Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Tauscher).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Baird).

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 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller). (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Spratt). (Mr. SPRATT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is remaining on either side?

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

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire again how much time there is?

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel). (Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Ohio (Ms. Pryce) for yielding me the customary half-hour, 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 rise to express my strong support for the work performed on this bill by the chairman, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) and the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan). This is a critical bill for many of our constituents. It directs funding for our Nation's veterans, addresses important housing concerns, protects the environment, and invests in science and technology research. Specifically, the conference report increases Veterans Administration health care funding by over $1 billion, money that will go towards eliminating much of the VA's backlog of veterans' claims. Moreover, the measure furthers our commitment to doubling the National Science Foundation budget to invest in science and technology to secure American competitiveness into the future. The bill authorizes $700 million in HUD Community Development Block Grant funding to New York State to provide grants to the New York City businesses damaged or affected by the attacks of September 11. My colleagues will also be pleased to know that the bill establishes a new, higher standard for arsenic levels in public drinking water, raising the standards from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. I also want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for the increase in funding in HUD's Office of Lead Hazard Control. Fifty of my colleagues signed a letter to the committee requesting this increase, because many older houses and apartments still contain lead-based paint. Research shows that children with elevated blood levels are seven times more likely to drop out of school and twice as likely to fall behind their peers in language acquisition. In my district of Rochester, New York, 37 percent of the children tested have more lead in their blood than the Center for Disease Control and Prevention considers safe. Over the past decade, HUD has worked with local governments and agencies to increase the number of lead hazard control programs. However, millions of housing units remain contaminated with lead-based paint. To further reduce lead paint health hazards, the fiscal year 2002 HUD budget receives a $9.8 million increase over fiscal year 2001, bringing the total to 109.8 million. These funds will be distributed through competitive grants to entities who agree to match the Federal grant. So, combined with the private-sector funding, it supports a 10- year strategy to eliminate paint hazards in 2.3 million private housing units occupied by low-income children. Included in this request is a set-aside of $10 million to continue the Healthy Homes Initiative, which helps to develop, to demonstrate, and promote cost-effective preventive measures to correct multiple safety and health hazards in the home that can cause serious disease and injuries to children. There are lots of other programs in the bill that I could highlight for my colleagues, but I will save that for Chairman Walsh and Ranking Member Mollohan, but let me say I support both the rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 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 Virginia (Mr. Scott).

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

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 Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution commending the work of organizations led by Afghan women that are providing substantial education, health and relief services during a time of humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. This resolution also urges the President to ensure that any new government established in Afghanistan include women as full and active participants. Since 1996, when the Taliban regime took over, the women of Afghanistan have lived in absolute fear. To be a woman in Afghanistan under the Taliban's rule is to be considered little more than chattel. Women are banned from receiving an education, holding a job or engaging in conversations outside the home. They can be arrested for venturing outside their house without a male relative or stoned to death if they are married and accompanied by an unrelated male. The Taliban enforces these draconian decrees in a brutal and capricious fashion that does not begin to resemble due process or a fair judicial system. Prior to the Taliban's rule, women held careers as doctors, nurses, and teachers. They were free to exercise their rights as citizens, move about, and speak freely. Many of them were considered leaders in their communities, educated, and well-respected. Since 1996, these women have gone into hiding. They are forced to be mere shadows of their former selves. To women like myself who live in a free democracy, these severe restrictions of movement, speech, and dress are unimaginable. And, without question, the laundry list of blatant human rights violations would not be tolerated against any other population in the world, particularly not in the United States. So how can we, as decent, intelligent people stand by and watch? Thankfully, a few courageous organizations led by Afghan women are taking action. These organizations are often clandestine in nature and strive to improve the status of women and girls in Afghanistan through underground circles. At this time, it is by their valiant efforts alone that many women and girls in Afghanistan have received an education or health and relief services. One of the most prominent examples of such an organization is the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, or RAWA. Established in 1977, this organization offers relief to the women and girls of Afghanistan by running primary and secondary schools for refugee girls, creating mobile health teams in Pakistan, and running handicrafts, carpet and tailoring workplaces. Engaging in these modest activities, however, is only one way in which RAWA serves Afghan women. Despite the risk to their own lives, many RAWA activists have also carried video cameras under their burqas to record executions of Afghan women and other similar punishments. In many cases, these videotapes have been the key to exposing the inhuman acts of the Taliban and proving to the Western world that these women need help. While efforts like RAWA's relieve some of the worst excesses of the Taliban's regime, however, they do not fix the problem. Afghan women will never regain their freedom in the future unless a constitutional democracy is restored in Afghanistan and Afghan women play a leadership role in rebuilding their country. Fortunately, for the first time since the Taliban regime took over, the U.S. is in a strong position to make this happen and to provide substantial help to Afghan women. As our government fights to eliminate the Taliban and those who support them in Afghanistan, we must ensure that not only are the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan preserved, but that their full citizenship is restored. In addition, we must call upon the U.S. government and the United Nations to provide direct funding to these Afghan women's organizations. If provided, this funding would strengthen their ability to deliver services and to enhance their role in fostering a more civil society. Finally, we must urge the Administration to encourage any new government in Afghanistan to include women as leaders. After five years of enduring the wrath of the Taliban regime, it is time to restore basic human rights to all Afghan people, especially women and girls, and to end these repressive policies. The women of Afghanistan have proven their ability to lead; they simply need the opportunity to exercise it. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and myself, I am proud to introduce H.Res______and urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman yielding to me. I want to join my colleagues in recognizing October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, because no disease is feared so much by American women as breast cancer. At this moment, 3 million women in our Nation are living with breast cancer, 2 million have been diagnosed, and 1 million's cancer remains undetected. In 2001 alone, there will be 233,000 new cases of breast cancer in the United States, making it the number two cancer diagnosis among women. This year, 40,000 women will die of the disease. To put this in perspective, a new case of breast cancer is diagnosed every 2 minutes, and an American woman dies of breast cancer every 13 minutes. To be sure, we have come a long way in the last few decades. There was a time not so long ago when breast cancer was not considered polite conversation. Women suffered and died in virtual isolation, because no one would talk about this silent scourge. But today, however, it is different. We have public education programs urging women to have mammograms. Programs are available for low-income women to receive screening; and as of last year, as the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Eshoo) pointed out, with her bill they can get treatment. It must have been the worst thing in the world, before this bill was passed, to be diagnosed with breast cancer and have no ability whatever to pay for treatment. Chemotherapy drugs are now less toxic and more effective; and we even have a drug, Tamoxifen, that can help prevent or postpone the onset of breast cancer in women who are at high risk. For the first time since records were kept, breast cancer death rates actually declined during the 1990s. I am deeply proud of the part we played in this caucus in obtaining research funding for breast cancer and in ensuring that women were included in all clinical trials. But so much more remains to be done. We need better methods of detecting breast cancer. The mammogram is an old technology and an imperfect one. Some tumors can exist for 6 to 10 years before they are detectable with the mammogram machine. We need to understand the causes of breast cancer, and then determine the steps women can take to reduce the risk. Treatment must be further refined so women can defeat breast cancer and enjoy a long and healthy lifespan. Mr. Speaker, in my judgment as a microbiologist, the future of breast cancer research lies along two parallel paths: genetic research and environmental studies. Together, these two avenues will lead us to the detection, prevention, and treatment methods of the future. Genetic research is already well on its way, and scientists have identified four separate genes that indicate an increased risk for breast cancer, and more that we have not yet identified possibly acting in combination with other genes. Our understanding of the genetics of breast cancer is in its infancy, but it is developing rapidly. We must ensure, however, that genetic information is used to help patients and not to harm them. Genetic information will be a powerful tool, but it must be used for the right purposes. In order to safeguard genetic information, my colleague, the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), and I have introduced H.R. 602, the Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act, which will ensure that health insurance companies and employers will not use predictive genetic information to deny individuals coverage or job opportunities. I am pleased to report that this bill has the support of 255 bipartisan cosponsors and hundreds of organizations involved in health care issues. I hope very much the House leadership will allow this important bill to come up on the suspension calendar so we can get this done before the end of this year. It is certain to pass the Senate. As important as genetics are, environmental factors are proving to be equally significant. Ninety percent of breast cancer victims have no family history of the disease, which means something in their environment is triggering their cancer. Women are more susceptible to environmental toxins for a number of reasons. First, they are smaller so toxins since have a greater impact. Second, they have a higher proportion of fatty tissue where toxins tend to accumulate; and third, they tend to metabolize toxic substances more slowly. Women may also be at greater risk for disease since they are often exposed to higher levels of household chemicals. Many women take hormone supplements for birth control or relief of the symptoms of menopause. Women experience greater fluctuations in hormone levels throughout their lives. They may also affect susceptibility to pollutants or to environmental estrogen. This risk may be greatest in puberty due to major hormonal changes and the rapid growth of the breast tissue. For all of these reasons, we must increase our research into the impact of the environmental factors on women's health. I am proud to co-sponsor the Women's Environmental Health Research Centers Act which would establish six centers of excellence on women's health research around the Nation. H.R. 183 has the support of 48 bipartisan co-sponsors and the wide range of organizations concerned with women's health. At the beginning of this century, we are standing on a frontier of an entire new era of medicine where genetic and environmental health research will point us towards entirely new ways of conceiving, detecting, preventing and treating disease. We must ensure that this new information is used to advance the care of all patients and not to undermine their best interests. Neither type of research can take place in a vacuum. Instead, they must proceed interlinked and in parallel. If we can achieve these goals, then we will have in sight the end to the dreadful scourge of breast cancer.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

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

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 yield myself the remaining time. Mr. Speaker, if we are going to rush legislation to the floor, most of our constituents want us to bring up a bill providing for increased airline security, and not a bill that deals with curtailing civil liberties. Every Member of the House knows that Americans are concerned about the safety of our airlines and demonstrating that fear by curtailing their flights. This is truly hurting the economy and affecting hundreds of thousands of American workers and their families. In the month since the tragedy of September 11, the leadership of the House has failed to bring up legislation to help those workers and to bring up legislation that would demonstrably increase security for the airlines. It seems to me that we must do that and do it quickly, Mr. Speaker. Therefore, I will ask for a ``no'' vote on the previous question in order that I might be able to offer an amendment to the rule. My amendment will provide that immediately after the House passes the antiterrorism bill, that it take up the airline safety bill drafted by the ranking member of the Committee on Transportation based on weeks of consultations with his counterparts in the majority and in the Senate. In addition, my amendment would bring this bill up under an open rule so that every Member can express their view about what needs to be done. It is true that this bill has not been available to Members so that they might know what it contains; but unlike the antiterrorism bill, it does not affect our civil liberties and our rights as American citizens. It does affect our safety and the safety of all Americans who fly. It does affect the ability of workers to reclaim their jobs lost as a result of the airline shutdown and the subsequent fall-off in traffic. This is the legislation we should rush to pass. The Senate passed it yesterday and the sooner we get it to the President's desk, the sooner the airline industry will be able to recover from the horrendous and heinous acts committed last month. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question and a ``no'' vote on the rule. I will include for the Record at this time the text of my amendment. Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2975) to combat terrorism, and for other purposes, and a bill relating to the improvement of aviation security. Resolved, That upon the adoption of this resolution it shall be in order without intervention of any point of order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 2975) to combat terrorism, and for other purposes. The bill shall be considered as read for amendment. In lieu of the amendment recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of H.R. 3108 shall be considered as adopted. All points of order against the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) One hour of debate on the bill, as amended, equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on the Judiciary; and (2) one motion to commit with or without instructions. Sec. 2. Immediately after disposition of H.R. 2975, the Speaker shall declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of a bill consisting of the text printed in section 3. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The bill shall be considered as read. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill to the House with such amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill and amendments thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Sec. 3 [insert text here]