John Shimkus

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) for taking the time out late to honor our friend and colleague. General Leave

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on the subject of my special order tonight.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution which draws attention to the chronic and often crippling disease of multiple sclerosis. This issue is very personal to me, as I have known two people who suffered from this illness. The sister of one of my staffers, Mary Uram, ailed with MS for over a decade before she passed away. Another friend of mine died at an early age due to this debilitating disease. Generally, people are diagnosed with MS between the ages of 20 and 40, but the physical and emotional effects can be lifelong. MS is devastating--not only to their medical well-being but also to the personal and financial stability of the individual and those caring for them. Often, this ailment can result in loss of employment and isolation from a community. It is fortunate that advances in research and treatment are giving hope to those affected by the disease. This resolution will help to increase awareness and demonstrate Congressional support for research into the causes and possible treatments for MS. It will also recognize the significant contributions of national and community organizations in this effort. I would like to end by commending Representative Bob Weygand and his staffer, Karl, on their hard work in brining this bipartisan bill to the floor.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I am going to be brief because I know there is a lot of activity going on. Some of the great exchanges of our Nation are in Chicago, Illinois. We have been fighting to preserve and protect those. As many of my colleagues know, this bill modernizes the regulation of the exchange trade and futures. It establishes legal certainly for over-the-counter derivative products, and it reforms Shad-Johnson. To the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Ewing), who is my friend, my counselor, and part author of this legislation, I just want to say, job well done. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4541, the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000. Being from Illinois, with all the Chicago interests involved, you should know that it has been my intent to develop a level and fair playing field for all involved. When this bill was in the Commerce Committee, I offered an amendment in the nature of a substitute that eventually resulted in the version the Commerce Committee reported. We knew when we reported the bill that there was still a lot of work to be done. For that reason, I am pleased to see a final product on the House floor today. I want to thank my good friend from Illinois, Mr. Ewing, for the leadership he and his staff have taken on this issue. In your retirement, you will be missed by the Illinois delegation, as well as this entire body. I also want to thank Chairman Bliley, Subcommittee Chairman Oxley, the ranking Members, Mr. Rush of Illinois, and their staffs; as well as the Members and staff of the Banking Committee. They need to be recognized for their tireless efforts, persistence and cooperation to bring this compromise to the House floor. Finally, I want to thank the Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and the Chicago Board of Trade for their efforts to compromise and for their patience with us as we worked through the legislative process. As you know, this legislation will do three things: It modernizes the regulation of exchange-traded futures; establishes legal certainty for over-the-counter derivatives products; and reforms the Shad-Johnson Accord. The Shad-Johnson portion of this legislation has been the most controversial, but yet the most exciting section of this bill. If this bill becomes law, we will lift an 18-year ``temporary'' ban on single stock futures and allow U.S. investors access to these products. In our global economy, we need to stay competitive, and I believe that lifting this ban will help us achieve that goal. This is historic legislation and a vote for U.S. investors and markets. Please join me in voting in favor of H.R. 4541.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for arranging this special order. I wish we did not have to have our next one next week. I wish we were finished with our business. But I look forward to taking up that cause next week. Of course we are here to pay tribute to who has become a good friend of mine, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter), who is retiring. It has really been an honor and a privilege to serve with him in the House of Representatives. I have always been impressed by his commitment to his ideas and his beliefs. He has always been a gentleman and treated even newbies like myself as a colleague and as an equal. I have learned much about the process in this House of Representatives by observing how John Porter has gone about doing his business, and I appreciated his tutelage and his friendship. Most important, however, is that I have a newfound respect for our Nation's efforts and ongoing need for medical research. As we all know here, and it is nice to be able to publicly acclaim the ongoing efforts of the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter) to increase Federal funding for medical research as our colleague and friend, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. LaHood), just mentioned. Prior to coming to Congress, I had little knowledge of how much our Government played in the fight against diseases and how much it emphasized medical research. Thanks to John, I now not only understand that role, but I am now an advocate for expanding it. Far too many of us do not think of sickness or diseases until we have a loved one who is faced with it. We are lucky and the Nation is lucky to have a person like John Porter who has worked hard to ensure that quality health care will be available when we need it. There are many people involved in providing health care, whether it is the hospitals, big inner-city hospitals or rural hospitals, community health centers, home health, visiting nurses, you name it, there are many people working diligently in the fields. Most of them are working long hours for little to no pay. They have an advocate here in Washington, D.C., who has also worked numerous long hours, sometimes without recognition, a champion in health care and health care delivery and medical research. And that is Mr. John Porter. We have benefited from his time here in this body. We have benefited as a people. We have benefited as colleagues. We have benefited as a Nation. I have benefited personally from observing his leadership and his thoughtful, deliberate process to help in the benefit of all. I would really like to thank the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for arranging this special order and paying tribute to our colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Porter). It is an important thing to do before we adjourn in this Congress, and her thoughtfulness in remembering him goes a long way and adds to her credentials as being a great new Member who we are glad to have here.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5164, the TREAD Act, and I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Bliley), the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) for his help and, of course, the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) for their support in this legislation. We worked hard in the Committee on Commerce to find out why our safety organization cannot connect the dots, identify the problem and warn consumers about the Ford Firestone accidents. The TREAD Act is our response. I also want to thank the chairman for including provisions in my bill, the Child Passenger Safety Act of 2000. Each year more than 1,500 children below the age of 9 are killed and another 20,000 suffer incapacitating injuries in motor vehicle crashes. Parents put their trust in the government standards to assure them that they are purchasing a safe child restraint seat. Unfortunately, like current tire standards, Federal car seat standards are woefully outdated. Testing and manufacturing standards are based on tests performed on a sled not in a real car, and only measure frontal impacts. Car seats are not subject to dynamic testing in various crash modes such as side, rear and rollover impacts. These would measure the durability of each seat when subject to real crash scenarios. In addition, Federal standards and regulations do not address the safety needs of children over the age of 4 who weigh more than 50 pounds. It is not well-known that over-the-shoulder seat belts are not always safe for children. Booster seats should be used as a transition safety device for toddlers and small children. However, Federal standards have not been developed for manufacturers of boosters. As a parent of three young boys, I know firsthand that there is a lack of useful consumer information regarding child restraints to assist parents in making the best safety seat selections for their children. That is why I introduced the Child Passenger Safety Act. This legislation included in the TREAD Act will enhance the safety of children in motor vehicles by requiring the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to improve child restraint safety performance testing and standards and provide parents with better consumer information and labeling for child restraints. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration should be about the job of highway traffic safety. In passing the TREAD Act with the inclusion of the Child Passenger Safety Act and signing it into law, they can be about their business.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I honor Ms. Lena Hoffman of my hometown of Collinsville, Illinois. Ms. Hoffman passed away on October 1, 2000, three days before her 104th birthday. Several weeks before her passing, her family asked me to share my thoughts and congratulations with Lena for her birthday milestone. I was excited to be a part of the celebration of one of the town's oldest citizens. Everyone was looking forward to the big day. As her family was coming together to celebrate her birthday, they found out that they would be gathering to mourn her death and celebrate her rich life. Lena was not rich in material wealth, but rather, rich in spirit. That rich spirit lived in the beautiful garden she cultivated, in the quilting society she belonged to, and in the molasses cookies and breads she bake. Her rich spirit lives in her four daughters, her 31 grandchildren, in 50 great-grandchildren, in 38 great-great grandchildren and 10 great-great-great grandchildren. Many people in Washington speak of legacies, I am not sure of too many people who can hold a candle to Lena Hoffman's legacy--a close, loving family--five generations strong. We should all be so lucky to have such a rich and full life. Hermann Broch once wrote that, ``No one's death comes to pass without making some impression, and those close to the deceased inherit part of the liberated soul and become richer in their humanness.'' In her 103 years, Lena touched many lives. She will be truly missed, but her legacy will live on.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I want to personally thank the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Hansen) and the ranking member for moving this expeditiously, and I want to join my colleagues in urging the passage of H.R. 5331, which establishes the Frederick Douglass National Memorial Gardens within the District of Columbia. For years now, many people have asked about the legacy of Frederick Douglass. Certainly it lives on through his family, especially his great great grandson, Frederick Douglass, IV, who I had the pleasure of meeting last week, and it also lives on within each of us because Frederick Douglass bestowed upon us an awesome responsibility to choose the harder right over the easier wrong. He freed himself from slavery and went on to advise President Lincoln, and served as an inspiration to those who yearned to breathe free. Earlier today, the House passed legislation to appropriate funds for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library to be built in Springfield, Illinois. I think that President Lincoln would be pleased that we would honor another hero of the common man by passing this bill to establish the Frederick Douglass National Memorial and Gardens. Like President Lincoln, Frederick Douglass stands as a reminder of a time when our Nation faced its greatest peril. Through the strength of their resolve and the millions of others who had tasted freedom, our Nation survived and flourished. There are still many issues and problems facing us today, but the foundation they built for us stands strong and allows us the opportunity to meet our challenges together. Frederick Douglass paved the way for us to better understand the true meaning of the statement that all men are created equal. His legacy lives in each of us, and with the memorial gardens we will ensure that his legacy lives among us as well. Mr. Speaker, I applaud my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), for his forethought in bringing this legislation to the floor, and I want to thank him for bringing me into the fold and allowing me to help him cosponsor this legislation. I also want to thank him for his leadership.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, my citizens and colleagues and friends in Quincy, Illinois, will not believe this debate, because I want to share with you the story that they have been through. Nearly 8 years after the landfill closed, the city landfill in Quincy, Illinois, the site was placed on the Superfund National Priorities list and the EPA began working with the city and several large waste contributors to clean up the site. This is where the proposed order comes into play. Superfund allows EPA and other potential responsible parties to seek contributions from innocent small businesses to pay for the cleanup. In Quincy that equals $3 million from 159 small businesses averaging $160,000 per business. The EPA asked Quincy bowling alleys, dairy farms and family-owned restaurants to pay as much as $160,000 per business, despite the fact that these businesses did nothing wrong. For some small businesses, the amounts they are being asked to pay will mean the difference between breaking even or losing money. Simply put, the current law is costing hard-working American citizens their jobs and their livelihood. Quincy, Illinois and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, have been two Superfund sites that we find in the media. However, those two litigation nightmares could happen in any of these Superfund landfills across the United States: Boaz, Alabama; Alviso, California; Bridgeton, Missouri; Ackerman, Mississippi; Texas City, Texas; Jacksonville, Florida; Wheatcroft, Kentucky; Charleston, West Virginia; Hominy, Oklahoma; Browning, Montana. Mr. Speaker, I say to my colleagues that their time will come. Their small businesses will be hit by this litigation nightmare and they will close their doors to pay their fees. For this reason I ask this House to support H.R. 5175 and provide relief for the ``Mom and Pop'' businesses across this Nation.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I would also like to highlight another issue that was raised, which was the intergovernmental transfer issue, which HCFA is going to oppose on States. HCFA has approved the Illinois program 22 times over the years without any indication there was a problem. Now they are going to promulgate a rule, and it is going to take an additional, and this is an additional more than what has been affected in the Balanced Budget Act, $500 million from the health care delivery system in the State of Illinois. Ann Patla, who testified before our hearing, said this would be catastrophic and it is a critical issue we need to be concerned of. I would like to thank my colleague for coming down to the floor. Time is running shy. But we will be back to talk about real health care problems in America, and that is the Balanced Budget Act's impact on health care and also the intergovernmental transfer issue. The Balanced Budget Act was passed in order to reduce the deficit and balance our nation's budget. I am proud to say that our goal was accomplished and we are now working with a budget surplus. However, the BBA resulted in unintended consequences, cutting much more funding out of the Medicare system than was originally intended. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the actual reductions brought about by the BBA--including the adjustment in the BBRA of 1999--are $124 billion more than Congress voted for when passing the 1997 BBA. Dean Harrison from the Northwestern Memorial Hospital: Approximately 30 percent of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital's patient volume are Medicare beneficiaries, and they account for 37 percent of its patient days due to their longer length of stay. As a result, the BBA cuts in Medicare reimbursement will mean a total loss to NMH of an estimated $65 million over the course of the five-year schedule of reductions. . . . The total negative Medicare margin will double from 1999 to negative 11.6 percent for the year 2000.'' John Buckley, Jr. from Southern Illinois Healthcare: [The] outpatient reimbursement situation isn't much brighter. Since the BBA was implemented three years ago, the reimbursement has fallen steadily, from 97% of costs in FY 1997 to 89% of costs in FY 2000. . . Without additional BBA relief, out outpatient losses will exceed $1 million. BBA spending reductions are forcing hospitals to lay off staff, cancel much-needed upgrades of facilities and equipment, and shut down critical services like home health care and other needed programs that cannot be maintained without compromising quality. Allan Gaffner of Edward Utlaut Memorial Hospital testified: As a result of the Balanced Budget Act cuts, the Utlaut Rehabilitation Department, which provides therapy services to the Extended Care Unit patients, was reduced to 54 percent. The Utlaut Rehabilitation Department, which previously consisted of 13 staff members, now has only six staff members. The limit on therapy services as covered by the Medicare Skilled Nursing Facility rules is delaying a return to health and greater independence. Rather than receiving as many as two hours of physical occupational and speech therapy services per day, Medicare patients are limited to a maximum of 75 minutes a day. John Buckley, Jr. from Southern Illinois Health Care: Access to home health care is suffering in the communities Southern Illinois Healthcare serves. Because of the BBA spending cuts, we are serving 1,000 fewer patients and providing 86,000 fewer home health visits than we did three years ago. On top of that, we've had to lay off 150 staff members. Even with those dramatic cutbacks, we still lost nearly $1.2 million on home health services in FY 2000. Dean Harrison from the Northwestern Memorial Hospital: Continuation and expansion of cost control efforts and the elimination of some services have allowed NMH to endure the cutbacks in Medicare thus far. In recognition of the effect the BBA would have on NMH, the hospital's skilled nursing facility was closed in early 1998 due to losses the unit was already incurring and a negative prognosis for its survival under the BBA. According to HCFA: 933,687 Medicare beneficiaries will lose health maintenance organization coverage in January. Many of these people are left with no other Medicare options. intergovernmental transfers (igts) Illinois hospitals are also very concerned about a rule HCFA is threatening to issue that would restrict intergovernmental transfers by limiting the amount that can be paid to county hospitals and nursing homes under the Medicaid ``upper limit'' rule. HCFA has approved the Illinois program 22 times over the years without any indication that there was a problem. The first time state officials were notified that HCFA had concerns was when the agency indicated they were issuing a rule against IGTs. If the rule is enacted as proposed it would slash up to $500 million in health care funding for low income residents of Illinois. This makes no sense, especially as the number of uninsured Americans continues to skyrocket. After talking to hospital leaders back home, I am convinced that the Administration should not proceed with a rule that threatens the already fragile health care safety net across the country. Ann Patla, Director of the Illinois Department of Public Aid: If this federal regulation is adopted, the loss of funding will devastate the largest health care system in Illinois, operated by Cook County, and will severely impair the State's ability to serve Medicaid participants in all other counties. The State may be forced to: (1) seek repeal of recent health care expansions for the elderly and disabled; (2) retreat from rate reforms that encourage access to preventive and lower cost health care; (3) reduce outreach programs to encourage the use of Medicaid and SCHIP; and (4) substantially cut rates to FQHCs, hospitals, physicians, and other providers who serve Medicaid and SCHIP participants, as well as almost two million uninsured Illinoisans. If some states are abusing IGTs--by using them to pay for highway repairs or tax cuts, for example--then regulatory changes should be targeted at curbing those abuses. HCFA's current proposal, however, penalizes states like Illinois which use IGTs to maintain a health care safety net for low income residents. A rule change, if one is needed, should preserve the legitimate and appropriate use of IGTs to provide health care for low-income persons. inpatient service reimbursements (h.r. 3580) BBA reduces Medicare payments for hospital services. Medicare provides payment updates below the marketbasket index. Over 1998, 1999, and 2000 hospital inflation rates rose 8.2 percent, while the payment updates totaled 1.6 percent. Below inflation updates coupled with rising costs associated with wage increases, prices per prescription for new drugs, new blood screening techniques, and mandated changes for compliance with administrative simplification and privacy are additional costs for hospitals. How do we expect hospitals to maintain quality services when their reimbursement rates are so low? We should pass a reform package that includes legislation to repeal Medicare inpatient update reductions of 1.1 percent scheduled for FY 2001 and FY 2002. To this end, I have cosponsored H.R. 3580, the ``Hospital Preservation and Equity Act.'' Northwestern Memorial Hospital testified: [H.R. 3580] recognizes that Medicare reimbursement to hospitals does not keep pace with the costs of caring for patients and would repeal the BBA's payment to hospitals for Medicare inpatient services for FYs 2001 and 2002. Illinois Hospital and HealthSystems Association testified: Recently the Medicare Payment Assessment recommended that Congress address the inpatient PPS update. MedPAC is the independent body that advises Congress on Medicare payment rates. It's data analysis show that nearly 35% of the nation's hospitals are operating in the red.

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like for my 5 minutes to be joined by my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), to talk about one of the real health care crises that we have. We are going to hear a lot about health care in the next 8 weeks, issues that we hope to address, the Patients' Bill of Rights, prescription drug coverage. But there is really a more pressing issue out there, and that is the effect of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 on health care providers. My colleague, the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Davis), and I had a hearing in Chicago on August 28 in which we had providers come testify about the impact of the Balanced Budget Act. And they are serious and they are important. They are so important that we have come down to the floor to just start the drumbeat of noise so that before we end this legislative session we have some assistance and aid to our health care providers who are really working in the field to address some of the funding shortfalls. The Balanced Budget Act was passed in order to reduce the deficit and balance our Nation's budget and control health care entitlement spending. I am proud to say that that goal was accomplished but with some unintended consequences, as so happens in legislation. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the actual reductions brought about by the Balanced Budget Act, including the adjustment in the Balanced Budget Reconciliation Act that we passed last year, 1999, are $124 billion, that is ``billion'' with a ``b,'' more than Congress voted for when we passed the Balanced Budget Act. We heard a lot of testimony. I would like to quote Allan Gaffner of Utlaut Memorial Hospital in my Congressional district: ``The Balanced Budget Act will cause Utlaut Extended Care Unit to lose revenue totaling $185,000 in 2000. Last year the unit lost an average of $190,000. From 1999 through 2003, the Extended Care Unit is projected to operate with $1 million less revenue than before the Balanced Budget Act was instituted. The total Medicare operating margin of Utlaut last year was a negative 10.8 percent.'' Let me rephrase that. The total Medicare operating margin, that is our promise to our seniors, we paid our providers 10.8 percent below the cost of providing that service. I do not see how they survive. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentleman from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the schedule for the week of September 18 be inserted in the Record immediately after the end of legislative business.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to emphasize the importance of research and outreach in our nation's fight against childhood cancer. Childhood cancer is the No. 1 cause of death by disease among children and adolescents; striking more children than asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and AIDS combined. Each year more than 12,000 children and teens are diagnosed with cancer and 3,000 die from the disease. These statistics are disheartening. What is even more frightening though, is how high these statistics would be without the medical advances made in the last few years. Research plays a vital role in the fight against cancer; without it, childhood cancer would be a virtual death sentence. We can proudly say that because of medical breakthroughs, 70 percent or more of the children diagnosed today will be alive and well 5 years later. I believe we need to continue to support cancer research so children will no longer suffer needlessly.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Art Furuya, formerly of Nashville, Illinois. While he may no longer reside in my district, there is a valuable lesson we can learn from his story. When most 17 year olds think of cars, proms and graduation, Art's thoughts turned to defending his country. You see, December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, was Art's birthday. The following Monday, Art, who is of Japanese descent, went to enlist in the war effort. He tried to enlist in the Army, Navy and Marines, but none would take him because of his Japanese heritage. He and his family were separated and were victims of the internment camps. Surprisingly, after suffering that great injustice, the one thing that never left his heart was his love of America. After leaving the camp, he was finally allowed to enter the Army in 1943 as part of the heavy weapons battalion of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team along with many Japanese Americans. The fact that he had little training and did not know how to put up a tent made little difference to Art. He was eager to serve and fight for the land he loved. The 442nd may be best known for their ``Go For Broke'' mantra when they were rescuing about 200 fellow soldiers of the 141st Regiment of the 36th Division. Eight hundred men died in that rescue effort. His company started with 150 men and ended up with 16 after that fateful battle. Art won 2 Purple Hearts for his service. The 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Combat team, in which Art served, gained a total of 18,143 individual decorations, 9,486 Purple Hearts, and 560 Silver Stars and 7 Presidential Unit Citations. Not a bad record for a group of men that were originally unwanted and deemed suspicious by others. There has been much written about the ``Greatest Generation''--those World War II vets who set forth and saved the world. I don't know if we as a nation can adequately give thanks for their blood, sweat and sacrifice. In many respects, Art and his comrades symbolize the unyielding human spirit--overcoming any obstacle, no matter how difficult, without the expressed purpose of gaining fame or glory. They were just doing their duty. No more. No less. To Art Furuya, his comrades in his battalion and to those that never made it home from this great war, you have earned this soldier's respect. Thank you for all your service.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a local author, Shirley Motley Portwood, from Godfrey, Illinois. Ms. Portwood is a history professor at Southern Illinois University and recently penned her first book, ``Tell us a Story: An African- American Family in the Heartland.'' What started as a personal project of collecting stories for her grandchildren soon snowballed into a collage of stories about her family growing up in southern Illinois. I am thankful to Shirley for reinforcing the value of sharing one's family heritage with the younger generation. For it is our history that teaches us the greatest lessons in life.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, I also want to congratulate the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my colleague, he is from the Chicago area, I am a downstater, for helping bring this important resolution to the floor. Community migrant and homeless health care centers provide cost effective quality care to our country's poor and medically underserved. They act as a vital safety net for our health delivery systems, reduce health disparities that large portions of our population experience. These centers are nonprofit, community-owned and operated and serve all 50 States. They provide health care to those who otherwise would not have access to health care, serving 1 in 12 rural citizens, 1 in 8 low-income Americans and 1 in 10 uninsured Americans. I represent a rural area and much of my district has limited access to health care. The center operating in Springfield, Illinois has made vital health services available to the community. By serving a specific area, the centers can tailor their services to specific needs of the community and work together with schools, businesses, churches, and community organizations to provide the best care possible. The establishment of a national community health center week will help raise awareness of the wonderful services that these centers provide our Nation. And I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation. Again, I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis), my colleague and friend. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 319, congratulating the Republic of Latvia on the 10th anniversary of the reestablishment, and I underscore reestablishment, of its independence from Russia. I want to take this opportunity also to thank my colleagues, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bereuter), but especially the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), who is the conscience of the House and who has been a good friend as we negotiated these new areas, which are unchartered waters for me. And I would be remiss if I did not mention the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), who is the co-chair of the Baltic Caucus. I appreciate his friendship and support, as well as all of the original cosponsors of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, Latvia lost its freedom on August 23, 1939, when Nazi Germany and the U.S.S.R. signed a nonaggression pact and the Baltic states were placed in the Soviet sphere of influence. By August 1940, the nation had been placed under Soviet military occupation and was incorporated as a republic of the U.S.S.R. The United States never recognized the incorporation of these independent countries into the Soviet Union, and the Russian Federation currently has no claims on these independent countries today. For the subsequent 50 years, the brave people of Latvia endured the slaughter of innocent citizens, deportations to Siberia, and heavy political oppression. Despite these hardships, the Latvian people kept independence alive in their minds and spirits, resisting occupation in silent and public ways, serving as a secret weapon against the tyranny of the Soviet Union. On May 4, 1990, the people of Latvia solidified their full sovereignty, which served to further the disintegration of the Soviet Union. In just one decade, Latvia has successfully pursued policies to build a strong democracy, protect human rights, expand the rule of law, develop a free market system, and pursue a course of integration into the community of free and democratic nations, including the seeking of membership in the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Latvia, together with the Republics of Estonia and Lithuania, continues to make a significant contribution toward maintaining peace and stability in the surrounding region, notably in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. I applaud their participation and signature on the Vilnius statement signed on May 19 of this year, especially their commitment to individual liberty, the free market, and the rule of law. Latvia is a nation that has made tremendous progress since its independence and has unlimited potential and optimism for the future. The story of Latvian independence deserves to be widely acknowledged and remembered as a successful nonviolent model for social and political change. In the United States, we have imperfect individuals attempting to form a more perfect union. In Latvia, the attempt by imperfect individuals to form a more perfect democracy should be commended. That is why I urge my colleagues to join with me in passing House Concurrent Resolution 319 and remembering the good people of Latvia for all their perseverance and triumph over the monstrosity of communism.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Ms. Marion Shroyer of Vandalia, Illinois for all her outstanding contributions towards her community. Marion has received several awards for her outstanding public service. She has received the ``Abe Award,'' which is presented to a person for their outstanding contributions to their community. A tree was planted, in her honor, on the lawn of the Old State Capitol of Illinois for her outstanding citizenship. She is an active leader in her church and dedicates much of her time to helping the elderly by taking them to the hospital and visiting with them in the nursing homes. Marion is an active leader in the Schoroptomist Club and has been a Real Estate Broker for over 20 years. She is a mother of two, a grandmother of six, a great grandmother of three and a role model for us all. I want to applaud Marion for all her years of service to the great townspeople of Vandalia. For all you have done and continue to do, I thank you.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I commend Dr. Antanas Razma, this year's recipient of the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture Man of the Year Award. This award is given to outstanding individuals who have contributed so much towards the advancement of their fellow man. Dr. Razma is being honored for his dedication to Lithuania and for establishing the Lithuanian Foundation. As co-chairman of the House of Representatives Baltic Caucus, I want to congratulate and thank him for all that he has done and will continue to do for the people of Lithuania.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mr. SHIMKUS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Chairman, with reluctance I come to the floor also making an appeal to the gentleman from California (Chairman Packard) to be supportive of this amendment, I do that with great respect to my friend, the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Hulshof), myself, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind) who just spoke earlier. In our short 4 years of being Members of Congress, we have tried to marry the interests of a great diverse group of people who want to preserve this great national asset that we have, which is the Mississippi River, and preserve it for a lot of activities, a lot of things, from the transportation needs of our agricultural sector to get our goods south to take advantage of the world markets, to environmental stewardship of some of the greatest hunting and fishing locations in the country. In fact, in my district, Pike County, Illinois has the largest white tail deer population; and hunters come from all over which helps the farmers meet their ends in low commodity prices. We know of the problem in the Gulf of Mexico, and having a good plan to address the runoff issues is a good way to be environment stewards, increased recreational activities on the Mississippi. A lot of these groups that we have been dealing with for 4 years would not like to see any other group exist, but if we work with a plan, if we go in a manner to bring people at the table and work on a plan for the stewardship of this great national resource, then we have something that we cannot only benefit from, but that we can pass down to our families and our grandchildren. The Mississippi River Caucus' members stretch from Minnesota all the way down to Louisiana. We are concerned about the river. I think that the Hulshof amendment, which takes funds from just the core staffing to focus on the time-sensitive issue of getting this plan developed, is to be commended. Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues who are concerned about our ability to compete in the world market, the agricultural sector of the world, environmental stewardship and creating recreational opportunities up and down the Mississippi to be in support of this amendment.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the Friedens Church of Christ in Irvington, Illinois. They recently celebrated their 110th anniversary. The anniversary was marked with a celebration and the display of the Bible which was donated to the congregation in 1919 by Kaiser Wilhelm II, former emperor of Germany. The Bible, which was autographed by the Kaiser, is the oldest in the area, and was given to their pastor, Rev. Rauch, who had previously served as pastor of the Evangelical Church in Berlin that was attended by Wilhelm II. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage them and thank them for their many years of ministry. I wish the church continued growth and another 110 years of service.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize all those who participate in Bucket Brigade in Alton, Illinois. Bucket Brigade is a group of people who simply give of themselves by painting the homes of senior citizens who desperately need it. It is just another example of citizens who want to make a difference in their community and in the lives of others. Their desire to serve is one that should not go unnoticed. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who give of themselves by participating in the Bucket Brigade. I am proud of them, and am grateful for their kindness, compassion, and concern that they have shown, and will continue to show to those in need.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize five residents of Jefferson County, Illinois who have been named the recipients of the Jefferson County African-American Heritage Awards. The winners are John Kendrick, Rev. James Gordon, Mary Ellen Frutransky, Tena Mitchell, and Camille Jones. These individuals were all selected for their community activism. Their commitment to their community and desire to make a difference make them the very deserving honorees. It takes people like them to make our communities the best possible. I want to thank them for their dedication to changing, leading, and guiding their community into the future. We are truly indebted to them.

Mr. SHIMKUS

Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to commend Nadia Shakoor of Springfield, IL for being selected as a finalist in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. She was one of 1,200 students from over 40 countries who traveled to Detroit, MI to compete for more than $2 million in awards and scholarships. As a teacher myself, I want to recognize Nadia for her academic achievement. Her success has not come without hard work though. I applaud her for her motivation and desire to learn and grow. I wish Nadia the best as she continues her education. I know success will follow her wherever she may go.