get mailed out, and then the proof is going to be in the pudding. Either they are going to lower costs and people get access to drugs; or they are not. Either way, we are held accountable by the way we vote. The first provision I would like to mention is it is voluntary. Voluntary means you can do it if you want, you do not have to do it if you do not want to, which is very different in the ideological spectrum of debate. Republicans believe in freedom. Our primary principle that we stand for is freedom; and freedom allows individuals to choose one way or the other. The freedom aspect is whether they want to be a part of a prescription drug system that supports and helps, or seniors do not want to. We trust that seniors will be able to make choices that best fit them. That is laudable, and I would rather be on the side of trusting seniors than saying, no, the Federal Government has to do it for them because our seniors cannot do it themselves. The other thing I would like to mention is what is on this chart. There is a debate out there that there is not going to be any negotiation for lower costs of drugs. Well, obviously, the prescription drug cards and the program itself is not going to be prohibited from using the market forces and the number of people in the plan to exercise buying leverage on the prescription drug industry. It is pretty clear.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues, I was delighted to see that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia issued a ruling yesterday that upholds the intent of Congress in passing the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The court found that the FCC did not comply with the Telecom Act when it voted 3 to 2 last year to adopt its highly controversial Triennial Review Order. This marks the third time since 1996 that the FCC's rules have been rejected by U.S. courts. In its ruling, the appeals court pointed to the commission's failure, after 8 years, to develop lawful unbundling rules and its apparent unwillingness to adhere to prior judicial rulings. FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who was one of the two commissioners to oppose the Triennial Review Order, has voiced his opposition to any appeal of the court's decision and has said, appropriately, that the FCC should expeditiously get to work to produce a set of judicially sound rules once and for all. I fully support the position taken by Chairman Powell and urge the commission to prepare rules to provide the needed clarity and guidance to restore the health and economic vitality of our Nation's telecommunications sector.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special tribute to the Village of Pawnee, Illinois, as they celebrate their sesquicentennial. Established in 1854, the people of Pawnee have prospered while giving so much to this great nation. In the middle of the 19th century, the Village of Pawnee started as a settlement at the bottom of a hill next to a creek in central Illinois. In the past, the small town boasted its own coalmine and railroad. Pawnee's earliest inhabitants were farmers, coalminers, common folk, and businessmen. Today, because of its outstanding school system, churches, and low crime rate, the town has blossomed into a village of 2,800 residents. I am proud to represent the great people of the Village of Pawnee and to share in this special occasion with them. I thank them for all they give to this great nation and I wish them many successes in the years to come. Congratulations! For those today who don't know enough about Pawnee, Illinois I have included this brief history of the town by Skip Minder: ``Justus Henkle and his family were the first Pawnee area settlers, arriving in the middle of March, 1818. They were followed by other early settlers, many of who settled at the bottom of a hill next to a creek, thus assuring a water supply. The small settlement became known as the Horse Creek Settlement. In 1854, it petitioned the U.S. Post Office Department for a post office. The Post Office Department did not like the Horse Creek Settlement name and arbitrarily changed it to Pawnee, and so it has been from that time forward. The Village of Pawnee was incorporated on November 9, 1891, and was and is still governed by a Village President and six Village Trustees. In its early days the town boasted its own coalmine, the Horse Creek Coal Company, which later became the Peabody Coal Company Mine #5, and its own railroad known as the Pawnee Railroad. That railroad was the forerunner of the current Chicago and Illinois Midland Railroad (C&IM). One of Pawnee's inhabitants was a man named Edward A. Baxter (1847- 1934). At age 14, he enlisted in Indiana as a Union soldier during the Civil War along with six of his brothers. They became known as the ``seven fighting Baxter brothers''. All survived the war. In 1865, young soldier, Ed Baxter, stood in the honor guard at the head of Abraham Lincoln's casket during funeral services for Lincoln in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lincoln's body was then transported to Springfield, Illinois for burial. Later, Baxter came to Pawnee in the summer of 1870 and remained until his death in 1934. Another prominent citizen was Harry Howland Mason (1873-1946). He was the publisher of the Pawnee Herald newspaper until he was elected to the U.S. Congress in 1934 as Representative for the 21st Congressional District. Pawnee's earliest inhabitants were farmers, and later farmers and coal miners, common folk, and businessmen. Today it has blossomed into a village of 2,800 residents. Rather than growth in its business and agricultural areas, growth is attributed to its outstanding school system, churches, and low crime rate. Many residents choose to reside in Pawnee and commute to their employment in other communities. In June of this year it will celebrate its sesquicentennial, 150 years of being. It looks forward to at least 150 more years!''

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, not very much will get me motivated enough to wear a bow tie in this world, but now I have done it two days in a row, and it is a Paul Simon tie. When he ran for President, at the funeral, at the wake, the lapel pins had the trademark bow tie. This is a Paul Simon bow tie that I have been allowed to use by the Tomasewski family of Washington County, and I thank them for that. It only took me about 4 hours to tie it, but, once I got it down, I kind of slept with it last night and did not change shirts. Paul was a great man. A lot has been said and gone over with regard to his history, and I will highlight a few other points. But I am going to talk about the man of faith, the man of religion. I am of the Lutheran faith. Paul comes from a strong family of Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod. His father was a missionary in China. That moral background and upbringing I think helped serve him well in the crusades that he fought in the future. A lot of the pillars of my congregation in Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Collinsville remember Senator Simon fondly as a member of what was then called the Walther League, which was the youth group. They would meet throughout parts of Southern Illinois. And that friendship transcended partisan idealogy, as a lot of my colleagues have said today, because when Senator Simon walked into any room, whether you agreed or disagreed, you never questioned the integrity, the thought, the desire, the real passion that he brought to any issue. I think we would do well in memory of him to emulate that, to remember that, and to bring that back into the civil discourse that sometimes we do not have here on the floor of the House. He was also a great crusader. Again, my colleague the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) mentioned at 19 his getting a newspaper in Troy, Illinois, just down the road from both of us, and using that paper to reform government, to fight corruption. Madison County and St. Claire County was a bastion of illegal activities, of crime and gambling, and at a very young age he really put his life at risk by writing and exposing those that would break the law. That courage, developed at a young age, just led on to a very, very successful career. When he went to into the legislature, he pushed for and his best known legislation was the State's first act to require open meetings by local governments under most circumstances, the Open Meetings Act, Paul Simon's signature issue, which helped bring the public closer to the real discussions of what elected officials are doing. Now, sometimes we may not like that, but for the discourse and knowing what is really going on, requiring notification, requiring people to have access to these meetings, it is real reform. Upon his retirement, everyone knows he is a noted author, has written tremendously various issues, he did not retire. He went down to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale around his home in Makanda, and continued to work and in transforming the public policy debate around the world. I was privileged to call him a fellow member of faith, a friend. I was able to travel with him on airplane rides. He remembered my mother when she had some health issues just around the time when he had health issues. They exchanged greetings and notes. He was just that type of guy that made us all proud. We will miss Senator Simon, and hopefully the members of the Illinois delegation and the members of both Chambers of Congress will remember his years of service and really dedicate ourselves to some of the higher ideas that Senator Simon really called us all to be. I thank him for his service and I thank him for his friendship.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to compliment the Chairman of the Conference Committee, Mr. Tauzin of Louisiana, and my colleagues on the Committee from both the House and the Senate for an excellent job under extremely difficult circumstances. I am very pleased that we have been able to resolve their differences and reach an agreement on this extremely important legislation. Our national energy security requires that we move rapidly to utilize all of our existing fossil energy resources in ways that are both more efficient and more protective of our public health and environment. Two sections of the conference bill clearly are aimed at these objectives. Section 932(d) establishes a new program of research, development, demonstration and commercial application for integrated clean power and energy research. Section 935 establishes a similar program for research on innovative coal-burning technologies and advanced combustion systems. I have been told that a new oxygen fuel technology shows great promise with respect to these critical research goals. This new technology, as I understand it, uses oxygen instead of air to produce combustion of coal and other fossil fuels in electric utility and industrial boilers. This prevents entry of nitrogen from the air in the normal combustion process, which provides both fuel efficiency and emission reduction benefits. The reliance on oxygen, combined with more efficient use of fossil fuels, also takes a step in the direction of renewable energy sources. I understand that the new oxygen-fuel technology has already been employed successfully in large industrial furnaces and has proved effective in small scale boiler testing conducted under a CRADA agreement with the Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory. If these results can be confirmed in boilers on a commercial production scale, the new technology offers substantial benefits for U.S. domestic and international energy and environmental policy. Regarding the research provisions of the conference legislation, these provisions are intended to fund additional research for emerging, innovative fossil fuel technologies, such as the new oxygen-fuel technology. These provisions, with respect to technologies such as the oxygen fuel technology, will fund projects involving both new and existing (retrofitted) boilers on a commercial scale, where appropriate. It is important to continue research in clean coal technologies. The continued use of coal, in an environmentally friendly way, will lead to a balanced energy policy for our Nation.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman of the committee for giving me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and that is to serve on this conference committee that is now reporting this bill. This is a bill that has been debated since I have been a Member of Congress going on my 7th year, numerous hearings, numerous markups, and now we have a chance to do what we need to do. Diversify our electric energy portfolio, making sure that nuclear power, coal power, and hydroelectric power are all part of the mix, along with renewables. We also get a chance to adjust the crisis of importation of foreign oil with a 5 billion gallon renewal requirement primarily using ethanol. Soy beans also has a big seat at the table with improvements there that will help use homegrown fuels to help decrease our reliance on foreign oil. This is a bill that I am proud to have a chance to serve on the committee and the conference report. I think it is something that I will be able to tell my kids in many years to come that I was proud to serve in the House of Representatives and be a part of this conference report that addresses the first energy bill legislation in decades on the floor of the House.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, knowing that November is native American Indian Month I rise today to recognize my constituent, Princess Frances Hopper, of Fairfield, Illinois, for her continuous work in fighting for the rights and recognition of Native American Indians. Recently, due to Ms. Hopper's advocacy, Governor Rod Blagojevich proclaimed September 26, 2003 as Indian Day in Illinois. I want to congratulate and thank Ms. Hopper for all she has done and will continue to do for the people in her community.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend an initiative recently launched by the National Association of Broadcasters and its local radio and television station members. With over 140,000 military personnel stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world, the resources to take care of our troops and their families is strained. As a former soldier, I have seen firsthand how difficult it can be for military families coping financially--and emotionally--with extended deployment. Of course, the military is dedicated to taking care of its own. But, as the war on terror continues and needs escalate, the military cannot do it alone. To respond to this growing need, the four Military Aid Societies representing the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force have joined together to create a single umbrella organization: the Armed Forces Relief Trust. In support of this new relief organization, local commercial radio and television stations are airing radio and television Public Service Announcements, asking viewers and listeners to contribute to the Trust. The over-the-air broadcast medium continues to be the most effective way to rapidly disseminate information to the public. Last year, the four military emergency assistance programs disbursed more than $109 million in interest-free loans and grants to more than 145,000 individuals and families in need. With the help of America's local radio and television stations, I am convinced that the Trust will be able to assist even more military families. Local broadcast stations have a long history of being a part of America's security. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge recently encouraged Americans to keep around battery-powered radios and televisions as preparation for a terrorist attack. Broadcasters' support of the Armed Forces Relief Trust is yet another example of local radio and television stations doing their patriotic duty. Mr. Speaker, the men and women of our Armed Forces rely upon the Armed Forces Relief Trust . . . and the A-F-R-T is relying upon local broadcasters to get the message out. I commend the local radio and television stations that have partnered on this important program and thank them for their work.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor and a privilege to be here today. I have some prepared remarks, but I think a lot of it has already been said. I have a plaque in my office that was given during my first term. It is a quote from Ronald Reagan that says: ``You can get a lot done when you don't care who gets the credit.'' I think that is part of the success of this piece of legislation. I want to also take the time to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) for her leadership and her friendship in this. A lot of times we move on legislation that we think is important. There are always people who see it early. She saw this need early. When we were talking about getting 911 to be the national number, she was already talking about, let's get location identification; let's worry about these other issues and push that. My personal thanks for shepherding this through. I was at the FCC last week with my crack staffer and our friends in the other body were there, at least one of them, and I could gloat a little bit that I had heard from leadership that this bill was going to be brought up next week. Of course, in the People's house here, we always have that battle with our friends in the other body. So I also want to thank the leadership for allowing us to bring this up expeditiously because it is a piece of legislation that was crafted in the way we wish all pieces of legislation were. We know it cannot be based upon our fights over ideology and the like, but the system does work when we can look towards common goals. Our passage through the subcommittee, led by Chairman Upton and then through the full committee led by Chairman Tauzin, and, of course, the ranking members, Markey and Dingell, made it a very easy case to say to the leadership, ``this bill should be on the floor. What does that mean? With our passage today, we now set a marker to our friends across the rotunda to say, let's move. Because this is just one part of the long dance that we have. We have to pass it here. They have to pass it. Hopefully, now we can get them to accept our language to move it more rapidly and then we can get something to the President's desk, because the sooner we get it into legislation, the sooner we get authorization language in the battle, then when the appropriations cycle begins, right now really. Even though we have not finished this year, we already should be looking at next year's appropriations cycle. We have got to get our placeholder there. We have got to get the marker in. As soon as this becomes true and just in the legislative language, we are going to have a lot of success. We have talked with all the emergency responders. Everybody wants to do the right thing. Everybody is at different levels of technology and coordination. Basically this piece of legislation brings them together. Then it provides some grants. Everybody gets keyed up about Federal funding, but this is really small potatoes as far as dollars based upon the millions of dollars that are being put in from, in essence, the coalition, the Public Service Answer Points, the PSAPs, to the cellular industry itself, to the local exchanges. There is a lot of money being put out there. I fortunately have a State that has been pretty good as far as putting their money into the programs. But that is not to say that they will always be that way. So when we also put this in the legislation saying this money has to go for that, otherwise you cannot apply for grants, we are going to address a major need that Chairman Tauzin mentioned. I have a list of 911 tragedies here. I am not going to read them, but they are from all over the country: Rochester, New York; Miami, Florida; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Littleton, Colorado; Day County, South Dakota; Atlanta, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; Lansing, Michigan; San Jose, California; Fort Wayne, Indiana; rural Michigan; and the State of New Jersey. No one is exempt from someone not being able to receive the care or the response because of not being identified. The 911 calls, 50 percent of them are cellular calls these days. We are doing good public policy. I am very proud to be a part of the coalition of legislators that have found success so far. I am going to encourage all of my colleagues to help us do that in the passage today. Then we will have to get back to work and work on our friends in the other Chamber. I think we will have receptive ears, and then, hopefully, we can go talk to the President and get this thing put into law. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me this time.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding contributions of the faculty, staff and students and alumni of Christian colleges and universities. I am fortunate to have Greenville College, a Christian college, in my district, which I would like to recognize at this time. Greenville College is a 4-year, coeducational Christian liberal arts college located in Greenville, Illinois, founded in 1892 and affiliated with the Free Methodist Church. Its mission is to transform students for lives of character and service through a Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences. The school currently has record high enrollment. It has partnered with community colleges in my district to provide quality degrees to students around the State. In particular, this public-private partnership has given adult students the opportunity to obtain degrees in underserved careers such as teaching. The school has a national reputation for its Christian music degrees and has a very vibrant and exciting campus with motivated staff, faculty, and students. I am a staunch supporter of the religious freedoms we have in this country. One of those freedoms is the ability of our young adults to freely practice their religious beliefs at a Christian college. I am pleased that more than 1.5 million students attend religious-affiliated colleges around the country. They provide a rich diversity to our local towns and communities, and exemplify the set of values that I and many of my colleagues hold so deeply.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I was unable to speak when my colleague from Washington State asked a question about how we pay. Even I will follow up with this question. How did we pay for the Marshall Plan after World War II when we obviously were in debt in paying for the world effort? How did we come up with the dollars to enact the Marshall Plan? Well, we borrowed against future resources. And that is exactly what we will do today. And we will do that in the passage of this legislation. The gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) spoke earlier on this debate and he mentioned Santayana, those who failed to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. He recited World War I and the reparations moving us into World War II, and I think it is very credible debate. And a part of the discussion to say if we continue to load down Iraq with massive foreign debts and debts to us, it is a credible debating position to say we may be doing World War I provisions in reconstruction this war, and not the successful application of the history defined by World War II. And I would like to be on the side of doing the job right and bringing the needed money, not holding additional debt over the Iraqi people, and allowing them transition to a vibrant, democratic institution and economy. I wish every Member of the floor of the House had a chance to go to Iraq before this debate. I was one of the fortunate folks that was available to visit. And I do think a lot of the opinions would be changed. I think you do see the applications of some success. I had questions like everybody else, and I wanted to talk to my colleagues and friends. I have classmates over there. I wanted to talk to the Iraqi people. I wanted to see the economy. I wanted to see if there was a vibrant middle class trying to emerge, if there was entrepreneurial spirit starting to develop, and you can see that on the sides of the street. You can see individual vendors selling gasoline. You can see small shops developing. They have traffic jams. One of the biggest problems in Baghdad now is traffic, and a traffic problem says things are moving in the right direction. But there are great challenges. I am not going to be a person that says the media is doing wrong by highlighting the sacrifices that our men and women are making every day. Because as a veteran, as someone who has, again, classmates serving over there, the world needs to know and our citizens need to know when our friends and our neighbors and our constituents are paying the ultimate price for freedom; and they are doing it every day, and we need to continue to tell that story. But there is more to the story. Let us tell that story, but let us also tell the additional aspects of the story and what is occurring in there and in the great opportunities we have. The field commanders who briefed us, the major military aspects of the campaign are over. Battalions are not maneuvering, divisions are not maneuvering. We do not have tanks rolling. What we do have are security breaches and terrorist attacks. So how do you win against that? How do you affect the change? How do you continue to win the hearts and the minds of the Iraqi people? The Iraqi people are asking for a minimum standard of living and basic security issues addressed. And when you are comparing what we have in the United States versus what the Iraqi people have, you are comparing apples to oranges. And that is why I would encourage all of my colleagues to make a trip, visit our troops, check with the Iraqi people and talk to them personally because I think a lot of opinions would be changed. The field commanders want to continue to move forward on the minimum standard of living issues and the basic infrastructure needs to continue to show the good faith that the United States is there, committed to help transform over 30 years of a totalitarian regime to a thriving democratic institution with free market principles which has the opportunity of changing the whole face of the Middle East. And they are asking for it. Our field commanders say this is the best way that they can finish and win this war and is the quickest way we can get our troops home. And I think this debate is about delivering to the folks that are asking for that need. Let me finish by relaying my discussions with four soldiers from Illinois who serve in the 101th Air Assault Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. This is at a dinner in Mosul. I asked each one of them, I am going to be asked what to relate back to the floor of the House and what to relate back to citizens back in Illinois. If I am going to take back one thing from each one of you, what do you want me to tell? One sergeant, E-5, Hispanic American from Chicago, said, the Iraqi people are not getting the same care as us. I have made a friend who is an Iraqi driver. He has been injured. The care he is receiving does not equate to what an injured soldier would receive. That spoke volumes to me. What that spoke to me was that this sergeant E-5 had made a friend and was concerned about the health and welfare of an Iraqi citizen. The second, a female, African American, E-5, said, the family is important for us to maintain our strength in serving here in Iraq. So tell the families out there to stay supportive of the troops. So this is my ability to do that to the families and I think the larger family, and the larger family is here. And I think we need to do that here on the floor. The third one who is a Reservist lieutenant colonel from southern Illinois said, America must be patient. We are a very impatient country. We want things done now. And he says, this is going to take time. The last one, another lieutenant colonel, active duty, said, tell the people in America that we are willing to pay the price. We are willing to pay the price for freedom in Iraq. So I will just end, those four comments spoke volumes to me. So as I close, Mr. Chairman, I think that sounds like good advice. I think we need to continue to care for the Iraqis. And I think we need to stress the importance of staying united especially on the issues that when we cross the ocean boundaries and we have soldiers deployed in harm's way, we have to stay united. I think we need to be patient, but everybody wants to push this rapidly. We all want to go rapidly, but you do not want to go so rapidly that things fall down like a house of cards. We have the best military in the world, and they are doing incredible work under tough conditions. And they are willing to pay the price for freedom in Iraq and for freedom in the United States of America. Let us support them. We can really do no less.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize Brookport Library located in Brookport, Illinois. I recently visited the Library and wanted to share their story with you. The Brookport Library was established in 1991 by the Brookport Betterment Committee (BBC) Inc. The Library was housed in an area of the old Brookport Grade School, which was leased by the school district for $1 per year. With no water or heat, except for a kerosene heater located close to the librarian, the Library remained at this location until 1997. At this time, the old school building was demolished, and the books, along with everything else, went into storage. In March of 1998, papers were signed and once more the Library had a home, 103 East Third Street. The old house had charm but it wasn't long before it began bulging at the seams. In the meantime, some very generous donations were made which were earmarked for a building, and in April 2002, the BBC purchased the building known as the Hohman Building located at the corner of U.S. 45 and Seventh Street. Following some major remodeling, the Library opened for business on November 4, 2002. The Library relies solely on donations and volunteers, so if anyone is interested in helping the Brookport Library, please contact the Library or any board member. I want to especially thank Judy Askew, the chairman; Ann Douglas, secretary/head librarian; Leah Slayden, treasurer; and Rosemary Hohman and Barbara Call for the work they continue to do to make this library such a special place.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation that seeks to create a privately-funded museum to help promote a better understanding of the origins and growth of the railroad industry in America. I would like to thank my friend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for introducing this legislation. The resolution highlights the efforts of men and women whose hard work and resourcefulness helped build one of the Nation's best modes of transportation. Nowhere can this be seen better than in my home State of Illinois. Illinois has had a pioneering role in the Nation's railroad industry since 1837 with the creation of the Northern Cross Railroad, linking the Illinois and the Mississippi Rivers together for commerce and transportation. Railroads are just one of the reasons why Illinois is considered the transportation hub of the country. The National Railroad Museum would be located in Galesburg, Illinois. Galesburg has a rich history of railroads, being first connected to Chicago by rail in 1854 and being home of the Carl Sandburg College, one of the first colleges to establish an educational curriculum in railroading. Mr. Speaker, we all rely on staff. Many times their work goes unrecognized. I also wanted to take this time to thank Ken Johnson of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and a native of Galesburg, Illinois, for his work on this issue. I know his folks, family and friends from Galesburg are very proud of his efforts. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to get involved in this debate, although I have great respect for my colleague from California, and I understand and appreciate her position. But I would also hope that people would understand those of us who are involved in using natural gas products. Especially those States who use natural gas, you would think would not be adverse to locating it, identifying it, and exploiting it. I was placed on the Speaker's Natural Gas Task Force in which we had numerous hearings across the country over the summer. Natural gas is an integral part of our manufacturing. In rural Illinois, natural gas plays a critical role in fertilizers, and we see a doubling of the cost of natural gas. That will be a trickle down effect on doubling the cost of everything. We just had reports out 2 days ago that the home heating costs will probably double across the country because of the doubling of the cost of natural gas. Being from southern Illinois, we are the 11th leading oil producing State. I think people find that hard to believe, but we are. And we have been developing and producing oil in the State of Illinois for many, many years. And you know what? We use oil in Illinois. We use gasoline. We use natural gas. So we are not adverse to looking for, exploring and developing resources. We have a gusher that was drilled in southern Illinois last year. Most Illinois oil wells are marginal oil wells, only producing about a barrel or a handful of barrels a day. This one has produced over 1,000 barrels with new technology. It drills horizontally, and it drills underneath a wildlife refuge, and it has brought $1 million in additional revenue to the State of Illinois, at a time when revenues to States are sorely needed. We know in Illinois that you can identify our natural resources. We know that you can identify them, you can catalogue them, you can research them, and you can drill for them and you can exploit them, and you can do it in environmentally sound ways. I think the problem that many of us have in this energy debate is that we have folks in our country that want to be consumers of energy; they want to consume natural gas, they want to consume oil, they want to consume gasoline, they just do not want to produce it. They do not want to find the natural resources, they do not want to harvest them and put them in the mainstream. They want to be takers and not be givers. That is really a problem, and that is why we have the crisis we have in natural gas. Natural gas is a critical element in our society. It is actually making great strides in electricity generation. It is clean. Our peak power plants are running more than we ever thought they would. But to continue to say that we are going to put our areas off-limits, and we are not going to even identify where our reserves are of natural gas, is foolhardy. It is crazy. The average American citizen just will not understand when we are doubling the price of natural gas in this country, that we are not willing to even catalogue where our reserves are. This should not be a difficult issue. This motion to instruct is definitely not needed, and I ask my colleagues to vote against it.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for hospitals, both in my district and throughout the country. Rural hospitals have been especially hard hit, and without the support of two important provisions in the Medicare bill, their livelihood will be threatened. I support keeping a full market basket for hospitals in HR 1. Without this annual reimbursement adjustment to keep up with inflation, hospitals could stand to lose 12 billion in inpatient payments. For my home state of Illinois, this could mean a loss of $92 million over three years. Providers, especially those in rural areas like my district, depend on this money to stay open in traditionally underserved communities. Restoring the Indirect Medical Education payments is another one of my priorities for the Medicare bill. IME payments go to teaching hospitals, whose role is crucial to the survival of our health care system. These payments acknowledge teaching hospitals' higher costs due to the specialized treatment provided to sicker patients. Not only do they provide unique care, teaching hospitals are also producing our next generation of caregivers. Unfortunately, these hospitals will lose more than 4 billion dollars over the next four years because of a cut last year. The reinstatement of the IME to 6.5% would enable these hospitals to continue their mission. These important provisions will enhance the quality of care and will make a major difference for Medicare beneficiaries all over the country. I applaud my colleagues on the Conference Committee for the hard work they have done and continue to do to reach agreements for the good of our constituents.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Central Christian Church in Mount Vernon, Illinois as the members celebrate the sesquicentennial of the church on October 4-5, 2003. Central Christian Church became a part of the Mount Vernon and Jefferson County communities on October 3, 1853 with 21 members. The church came into existence due to the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey T. Pace, who organized the local church according to New Testament traditions. Today, the church boasts of a membership of over 1,200, with seven members on the pastoral staff. In January 2004, it will open a new 1,000 seat worship center. Central Christian Church is a shining beacon for the community which it serves. I am proud to represent Central Christian Church as part of the 19th District of Illinois. My prayer is that God will continue to bless the church and the members that worship there. May Central Christian Church continue to be prosperous in their service to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate WSIU/WUSI-TV, the public television stations serving southern and southeastern Illinois on their switch to digital technology. I have seen first hand the enormous challenge it is to not only commercial television stations but to public broadcasters to convert to digital programming. However, public stations are taking the lead and using digital technology for education. Such is the case with WSIU/WUSI by sponsoring and developing these worthwhile programs: PBS Kids will offer Ready to Learn programming and afterschool specials. Chalkwaves will offer K-12 classroom instruction. Adult education will be improved. The Illinois Channel, a CSPAN-style broadcast bringing Illinois state government to the people, will become available. I want to wish WSIU my sincere congratulations on the switch to digital this Sunday. I am sorry that I cannot join them in person but want to acknowledge their service to the people of Illinois. Congratulations from us all to WSIU/WUSI Channels 8 and 16!