Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to share my concerns about the effect that the supplemental spending bill we debate here today will have on Social Security beneficiaries, and particularly on the women of this country who depend on Social Security for their livelihood. Without question, this supplemental spending bill is very important, and includes vital funding for the war on terrorism, homeland security and much-needed aid for my home state of New York. However, I am concerned that these priorities are being paid for with the Social Security benefits which are of the utmost importance to countless Americans. The retirement security of both men and women rests on the decisions that Congress must make regarding this vital program. Women are especially dependent on Social Security. Currently, over 60% of all Social Security beneficiaries are women. Among beneficiaries aged 85 or older, 75% are women. And most of these women rely on Social Security for almost 90% of their income. Unfortunately, women often have less pension income and personal savings than men. Social Security provides women, who live longer and make less money than men, with a secure source of retirement income. Social Security has allowed generations of women to live with independence and dignity. No plan for increasing defense spending or any other important priority should simultaneously threaten the livelihood of women retirees who, without Social Security would have nowhere else to turn. I urge my colleagues to think carefully about the spending priorities of this Congress, and to preserve Social Security for current beneficiaries and future generations.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks, and include extraneous material.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Linder) for yielding me the customary half hour. I rise in support of the underlying conference report. The Bioterrorism and Response Act enjoys strong bipartisan support, having passed the House by a vote of 418 to 2. Moreover, this measure moved forward the consultations from both sides of the aisle, a practice all too rare in the current Congress. Mr. Speaker, this bioterrorism measure represents the first comprehensive effort to shore up our Nation's defenses against a terror attack. This includes critical provisions calling for the stockpiling of drugs and vaccines. It outlines initiatives to help prevent, detect, and treat terrorism-related health threats, including the possibility of a smallpox epidemic. Moreover, the legislation authorizes substantial new spending to help State and local health officials prepare for bioterrorism attacks. Grants would be made available to help hospitals prepare for the treatment of victims. Funding for research and prevention and treatment would also be increased. Of utmost importance, the bill ensures that additional steps would be taken to protect the food supply, including new authority for the FDA to bar unsafe food from entering the country. Many of us have long felt that the increased imports of food from countries outside the scope of U.S. safety regulation posed a unique threat to our citizens, especially with the advent of bioterrorism. The measure begins to address this concern by providing needed grants to States to strengthen food inspections and deal with outbreaks of food-borne illnesses. New registration and recordkeeping requirements would be imposed and safety improvements would be ordered at animal research labs. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to highlight the provisions of the legislation designed to protect our most vulnerable citizens in the event of terrorist attack: our children. I was proud to join my colleague from New York, Senator Hillary Clinton, in introducing the Protecting America's Children Against Terrorism Act. The bill provided Federal resources and coordination to ensure that our children's needs are met in the event of a terrorist attack. I wish to thank the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), for including the majority of these provisions in this comprehensive measure. The events of September 11 have illustrated only too clearly for us the risks posed to our children by terrorism. Children perished aboard the planes that crashed. Both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon housed day care centers. Nearby schools had to be evacuated, and an estimated 10,000 American children lost a parent as a result of these atrocities, many of them losing their sole or primary caregiver. In recent months, new concerns have emerged. With the threat of bioterrorism and chemical warfare more prominent, we have realized that the proper dosages of vaccines and antidotes for children is incomplete. Few health care providers are trained to recognize the early signs of smallpox or anthrax, which can mimic cold or flu symptoms. The National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program is not necessarily equipped with the supplies necessary to administer drugs or other treatment to large numbers of children. Other needs have become evident as well. Many schools lack effective evacuation plans or methods of moving children to an alternative safe location. Networks do not exist for informing parents of evacuations and the sites where their children may be found. Mental health services are not always available for children traumatized by catastrophic events. The conference report includes our proposal to protect children against bioterrorism by examining the preparedness of our Nation's health system for mass casualties of children and youth resulting from bioterrorism. It would establish an information network to collect and disseminate information for health providers on how to prepare for a biological terrorist attack and what steps to take to ensure children get the health care they need in the case of an attack. Moreover, the measure would ensure that the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile Program includes inventories to meet the medical needs of children. The events of September 11 have revealed to us the gaps in our preparedness for a major disaster. We owe it to all our citizens to ensure that we close these gaps before a future emergency, be it terrorism, natural disaster, or other cause, requires that we take action. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House, and as Chairwoman of the Congressional Arts Caucus, I constantly work to support and expand the enjoyment of artistic and musical expression for all Americans. I especially recognize the positive educational and economic aspects of the arts and, because of these benefits, have worked on a bipartisan basis to secure additional funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is because of my interest in the arts that I was pleased to read Tim Wendel's article ``Healing Harmonies'' (USA Weekend 10/28/01). It now appears that the arts--and music specifically--offer additional benefits that are closely related to my professional training as a microbiologist. While microbiology strives to benefit public health both through research and treatment, Wendel now shows that music similarly benefits public health. In his article, Wendel shows that top neuroscientists have found music aids in pain relief, in battling cancer, and by accelerating the healing process for stroke victims and victims of Parkinson's disease. Music has even been tied to the retrieval of lost memory for Alzheimer's patients, and to improved concentration in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. One may conclude from Wendel's ``Healing Harmonies'' that the benefits of music are indeed extraordinary. I would like to note, however, that it is in great part because of the talent and dedication of music educators that we are able to reap the diverse rewards of music. Not only do these educators bring to us an aesthetic appreciation of music, they also create, through music, benefits that spill over to other educational disciplines as well. MENC--The National Association for Music Education provides data illustrating some of these advantages. In its official publications, MENC reports that students involved in music earn better grades than their peers and score higher on their SATs. Music study also correlates directly with a proficiency in language acquisition and mathematical reasoning. The Congress has recognized the powerful impact of music education. In the recently-passed ``No Child Left Behind Act,'' music educators such as the members of MENC are entrusted not only with the important role of nurturing music and the arts in our schools, but have also been given by Congress a statutory voice in the educational policy process. Working with school administrators, music educators will help ensure that our students receive the many positive benefits of music, which eventually benefit us all. I invite my colleagues to take this opportunity to review selected excerpts from both Wendel's article and the Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) Advocacy Update, and I ask that these selections be inserted at this point in the Congressional Record. [From Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) Advocacy Update, Issue 1, 2002] Making Decisions on Music Education Research Shows Positive Impact of Music Education As a major distributor of educational research, MENC has published a peer-reviewed music education publication, the Journal of Research in Music Education, for 50 years. In 1998, NAMM-International Music Product Association founded the International Foundation for Music Research, which actively supports research work that explores music's role in various stages of life. This research identifies how music contributes to children's cognitive development and learning. It is important to call on government to seriously seek out the information that can shape the curriculum in American schools to the benefit of American children. More than ever before, there is an urgent need for research to underpin the inherent value and importance of music in education. Studies have shown music education is correlated with success in other areas of school. Students involved in music are less likely to be involved in disciplinary infractions than their peers and they are more likely than non-music students to get good grades, as shown by SAT scores. Research has also indicated that music study correlates with spatio-temporal intelligence, which is important in proportional mathematical reasoning, and new research suggests that music study and language acquisition, including reading readiness and early literacy skills, seem to go together. [From USA Today, Oct. 28, 2001] Healing Powers Researching the Links Between Melody and the Mind (By Tim Wendel) New studies indicate that listening to and playing music actually can alter how our brains, and thus our bodies, function. Scientists use the sound of music to do everything from battling cancer and mining the memories of Alzheimer's patients to relieving severe pain and boosting kid's test scores. Doctors believe music therapy in hospitals and nursing homes not only makes people feel better, but also makes them heal faster . . . Across the nation, a growing number of nursing homes has hired music therapists to help geriatric patients maintain motor coordination and socialization skills. Among the beneficiaries: Some stroke and Parkinson's patients have recovered more rapidly with musical accompaniment during physical therapy. ``We're only beginning to understand the value of music,'' says Deforia Lane, a music therapist at Cleveland's University Hospital. ``We are tapping into the fundamental ways our brain interprets [it] and drinks it in . . .'' Music Therapy Helps Medical Patients, Brain Trauma, Alzheimer's Disease Doctors are just starting to apply the new revelations about music's impact on the brain to treating patients. [Michael] Thaut composes and plays original compositions with a specific beat to help victims of stroke, cerebral palsy and Parkinson's disease recover body functions. He and his colleagues observe patients in physical therapy, then compose music tailored to their movements. Speed, symmetry and music activity improve faster than when the sounds are synchorized to individuals' gait patterns. In a recent study, Thaut's team detailed how patients who worked to music took bigger, more balanced strides than those whose therapy had no accompaniment. Other researchers have found the sound of drums may influence how bodies work . . . Suzanne Hasner, chairwoman of the music therapy department at Berklee College of Music in Boston, says even those with dementia or head injuries retain musical ability. ``Deep in our long-term memory is this rehearsed music,'' Hasner says. ``It is processed in the emotional part of the brain, the amygdala. Here's where you remember the music played at your wedding, the music of your first love, that first dance. Such things can still be remembered even in people with progressive diseases. It can be a window, a way to reach them . . .'' Earlier this year, researchers from the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, Pa., reported the results of an experiment in which 111 cancer patients played drums for 30 minutes a day. They found strengthened immune systems and increased levels of cancer-fighting cells in many of the patients . . . And just this month, the American Academy of Pediatrics published a study showing music may help children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Kids tried to match various musical tones by tapping their hands and feet. The exercises improved their concentration and control of aggression . . . It seems now more than ever the healing power of music, over body and spirit, is being put to the test . . . Science is just now beginning to understand how.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Rural/Metro Medical Services of Rochester as it celebrates its 50th year of service to our community. Rural/Metro Medical Services is a Rochester success story that deserves to be shared. Originally founded as National Ambulance of Rochester by George S. Heisel, Jr. in 1952, Rural/Metro has grown into a model of excellence for the delivery of emergency medical services. For half a century, thousands of Rochesterians in need of emergency medical services have experienced firsthand the level of service and care that Rural/Metro exemplifies. Rural/Metro's 400 employees not only serve in Rochester but also provide back-up and mutual aid to Monroe and Livingston Counties' volunteer emergency services agencies. The official 911 ambulance service provider for the City of Rochester, Rural/Metro has garnered a reputation of excellence among our local hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers. In fact, Rural/Metro holds the distinction of being the only ambulance service in our region to be nationally accredited. In addition to fulfilling its core mission, Rural/Metro has also endeavored to innovate the field of emergency medical services by developing creative new approaches for the delivery of such service. The Bike Medic program, which enables paramedics and other health care providers to respond rapidly to emergencies at public events, and the Emergency Support Unit, which brings about enhanced coordination during fires and other large-scale emergencies, are true innovations that have made the difference in the lives of countless Rochesterians and serve as a model for other regions. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I am pleased to congratulate Rural/ Metro Medical Services on reaching this important milestone. I would like to express my great hope that these past fifty years are merely the beginning of Rural/Metro Medical Service's tenure as the standard- bearer for emergency medical services in the Rochester area.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), who had a most important amendment that was not allowed.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin). (Mr. LEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I would say to the gentlewoman from Ohio, we will trade our two bites for what the gentlewoman has over on her side. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Wynn).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I understand my colleague has no further requests for time, nor do I, so I yield myself the remaining time. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to oppose the previous question. If the previous question is defeated, I will offer an amendment to the rule that will allow us to consider two important amendments denied in the Committee on Rules. The first amendment, offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis), the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), would remove the ban on welfare benefits to legal immigrants. Legal immigrants contribute greatly to our society and they paid an estimated $50 billion in surplus taxes just last year, and 20,000 legal immigrants serve in our Nation's Armed Forces but they are banned from receiving funds in this bill. We would have an opportunity to vote to change this, and the amendment would give us that chance. The second amendment offered by the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) would strike the food stamp program from the super waiver in the five-state block grant. Food stamps are often the only source of Federal assistance for many low-income working Americans. This program should not be tampered with by the House. Please vote ``no'' on the previous question so that we can have an opportunity to debate and vote on these two very important issues. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the amendment and extraneous materials immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Brown). (Ms. BROWN of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend His remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Meek). (Mrs. MEEK of Florida asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis). (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)