Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes. I want to take this moment, we do have a couple of speakers who are not here who hopefully will get here before we conclude the bill. Again, I would like to just note that Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Benefits, Joe Thompson, is retiring on January 3 of next year. I include in the Record a tribute to Joe Thompson's 26 outstanding years of service to veterans from myself. Mr. Speaker, the text of that tribute is as follows: Tribute to Under Secretary Joseph Thompson Mr. Speaker, in my capacity as Chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I want to share with my colleagues that Joe Thompson is retiring from the Department of Veterans Affairs on January 3, 2002, and thank Joe for 26 years of dedicated service to veterans. I applaud Joe for the legacy that he leaves. An Air Force Vietnam veteran, Joe rose from a VA entry-level position of GS-7 to Under Secretary for Benefits at the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), where he and his staff administered a $24 billion program of benefits and services. Joe used, and was a beneficiary of, VA's services, including in- and out- patient health care, disability compensation, education, home loans, life insurance and veterans preference programs when he returned home following his Vietnam service. I know of few individuals more conversant than Joe on the genesis and evolution of our veterans benefits system, a system began in 1776 when the Continental Congress passed a Resolution promising pensions to Colonial soldiers and officers who were disabled during the course of service. Joe believes passionately in veterans benefits because indeed they are earned and, for some veterans and their families, earned at a high price. He understands that on the business end of every claim for benefits is a real person who served our country while wearing the military uniform. Joe liked his work, and he has been good at it. He has had the ability to look at the VBA from the outside in, and see the VBA's work as the everyday customer did. Joe was one of the first to convene town meetings with veterans. I think he did the meetings because he wanted these individuals to be treated the way he wanted to be treated, with respect. Not surprisingly, in 1992 Joe and his co-workers at VA's New York City Regional Office received Vice President Gore's first ``Hammer Award'' under the auspices of National Performance Review. Later, as Under Secretary, Joe and his management team, headed by Deputy Under Secretaries Nora Egan and Rick Nappi, reduced the percentage of busy signals on 13 million VBA phone inquiries from 50 percent to 2 percent. They increased vocational rehabilitation placements by 24 percent. They consolidated home loan eligibility to nine regional offices, which lead to increased efficiencies. And VBA increased the number of veterans helped through military separation outreach centers from 1,000 to 22,000 per year, including disability compensation exams and awards before leaving the military. Much of this Joe did while nationwide staffing levels were decreasing. Mr. Speaker, I suspect that Joe Thompson will not climb onto that Harley Davidson motorcycle he's so fond of and ride off into the proverbial sunset. It would not be his nature nor the wish of many veterans. Greatest luck to a civil servant who like so many in the VBA gave America great gift-- lifelong commitment, honor, energy, and ideas, Joe, thank you! Finally, I would like to thank a large number of people who worked on this legislation and our staffs did actually yeoman's work day in and day out on behalf of veterans in general, but on this particular legislation. I want to thank them for their work on the bill, H.R. 1291, as well as H.R. 2540 which we passed earlier. That would include Patrick Ryan, our chief counsel and chief of staff, Darryl Kehrer, Paige McManus, Devon Seibert, Summer Larson, Jeannie McNally, Kingston Smith; and on the minority staff, I would like to thank Michael Durishin, Beth Kilker, Debbie Smith, Mary Ellen McCarthy, and Todd Houchins for their fine work. This has truly been a bipartisan effort. I want to thank them sincerely. This legislation will make powerful difference in the lives of our veterans. General Leave

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 1291, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Before concluding, Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank all on the minority side, as well as my good friends and colleagues here on the Republican side. This is a comprehensive bill. The GI bill, certainly going back to World War II, our early GI bill, has created what really is the modern middle class. More than 20 million people have gotten their college education via the GI bill. That is just one part of this bill. It is comprehensive and deserves the full support of this body.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega). (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 310) providing for the concurrence by the House with an amendment in the amendments of the Senate to H.R. 1291.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3447) to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to recruit and retain qualified nurses for the Veterans Health Administration, to provide an additional basis for establishing the inability of veterans to defray expenses of necessary medical care, to enhance certain health care programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3447, the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001. Although this bill was only recently introduced, it is the product of many months of work by both bodies. It is derived from the following bills: H.R. 2792 which passed the House on October 23; S. 1160; S. 1188; and S. 1221. The bill would accomplish improvements in health care and related services for our Nation's veterans. The distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Health the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) deserves special recognition for his original authorship of major components of this bill. I salute his leadership in formulating it for final House consideration in the first session of the 107th Congress. I also appreciate the hard work of our colleagues on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs who have contributed major portions of this legislation as well. Mr. Speaker, this bill would enhance nurse recruitment and staffing in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system and improve VA health care for veterans. The bill would also authorize significant new veterans health care benefits, including VA chiropractic care for disabled veterans on a nationwide basis. This legislation would provide greater accountability in the conduct of VA health care programs and would give substantial relief from copayments now required of poor veterans in urban areas. Mr. Speaker, all of these changes are good for veterans and they are good for the Nation. I anticipate that, after House passage, this bill will be taken up immediately by the Senate and passed without further amendment. It represents an agreement between the two Committees on Veterans' Affairs on these matters; and while it is a compromise on several House-authored provisions, we recommend it as sound, progressive policy. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our full committee ranking member the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) for his close cooperation on this bipartisan bill. He is a valued partner as we work together to keep our great country's commitments to those men and women who have defended our precious freedoms. The gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), the ranking member of our Subcommittee on Health, has also worked hard on this bill, in particular for the new chiropractic care services for our veterans. I thank him for his contributions as well. The leadership on both sides of the aisle have facilitated the clearance for consideration of this bill, which the committee also deeply appreciates. I want to especially thank the majority leader, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Armey), for facilitating that as well. We were able to work through this process in remarkably short order because our House leadership continues to make veterans issues a priority. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this measure. It has broad backing and sends the right message: Congress will be attentive to the people's business and stand by those courageous men and women who have answered the call to arms. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3448. As chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, I am pleased that the legislation recognizes the vital role that the Department of Veterans Affairs can and should play in helping our Nation prepare for future biological attacks. As many Members know, the VA owns and operates the largest integrated health care network in the world, consisting of 172 medical centers, over 800 outpatient clinics, and 90 major research programs and are ideally suited to try to work, in collaboration with other agencies of government, on trying to respond to one of these terrorist attacks. I would also point out to Members that the anthrax letters originated in my district in Trenton and Hamilton Township, New Jersey. And as all of the different bodies came together, CDC, Department of Health and the others, the VA stood ready and was able to provide, if it was necessary, Cipro and other antibiotics, because they are a major stockpiling of those pharmaceutical assets. I am happy that the chairman include in section 101(c) a requirement for the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the feasibility of using biomedical research and development capabilities of the VA in developing a comprehensive national response to bioterrorist attacks. Again, the VA is ideally suited for this. I have introduced a number of bills that would try to further that. I think we really need to make sure that they have a very prominent seat at the table.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 3447.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding time to me. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2069 and believe the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) deserves special recognition and thanks for his persistence on behalf of all who are weak and vulnerable, including AIDS victims. As my colleagues know, and has been said on the floor today, the scourge of AIDS around the globe has reached catastrophic proportions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. A December report by U.N. AIDS indicated that nearly 25.3 million adults and children are infected with the HIV virus in sub-Saharan Africa. To put this in perspective, this region has about 10 percent of the world's population, but more than 70 percent of the HIV/AIDS patients. Madam Speaker, among the most tragic of the victims are the children who contact HIV via vertical transmission, from mother to child, during or shortly after childbirth. Some estimates place the number of vertical transmission cases at 600,000 babies annually in Africa. Madam Speaker, vertical transmission is specifically addressed in this bill. In an age where we already have proven drug regimens and methods to prevent mother-to-child transmission, and we have had them for sometime now, Madam Speaker, it is outrageous that so many children around the world are still contracting HIV/AIDS in this manner. This could be stopped, and this bill goes a long way to doing so. I would also point out to my colleagues that during markup I offered an amendment in the area of hospice and palliative care. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, today, when people, particularly in Africa, get AIDS, they are treated as lepers, like we had in Biblical times: People go nowhere near them, even when they are family members. Thankfully, there is an effort under way in Africa and elsewhere to reach out to these people so they can die in dignity, and hopefully with the least amount of pain as is humanly possible. In South Africa, the Catholic Church and Catholic Relief Services and others are doing incredible jobs of networking, of bringing the news that you can take care of an AIDS patient in your home without the fear of contamination yourself. There are methods and procedures that need to be followed; and thankfully, that word is getting out. Madam Speaker, this legislation does address that and will target some resources in that direction. Madam Speaker, this is a great bill. I hope Members will support it, and congratulations to the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2716) to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise, improve, and consolidate provisions of law providing benefits and services for homeless veterans.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I am introducing today a bill to make certain reservists eligible for burial at Arlington National Cemetery. I am joined by the Honorable Frank Wolf, Honorable Mike Bilirakis, Honorable Steve Buyer, Honorable Mike Simpson, Honorable Richard Baker, Honorable Rob Simmons and Honorable Tom Davis in introducing this measure. Our bill would allow burial at Arlington National Cemetery of (1) reserve members under age 60 who but for their age would have been eligible at the time of their death for retired pay under title 10; and (2) reserve component members who die in the line of duty while on active duty for training or inactive duty training. The bill would be effective for interments occurring after the date of enactment. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this Nation affords a final resting place for every veteran who has honorably served in its Armed Forces. The Department of Veterans Affairs administers 133 national cemeteries throughout the United States, and since 1980 has provided $82 million in grants to states to establish or expand 42 state veterans cemeteries. Last year, over 82,000 veterans and family members were interred in VA cemeteries and more than 14,000 veterans and family members were buried in state veterans cemeteries. In addition, 3,727 veterans and family members were buried at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), which is administered by the Department of the Army. I will not recite the storied history of this cemetery nor the famous Americans who are buried there. However, because there is limited space for in-ground burial at the cemetery, in 1967 the Army adopted rules restricting eligibility as to which veterans can be buried at ANC. (ANC will provide space for cremated remains in its columbaria for an honorably discharged veteran eligible for burial at any of the other national cemeteries.) In general, Army rules restrict in-ground burial at ANC to veterans who were wounded in combat, died on active duty, received one of the military services' highest awards for gallantry, were held as a prisoner of war, or retired from military service. In addition, veterans who do not meet these criteria but whose served in a high Federal office (e.g. cabinet secretary, Supreme Court justice, Member of the House or Senate) are also eligible, as are the immediate family members of all veterans buried there. Under the current Army rules, which few Americans are familiar with, a reservist who has retired from the Armed Forces but is not yet age 60 is ineligible for in-ground burial at ANC. Similarly, members of the reserve components who die while performing training duty on a weekend or for a two-week period are not eligible for in-ground burial at ANC, even though servicemembers who die in similar circumstances while on active duty would be eligible for such burial. Given the increased responsibilities assigned to our Reserve and National Guard forces, I believe that a compassionate government should treat these reserve component members whose death is in the line of duty in the same manner as those active duty members whose death occurs in the line of duty. We should honor their service and the loss of their lives the same, even though their families may elect not to bury them at Arlington. That is the purpose of this legislation, and I urge Members to support it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on November 8, Slovak Parliamentarian Tomas Galbavy, a member of the ruling Slovak Democratic Coalition, introduced an amendment to the Slovak penal code which would repeal articles that make defamation of certain public officials a crime. My fellow parliamentarian made an important stand at a time when many seem to believe that free speech is an expendable luxury. As Co- Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I commend Deputy Galbavy for his efforts to strengthen one of the most important cornerstones of democracy. The criminalization of slander, libel or defamation, as well as laws which purport to protect public officials or bodies from ``insult,'' is a longstanding concern of Members of the Helsinki Commission. In fact, I have repeatedly raised concern about the use--or, more correctly-- abuse of such laws. Most recently, at Commission hearings in September and October, I expressed concern about the use of such laws in the current crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan. In November, ``Insult laws'' were again used as an excuse to close an independent paper in Azerbaijan. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, as an elected politician, I get ``insulted'' every day of the week--and twice on Sunday. It's part of the job. I am not alone in my views. At OSCE meetings, the United States has repeatedly called for such laws to be repealed. Similarly, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and the Organization of American States Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression issued a joint statement in February 2000 which concluded that ``criminal defamation laws should be abolished.'' Simply put, Mr. Speaker, Slovakia's current criminal defamation law-- a holdover from a bygone era--is not consistent with the international commitments and obligations it has undertaken as a free and independent state. I am particularly concerned that journalist Alex Kratky has been charged with a criminal offense for criticizing a speech delivered by Slovak President Schuster. If found guilty, Kratky faces two years in prison for his opinions. Unfortunately, the Galbavy amendment was defeated by the narrowest of margins, failing by just one vote. Although Deputy Speaker Pavol Hrusovksy voted in favor of the amendment, most of the other parliamentary leaders either abstained or did not participate in the vote. The Slovak Parliament came so close to doing the right thing, so close to demonstrating the kind of regional leadership so desperately needed, but stopped short by one vote. I know the Slovak Parliament has a great deal of work before it now, and I particularly appreciate the work of the Parliament and the Government in supporting the war on terrorism and their efforts to ensure that U.N. Security Council Resolution 1373 is fully implemented. At the same time, I believe that there are still opportunities for Slovakia to act on the important human rights issue of criminal defamation. First, the Constitutional Court could declare the provisions of Articles 102, 103 and 206 unconstitutional--especially bearing in mind, as Deputy Minister Lubomir Fogas has noted, Slovakia's Constitution gives priority to Slovakia's international human rights obligations. I hope, however, that Slovakia's elected leaders will not wait for the court to act, since that can take a long time. Instead the initiative could be reconsidered and, with a few more Deputies voting to repeal defamation and libel from the criminal code, Slovakia would set an example for other countries to emulate.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Virginia for yielding me this time. Let me just say, Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 3248, to designate the United States Postal Service facility in Cranbury as the Todd Beamer Post Office Building, and want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for sponsoring the legislation that is before us today. Mr. Speaker, when Congress names particular facilities in honor of someone, we do it because they have made an outstanding contribution to society. I can think of no one who deserves that honor more than Todd Beamer. The accounts of his heroism aboard Flight 93 fill us with awe and gratitude and inspire us. And by all accounts, it was Todd's faith in the Lord that inspired him to act with such decisiveness and tenacity and with such courage. Todd's deeds and the actions of his fellow passengers aboard Flight 93 have become powerfully etched into the psyche of America itself. Flight 93 has become a symbol of the American spirit, the spirit of courage and selfless sacrifice, of standing up to cowards who would kill in the middle of the night or by using aircraft as cruise missiles. When faced with the ultimate test of character, Todd Beamer did not flinch for one moment. He took bold action to stop an act of terrorism in progress. On his last phone call from the aircraft, Todd told Lisa Jefferson, the GTE air phone supervisor working out of the Illinois facility, that he and his other passengers aboard Flight 93 were planning to overpower the hijackers and to stop their suicide attack. Miss Jefferson cautioned him to consider carefully what he was saying: ``Are you sure that that is what you want to do, Todd?'' Todd's response: ``It's what we have to do.'' Mr. Speaker, how often do we hear those words--this is something I have to do--the notion that someone is acting out of a moral imperative is astonishing in this day and age. Well, Todd did it and did it with great distinction and courage. Many in America before September 11 had become jaded about the notion of selfless sacrifice, Mr. Speaker, of doing what is right even when you know it may cost you your very life. We know from the Scriptures that our Lord Jesus Christ said, ``There is no greater love than he who lays down his life for his brother or for his sister,'' and that is exactly what Todd Beamer has done. Surely he has, is and will be greatly blessed in Heaven for his sacrifice. Mr. Speaker, the cowardly terrorists counted on both the element of surprise and on the element of intimidation to achieve their awful end, but they did not count on meeting face to face with the likes of Todd Beamer. Todd Beamer was an extraordinary man on what should have been an ordinary flight. And when faced with a horrific set of circumstances, Todd stepped up to the plate and he did what had to be done. And he never, not for a moment, by all accounts, even hesitated. Instead, Todd drew his courage and strength from his faith. He told Lisa Jefferson, ``I don't think we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to have to go out on faith.'' Mr. Speaker, his last words, as we all know, and as President Bush has quoted, was ``Let's roll.'' And those words, I think, have mobilized and motivated and inspired all Americans in our current fight in Afghanistan. ``Let's roll.'' Let's stop these terrorists. Let me finally remind Members of Todd's embrace of Psalm 23, which surely was in Todd's heart in those final moments, where it is said by King David, ``The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and staff they comfort me.'' A post office memorializing Todd Beamer is the least we in Congress can do to honor his supreme sacrifice. He was a great man; and we honor his widow Lisa--a strong woman in her own right and his family.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica), for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of this resolution to honor the heroes on Flight 93 who undoubtedly gave their lives so that other people, perhaps people in this building, perhaps all of us, would be able to live. Words, it seems to me, seem inadequate to express the deep emotions that we feel for the loss suffered by the surviving family members of those who perished on September 11. We offer our sincere condolences, and we pray that God may supernaturally intervene with healing, comfort, and peace for them, especially during this holiday season. Mr. Speaker, we will not forget the action of those on Flight 93. Like I said, they probably saved the lives of many people here in Washington. Capitol Hill was a very busy morning on September 11. Many congressional hearings were taking place. As a matter of fact, as chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs, at 10 o'clock I was convening a hearing with the American Legion, and there were several hundred legionnaires in attendance at that hearing. On the Senate side, the First Lady was preparing to testify on a hearing on early childhood development. Their lives were saved, the lives of all of the employees here in the Capitol were probably saved from a horror because of their very heroic action. The planned destruction of buildings was prevented. The Capitol, the White House, the many monuments, we are not sure what the final destination was. There is a great deal of conjecture, but the odds were that they were coming here. Our Nation, Mr. Speaker, owes these passengers and crew an enormous debt of gratitude, and, again, their sacrifice will be remembered for many, many years to come. I would like to just point out that there were at least seven people who lived in or near my own central New Jersey district who were on that flight. Some of the family members and friends have contacted my office, and we have tried to work on their behalf. Their names are in the resolution, but out of respect and gratitude I would like to read their names again: Flight Attendant Lorraine Bay; Todd Beamer, who was in the district just north of me, in the gentleman from New Jersey's (Mr. Holt) district; Patrick Driscoll; Edward Felt; Jeremy Glick; Richard Guadagno. Donald and Jean Peterson were also on board that flight. And one final point. Earlier the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) mentioned the fact that the crews, especially the pilots, were admonished, more than admonished, they were told by the FAA that they were to cooperate if there was a hijacking and go to wherever it is the hijackers wanted them to go. My own brother is an airline pilot. He is a 757 captain with a major airline, and he, too, has told me how obnoxious it is that that was the policy, take them to Cuba, take them to Tripoli, take them to where it is they want to go because they have got to put the safety of the passengers first. It is obnoxious now more than ever because we know that there are different designs on those planes being carried out. I just want to make it very clear, it is my sense and a sense that this will not happen, that whether it be the crew or whether it be the passengers--or not--that we will never see another airliner turned into a cruise missile again because there will be action taken; and, again, Flight 93 has set a precedent that will live on forever, that people will not stand idly by when they know that they are going to be part of a terrorist action unwittingly, as were the other flights. Again, I want to commend the maker of the resolution, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Fletcher), my good friend, for offering it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3392) to name the national cemetery in Saratoga, New York, as the Gerald B.H. Solomon Saratoga National Cemetery, and for other purposes.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself 10 seconds to thank my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. McNulty) for his powerful statement on behalf of Jerry Solomon and for introducing, as he pointed out, a resolution earlier that would have named this important asset, this cemetery, in honor of Jerry Solomon. And customary and just so characteristic of Jerry, he wanted to be self-effacing and did not want any fuss being made about him. It does not surprise me that he approached the gentleman and said, hey, do not push it. That is just so typical of Jerry Solomon. I want to thank the gentleman for his leadership. I think that epitomizes the best of bipartisanship. That this is what it is all about. We care for each other. The gentleman cared for Jerry, and he showed it while he was alive in trying to get this cemetery named in his honor. I want to congratulate and thank the gentleman for that. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman), the distinguished dean of the New York delegation and chairman emeritus of the Committee on International Relations. (Mr. GILMAN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules. (Mr. Dreier asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 3392, a bill to name the National Cemetery in Saratoga, New York, after Gerald B.H. Solomon, who we all knew and loved as Jerry. This is a fitting honor and memorial to our former colleague, the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules. I want to commend and thank the gentleman from Illinois (Speaker Hastert) for introducing this important bill. I know how highly the Speaker thought of Jerry Solomon and valued his service to the House of Representatives. So it is a tribute in itself that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hastert), who, as Speaker, does not normally introduce legislation, has taken this very extraordinary step. I am grateful to have been afforded the opportunity to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 3392. In addition to naming the cemetery for Jerry Solomon, this bill will also authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to place a suitable memorial in the cemetery to honor his memory. It is highly fitting that our distinguished colleague was laid to rest in the Saratoga National Cemetery because the cemetery itself owes its existence to Jerry Solomon. He worked tirelessly for this cemetery for 15 years to overcome obstacle after obstacle to its establishment. He promoted it in his town meetings, he pushed for timely completion of the environmental impact studies, he worked with members of the Committee on Appropriations to ensure that the money was appropriated for it, and overcame official indifference in the executive branch. His unwavering determination, no matter how difficult an objective, manifested itself time and time again. I think it probably had much to do with his service in the U.S. Marine Corps; but also it reflected the kind of man that he was: he was tenacious, he was tough, and he was fair. He enlisted, as I think many of my colleagues know, in the Marine Corps at the beginning of the Korean War and served for 8\1/2\ years on active duty and in the reserve. He is one of the few who was good enough to be a Marine; and of the many awards he received during his public service, among his most cherished were the Iron Mike Award from the Marine Corps League, and the Distinguished Citizen Award from the National Congressional Medal of Honor Society. All of us, Madam Speaker, learned from the example of Jerry Solomon. I recall so well when he was the ranking Republican member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, again, he always put veterans first. He was always fighting to ensure that there was an adequate veterans budget, particularly in the area of health care. He believed that the VA was one of those commitments that, once we make it, that they had first dibs for every dollar that we would spend. He was also one of the prime leaders in making sure that we had a cabinet level for the VA, so when it came to allocating scarce resources, that they would be there, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs would be there at the table fighting and fighting hard for veterans' benefits and for veterans' health care. More recently, following his retirement after 20 years in Congress, President George Bush recognized Jerry Solomon's leadership and wisdom by appointing him to co-chair the Presidential Task Force to Improve Health Care Delivery for our Nation's Veterans. Like everything else, he launched himself into this new endeavor with enthusiasm and commitment and actively served on that issue and on that commission until his final illness. Madam Speaker, I had the honor of serving many years in the House with Jerry Solomon and in every case found him to be one of the most outspoken, straightforward, tenacious, and patriotic Members of Congress that this body has ever produced. He was a great man; and we honor him in a very modest way, much more could be done for this great man, by naming this important cemetery in his honor. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. First of all, I want to thank, as did the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin) a few moments ago, our very distinguished colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) for his kindness in sponsoring this legislation. I think it shows a real sensitivity for Maureen Reagan who was a very courageous woman, wife and mother, and a tireless advocate, a champion, for research and medical assistance for Alzheimer's patients and, equally important, for their caregivers. As we all know, one of those victims includes her own father, President Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan was a fighter since his early days growing up during the Great Depression, but he turned his disclosure that he suffered from Alzheimer's Disease into a battle for more research money and more assistance for his fellow patients. When Ronald Reagan was unable to continue this fight because of his own deteriorating condition, his daughter, Maureen Reagan, stepped up to the plate and became one of the most tenacious advocates for Alzheimer's research and for trying to find a cure for this horrific disease. Her untimely death to cancer this past summer caused the Alzheimer's community to lose one of its best. Significantly, even while battling cancer during 5 tough years, Maureen never rested in her quest to try to procure more research money and to help more patients and their loved ones with this terrible disease. Not long before she died, as the gentleman from Massachusetts pointed out earlier, she called on Congress to double to $1 billion the amount of money allocated for Alzheimer's research by the National Institutes of Health. As was also pointed out, this disease afflicts so many of our families. Half of those over age 85 suffer to some degree from Alzheimer's, and 1 of every 10 Americans over the age of 65 also is in some stage of Alzheimer's disease. The current number of affected--4 million--will grow to 14 million people if we do not take prompt action and do all that is humanly possible to mitigate and hopefully eradicate this terrible disease. Maureen Reagan was a great champion. She will be sorely missed in this battle. And we want to just, and I know this will be a unanimous vote on both sides of the aisle, say to her loved ones, to her husband and to her daughter and to the entire family, how much we deeply care for them and how we miss Maureen Reagan.