Cliff Stearns

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Frelinghuysen).

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Kirk).

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 346) to amend the Federal Trade Commission Act to increase civil penalties for violations involving certain proscribed acts or practices that exploit popular reaction to an emergency or major disaster declared by the President, and to authorize the Federal Trade Commission to seek civil penalties for such violations in actions brought under section 3 of that Act.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, the mark of any great civilization can be measured by those who are willing to put their lives at risk for the advancement of their people. And with this in mind, Mr. Speaker, I rise with a grieving heart to commemorate the seven lives lost on the shuttle Columbia. Not since the Challenger tragedy in '86 has America known this sort of loss. In an age where space flight has become second nature, we forget the untold peril that these men and women face with each mission. Bound by bravery and the faith in their mission, these heroes took on risks for the betterment of mankind. These men and women, America and Israel's elite, sought more than personal success, they braved the skies for the greater good, representing the world's strongest space program. But as we grieve the loss of the Columbia's crew, earth's men and women will continue answering the call, placing the mantel of space exploration over their shoulders. I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to the families of the crewmembers; in our prayers and in our hearts, the men and women of the Columbia will never be forgotten.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor to congratulate the University of Florida on its 150th year in operation and of course to wish them continued success. It is a great privilege to represent such a fine university. I am proud to say that the University of Florida ranks fourth in the Nation among public universities and 10th among all universities in the number of freshman National Merit Scholars in attendance. Not only do I have the privilege of representing the university, but also the city in which the university was formed, which also happens to be very close to my hometown. In 1853, the University of Florida began as East Florida Seminary in Ocala, Florida. It was created in response to a State decision which allowed public funds to be used to support higher education. It later combined with Florida Agriculture College, St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School, and South Florida Military College to become the University of the State of Florida, one of four State universities. Having been formed before the Civil War, the University of Florida has been a profound player in both Florida and American history. In fact, in World War I, the university served as a base for 400 soldiers. These student soldiers were displaced to local boarding houses as sentries to guard the gates and dormitories on campus. In the mid-1920s, the State of Florida and the university suffered financial difficulties, along with the rest of the country. The Mediterranean fruit fly crippled the State's citrus production, and the deadliest hurricane to ever hit Florida destroyed what was left of the State's economy. Then a year later, the Great Depression began for the collapse of the stock market. State funds for expansion were virtually nonexistent for nearly 20 years thereafter. In the Second World War, more than 10,000 UF alumni served this country. William Corry and Hubert Schucht, former student body presidents, were among those killed. The University of Florida has a rich State and national history and it thrives today as one of the premier State universities in the United States. University of Florida students are among the most active in this Nation. With a 46,500-plus student enrollment and 2,000-acre campus, the campus is a lively and stimulating environment for all of its students. Students at the university lead a rich social and academic life, which is evidenced by the fact that in a single year there are more than 600 student organizations operating on campus and more than 2,000 campus concerts, art exhibits, theatrical productions, guest lectures, sports concerts and other events in a year. With an athletics program rivaled by few Division I-A schools, the University of Florida fields some of the most competitive teams in the country. UF scholar-athletes have dominated in every sporting arena, and it is evident from their dozens of national titles. I am proud of the University of Florida's athletic program and foresee continued success. I also want to congratulate the University of Florida football team for an admirable season. Gator fans across the country should be excited for this program and their new coach, Ron Zook. Coach Zook has put together an outstanding staff, and I look forward to seeing them back on top of the SEC. Academic institutions shoulder a great responsibility in the health and progress of local communities. They not only teach young people skills in order to succeed, but also intangible advantages like broad- mindedness and a sense of the world around them. Education is our best defense against hatred and poverty, which is why we must invest in institutions that have a proven record of success. As any Member of this body would be, I am proud to represent one such institution. I congratulate the University of Florida and President Charles Young and wish the university long-lasting success. God bless.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the efforts of a great team and a strong organization. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are Super Bowl champions and I could not be more pleased for Buc fans across this nation. In an amazing game that pitted the NFL's number one offense versus the league's number one defense, the Buccaneers proved the age-old football mantra that ``offense wins games, but defense wins championships.'' New coach Jon Gruden fielded arguably one of the greatest defenses of all time. Led by captains Derrick Brooks and John Lynch, the Bucs defense stifled the Oakland Raiders and MVP quarterback Rich Gannon. In what has truly been a lesson in resiliency, Bucs fans have had to suffer through an 0-26 start and 14 consecutive losing seasons; but today they are world champions. Owner Malcolm Glazer and coach Jon Gruden have put together a world-class organization and I expect continued success from them in the future.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased on this first day of the 108th Congress to introduce four pieces of legislation that I have been pursuing over the years, and for which I will continue to advocate these next two years. First, together with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), I introduced bill H.R. 804, a bill to repeal the 2 percent excise tax on private foundations. The United States is blessed with a deep spirit of philanthropy. Charitable organizations serve the interest of both the individual and the community. Private foundations in particular have made measurable differences in the lives of Americans, from access to public libraries, developing the polio vaccine, and even leading in the creation of the emergency number 911. Each and every American has experienced the benefits of the tireless efforts of these foundations. Under current law, not-for-profit private foundations generally must pay a 2 percent excise tax on their net investment income. This requirement was originally enacted in the Tax Reform Act of 1969 as a way to offset the cost of government audits on these organizations. So some 34 years ago, we instituted a tax on these foundations to cover the audit expense. However, when you look at the number of audits that have been performed, particularly since 1990, the IRS audits on private foundations has decreased from 1,200 to just 191. Yet the excise collection during these 31 years has grown from roughly $200 million in 1990 to $500 million in the year 1999. In addition, private foundations are bound by a 5 percent distribution rule. Foundations must make annual qualifying distributions for charitable purposes equal to roughly 5 percent of their fair market value of the foundation's net investment assets. The required 2 percent excise tax, which is payable to the IRS, actually counts as a credit to the 5 percent distribution rule. So in a nutshell, what we have here is a private foundation making a charitable grant to the Federal Government every year, and since 1969 the number of audits have gone down; yet the number of charitable foundations has gone up. Mr. Speaker, I believe that Americans have been more than charitable in giving the government their hard-earned dollars. It is time that we begin the process of returning the money to the people and the foundations to which it is intended. President Bush is working to accomplish that goal with his reduction in tax rates, allowing for the increased use of charitable deductions and credits. My bill goes one step further. It gives those charitable organizations relief from the $500 billion tax that the Federal Government instituted 34 years ago so they can give more of their money back to the people who need it. I would like to also emphasize that the former President, Mr. Clinton, proposed a reduction in this same excise tax in his fiscal- year 2001 budget. The Treasury Department noted: ``Lowering the excise tax rate for all foundations would make additional funds available for charitable purposes.'' So, Madam Speaker, common sense dictates that the elimination of this tax would increase additional charitable giving. I would like to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Crane), for his support on this bill, and for my other colleagues who have graciously recommitted their support. I ask my colleagues to take a look at this piece of legislation. Next, I am pleased to again sponsor the Health Care Tax Deduction Act of 2003. What it does is allow deductions for amounts paid for health insurance premiums and unreimbursed prescription drugs. What I am proposing would also provide much-needed relief to individuals struggling with the high cost of health insurance and prescription drugs through a tax deduction. As we all know, employers can write off the cost of health care coverage that is purchased for their employees. Why cannot individuals be afforded this same opportunity to write off their premiums and their unreimbursed prescription drug expenses? The current tax code sets a threshold at 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income before medical expenses can be taken as a write-off. I do not think this is fair. Right now, under the current tax code, in order to claim health care expenses the individuals must file an itemized tax return. I believe that all taxpayers should be allowed to deduct these out-of-pocket expenses and costs and that we need to include a place where this deduction could be taken on the short form such as the 1040 EZ, and the 1040A. My bill also applies to the self-employed because although individuals who are self-employed are now eligible for a 100 percent write-off of health insurance premiums, not so with prescription drug expenses. I believe we must address this issue because so many Americans are uninsured today, and many millions more are underinsured. And, we all end up paying for the uninsured through higher premiums, deductibles and copayments for covered services, higher taxes for uncompensated care, and reduced wages. Did you know that Americans spends more than $1 trillion on health care? That represents about 13.5 percent of the gross domestic product. By 2008, spending will increase to 16.5 percent of the gross domestic product. In fact, Mr. Speaker, Americans spend more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world. But why are so many people uninsured? Most studies cite cost as a major reason for not having insurance. Many workers decline coverage through their place of employment because they cannot afford to pay their share of the premium. Others, such as temporary workers, cannot afford to purchase their own insurance. We all know that the cost of health care has risen dramatically over the last 20 years. According to the Health Insurance Association of America, the average major medical premium costs about $ for an individual and about $ for a family. Of that amount, employees pay anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of that premium, typically. Unfortunately, things may get worse in an economic downturn, because many employers cover the cost of the high premiums to keep workers in a tight labor market, and as costs increase employers might pass the cost along to the employees, or in fact discontinue providing health insurance altogether. Further, as unemployment has risen, begins to rise, many individuals have turned to the individual market, and must shoulder the entire cost on their own. Seniors, in particular, have been impacted because so many HMOs have pulled out of Medicare due in large part to,the high cost of prescription drugs. Allowing a simple write-off of certain costly health care expenses such as health insurance premiums and out-of- pocket expenses for prescription drugs would be a tremendous benefit that may not be available to them under the current system. Mr. Speaker, I hope all of my colleagues cosponsor my bill. It makes sense to have all taxpayers have this type of deduction available to them. Turning to our nation's veterans, residing in my home state of Florida, I am sponsoring legislation to establish a national Veterans' Affairs cemetery in Jacksonville, Florida. Florida has our nation's 2nd largest veterans population, and the number one oldest. Nearly 325,000 veterans call home somewhere in the Jacksonville vicinity of three congressional districts. Yet, the closest VA cemetery is at least a three-hour drive from Jacksonville. The next closest in proximity lies in Marietta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta. A new national VA cemetery in Jacksonville would answer this unmet need for north Floridians and southern Georgians. I hope my colleagues will consider cosponsoring this bill, and help provide the dignified, hallowed grounds our veterans deserve. Finally, I am pleased to reintroduce a resolution supporting the goals and ideals of establishing a Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) awareness month. In the 107th Congress, this bill had tremendous support from Members and from the U.S. COPD Coalition, including the patient and provider community. We are so pleased to report that on November 9th, President George W. Bush proclaimed November 2001 COPD Awareness Month. Next, the President sent a gracious letter on October 24, 2002 commending the organizations of the U.S. COPD Coalition for their efforts. COPD is an umbrella term used to describe the airflow obstruction associated mainly with emphysema and chronic bronchitis. This is a debilitating disease, that is currently the nation's fourth leading cause of death. Both conditions decrease the lungs' ability to take in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide. Long- term smoking--the most common cause of COPD--is responsible for 80-90 percent of all cases, while other risk factors include heredity, second-hand smoke, air pollution, and a history of frequent childhood respiratory infections. Common symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, chronic coughing, chest tightness, and increased effort to breathe. COPD has no cure, but there are treatment options available to those who have been properly diagnosed. I look forward to working with my colleagues on all four of these important pieces of business for the nation.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to share with my colleagues a story of heroism and to honor the bravery of Lt. Commander Henry Lee Plage who lives in my hometown of Ocala, FL. During World War II, he and his crew saved dozens of men from the water of the Pacific after a raging typhoon sunk three ships. Henry Lee Plage started his military career as a member of ROTC at Georgia Tech and he joined the Navy in 1937 after his graduation. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lt. Commander Plage immediately requested sea duty. His first assignment was commanding a submarine chaser. With only 4 days to get ready, he assumed command of a crew of 55. On February 18, 1944, the USS Tabberer (DE-418) was launched. She was commissioned on May 23, 1944, with Plage in command. By October the ship had joined Admiral Halsey's 3rd Fleet, helping to supply crucial air cover for General MacArthur's Land troops. On December 17m 1944, the USS Tabberer was east of the Phillippine Islands along with the 3rd Fleet, scheduled to refuel, when the weather began to deteriorate rapidly. The reason, Typhoon Cobra was heading directly toward them. The high winds and choppy seas prevented the USS Tabberer from refueling and by the evening of December 17th, the full force of the typhoon was upon them. The Tabberer had to fight extremely rough seas-- and by the 18th sustained winds had reached about 145 miles per hour, with wind gusts up to 185 miles an hour. Before the Typhoon had moved through, the USS Tabberer had lost its mast and radio antenna. Three destroyers from the fleet, the USS Hull (DD-350), the USS Spence (DD- 512) and the USS Monaghan (DD-354), had gone down. About 9:30 p.m. on December 18th, the Tabberer rescued its first survivor from the water. It was then that Lt. Commander Plage learned that the USS Hull had capsized. Plage and the Tabberer immediately began an intensive search and rescue effort. These efforts continued for 3 days and nights. In all, the USS Tabberer pulled 55 men from the Pacific Ocean. All were from the USS Hull and the USS Spence. Typhoon Cobra claimed nearly 800 lives. Only 92 survived, 55 of these rescued by the crew of the USS Tabberer. Lt. Commander Plage remained on sea duty after the war and gave the Navy 14 years of service before retiring in 1954. It is an honor for me to share this story of heroism and survival and I ask you all to join me in commending Lt. Commander Henry Lee Plage and the crew of the USS Tabberer for their dedication in saving the lives of 55 men from that terrible storm.

Mr. STEARNS

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

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Senate bill, S. 1533, the Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002. This legislation strengthens the country's key safety net programs through the reauthorization of the community health centers, CHC, and National Health Service Corps, NHSC, programs. Mr. Speaker, it represents Congress's strong commitment to provide safety net providers' ability to offer health care services to millions of underserved and uninsured people. One of the most pressing health care issues facing our country today is the problem of the uninsured. By some statistics over 40 million Americans currently do not possess health care insurance, a number that is expected to rise without health insurance reform. Many individuals lack the ability to receive even basic primary health care services. And, of course, during this time of economic uncertainty, our safety net is being stretched to its capacity simply to ensure that all Americans have access to quality health care. Fortunately, there is something we can do about this problem. This legislation, while not a panacea to the problem of the uninsured, will significantly increase the authorization of resources for community health centers, thereby ensuring that low-income Americans' basic health care needs are being met today. Each year community, migrant, public housing and homeless health centers serve more than 12 million citizens at over 3,300 delivery sites throughout the urban and rural community in all 50 States. Community health centers are making a difference in providing health care service to those who are in need. That is why it is critical we strengthen the role of community health centers, the role they play in guaranteeing patients have access to high-quality health care. This bill also accomplishes other important goals that I know are important to several Members of this body. This legislation reauthorizes the National Health Service Corps, a program designed to improve the delivery of health care services by providing scholarships and loan repayments to eligible clinicians. The National Health Service Corps strives to address the growing demand for health care professionals. It does so in underserved areas. Moreover, the legislation includes revised grant programs for rural health services outreach, rural health network planning, and small health care provider quality improvement, as well as the consolidation of telehealth grants which will increase the efficient and effective use of resources at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Bush administration asked us to place additional resources into this program earlier this year, and we have done that in this bill. Mr. Speaker, I want to talk just briefly about the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth at the Health Resources and Service Administration, an innovative and very important program. This service will promote telehealth technologies in rural areas and frontier communities in medically underserved areas for medically underserved populations to expand high-quality health care services, using today's technology to provide more efficient delivery of health care services. It also improves the training of health care providers, improves the sharing of health information, most importantly, expresses the sense of Congress that States should develop reciprocity agreements so that licensed telehealth providers can conduct consultations under differing State laws. So truly, across this country with 50 States having reciprocity agreements whereby telehealth can be implemented will provide access to information. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Tauzin), the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell), for their efforts in producing this legislation. I am pleased we were ability to work out on a bipartisan basis with our Senate counterparts to provide legislation in this Congress that can strengthen the community health care centers program in America. Mr. Speaker, these program are vital to our efforts to provide care for those who would otherwise not have access to primary health care services. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of us to join in full support of this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Norwood).

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am especially pleased to highlight that the bill authorizes the Secretary to make grants to State professional licensing boards towards developing and implementing State policies that will reduce statutory and regulatory barriers in telehealth or telemedicine. In the past week, I have kicked off a workshop at the Federal Trade Commission with Chairman Muris on just this topic, statutory and regulatory barriers to e-commerce. Furthermore, my Subcommittee on Commerce, Consumer Trade and Protection has held hearings just on this subject. It is often the case that well-intentioned laws have unintended consequences to commerce and, in this case, to the practice of medicine. I am pleased also to recognize that the University of Florida in my home State has a CHC telehealth project so they are actually implementing a telemedicine program out to the rural areas, and I want to commend them this afternoon for their efforts. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1533) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and strengthen the health centers program and the National Health Service Corps, and to establish the Healthy Communities Access Program, which will help coordinate services for the uninsured and underinsured, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. STEARNS. 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 matter on this legislation.

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 464 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.'' Stated against:

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I want to call my colleagues attention to a remarkable constituent of mine. He is an immigrant from Turkey, who, forty years ago, came to the U.S., became a naturalized citizen and spent many years working in the import/export business. He retired in Florida and now resides in the 6th district. He is one of the Points of Light appointees by President Bush, Senior. His name is Fred Baki. After retirement, Fred formed a not-for-profit organization to teach adults reading, writing and arithmetic. Since 1989, he and his thirty- three volunteers have been serving U.S. citizens in the educational field. Several years ago, he and the volunteers developed a system by which long distance instruction could be provided over the telephone. This unusual teaching system is offered to all citizens, wherever they may reside, free of charge. Three telephone lines are open twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, including weekends and holidays. Now named Cottage Education Corporation, the effort is offering its services to public schools at no cost to the school system. I think Mr. Baki's long distance teaching and tutoring system is worthy of exploration to be implemented on a larger scale. Should this program prove valuable, it could possibly be implemented throughout the country. The system includes ten disciplines including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, science, civics, history, geography and biology. It contains a database with one thousand questions and answers. All of the subjects are presently taught in our public schools from the grade school to high school.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution, but we are engaged in debating the most difficult decision that Members of Congress are called upon to make. Notwithstanding that, Saddam Hussein is uniquely evil, the only ruler in power today, and the first one since Hitler, to commit chemical genocide. I believe there is reason for the long term to remove him from power. This resolution is the first step. My colleagues, remember that Israel absorbed the world's hatred and scorn for its attack on and destruction of Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor in 1981. Today it is accepted by most arms control experts that had Israel not destroyed Osirak, Hussein's Iraq would have had nuclear power by 1990, when his forces pillaged their way through Kuwait. We can see on this chart all the resolutions that were passed and that Saddam Hussein did not comply with. In fact, there were 12 immediately after the war; 35 after those 12. All together, 47 resolutions, of which he scarcely complied. Now, let us take the resolution on this chart, which is 687, governing the cease-fire in 1991. It required that Iraq unconditionally accept the destruction, removal or rendering harmless its chemical and biological weapons. Within 15 days after the passage of the resolution, Iraq was to have provided the locations, the amounts, and types of those specified items. Over a decade later, we still have little information on that. That is why I applaud President Bush for taking his case to the United Nations and placing the burden of action upon the organization to enforce its own resolutions passed on Iraq. We owe diplomacy and peaceful opportunities the due diligence necessary to rid this despotic regime of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism sponsorship. However, if the U.S. is not credible in alternatives for noncompliance, we will again be at the crossroads asking the same question: If not now, when? Let us move forward with this resolution, develop a consensus, and work together with other nations to remove this evil dictator. Mr. Speaker, our vote this week will be whether or not to authorize the President of the United States to use necessary and appropriate force to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq. I would like to emphatically state that no decision weighs heavier on the mind of a President, or a Member of Congress, than the decision to send our men and women of the Armed Forces into action. And I want to thank the President for working hard to make the case for possible--and I want my colleagues and the public to understand this--possible action against Iraq. The President stated last night that he hopes military action is not required. Iraq can avoid conflict by adhering to the security resolutions requiring ``declaring and destroying all of its weapons of mass destruction, ending support for terrorism and ceasing the persecution of its civilian population. And, it must release or account for all gulf war personnel, including an American pilot, whose fate is still unknown.'' To quote a recent article from the ``Weekly Standard'': There are, of course, many repugnant dictators in the world; a dozen or so in the Middle East alone. But Saddam Hussein is a figure of singular repugnance, and singular danger. To review: There is no dictator in power anywhere in the world who has, so far in his career, invaded two neighboring countries; fired ballistic missiles at the civilians of two other neighboring countries; tried to have assassinated an ex-president of the United States; harbored al-Qaida fugitives . . . attacked the soldiers of an enemy country with chemical weapons; conducted biological weapons experiments on human subjects; committee genocide; and there is, of course, the matter of the weaponized aflatoxin, a tool of mass murder and nothing else. And lastly, my colleagues, President Bush is not alone in calling for a regime change. Congress made the need for regime change clear in 1998 with the passage of the Iraq Liberation Act. The congress specifically stated ``It should be the policy of the United States to support efforts to remove the regime headed by Saddam Hussein from power in Iraq and to promote the emergence of a democratic government to replace that regime.'' In that legislation we also called upon the United Nations to establish an international criminal tribunal to prosecute Saddam Hussein and those in his regime for crimes against humanity and criminal violation of international law.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, recently, I came across an e-mail that had been circulated last year shortly after the September 11 attacks. It was sent by a former military professor in which he stated that the will of the American people is the fulcrum of this Nation's war on terrorism. He stated that the terrorists that attacked on 9-11 counted on a ``soft and spoiled'' America, who would eventually quit if retaliation did not result in immediate success. What the author of the e-mail discovered was an outpouring of ``what can I do'' to help in response. And I believe this amply illustrates what we continue to see across the United States. What the terrorists actually demonstrated with their attacks on 9-11, was their profound ignorance of the American people and of history. Military theorist Clausewitz, terms war as a ``remarkable trinity composed of the primordial passions of the people, the rational policies of the state, and the combination of incidents in battle.'' The ``passions of the people'' were awakened after Pearl Harbor and again were awakened after 9-11. One year later, the passions are still high. American's are aware that what we are facing is that which America's has never seen up close. We were attacked on our own soil by an organization of individuals bent--not on removing our presence from certain parts of the world--but on our utter destruction. We are facing an enemy who despises our very existence. They are consumed by hatred for the United States, that despite its faults, is open to all people regardless race or religion. We operate under principles of freedom, the ability to pursue life, liberty and happiness. As such, our country is fighting with hope against terror and freedom against oppression. Our enemies will never know freedom, because they are imprisoned by hate; and for that they have already lost. Former U.S. defense secretary, Caspar Weinberger, stated ``The will of the American people once aroused . . . is capable of accomplishing all the things that have to be done.'' As long as we continue to maintain a moral high ground in this campaign against terrorism and its supporters and take the appropriate and precise responsive measures, the will of the people of this county will know no bounds.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I come to the Floor this morning to express my strong support of the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA). I believe the rights of religious hospitals and other health care entities who may be opposed, in conscience to abortion, from ever having to perform, provide medical training or fund induced abortions should be protected. Lynn Wardle, Professor of Law at Brigham Young University, in his testimony before the Energy and Commerce Committee this summer noted, ANDA, ``The basic issue in the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act is forced abortion. A forced abortion occurs not only when a woman is forced to have an abortion she does not want, but also when a health- care provider is forced to provide or participate in an abortion against her will. The right of individuals and organizations of individuals to choose in accordance with their conscience to not have and to not participate in abortion must be protected against extremists who are trying to coerce others to provide abortion services that these extremists want but which others find morally repugnant. That is what ANDA is about.'' The rights of individuals to choose according to their conscience must be protected; it is the principle of freedom that we have the duty to defend. As we face an ever-increasing rise in the cost of managed care many smaller, private, sometimes religious hospitals are forced to merge with larger hospitals in order to survive. Conscience protection would ensure that these smaller, often denominational, hospitals would not have to choose between providing services that violate their conscience and closing their doors. These hospitals were often first organized to serve the poor and needy, it is these very people that will suffer should these hospitals be forced to close. The heart of the matter is this: Health care entities, as well as individuals, deserve the right to choose. Currently, 49 states have some kind of conscience protection for health care providers. It is time we clarify in law once and for all every doctor, hospital, and individual's right to act according to his or her conscience.

Mr. STEARNS

Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, Saturday night, college students from around the country will be spending all night at the Lincoln Memorial. They will be praying for the people of Sudan, and reminding us all of the human tragedy that is occurring there, and that we must do something about it. They will march to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in the morning, reminding us that we must never again let happen the kind of evil, the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis. And so, we must do something about Sudan. The Sudanese government, the National Islamic Front, is killing its own people in many horrible ways in its attempt to assert total control over their lives, to impose its version of Islamic law on the Christians and animists of southern Sudan. Government forces drop homemade bombs on villages and crops; they attack people in line for food aid with helicopter gunships; and they bum villages and crops to the ground. A particularly horrible weapon the government uses is hunger--it intentionally denies food to hundreds of thousands of people, to force them to starve or become refugees. According to the United Nations World Food Program, the Sudanese government intentionally put as many as 1.7 million people at risk this spring by denying them food and medical relief. The government agreed in 1989, along with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (the rebel group) and the United Nations to allow relief through Operation Lifeline Sudan. Shortly after this agreement, however, there was a coup and the current strongmen came to power. They immediately began to manipulate the relief system to prevent relief from coming in. Operation Lifeline Sudan flights are not always allowed in, and the government refuses to protect non-Operation Lifeline Sudan flights. In short, the government is trying nearly everything short of outright banning all relief to keep the people of the south starving. This is nothing less than genocide. The government is trying to kill or drive out hundreds of thousands of people because they are not Arabic Muslims. The government wants to impose its version of Islamic law over these people, who refuse to follow, and it wants free access to the oil fields that lie under these people's homes. So, it tries to starve them. We in America cannot tolerate this any longer. We have stood by too long while the people of southern Sudan suffer at the hands of the government. We must act. We must listen to the call of the college students at the Lincoln Memorial Saturday night and the Holocaust Museum Sunday morning. We must stand firm with Sudan.