Bart Stupak

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, as you and our House colleagues are aware, I have worked since my first day in Congress to bring a broad awareness of the needs and concerns of law enforcement officials to the floor of this chamber. I experience the great joy of this personal mission when I can speak, as I do today, to celebrate the career and dedication of a law enforcement officer at the house of this retirement. Police Chief Salvatore Sarvello joined the Marquette, Michigan, Police Department as a patrolman in 1971, about the same time that I was joining public safety department in the nearby community of Escanaba. Our careers took different paths--I became a Michigan State Trooper and eventually entered politics, while Sal worked his way up through his department, becoming chief in 1995. Despite our different paths, we had numerous opportunities to work together, perhaps most significantly on the issue of methcathinone, an illegal drug that plagued northern Michigan for several years. Production of this drug, commonly known as CAT, took root in our area. With the help of Sal and other investigators in the region, I was able to develop legislation-- my very first piece of federal legislation signed into law--that took the claws out of this highly addictive substance. Sal has always been a supporter of the COPS program, the wonderfully ambition and successful plan to help cities, counties, townships and other municipalities hire additional law enforcement officers. I have worked hard in Congress to ensure this program continued to receive funding until the goal of hiring 100,000 new officers by the 2000 was reached, and the support grass-roots support of officers like Chief Salvatore was essential in accomplishing this task. I worked with Sal for the visit of Vice President Al Gore, first in 1992 as part of a campaign swing for the Clinton-Gore ticket, and again in `94. I appreciate and applaud his professionalism in dealing with the complications, uncertainties and last-minute decisions associated with a visit on short notice of a national political to a small community. A recent article in the Marquette Mining Journal notes that Chief Sarvello's law enforcement career actually goes back to the mid-60s, when he served as a U.S. Air Force Security police officer in Vietnam. This lifetime of public service, the article notes won't end with the Chief's retirement, because he plans to remain active with the Marquette West Rotary Club and with his parish, St. Michael's Catholic Church. The chief looks forward to spending more time with Joan, his wife of 34 years, and his sons, Michael and Scott. At a special gathering Friday, the community will have a chance to wish the best to its retiring chief. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in offering our thanks to this dedicated public servant, Chief Sal Sarvello, for a job well done.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Michael Hayes Dettmer, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, who will be return to private practice in January. After six years of service, Mike will leave the job of chief federal law enforcement officers and prosecutor for 49 counties in western Michigan and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and return to practice law in Traverse City, a community in my northern Michigan congressional district. Mike Dettmer's appointment by President Clinton to this position followed a distinguished career in Michigan. A trial lawyer since 1972, he served as the 59th president of the State Bar of Michigan in 1993 and 1994, having been elected to that position by the lawyers throughout Michigan. Mike served as chairman of the state bar's Professionalism Task Force and he served as co-chairman of the Standing Committee on Professionalism, as well as chairing numerous other bars committees. At the Department of Justice he chairs the Attorney General's policy committee relating to Office of Justice programs, and he is a member of the Committee on Native American Issues and Civil Justice Issues. My Michigan colleague, Fred Upton, recently paid public homage to Mike's work, praising in an Associated Press story Mike's efforts in fighting crime in Benton Harbor, a community in Congressman Upton's district and an area where drugs are a particular problem. A Michigander through and through, Mike graduated from Michigan State University and received his law degree from the Wayne State University School of Law in 1971. Mike brought new energy to the position of U.S. Attorney, and I know he is leaving the job in the belief that it demands new blood, fresh ideas and constant renewal. Mike has always been an avid golfer, but I know that his golf score will greatly benefit from the some additional time on the fairways, time that he may now have, with the demands of his federal job behind him. Mr. Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in offering our thanks to this public servant for a job well done. I welcome his return to northern Michigan.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, as one of the provisions in the legislation brings us closer to removing an asbestos-contaminated building from the soccer fields in Traverse City, Michigan. In 1996, Congress passed legislation to transfer land from the United States Coast Guard to the Traverse City Area Public Schools. This land was to become the site of soccer fields for the area's school and recreational soccer leagues. Unfortunately, the transfer included an asbestos-contaminated structure. It is estimated, and thankfully through the help of a lot of Members, we have secured $200,000 necessary to remove this building. But in order to remove this asbestos-laden building, the Coast Guard asserts that it is unable to do so without an authorization. Therefore, this legislation authorizes the Coast Guard to demolish and remove the former Coast Guard building in Traverse City, Michigan. It is crucial that this legislation be passed because asbestos has been discovered on the soccer fields. Other than the wooden studs, the building is entirely composed of asbestos: the insulation, the inside paneling, the shingles, the flooring, and the outdoor siding all contain this harmful material. Weather and vandalism cause pieces of asbestos to break off from the building and spread across the grounds. Remnants of asbestos from former buildings on the site have also resurfaced on the soccer fields. Clearly, it is time to permanently clean up the site and prevent greater community exposure to the asbestos. In addition, failure to remove the building will prevent the school district from expanding seating for the main field, which can draw up to 2,000 fans during tournaments. The ongoing problem has already postponed school district plans to add seven fields and a stadium. Most importantly, this is a noncontroversial provision. The local community and the Coast Guard all support this language, which is the same as found in the stalled Coast Guard Authorization conference report. The local community has worked admirably with the Coast Guard to resolve this situation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri), the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest), and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) for their help and cooperation. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. As the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) said, we have been at this for about 4 years now. So we really hope this will pass right through both the House and Senate. We can get this matter resolved once and for all. I thank everyone for the cooperation.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that the Senate has recognized the need to protect the Great Lakes water from diversion and export. Yesterday, the other body passed legislation that focuses on protecting this precious resource from foreign companies and countries who target the Great Lakes for their fresh, drinking water. The Great Lakes is the largest body of fresh water, containing more than 20 percent of the planet's fresh water, and is the primary source of drinking water for millions of people. These lakes, however, are being targeted outside the continent because the global water demand is doubling every 21 years. The World Bank predicts that by the year 2025, more than 3 billion people in 52 countries will suffer water shortages for drinking or sanitation. Unfortunately, this legislation does not go far enough to ensure a federal role in protecting the Great Lakes from such threats. The language passed by the Senate is nonbinding and thus does not ensure a role for the Secretary of State or any other federal official or agency in devising and approving water conservation standards for the region. Despite opposing arguments, water diversion from the Great Lakes must involve the federal government. Notably, only the federal government may enter into treaties with the Canadian government. Only the federal government may devise a uniform national policy on diversions. And, only the federal government may set and enforce policies on international waters that apply to four of the five Great Lakes. The federal government's role in this issue is clearly delineated and it must maintain a strong involvement to prevent future diversions. This entire issue was spurred in 1998 when a Canadian company planned to ship 3 billion liters of water from Lake Superior over 5 years and sell it to Asia. That same year I authored legislation, that the House of Representatives passed, urging the United States government to oppose this action. While the permit was subsequently withdrawn, the House passage of my resolution could not stop future requests. In fact, the United States cannot stop diversions and withdrawals in Great Lakes water that is under the control of Canada. Obviously, the federal governments of Canada and the United States must be involved to ensure that diversions from the Great Lakes do not occur. The legislation that passed the Senate yesterday fails to include such a protection. It encourages the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec to be included in developing conservation standards. But even if they are present during such discussions, their contribution is made only to existing United States federal law, not to that of Canadian federal law. Without similar restrictions in Canadian federal law, we may be confronting another company's request to remove Great Lakes water in the next few years. We cannot risk this real threat. I thank the Senate for its consideration of this serious issue and hope that the next Congress may better protect the Great Lakes and the 35 million people who live within its basin.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, when Andrew called me in Washington and asked me to honor Daune today, I was honored. In Washington, we still do not have a budget and we are operating on a 24-hour continuing budget resolution--one day at a time--one day at a time. For Chris and Sarah, Peter, Andrew, Robert Palmbos, the Langestaff, Weiss, and Weber families, and for all of us who knew and loved Daune and Dick, we must take it one day at a time--every day will be a challenge--some days, you feel like you cannot or do not even want to get out of bed, to face another day without Daune--without our loved one. For my family, we know, we still struggle each day without our B.J. But like Daune--we must move forward each day with all the confidence and gusto. Daune, the mother, the wife, the teacher, the sister, the friend, the community leader and business woman, showed us, taught us with her ``can do'' attitude to approach each challenge with enthusiasm, because behind that ``Buergermeister'' smile there was a strong woman who would not be denied, she was a kind, gentle, loving person--a love that engulfed her family and penetrated throughout the Gaylord community. I still remember when we were staying at the Holiday Inn, and my sons forgot their swimming suits. Great disappointment was written all over them. Of course, Daune asked them, what was wrong? When our young sons told her their dilemma of having to spend a day at the Holiday Inn without their swimming suits--it just wasn't going to be fun. Daune just smiled and said to our sons ``Come on, follow me'' and she marched them back to a storage room with a box full of suits, and sure enough there were two suits that fit the boys. They were thrilled as they ran off to the pool. When we told our son Ken about the sad news, he used one word to remember Daune by, ``Lederhosen.'' In 1993, our first Alpenfest parade, Daune made sure we all had the appropriate dress and ``Lederhosen,'' all the way down to the little Alpine hats for our boys, ages 11 and 13. I told them they did not have to wear the hats, but they had to wear the ``Lederhosen''--they did, but only once. I still have my ``Lederhosen'' and they have taken on a new meaning. No matter what time I would arrive at the Holiday Inn, it seemed like Daune was always there. Usually it was late at night. I would look ``wrung out'' and Daune would see me--her motherly instincts would take over--she would put her hands on her hips, and through that smile, would sternly ask me why was I not getting enough sleep and when was the last time I ate, and quite frankly, I could not remember, so she would say, ``Come on, follow me'' and we would go back into the kitchen and she would build me a sandwich, no matter what time it was. The last time I checked into the Holiday Inn it was late. Dick Bebbell was at the front desk. He learned from Daune and asked if I was hungry, and no offense to Dick Bebbell, but Daune's sandwich had a better touch to it. By her example, Daune taught us all kindness. That is what made her Holiday Inn staff the best! For all of us Democrats, from all the campaigns of Irwin, Weiss, Stupak, all Democrats, we knew we had an ardent supporter, an unending volunteer, and a great friend in Daune Weiss. There may not be a lot of Democrats in Otsego County, but we had Daune and she never let us down! Daune, you never let us down. As we continue on in life, one day at a time, whether we are working in Washington, DC, Newberry, Gaylord, Moran, Northern Michigan University, Colorado, MSU, or Lake Superior State University, the mother, the sister, the teacher, the businesswoman, our ``Buergermeister,'' now with ``angelic'' wings will guide us, as we face each day, as we face each challenge. Through Daune's warm, contagious smile, we can do it, we will do it--for Daune, one day at a time.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, the Knights of Columbus, an organization that has been called ``the strong right arm of the Catholic Church,'' was founded in 1882 in the basement of a church in New Haven, CT. The importance of this unique fellowship of men, gathered together to do good works in their community, was quickly recognized, and men came together in other communities to form their own local groups. In 1900 a council of 30 members was formed in Alpena, MI, in my congressional district. I recently had an opportunity to join the members of the Alpena Knights of Columbus Council 529 for their 100th anniversary. Now 500 members strong, this council personifies the strength and viability of the Knights of Columbus, which has grown to more than 1.6 million members worldwide. I said, Mr. Speaker, that the Alpena council personifies other councils. This is most true in the good works the council does. It sponsors activities for both boys and girls, buying jerseys for teams in such sports as baseball, hockey and soccer teams. It supports Boysville, a camp in Clinton, MI, and it provides assistance to the families of its members, a hallmark of Knights of Columbus councils everywhere. Where this council differs from others, Mr. Speaker, is in the nature of its single biggest fundraiser, its annual Wild Game Dinner, which is held the last Friday in January. The council puts its best northern Michigan culinary foot forward with a game feast of salmon and trout, of deer, moose and elk, of rabbit and muskrat. Approximately 500 diners are expected each year, and the council can expand its charitable fund by about $50,000 annually from this event alone. I had the pleasure of addressing members of the Alpena council recently, and I spoke of our own efforts here in Congress to bring a sense of religious commitment to our public service through the Congressional Prayer Breakfast. We, too, are a body brought together to do good works on behalf of others. It remains my fervent hope that, despite the widely divergent views on every issue that are brought to the House floor, we will be kept humble, ever conscious of our commitment to service, and ever focused on working together, even when we disagree. I pray the next 100 years of the Alpena Knights of Columbus will find their membership ranks filled, their good works expanded, and their example of fellowship and public service a bright beacon for individuals, the private sector and public servants like us.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribune to both a public program and a state administrator of that program, a man who has put a warm, human face on a grant process that has been of vast importance to my northern Michigan congressional district. Donald Hare, Michigan Director for Rural Development, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was appointed to his post by President Clinton in 1993. Working out of Lansing, Don could well have focused his attention on Detroit and the other major metropolitan areas of the state. He understood from the outset, however, that the first word of the name of his agency, ``rural,'' meant that his focus should be on the many, many small communities that dot both the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. Don Hare will be retiring at year's end. After almost a decade of working so closely with this dedicated public servant, I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you and our House colleagues about his work on behalf of the people of Michigan. Let me give you a picture of my district, Mr. Speaker. Sprawling over roughly 24,000 square miles, it has many cities, towns and villages that organized and built their community infrastructure more than 100 years ago. Many of these communities built and still use water systems utilizing wooden piping! After 100 years, they must be re-built. These communities need financial assistance to renew these basic services, which maintain a community's quality of life and enable it to flourish and grow. Prior to his Rural Development appointment, Don had served 18 years as chief of staff to Congressman Bob Traxler. He brought to the Rural Development job a clear understanding of the role of government in assisting people in basic yet profound ways. There is little glamour in providing grants to build a new sewer system, yet there is little future for a community that is unable to meet current standards in providing this service. Don understood this and has been of the greatest service to Michigan residents in meeting such challenges. Don has always gone the extra mile to assist my constituents. In a figurative sense, he has always made himself available to me, my staff and community leaders to answer questions and resolve problems on grant issues. In a very literal sense, however, Don has often traveled many hours to come up to my northern Michigan district to take part in closing ceremonies and to make clear to grant recipients that the agency he has represented was more than a faceless bureaucracy. In fiscal year 1999, Rural Development provided $95 million to my district in grants and loans for housing, community facilities, guaranteed loans for businesses, and water and sewer projects. For an area devastated economically by the closing of K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base and the shutdown of a major copper mine with the loss of 1,200 good-paying jobs, these grants and loans have been essential to build industrial parks, maintain fire services, upgrade housing and help pull up by the bootstraps our small business. Don Hare has recognized that this federal funding allows the communities of northern Michigan to help themselves to rebuild, recover and grow. Don has built a great staff. I look forward to a continued positive working relationship with them after Don retires, but I and my own staff will certainly miss him and his great understanding of our concerns and needs in northern Michigan. I wish Don and his wife Rita all the best in the coming years.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 782, the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act. I am pleased to see that this Congress has finally come together to reauthorize this vital legislation, after several years of failing to reach agreement and passing only annual appropriations to keep it going. The Older Americans Act is essential to this nation's older citizens. It funds a wide array of supportive services, including home care and ombudsman services for long-term care facility residents, a subsidized employment program, and provides new authority for a National Family Caregiver Support Program which will assist families who care for the frail elderly. There is no question that as this nation's baby boomers age and as people are living longer, the challenges of aiding and providing for the elderly must be met. With the reauthorization of the Older Americans Act until 2005, Congress will ensure that the needs of our seniors will continue to be at the forefront. I would also like to draw attention to one particular program being reauthorized in the Older Americans Act, the elderly nutrition program. This program provides over 240 million congregate and home-delivered meals to over 3 million older persons annually. Senior meal providers depend on the funding received through this program, yet the funding has remained static year after year. With the rising cost of meals and the increasing numbers of seniors dependent on meals, senior meal providers have been facing great hardships in meeting the needs of these seniors. In response to this problem, I worked very hard with my colleague Mr. Boehlert to increase the funding for the USDA reimbursements provided through this elderly nutrition program. I am pleased to say that we successfully offered an amendment to the Department of Agriculture appropriations bill to increase these reimbursements. I would like to thank the conferees for paying attention to our amendment, and increasing the USDA reimbursements by $10 million over the amount originally funded. I hope that this increase will provide a measure of assistance to these senior meal providers who do so much for this nation's elderly, and I am pleased to support today's legislation as a continuation of the necessary and important effort to provide for our seniors.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in reluctant opposition to the Water Resources Development Act. I do not oppose this bill for its content. Rather, I oppose the measure because the rule did not provide an opportunity to offer amendments. This bill does not include language about preventing the withdrawal and diversion of water from the Great Lakes. In 1998, a Canadian company planned to ship 3 billion liters of water from Lake Superior over five years and sell it to Asia. I authored legislation that passed the House of Representatives that called on the United States government to oppose this action. The permit was subsequently withdrawn. We must strengthen existing laws to protect the possibility of other countries making similar requests in the future. We owe it to the estimated 35 million people who reside in the Great Lakes Basin. I want to thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Oberstar for their commitment to protecting our Great Lakes and I hope that similar language will be inserted in the WRDA conference report. Another point of concern for me in this bill concerns the transfer of a lighthouse in Ontonagon, Michigan, from the Secretary of the Army to the Ontonagon County Historical Society. This facility was built in 1866 and guided ships through the seas of Lake Superior for more than 100 years. Thanks to the Ontonagon County Historical Society's efforts, this facility has been preserved for the public's enjoyment. To continue its work, the non-profit organization is seeking to have the lighthouse and the adjacent land of 1.8 acres transferred. Unfortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and uses the property, has witnessed contamination of the property. Lead-based paint coats the interior walls and the exterior gallery of the lighthouse. A 5,000-gallon fuel tank, which may have leaked oil into the soil, sits idle near the lighthouse. Finally, for 14 years coal has been stored onsite by a company subletting the property; an action which has contaminated the soil. This bill, however, does not include language absolving the organization of responsibility. And in no way should the Ontonagon County Historical Society be held liable for environmental damage of the property when it occurred during the ownership of the Army Corps of Engineers. Such an omission forces me to oppose this bill. The Senate version of WRDA would hold the Secretary of the Army responsible for the removal of onsite contaminated soil and lead-based paint. I hope that its language is retained in the bill's conference report. Again, I reluctantly oppose this bill but wish to thank Mr. Shuster and Mr. Oberstar for bringing this legislation to the floor, especially given the session's time constraints. Their leadership in crafting a bipartisan bill should be commended.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I would like to commend the Chairman and Ranking Member of both the House and the Senate Veterans Affairs committees and the staff for their excellent work on S. 1402, which incorporates several very worthy bills, including mine, H.R. 3816. My bill closes an exceptionally problematic loophole brought to my attention by the Pearce family of Traverse City, Michigan. Master Sergeant Ron Pearce was a full time employee of the National Guard who suffered a heart attack while performing the required physical fitness test, a part of Inactive Duty Training requirements. Master Sergeant Pearce had a history of heart trouble, and in the past had been exempted from the from the fitness test on recommendation of his doctor. He was ordered to take this test as a condition of his continued employment with the National Guard. He passed away as a direct result of this fitness test, leaving behind a wife and family with no means of support. The VA first approved and then denied his family benefits. My bill would consider heart attacks and strokes suffered by Guard and Reserve personnel while on ``inactive duty for training,'' to be service-connected for the purpose of VA benefits. Madam Speaker, I strongly support this legislation and I am happy that the loophole will be closed and more families will not have to suffer as the Pearce family has suffered. I strongly urge members to vote yes on this bill. I thank the distinguished gentleman from Arizona, the Chairman of the Veterans Committee, and the distinguished gentleman from Illinois, the Ranking Member, for their inclusion of my legislation in this bill, as well as the distinguished Chair and Ranking Member from the other body.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Conference Report on the Agriculture Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2001. I would like to commend the conferees and all the appropriators for their hard work on this bill, and to thank them for funding several important projects in my district. This legislation recognizes the threat bovine tuberculosis poses to Michigan and provides funds to begin eradicating the disease in Michigan and throughout the country. Bovine tuberculosis is wreaking havoc on dairy and beef cattle in my state. Already, 10 Michigan herds have tested positive for the disease as have several deer and other animals. To complicate matters, USDA responded by downgrading Michigan's bovine TB status. Because of this downgrade, Michigan's economy is expected to lose $156 million during the next ten years. While much work remains to be done, I am encouraged by the funding provided in this legislation to combat bovine TB in Michigan. It is my hope that this effort will begin the process of restoring Michigan to bovine TB-free status. I am committed to helping the farmers of my district and I hope that this research and reimbursement funding will bring them much-needed relief. Secondly, I support this legislation because it provides funding for the Forestry Incentives Program. While this earmark is small, equaling the spending for Fiscal Year 2000, the Administration had not requested funds in its Fiscal Year 2001 budget nor had the House appropriated funds in its Agriculture spending bill. The Forestry Incentives Program provides cost-share funds to private landowners for tree planting and timber stand improvement. Through these efforts, we are able to keep our forests healthy and sustainable. Finally, I am pleased that the conferees retained a portion of the important increase in funding to the USDA senior meal reimbursements that had been added by the Stupak-Boehlert amendment to the House Agriculture appropriations bill. Our amendment provided $160 million for USDA's Nutrition Program for the Elderly, a $20 million increase over the amount provided in the bill. Senior meal providers and the countless seniors that depend on senior meals will be greatly benefitted by the $10 million increase that the conferees retained. This increase will halt the steady decline of the USDA meal reimbursements that have gone down to their current rate of $.54 per meal for fiscal year 2000, a drop of eight cents since 1993. The increase in USDA reimbursements is essential, and will benefit every senior meal provider in every town, city and state in the form of more money for each meal provided. I urge the House to continue in the future the effort to increase this crucial aid to senior meal providers. I am also submitting for the record letters in support of the increase in funding from the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, the Meals on Wheels Association of America, and the Senior Citizens League. These organizations were invaluable in moving this issue forward. I would also like to thank National Council of Senior Citizens and the National Association of State Units on Aging for their work on promoting our amendment. I submit the following letters into the Record. Meals On Wheels Association of America, Alexandria, VA, October 11, 2000. Hon. Bart Stupak, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Stupak: On behalf of the Meals On Wheels Association of America's (MOWAA) nearly 900 member programs nationwide and the hundreds of thousands of older Americans whom they serve, I want to thank and commend you and Representative Sherwood Boehlert for sponsoring an amendment to H.R. 4461, the Department of Agriculture Appropriations bill, to provide an additional $20 million in funding for the Nutrition Program for the Elderly (NPE). We were delighted when the House passed your amendment, and we are pleased that the Conferees agreed to include $10 million of that increase in the final Conference bill. As you are aware, Congress appropriated $150 million for the program in fiscal year 1996, but the appropriation was reduced by $10 million to $140 million in FY 1997, and it has remained at that level for several fiscal years. The Conferees' actions, when approved by both chambers, will bring funding for the program back to the FY 1996 level. Few programs can boast the importance to the elderly, as well as the overwhelming success, that the Elderly Nutrition Program can. Senior nutrition programs have become the lifeline for millions of older Americans. There are few communities within the country where a senior nutrition program does not exist. These meal programs are as diverse as the communities in which they are located and the individuals they serve. At the same time, they share a common commitment to serving the nutritional needs of a growing number of older Americans. They also share a common problem--extremely limited resources. The funds and commodities furnished through the Department of Agriculture's NPE are vital to these programs. The $10 million increase over current levels is critically important in enabling these programs to continue serving the needs of our frailest and neediest citizens. As you are aware, USDA Nutrition Program for the Elderly funds are provided to meal programs according to a per meal reimbursement rate. The rate has dropped over the past years from $.6206 in FY 1993 to $.5404 in the current fiscal year. Without a substantial increase in the appropriation level, the rate can be expected to continue to drop. To put the issue in perspective, let me furnish an example from one rural meal program. A rural program that served 225,000 meals annually, and which received 20 percent of its budget from USDA funds, lost funding for 2,000 meals as a result of the per meal reimbursement reduction of a mere $.0007 in one fiscal year (from $.5864 in FY 1996 to $.5857 in FY 1997). Those 2,000 meals, of course, represent critical and life-sustaining nutrition for at-risk seniors. And the experience of that one meal program was multiplied thousands of times over across the nation. You can imagine the impact that the $.0802 reduction from FY 1993 to FY 2000 has had on meal programs--and needy, hungry seniors--throughout the country. Because America's elderly population continues to be fastest growing segment of the population, demands on nutrition programs for the elderly are increasing. The most comprehensive national study to be conducted in recent years found that 41 percent of home-delivered meal programs had waiting lists. The relatively small investment of an additional $10 million that your amendment made possible will pay substantial dividends in helping target malnutrition and isolation in the elderly, improving their nutritional and health status and enabling many seniors to stay in their homes. The Meals On Wheels Association of America urges the full House to approve conference bill, which will increase funding for the USDA Nutrition Program for the Elderly by $10 million over the FY 2000 level. We thank you again on behalf of all our member programs and the many needy seniors for whom this increase will mean a hot, nutritious meal, perhaps the only food of the day. Sincerely, Margot L. Clark, President.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the U.S. House is today taking up the DNA Analysis Backlog Elimination Act of 2000 bill. I originally introduced a bill addressing the DNA backlog problem with my colleagues Mr. Gilman and Mr. Ramstad in November 1999. I am so pleased to support this bill on suspension today, as this body acts to bring desperately needed help to our law enforcement during these waning days of the 106th Congress. This help does not come a moment too soon. I would like to thank Mr. McCollum, Mr. Scott, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Weiner and Mr. Kennedy and all the other Judiciary Committee members who devoted their time and energy to move this important issue to the forefront. This bill would not be on the floor today without the hard work of these members, who held hearings and worked to craft this joint legislation. This bill helps states and the FBI take a giant step in the fight against crime by eliminating the national backlog of DNA records. Federal, state and local law enforcement will be more connected, and better able to work together to solve crimes. It also closes significant loopholes that currently exist whereby the DNA samples of federal, military and District of Columbia serious offenders are not being collected. Lastly, it contains important privacy and expungement provisions, so that the rights of individual are protected as well. Right now, state and local police departments cannot deal with the number of DNA samples from convicted offenders and unsolved crimes. These states simply do not have enough time, money, or resources to test and record these samples. According to the Detroit Free Press, as of May 2000, Michigan has collected 15,000 blood samples from sex offenders since 1991, but state police have so far only run DNA analysis on 500 of them! This is truly frightening. Unanalyzed and unrecorded DNA samples are useless to law enforcement and to criminal investigations. Let me illustrate why we need these samples tested and recorded, why we need this bill. John Doe is a convicted offender serving time for a sexual assault. By law, his DNA has been collected, but because of the backlog, it has not been tested and is not in the law enforcement database. John Doe gets out of jail, he commits another sexual assault, and gets away, unidentified by the victim. Even if the police collect his DNA from the subsequent crime scene, he will not be caught, and his DNA will not be matched up, because his previous DNA sample is sitting on a shelf, still waiting to be tested. In Michigan, his sample would be sitting with the almost 15,000 other samples--untested and therefore useless. John Doe will stay on the streets, and he will commit more crimes. This bill does not come a moment too soon, every day that goes by, a real John Doe is out there, committing more rapes, robberies, murders, when he could have been stopped. This bill also ensures that the DNA samples of federal, District of Columbia, and military offenders are analyzed. The broader the database police have to work with, the better their ability to solve unsolved crimes and prevent future ones. Because of this bill, you will see the number of unsolved cases go down, and you might see some people freed from jail, exonerated by the new DNA records available. It opens a door to better all around law enforcement and criminal investigation. We are answering the call for help by police, communities, and victims, and it will save lives. This bill finally strikes back at criminals that until now have been able to strike and strike again and again at our society without being caught.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this bill. As a Member who sits on the Committee on Commerce, I have expressed interest during numerous committee hearings in clarifying the liability for small businesses under Superfund law. In 1997, I introduced H.R. 2485, along with the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling), the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Hefley), and Mr. McHale. In 1999, I introduced H.R. 2940. Both of these bills contained provisions that clarify liability for small businesses. Both of these bills would have provided the relief for Barbara Williams of the Keystone Landfill, as well as other similarly situated small businesses. But for years these bills have languished while my majority colleagues held small business hostage to large, cumbersome, and very controversial Superfund bills. Now in the closing days of this session, and coincidentally close to the elections, my majority colleagues have introduced and simultaneously scheduled this bill for floor action. Yes, we have had hearings on various Superfund bills in committee, but we have not ever examined this bill. We have never had a hearing. We have never had a markup. In fact, even since it's introduction 10 days ago, this bill has been a moving target. Late last night, the NFIB was calling committee staff proposing additional changes to the bill, yet they refused to postpone the vote on this bill even for a week so that discussions could take place and Members could be informed. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we have a product today that none of us are familiar with and that is opposed by the administration, majority environmental groups like Clean Water Action, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Business Roundtable. I ask my colleagues are we playing politics or are we serious about enacting a public law that effectuates good public policy? Let us at least have a chance to review the bill. Democrats would like to have a bill to give greater relief for small businesses, the American Legion, and any other innocent contributor to a landfill. But we must reject this bill as it is being brought to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this bill.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my name as a cosponsor of H.R. 5194.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, it is great to see legislation come to the floor like this in a bipartisan manner. I remember when I came here in 1993, there was no law enforcement caucus. We founded a law enforcement caucus. We have been able to set up a bipartisan team that is constantly working on legislation to improve the lives for law enforcement and their families throughout this Nation. We began in 1996 by making the bill available so that if Federal law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty, the educational benefits for their spouses and their children would be taken care of. Then again in 1998 we added State and local law enforcement. And now here we are in the year 2000 to really correct some inequities that have been found in all the laws that we have put together. But none of this could happen unless we all work together. The gentleman from New York (Mr. King) and I introduced this bill back in June of 1999. It was H.R. 2059. The Senate has moved quickly, so we are glad to substitute our bill for their bill just so we can get this passed in the waning days here of the 106th Congress. The gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly), the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), the gentleman from New York (Mr. King), the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson), we are all part of the law enforcement caucus. There are about 69 or 70 Members who work together to try to not only take care of personal needs like this, whether it is buying bulletproof vests or trying to make sure that the voices of law enforcement are heard here in the United States Congress. As it has been said, the necessity for this legislation is because we have different eligibility dates for both Federal and State officers. And so what we are doing is really making the legislation actually move the eligibility dates back further in time to make more dependents eligible for this benefit. It will now go to January 1, 1978. And also, at the same time, Federal, State, and local public safety officers are included in this legislation. And we will take a look at the costs. One of the big concerns in 1996 when we started the program was what would the cost be to the Federal Treasury. We have seen in 1999 just based upon educational benefits to officers' survivors who were killed in the line of duty was only around some $44,000. And as the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) says, even in the next 10 years, at most if everyone took advantage of it, it would be about $24 million. So as a law enforcement officer and as a Member of this body, I thank everyone who has helped in this legislation, who has helped us through the years to make the law enforcement caucus a success. We have to be there for the families that every day they love and support the men and women who serve as law enforcement officers of this country. These families deserve our support when the unthinkable happens and their loved one is struck down. We have to look out for them just as their husbands, their wives, their mothers, their fathers look out for us each and every day, risking their commitments to their family for the greater commitment that they have made to this great Nation. With that I thank all of my colleagues for moving this legislation forward. I thank them for their cooperation that we have enjoyed in the last few years and look forward to continuing to work with them on measures affecting law enforcement.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, reserving the right to object, but I shall not object, as I have introduced this resolution to emphasize the importance of crime prevention at the local level and to recognize the efforts of National Night Out. I am pleased to say that this bipartisan resolution has more than 75 cosponsors. I would like to specifically thank the chairman and ranking member of the Committee on the Judiciary and the chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime for their help in bringing this bill to the floor, and the gentleman from Minnesota, Mr. Ramstad, the cochair of the Law Enforcement Caucus, who has worked tirelessly with me on these important law enforcement issues. My resolution calls upon the President to focus on neighborhood crime prevention programs, community policing programs, and reducing school crime. It also highlights National Night Out, which is coming up on August 1, as a successful national program, which exemplifies the goals of crime reduction through neighborhood and community efforts. National Night Out is a nationwide event which combines a nationally coordinated crime prevention campaign with local communities and law enforcement organizations to take a stand against crime. This year's National Night Out is the 107th annual event in the campaign by the National Association of Town Watch to fight crime. National Night Out has grown year after year, and now includes citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from 9,500 communities from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, Canadian citizens and military bases worldwide. In 1999, 32.5 million people participated in National Night Out. Those 32 million people joined together and sent a message, loud and clear, that they do not want crime in our neighborhoods and streets and that they want to keep working together until our communities are safe. I firmly believe that a focus on neighborhood and community crime prevention is essential. It is for this reason that I have long supported the COPS Program in the Department of Justice, and I am a strong supporter of National Night Out. As a former police officer who used to fight crime on the local and State level, I can tell you these programs work. Personal involvement in one's community, individual attention to our youth, taking responsibility for ourselves and others, these things make a difference. Each of us will be returning next week to our districts for the August recess. I hope that each of us will take the opportunity to participate in National Night Out events in our communities, and show the strength of our national commitment to stop crime and keep our communities safe. I also take this opportunity to urge President Clinton to continue to focus national attention on reducing crime and to continue his efforts to promote neighborhood crime prevention and community policing. It is true that crime has been going down under his watch, but we can and must do more. National Night Out community events need not only happen once a year. I would like to see a time come when our communities get together with the same unity and spirit on these parades, youth events and cookouts, not because they are fighting crime, but because their communities are safe enough, close enough, and involved enough that their cooperation and unity is an everyday occurrence. That is the America of the past, and it can be the America of the future. Mr. Speaker, I urge unanimous consent of this House resolution. Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, 83 years ago in July, National Guard units from Michigan and Wisconsin were formed into the 32nd Division. These units traced their heritage back to Spanish American War, with a few even dating back to the famed Iron Brigade, a veteran unit of Civil War fighting that was so terribly decimated on the first day of the Gettysburg battle. The 32nd Division would soon earn its designation as the Red Arrow Division in major fighting in major offensives in World War I. It was reactivated during World War II and sent to the South Pacific, where the unit took part in six major engagements. The Red Arrow Division was among the first units serving occupation duty in Japan, and was reactivated again as a result of the Berlin Crisis in 1961. As a result of army reorganization, the unit now carrying the famed designation is no longer a division but instead is a mechanized brigade, the 32nd Infantry ``Red Arrow'' Brigade. Mr. Speaker, while this history of the famed ``Red Arrow'' unit is available to anyone with a computer and access to the Internet, an important part of the Red Arrow history was lost for many years. In 1945 the city of Marinette, Wisconsin, the twin city of my home town of Menominee, Michigan, named a beautiful piece of shoreline Red Arrow Park in honor of the fighting unit in which so many of its sons had served. This honor extended to soldiers from Upper Michigan, as well--men like my father-in-law, Ken Olson, from Escanaba, or the late Fred Matz, an honored veteran from Menominee. But the community forgot where the name came from. Red Arrow Park was just another park--an attractive one and a great place to launch a fishing boat or hold a family reunion--but a park whose heritage had been lost. On July 30 this situation will be remedied. In a special ceremony spearheaded by local veteran Richard J. Boye of Menominee, the community will dedicate a monument that firmly links the Red Arrow combat unit to Red Arrow Park. This event will greatly enhance the community value of the park, Mr. Speaker. Red Arrow Park will remain an important place where families can gather in peace And freedom, where children can run and play, cooled by the breezes of Green Bay. Now, however, they will be reminded of the many residents of northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan who served in the Red Arrow Division in two great wars and the Cold War to preserve peace and freedom. I thank our veterans for their years of service, and I especially thank our local veterans who organized the July 30 dedication. Their efforts today in setting up this beautiful monument will help future generations remember all their comrades who have served so well.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott) for yielding the time, as we may disagree on the merits of this bill, because I am one of the sponsors of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent) for his leadership on this legislation, and I rise in support of H.R. 4710. What this bill really does is it allows the Department of Justice to keep pace with the challenges posed by the Internet. Everyone is aware of the explosion of the Internet, the explosion of Web sites on the Internet, and with the aggressive marketing tactics of the adult entertainment industry. Obscene material is being brought into our homes of millions of American families, without their request or without our consent. Why is there obscenity, and why are we placing the emphasis on this legislation and why is it necessary? Because no one can even be sure of how many sites exist. Estimates range that those sites are from 40,000 to 100,000. These sites feature all types of obscenity from child nudity to graphic sexual depictions. Adult entertainment sites on the Internet account for the third largest, it is the third largest sector of sales in cyberspace with an estimated $1 billion to $2 billion per year in revenue. Clearly, these Web sites have no incentive to regulate themselves or to restrict access by minors. Innocent adults and minors are increasingly encountering these sites. In fact, these sites are often used in spam e-mail and technical manipulations to trap someone in the site on-line, and they may not even need to escape while they are on- line. Also as the Committee on Commerce noted in some hearings that we had this year, in the past because of sophisticated, yet easy to use navigating software, minors who can read and type are capable of conducting Web searches as easily as it is to operate a television in their own home. The $5 million that we authorize with this legislation provides essential service for the Justice Department to prosecute obscenity cases on the Internet and elsewhere. Obscenity is not protected speech, and it should not be protected just because we do not have the money to prosecute it. This bill will give it the authorization to put forth $5 million to begin the crackdown on Internet obscenity. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Largent), my friend and colleague, to support this legislation that will fund this very important fight. I would hope that we would all support H.R. 4710, the Illegal Pornography Prosecution Act.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise today to support this bill and to thank the leadership of the Committee on Ways and Means, both Democrats and Republicans, for inserting my provision in H.R. 4868 that extends Trade Adjustment Assistance to former copper mine employees in White Pine, Michigan. White Pine is located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, a region famous for its vast quantities of copper and timber. In 1995, the Copper Range Company in White Pine extracted its last pieces of copper. The Department of Labor concluded that increased copper imports from Canada resulted from NAFTA were directly responsible for the mine's demise. The ensuing mine closure left many of its employees with an uncertain future as they contemplated career changes or leaving the area. While some former employees chose to leave the area in search of new jobs, others sought Trade Adjustment Assistance for worker retraining. Almost 89 percent of the Copper Range employees were laid off in September of 1995. I led the fight to make sure that they were all deemed eligible for TAA benefits by the Department of Labor. Meanwhile, the company retained fewer than 20 employees for an environmental remediation of the mine. This work will be finished next year. Unfortunately, the employees who stayed behind to help clean up the mining site have been deprived of TAA benefits. They were denied by the Department of Labor because they did not perform a job that supported the production of copper. However, under TAA standards, all employees of a company which closed because of NAFTA are eligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance, whether they are security guards, secretaries or, in this case, miners. It only makes sense that the employees providing environmental remediation at Copper Range should receive the same TAA benefits that their coworkers received in 1995. This legislation, with the help of members of the Committee on Ways and Means, will correct this oversight. The passage of this legislation ensures that these employees, with assistance under TAA, will find future employment. The passage of this legislation ensures that all employees will continue to provide for their families while they explore their employment opportunities. It is only fair to provide these workers with access to the TAA benefits they rightfully deserve, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. After we pass this legislation, I know there is companion legislation in the other body, so, hopefully, we can correct this and pass this legislation this year to help all these employees and to provide the other benefits found in H.R. 4868. I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the United States Coast Guard and the men and women who serve in this great organization. The Coast Guard has a demanding mission which has evolved far beyond its roots as the Revenue Cutter Service when it was created 210 years ago. Today, the Coast Guard responsibilities cover many critical facets of American commerce and defense. We rely on the Coast Guard for maritime safety and mobility, law enforcement, and interdiction of drugs, environmental protection and response, and national defense. The Coast Guard, as many people do not probably recognize, is an esteemed leader in modern management techniques. Indeed, they offer an excellent management model for other Federal agencies to follow. Mr. Speaker, in my district which borders the Great Lakes, there are more than 1,500 miles of coastline in my Great Lakes district. I am pleased to have more than 500 Coast Guard personnel serving on 14 bases and ships in my district, such as the search and rescue helicopters in Traverse City or the Icebreaker Mackinaw docked at Cheboygan, just to name a few. The United States Coast Guard is a fine progressive organization, Semper Paratus, always ready, and we have never needed them more than we do today. I join my colleagues in wishing the Coast Guard happy 210th birthday, and there will be many many more. We rely on them day and night.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me the time. Madam Speaker, first I would like to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), the chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, the gentleman from New York, (Mr. Quinn) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) for their hard work in helping me bring forth part of this legislation. It was really their work and the work of their staff that put together H.R. 4850, which incorporates several very worthy bills to help our veterans and their families, including my bill, H.R. 3816. My bill closes an exceptionally problematic loophole brought to my attention by the Pearce family of Traverse City, Michigan. Master Sergeant Ron Pearce was a full-time employee of the Michigan National Guard who suffered a heart attack while performing required physical fitness tests, a part of the inactive duty training requirements. Master Sergeant Pearce had a history of heart trouble and in the past had been exempted from the fitness test on recommendation of his doctor. He was ordered to take the test as a condition of his continued employment with the Michigan National Guard. He passed away as a direct result of this fitness test, leaving behind a wife and family with no means of support. The VA first approved and then denied benefits to his family. My bill, now part of the larger bill, would consider heart attacks and strokes suffered by National Guard and Reserve personnel while on inactive duty for training to be service connected for the purpose of VA benefits. Madam Speaker, I strongly urge support of this legislation. I am happy that the loophole will be closed and more families will not have to suffer as the Pearce family has. I strongly urge Members to vote yes on this bill. I once again would like to thank the distinguished gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), the chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs; the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking member, for their inclusion of my legislation in their bill.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I would like to call your attention to a unique celebration in Gaylord, a small city in my northern Michigan district. The event is called Alpenfest, and over its 35 year history it has come to serve many purposes in Gaylord. Alpenfest is the community's major celebration, providing a broad range of family entertainment. Alpenfest spotlights the unique architectural heritage of Gaylord, where strict zoning codes require downtown businesses to conform to an Alpine motif. Perhaps most important for my remarks today, Mr. Speaker, Alpenfest provides a annual setting to name a community Buergermeister, an honorary mayor. Daune Weiss, a Gaylord businesswoman and a close, personal friend, has received this honor for the year 2000. The local paper, the Gaylord Herald Times, describes this honor as the equivalent of being named the Citizen of the Year for Gaylord and Otsego County, and I can think of no person in the community more worthy of this special recognition to begin the new millennium. Daune, a native of Upper Michigan, left the area but later returned. It's perhaps typical of Daune's view of her own contributions that she feels her 14 years of commitment to the local community don't measure up against those who have spent their lives here. A brief review of her accomplishments, a detailed in the Gaylord Herald Times, makes clear, however, that Gaylord has found one of its greatest friends. The owner of the local Holiday Inn, Daune established a Wish Tree, helping to fulfill about 300 wishes each year for local children. She created the Gaylord Wish Tree Foundation in 1987 and serves as its president. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Otesgo County United Way since 1993 and has served on the Alpenfest Honors Luncheon Committee--the panel that honors local industry each year--since 1991. With interests in several other hotels, Daune is active in local business and community promotion organizations, serving on the Gaylord Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors and the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau. The dedicated community activist also serves or has served on the boards of directors of Northern Michigan University, the West Michigan Tourist Association, and the North County Bank and Trust. When an opportunity arose this spring to bring business representatives from our district to take part in a workshop with Cabinet officers and other federal representatives, Daune Weiss was the first name that came to mind. I know she would be personally interested in the meetings, would offer excellent input on the interface of government and business, and would bring valuable information and insights back to her community. Daune has received numerous other honors, Mr. Speaker, but I wanted to call attention to her being named as the 21st Buergermeister chosen by the Gaylord Herald Times, because the honor and the Alpenfest event so perfectly represent the enterprising spirit of the community. I hope my House colleagues will have an opportunity in the future to attend this colorful, unique family celebration. For today, however, I invite House members to join me in offering our congratulations to the paper for its excellent choice of Daune Weiss as Buergermeister for Alpenfest 2000.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the many members of the U.S. Coast Guard who served for the past 100 years in the essential duty of Search and Rescue at Coast Guard Station Charlevoix. Search and Rescue has been one of the United States Coast Guard's oldest missions. Like many of man's endeavors, Search and Rescue has evolved. Once--and we can all conjure the picture in our heads, Mr. Speaker--search and rescue often involved sending rescuers into the maw of an angry sea. It was an enterprise that required an intuitive understanding of nature, great physical strength, and reserves of energy. Today the intellect of inventors has sought to expand man's ability to undertake a rescue. As the bestseller ``A Perfect Storm'' makes clear, however, new generations of technology for locating those in distress or bringing rescuers to the a vessel in trouble must still face the elemental forces that can overwhelm our most advanced hardware. The success of this book--and the new movie based on the book--is certain to make clear that any who ventures on the water, even the most experienced mariner, can be caught unaware by the sudden fury of an unexpected storm. What was true for the North Atlantic in the story is true in many ways for the Great Lakes--the storms may not be as massive, but they can arise suddenly with strong winds. Shoals and islands present hazards for commercial shipping and private sailors, and tales like the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald are almost as well known as the story loss of the Titanic. What was true in the early days of search and rescue remains true today. The men and the women who venture forth on rescue missions must possess one key trait--courage. It's no wonder, then, Mr. Speaker, that the crew of U.S. Coast Guard Station Charlevoix have an important part in the great tradition of endeavoring to save the lives of men and women in peril on the water. Their own log records such remarkable moments as bringing 500 people safely to shore in 1906 from a vessel aground off the Lake Michigan shore, searching for the crew of a downed B-52 bomber in the 1970s, and even rushing ashore to treat individuals wounded in a celebration fireworks accident in 1997. The presence of the Coast Guard throughout my district is extremely important, Mr. Speaker. These brave men and women have my deepest respect and admiration, and strongest support in whatever is needed to permit them to fulfill this essential mission, to keep Search and Rescue units semper paratus--always ready. Technology may continue to change, but I trust another 100 years will find Coast Guard Station Charlevoix always ready to serve and assist on the Great Lakes.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Chairman, on July 13, 2000, the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill, H.R. 4811, came to the House floor for a vote. I reluctantly vote for this bill for the sole reason of moving the foreign affairs platform forward. I believe H.R. 4811 is a bad bill for various reasons. It appropriates a total of $13.3 billion for fiscal year 2001--$1.9 billion or 12% below the Administration's request and $451 million less than the fiscal year 2000 funding level. This bill makes large cuts in funding for programs which most directly affect the poorest countries in the world--cuts that disproportionately affect African and Latin American countries--and contains only $82 million of the $472 million request for multilateral debt relief assistance. Further, the bill drastically cuts international financial institution funding that provides interest-free loans to poor countries. H.R. 4811 cuts $42 million from international HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, a cut I find deplorable. Although this bill is badly flawed in many ways, I believe the best way to address those problems is to move it forward and express my concerns directly to the conferees. If the bill is reported out of conference with my concerns left unaddressed, I will support the President's veto.

Mr. STUPAK

Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word and rise to support the Brown amendment to increase the antibiotic resistance funding by $3 million. Earlier this month, the World Health Organization issued a strong warning against antibiotic resistance. If I may quote from the WHO, they said, ``the world may only have a decade or two to make optimal use of many of the medicines presently available to stop infectious diseases. We are literally in a race against time to bring levels of infectious disease down worldwide before the disease wears the drugs down first''; that is by Mr. David Heymann, executive director of the World Health Organization's communicable disease program. Mr. Chairman, while many factors contribute to antibiotic resistance, an important cause is the overuse of antibiotics in livestock, both for treating disease and promoting faster growth. Many livestock receive a steady diet of antibiotics that are used in human medicine, especially tetracycline and penicillin. Antibiotic-resistant microbes are then transferred from animals to humans primarily in food, causing infection from salmonella and E. coli that are difficult or impossible to treat. Children and the elderly are most at risk for serious illness or death. The World Health Organization recommends reducing antibiotic use in animals to protect our own human health. The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine, CVM, is taking steps to reduce the problem of antibiotic resistance from drug use in livestock. The agency's plan primarily addresses new animal drugs and will address drugs currently in use when resources permit. That is where the Brown amendment comes in. This amendment would increase funding for the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine by $3 million for activities related to antibiotic resistance. Since the committee is recommending that the FDA receive an increase of $53 million, the Brown amendment would simply direct the agency to allocate an additional $3 million from the $53 million for this very important work. Mr. Chairman, I would urge my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to support the Brown amendment and this very important program.