Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I rise today in very strong support of this resolution, H. Res. 298, calling for Veterans Day to remain a distinct Federal holiday observed every year on November 11. Eighty-three years ago, in a forest northeast of Paris, an armistice was signed that ended the fighting in World War I commencing on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. The war to end all wars was over. It had been won through the selfless service and sacrifice of tens of thousands of American men and women, joining together with millions of our British, French, and other allies. To commemorate this historic event, the following year, President Woodrow Wilson, who I would note parenthetically was a former New Jersey Governor, issued a proclamation declaring November 11 Armistice Day, saying that, and I quote, ``The reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with the gratitude for the victory.'' Following World War II, Armistice Day was renamed Veterans Day to honor all those men and women who served a grateful Nation. Madam Speaker, as chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I am unalterably opposed to any proposal that would alter or in any way diminish Veterans Day. In particular, I stand in opposition to the recommendation of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform that Federal elections be held concurrently with Veterans Day. While I, like every other Member of this House, want citizens to fully exercise their franchise and to vote, I do not believe diluting Veterans Day is a way to achieve that end. Such a change would defeat the purpose of reserving a day in the year to honor all men and women, living and deceased, who have risked their lives to defend our Nation. Veterans Day, especially when it is coupled with Memorial Day, the day we honor our war dead and those who have died who served honorably, are 2 days, and it is the least we can do, I would say, Madam Speaker. And, again, to diminish it would be wrong. In 1987, Madam Speaker, Congress made a similar mistake when legislation was approved to change the national Veterans Day observance from November 11 to the fourth Monday in October to create a 3-day weekend for Federal employees. This misguided policy was quickly abandoned following a national outcry from millions of Americans, veterans and nonveterans alike. Madam Speaker, Veterans Day is more than just a holiday. It is a continuing history lesson for all Americans. It is a reminder that freedom is not free; that our liberties, which are endowed by our Creator, must be defended against all who would remove them. This is a very good resolution and I urge strong support for it.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 3392.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

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

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to thank the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules for his very eloquent remarks. We all have very fond memories. I know my first trip to Vietnam along with the gentleman from New York (Mr. Gilman) on behalf of POWs was in 1984. Mr. Solomon was again tenacious in trying to ensure that there was an absolutely thorough accounting and that any live sightings be followed up as aggressively as possible to ensure that nobody was left behind.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, tonight I want to highlight our nation's efforts to fight, and hopefully end, the scourge of trafficking in women and children. Earlier today, International Relations Committee held an important hearing on the implementation of anti-trafficking legislation I authored, and which was signed into law last Congress. As the Prime Sponsor of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, H.R. 3244, I was pleased that our legislation attracted unanimous bipartisan support in both Houses of Congress, and was signed into law just over one year ago. We succeeded not only because this legislation is pro- woman, pro-child, pro-human rights, pro-family values, and anti-crime, but also because it addresses a horrendous problem that cries out for a comprehensive solution. Each year as many as two million innocent victims--of whom the overwhelming majority are women and children--are brought by force and/ or fraud into the international commercial sex industry and other forms of modern-day slavery. The Act was necessary because previous efforts by the United States government, international organizations, and others to stop this brutal practice had proved unsuccessful. Indeed, all the evidence suggests that the most severe forms of trafficking in persons are far more widespread than they were just a few years ago. My legislation was designed to give our government the tools we believed it needed to eliminate slavery, and particularly sex slavery. The central principle behind the Trafficking Victims Protection Act is that criminals who knowingly operate enterprises that profit from sex acts involving persons who have been brought across international boundaries for such purposes by force or fraud, or who force human beings into slavery, should receive punishment commensurate with the penalties for kidnapping and forcible rape. This would be not only a just punishment, but also a powerful deterrent. And the logical corollary of this principle is that we need to treat victims of these terrible crimes as victims, who desperately need our help, compassion, and protection. As the implementation of this important legislation moves forward, success will depend, in large part, on the development of a large coalition of citizen organizations that are out there on the streets helping these victims day in and day out. The problem is simply too big for any one, or even several, governments to tackle alone. That is why I am so pleased to learn that outside advocacy and relief organizations are continuing to join the fight against human trafficking. Father Stan DeBoe, with the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, CMSM, is one such civic leader who deserves special recognition of his efforts, and the efforts of the CMSM. the CMSM, for those who are unfamiliar with their work, serves as the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregation of the 20,000 vowed religious priests and brothers of the United States. The CMSM is the voice of these Catholic priests and brothers in the U.S., and also collaborates with the U.S. bishops and other Catholic organizations which serve the Church, and our society. I have included, as part of the Record, a recent resolution jointly adopted by the CMSM and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, LCWR, on August 26 during a conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Like all laws, however, this law is only as good as its implementation. And, frankly, I have been deeply concerned at the slow pace of implenatinion of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. A year after enactment of this legislation, the State Department office--which is designed to be the nerve center of our diplomatic efforts to engage foreign governments in the war against trafficking--has only recently begun to get up and running. No regulations have yet been issued which will allow victims to apply for the visas provided by the Act. And many other important tasks remain undone. I do not say this to complain or criticize--I know that many things move too slowly in the first year of a new Administration, and that since September 11 our attention and resources have been diverted elsewhere--but to emphasize that from now on, we do not have a minute to spare. I should also say that I am profoundly encouraged by the fact that the Administration has been able to recruit Dr. Laura Lederer to bring her expertise and commitment to the State Department's anti-trafficking effort. Dr. Lederer is generally regarded as the world's leading expert on the pathology of human trafficking, and the Protection Project which she headed has provided the factual and analytical basis for most of the work that has been done so far to combat human trafficking. Throughout the long process of consideration and enactment of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, Laura was our mentor and our comrade-in-arms. I commend Under Secretary Dobriansky, for this important choice. Finally, I want to emphasize the principles behind the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. I take second place to none in my commitment to workers' rights, but this is not a labor law and it is not an immigration law--it is a comprehensive attack on human slavery, and especially sex slavery. It emphatically rejects the principle that commercial sex should be regarded as legitimate form of ``work.'' I know that a number of officials in the previous Administration disagreed with the approach we took in this bill--and that many of these officials are career employees who still work in the government-- but the Trafficking Victims Protection Act is the law of the land, and we now have a President who has made clear that he agrees with us on this fundamental question. So I hope and trust that in implementing the law--in making grants, in staffing offices and working groups, in seeking partners and advisors in this important effort--this Administration will rely on people who fully support the law they are implementing, rather than on those who never liked it and who may seek to evade or ignore some of its most important provisions. What we need to make this law work are ``true believers'' who will spare no effort to mobilize the resources and the prestige of the United States government to implement this important Act and shut down this terrible industry, which routinely and grossly violates the most fundamental human rights of the world's most vulnerable people. Resolution Opposing Trafficking in Women and Children Statement of Resolution LCWR and CMSM stand in support of human rights by opposing trafficking of women and children for purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor, and will educate others regarding the magnitude, causes, and consequences of this abuse. Rationale 1. At their May 2001 plenary session in Rome, the International Union of Superiors General, leaders of more than 780 congregations of women religious having a total membership of one million, endorsed a resolution opposing the abuse of women and children, with particular sensitivity to the trafficking and sexual exploitation of women. UISG resolved that this issue be addressed from a contemplative stance as an expression of a fully incarnated feminine spirituality in solidarity with women all over the world. 2. An LCWR goal is to work for a just world order by using our corporate voice and influence in solidarity with people who experience poverty, racism, powerlessness or any other form of violence or oppression. A CMSM goal is to provide a corporate influence in church and society. 3. The Platform for Action of the UN Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, 1995, included the strategic objective to eliminate trafficking in women and assist victims of violence due to prostitution and trafficking. 4. Each year between 700,000 and 2 million women and children are trafficked across international borders, with more than 50,000 women trafficked into the U.S. (UISG papers) Call for Specific Action 1. Deepen our understanding of the realities of trafficking and its integral relationship with poverty, male dominance, and the globalization of trade. 2. Join with UISG as they call for specific days of international prayer, contemplation, and fasting to unite religious in prayer throughout the world. 3. Encourage education about trafficking, prostitution, and workplace slavery in sponsored schools, colleges, and universities and in adult educational ministries. 4. If feasible, collaborate in applying for federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services in implementation of HR 3244 to provide services to victims of trafficking. The Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) serves the leadership of the Catholic orders and congregations of the 20,000 vowed religious priests and brothers of the United States, ten percent of whom are foreign missionaries. CMSM provides a voice for these communities in the U.S. church and society. CMSM also collaborates with the U.S. bishops and other key groups and organizations that serve church and society. The Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) has approximately 1,000 members who are the elected leaders of their religious orders, representing 81,000 Catholic sisters in the United States. The Conference develops leadership, promotes collaboration within church and society, and serves as a voice for systemic change.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, let me tell my colleagues about the company that informed us that they have the technology to clone human beings. This is the same company that conducted research in which they introduced human cells into cow eggs, they have created human embryos specifically for scientific experimentation. In other words-- use newly created human beings--steal their stem cells, then kill them. And now they have cloned human beings that lived for a few hours as embryos and then died. The drill here is to clone then kill the newly created human. Their president, Michael West, has made clear that he has no problems with cloned births once so-called ``safety issues'' are resolved. Glen McGee, the former chair of their ethics advisory board, current professor of bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania and editor in chief of the American Journal of Bioethics, resigned from this company's ethics advisory board last fall because they were using it as a front. But that should come as no surprise, Mr. Speaker, when you consider what is going on in their labs. These are not the people we want to defend. These are not the people we want to hold up as scientific trailblazers, nor do we want to empower or enable them. Their actions are more like, Mr. Speaker, the Third Reich, where scientists routinely played God, than the work of visionaries like Copernicus, Galileo, Madame Curie or Jonas Salk. The Senate must pass the House-passed bill to proscribe cloning.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I offer a motion.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insist on the House amendment and request a conference with the Senate thereon.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on International Relations be discharged from further consideration of the Senate bill (S. 180) to facilitate famine relief efforts and a comprehensive solution to the war in Sudan, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I strongly encourage Members to support H.R. 3240, the Reservist Education Protection Act of 2001, and am pleased that the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) has joined me in sponsoring this. We are up to 34 Members who have cosponsored this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, as many as 10,000 of the 50,000 Reservists and Guard members the President called to active duty on September 18, 2001, may have had their education interrupted by their selfless service to our Nation. These service members should not lose any of the educational benefits they have earned because they answered the call to duty. The Reservist Education Protection Act of 2001 would reinstate VA educational entitlement to those called up for Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as those called up in future national emergencies. This bipartisan legislation would allow any service member who is mobilized after September 11 and had to disenroll from college or other schools to regain any monthly VA educational entitlement payments lost due to the call-up. Our bill accomplishes this by increasing the number of months of VA education entitlement equal to the months deducted for the incomplete course. These men and women would also regain time to attend school by extending the 10 years that they already have to use their benefit by a period equal to the period of active duty for which they were called up, plus 4 months. For example, if a service member is mobilized for 6 months, he or she would have 10 months added to his or her 10-year delimiting period. Mr. Speaker, in 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, Congress addressed this same issue and protected VA educational entitlements under both the chapter 30 Montgomery GI bill active duty program and the then- chapter 106 program for members of the Selected Reserve. Such protections were for the Persian Gulf War only. I would note that the service members using the current chapter 1606 Montgomery GI bill program under title 10, U.S. Code, are already protected. Let us tell the men and women mobilized that Congress stands with them as they serve our Nation during Operation Enduring Freedom. I urge support of H.R. 3240. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman for his kind comments. We do work, I think, very well as a team on behalf of 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 include any extraneous material to the bill, H.R. 3240.

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

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I want to commend my good friend and colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), for this meaningful resolution and for his sensitivity and his bipartisanship in proffering it today and for naming the tech center, which is an outstanding center in New Jersey in his district, after Frank Lautenberg. Madam Speaker, while I had serious differences with Senator Lautenberg from time to time especially on safeguarding unborn children there is no doubt that Frank worked tirelessly for the State of New Jersey. A self-made millionaire, he knew that hard work and industry are key ingredients in any endeavor. He was a great friend of Amtrak. We all know how vital Amtrak is to the Northeast Corridor and New Jersey in particular. The ridership continually climbs, not just because of aviation safety issues but because people like it; it is relatively inexpensive; and it gets you there on time and schedule, permits maximum flexibility in personal or professional planning. He also worked very hard with me and as he did with other Members of our delgation. For example we recently had a specific need in Manasquan. We wanted to get a new state of the art motorized lifeboat, for sea rescues and recovery. Senator Lautenberg and I worked the procurement of the boat from both ends of the Capitol and succeeded. He helped lead the effort against smoking on commercial aircraft. My mother died from lung cancer as a result of smoking and my family and I miss her dearly. We know that something on the order of 400,000 to 500,000 people will die from smoking every year. It's an outrage. Yet, having a flight attendant as a sister-in-law and a brother who is a pilot and 757 captain, we know that secondhand smoke can be very deleterious to one's health and can lead to lung cancer and emphysema and other anomalies attributable to smoking. Finally, one seemingly obscure provision that Senator Lautenberg took the lead on that really does not make the front page, and it is something that I have worked with him on for many years, and that was known as the Lautenberg amendment. It was an amendment designed to assist, to facilitate emigration of Soviet Jews and other persecuted people in the Soviet Union as well as Indochinese nationals, to give them a special and a vitally necessary protection and refugee status. Madam Speaker, normal refugee procedures require an adjudication of that case on a case-by-case basis. The record clearly indicated that many people, worthy individuals, were being improperly screened out and being left behind in a the country where tyranny did its terrible misdeeds to those individuals. Because the Soviets, for example, imposed such egregious repression on Jews and whole categories of people by reason of their inclusion and identification with that group, the Lautenberg amendment first adopted in 1990 stipulated that if the whole group was affected, they as individuals would be able to get the kind of protection refugee status that would lead to their freedom. The Lautenberg amendment has resulted in freedom for thousands of people. Again, it never made a big splash in the media, but it is a very humanitarian piece of legislation for which he is the author. I thank again my good friend, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. LoBiondo), for sponsoring this bill.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I urge a unanimous vote in favor of this important resolution which makes clear that continued strong support of Congress for freedom and democracy in Burma and for the struggle of Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League of Democracy to assert the fundamental rights of the Burmese people. I want to thank and congratulate the gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and the 35 bipartisan cosponsors of this timely and important resolution. Mr. Speaker, the manager's amendment, which is included in the text, now makes technical and drafting changes and has been agreed to by the chairman and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) on the Democratic side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago this month, the Nobel Committee recognized what the whole world knew, that the only way to restore peace and prosperity to the once-proud nation of Burma was to restore legitimacy. Burma is different from most other countries in which power is wielded by a totalitarian dictatorship, in that we do not have to theorize what would they do if they had the opportunity. The people had the opportunity, and they chose to govern themselves. Eleven years ago, the military dictatorship did allow an election, which they figured they would be able to win by fraud and by dividing and conquering the different ethnic groups that comprise the nation of Burma; but to their shock, dismay and surprise, the reformers won with an overwhelming support from all ethnic groups in all parts of the country. So the dictatorship simply canceled the results of the election. Nevertheless, it laid to rest any doubt about the desire of the Burmese people, the earnest desire for freedom and democracy and about the fundamental illegitimacy of the military junta that has continued to govern Burma. This resolution commends and rightfully commends Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. She is a great leader. That anniversary occurred on October 14 of this year. The resolution also describes the suppression of freedom and democracy by the Burmese military junta and the continuing struggle of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to assert the rights, legitimate rights, of the Burmese people. It declares the sense of the Congress that the U.S. Government should continue to encourage the government of Burma to restore basic human rights to the Burmese people; to eliminate the practice of human trafficking; to address the manufacture of heroin; and to continue the process of releasing political prisoners; to recognize the result of the 1990 elections; and to allow Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League for Democracy to enjoy unfettered freedom of speech and freedom of movement. Finally, Mr. Speaker, this resolution declares a sense of Congress that Aung San Suu Kyi should be invited to address a joint meeting of the Congress. It is my hope that this meeting will occur when Aung San Suu Kyi has taken her rightful place as the leader of a free and democratic Burma. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of our time.

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 the concurrent resolution now under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 211) commending Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on the 10th anniversary of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and expressing the sense of the Congress with respect to the Government of Burma, as amended.

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

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2541, a bill to enhance the authorities of the Diplomatic Security Service agents at the U.S. Department of State. The measure before us includes an amendment that was recommended by the Committee on the Judiciary. The bill was drafted in consultation with the State Department. I want to thank and congratulate the author of the bill, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the chairman of the Committee on International Relations, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos), the ranking democrat and member of the committee, who was a principal cosponsor of the legislation. The provisions clarify and expand the circumstances in which subpoena and arrest authority is available for State Department diplomatic security officers who often find themselves on the front line of defense against terrorism and other threats to our national security. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2541 authorizes diplomatic security special agents to obtain and execute search warrants, subpoenas or summonses as those relate to their protective duties and to passport and visa fraud investigations. It also permits agents, in the course of conducting their investigative or protective duties, to make arrests without warrant for offenses committed in their presence or in certain other compelling circumstances, just as other Federal law enforcement officers are now empowered to do. The bill also allows diplomatic security agents to make misdemeanor arrests of persons obstructing or impeding agents in the performance of their protective functions. Finally, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2541 fixes a disconnect in current law in which the Secretary of State may authorize protection of distinguished visitors, but where it does not make it a Federal crime to attack such visitors. Current law only criminalizes attacks on distinguished visitors protected by the Diplomatic Security Services when they are ``official'' visitors. There are occasions in which such protective services may appropriately be authorized for visitors who are technically official, such as, for instance, the Dalai Lama or Salman Rushdie. So this legislation ensures that diplomatic security officers will be empowered to arrest people who assault anyone who is lawfully under their protection. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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. 2541, the bill under consideration.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2541) to enhance the authorities of special agents and provide limited authorities to uniformed officers responsible for the protection of domestic Department of State occupied facilities, as amended.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the memory of innocent victims of an abominable act perpetrated against the people of Ukraine in 1932-33. Seven million innocent men, women and children were murdered so that one man, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, could consolidate control over Ukraine. The Ukrainian people resisted the Soviet policy of forced collectivization. The innocent died a horrific death at the hands of a tyrannical dictatorship which had crushed their freedom. In an attempt to break the spirit of an independent-minded and nationally-conscious Ukrainian peasantry, and ultimately to secure collectivization, Stalin ordered the expropriation of all foodstuffs in the hands of the rural population. The grain was shipped to other areas of the Soviet Union or sold on the international market. Peasants who refused to turn over grain to the state were deported or executed. Without food or grain, mass starvation ensued. This manmade famine was the consequence of deliberate policies which aimed to destroy the political, cultural and human rights of the Ukrainian people. In short, food was used as a weapon in what can only be described as an organized act of terrorism designed to suppress a people's love of their land and the basic liberty to live as they choose. This month also marks an important milestone in more recent Ukrainian history. Twenty-five years ago, on November 9, 1976, 10 courageous men and women formed the Ukrainian Public Group to Promote the Implementation of the Helsinki Accords. The work of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group focused on monitoring human rights violations and on the Ukrainian national question as an integral component of human rights issues. The Ukrainian Helsinki Group eventually became the largest of its kind among similar groups in the Soviet Union, but also the most repressed by the Soviet regime. Of the 37 Ukrainians who eventually joined the Group, virtually all were subjected to lengthy terms in labor camps and internal exile. Three--Oleksiy Tykhy, Yuri Lytvyn and Vasyl Stus--died in the mid-1980s while serving camp terms under extremely harsh conditions. Their courageous, active commitment to human rights and freedom for the people of Ukraine laid the foundation for the historic achievement of Ukrainian independence in 1991. As we honor the memory of the millions of innocent victims of the Ukrainian Famine, let us also not forget to honor the work and, in some instances, the martyrdom, of the valiant members of the Ukrainian Helsinki Group. While similar atrocities are highly unlikely, Ukraine has yet to realize its full democratic potential. Despite the real progress made in the decade since independence, the unsolved murders of Georgiy Gongadze and other journalists and political figures, the assaults on media freedoms, the pervasive corruption, and the lack of respect for the rule of law demonstrate a democratic deficit that must be overcome. An independent, sovereign, democratic Ukraine--in which respect for the dignity of human beings is the cornerstone--is the best guarantee that the horrors of the last century become truly inconceivable.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. McHugh) for his courtesy and for his excellent service on the committee and in the Congress, and I want to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) for offering this important resolution. It is extremely important that we recognize the tremendous service of our postal employees, especially in this time of national emergency. Equally important, as the second clause, and resolving clause, points out, we will work with the U.S. Postal Service to assure the safety and well-being of postal workers as they carry out their duties and responsibilities to the general public. Certainly the challenge we face now is to ensure that every piece of mail that goes through the system, is guaranteed to be pristine and clean. This will take a considerable purchase, procurement of the kind of detectors that exist, they are off the shelf. We need to be willing to make that kind of payment to ensure that every letter carrier, every postal worker and everyone who works within the system and everyone who gets mail is not going to become contaminated. We certainly know firsthand what that is all about in Mercer County, in central New Jersey, Hamilton and Trenton. In Hamilton, the John K. Rafferty postal facility on Route 130 was shut down and continues to be shut down. There have been seven people affected by anthrax in my state. One was not a postal worker, but she worked in the building complex where my district office is located. Thankfully, they have all made great recoveries because of the marvels of antibiotics and Cipro in particular. Again, I think by recognizing that they are on the front line, we need to put postal workers on a pedestal and thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their courage and their commitment to public service during these very trying times. I would point out that Vito Cetta, who is the postmaster in charge of the central Jersey area, and Joe Sautello have done marvelous jobs. Yes, there has been second guessing from time to time. When do you close? When do you keep a facility open? When do you test? We were pushing very hard that all of the 44 different feeder sites of the main facility be tested. Lo and behold, when they did the testing, four of those sites suffered from cross-contamination, which we will all recall CDC and others said at the onset cannot happen. Well, it did, and there were areas and perhaps even people who were contaminated. Let me also thank Tony DiStephano, who heads up the letter carriers union. I met with Tony many times during this crisis, obviously many times before. He and the letter carriers have been tenacious. They want to deliver the mail, they want to do their jobs, but they want to do it in a way that mitigates and hopefully eliminates the possibility of contamination. Bill Lewis from the APWU has also done a great job under very, very trying circumstances. But they want to do their jobs. They want to be on the job because they know the mail moves the country. Our economy is absolutely dependent upon the work they do. Finally, I want to say I have a bill pending before the Committee on Financial Services that I hope will move quickly. Many people have not received their bills, and often when they sent in their checks, their remittances, they were held up getting to their Visa, credit card or mortgage company. This bill would establish a grace period of 30 days. Our hope is that this might be done voluntarily, but there are going to be big gaps. So hopefully this legislation will move very quickly so that we can ensure that people's credit histories are not penalized and that the finance charges are not levied against them. We have learned a lot from this. Again, I want to conclude by saying that Postmaster General Potter has been vigilant. He deserves high praise as well. He has convened his own group to meet, to figure out what the protocols ought to be when opening and closing postal facilities. They are literally writing the book as they go, day in and day out. I want to commend him for the job he is doing. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding me time.