Gordon Smith

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred November 21, 1999 in Maple Grove, MN. Two men shoved a lesbian woman, verbally assaulted her, and then attacked her. The assailants, two 21-year-old men, were charged with a hate crime in connection with the incident. I believe that Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred February 24, 2002 in Santa Barbara, CA. A gay man, Clint Scott Risetter, 37, was doused in gasoline and set on fire while he was sleeping. The assailant, Martin Thomas Hartman, 38, confessed to the murder, and said that the victim ``deserved to die'' for being gay. Hartman is being charged with murder, arson, and a hate crime in connection with the incident. I believe that Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred July 10, 1999 in Anchorage, AK. A gay man, Alexander Paul Nicholai, 45, was stabbed to death in his apartment. The attacker, Kenneth J. Washington, 21, who claimed he was defending himself against unwanted sexual advances, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 2, maybe 3 minutes as in morning business.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred in September 1997 in Tulsa, OK. Two gay men were severely beaten after leaving a bar. After being arrested, the assailants told police they were ``only rolling a couple of fags.'' I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, today I rise today to give tribute to some of the health care heroes in my home State of Oregon. They are the hard-working people who staff the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center in Cornelius, OR. Virginia Garcia was a 6-year-old girl who died from a treatable infection in the 1970s. She died, not because she lacked health care, but because no one spoke to her family in the only language they knew-- Spanish. Access to health care involves more than insurance. Barriers to access continue to exist even when financial problems to health care are removed. Disparities in health care and health outcomes reflect these barriers. For example, Latinos are twice as likely as White Americans to have diabetes, and twice as likely to have cervical cancer. They also trail other ethnic groups in childhood immunizations and health insurance coverage. The Virginia Garcia Clinic does a wonderful job at bridging the large gap between access to coverage and access to care. The clinic serves nearly 8,000 patients a year, 80 percent of whom are Spanish speaking, and 90 percent of whom are below the poverty level. Patients in the clinic pay for their services on a sliding scale, sometimes as low as $5 per visit. Access to high quality, affordable, and culturally accessible care has saved many lives, and improved the quality of lives of many others. I have two true stories to relate to you today, though I really don't need to use their names, because they represent thousands of people across my home State. I will refer to them just as people in need of health care. One woman who has benefitted from the good works of the Virginia Garcia Clinic came to the clinic after moving to the U.S. from Mexico. She had suffered from breast cancer, and underwent a mastectomy and a long, expensive treatment of chemotherapy that had bankrupted her family. To pay for this treatment, they lost their home. She turned to the Virginia Garcia Health Center for help. She needed very expensive medication, and the clinic managed to provide it to her. To make matters worse, she also had diabetes and other complicated health problems. Yet the Virginia Garcia Clinic manages her care and arranges for the specialty care that she requires. Without a safety net clinic such as the Virginia Garcia Clinic, she would very likely not get the care she needs to stay healthy for her children and family. The staff at the clinic have also told me about a farm worker who came to the Virginia Garcia Clinic for an urgent care visit about a rash on his arm. During the exam, the nurse practitioner asked about a lump she noticed on his neck. He hadn't been concerned about it, but the staff at the Virginia Garcia Clinic persisted until he agreed to have a biopsy. The lump turned out to be lymphoma, so the Virginia Garcia Clinic arranged for his chemotherapy at the Oregon Health and Sciences University, where he was treated successfully. Without a migrant community health center such as Virginia Garcia to provide outreach, the outcome of this story would likely not have been so positive. Spending time at the Virginia Garcia Clinic, I have met with people with stories such as these and whose lives would have changed for the worse without the efforts of the hard-working and dedicated staff. Truly, these people, these staff workers are health care heroes, and we desperately need them in our quest to ensure that every person in this country has access to health care. So today, I salute the work and the workers of the Virginia Garcia Clinic, true heroes in the State of Oregon.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred January 30, 1993 in Wilmington, NC. A gay man was dragged from a bar and beaten. The assailants, Colin C. Hunt, 20, Patric G. Gardone, 23, and Walter G. Watkins, 26, were charged with four counts of assault in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred August 10, 1996 in Portsmouth, NH. A gay man was attacked outside a nightclub. The attackers, three men, yelled anti-gay epithets while they assaulted the victim. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, last month we celebrated Black History Month in the United States, and I took to the floor each week we were in session to speak for a moment or two about the tribulations and contributions of Black Oregonians. I want to make one more statement, however, since recognition of these contributions really cannot, and should not, be confined to any single month of the year. We must not spend the next eleven months oblivious to the monumental strides and invaluable contributions that black Americans have made since the birth of our Nation. The individuals who opened the west and helped build my State, people like Moses Harris, George Washington Bush, and York, must not remain obscure characters in the annals of Oregon history. Countless other men and women, who never achieved prominence, are also owed our gratitude for helping make Oregon, and America, a better home for all her citizens. The efforts of black Americans have helped Oregon shed the days when it was marked by racial intolerance and exclusion. When my predecessor, former-U.S. Senator Mark Hatfield, was a State senator, he was forced to take the great opera singer Marian Anderson to Portland because no hotels in Salem would serve a black woman. Thankfully, now Salem not only hosts black women in hotels, but in the State senate as well. We have come a long way as a State and as a people, and we should be grateful. In the decades following the passage of the Fair Employment Practices Act in 1949 and the State Public Accommodations Act in 1953, Oregon began slowly to address some of the other problems still facing black Oregonians, such as discrimination in housing and segregation in the public schools. Also of note, in 1969, Portland State established a Black Studies Program. In 1972 the first black person, William McCoy, was elected to the State legislature, and in 1980, Oregon crowned her first black Rose Festival Queen, Robin Marks. All along, organizations such as the NAACP and Urban League have been helping to guide my State's progress. Not all difficulties facing black Oregonians have been resolved, however. While most students are benefitting from a successful statewide battle to reduce school dropout rates, black students are still dropping out in large numbers, and at the same rate they have for the past three years, 11 percent, compared with a 4.5 percent dropout rate for white students. There are economic distinctions as well, a black Oregonian is more than twice as likely to be poor than a white Oregonian. These and other disparities are not merely coincidences, and we have much work ahead of us if we are to change the circumstances that contribute to current racial inequalities in Oregon. Still, the trend for all Oregonians has been positive over our State's history, and I see nothing but progress in our future. Oregon has had strong black leaders since the Lewis and Clark expedition, and a history of overcoming obstacles much more daunting than what we face today. Today, Oregon is home to a diverse and prosperous citizenry made up of people from every conceivable background and racial composition. While our Constitution used to prevent black Americans from moving to our State, Oregon now has a growing minority population that fuels our economy, and enriches our local culture. This might never have been possible without the efforts of early black pioneers, and the thousands of black Americans who came to Oregon in the middle of the last century, bringing with them a thirst for equality, and the wherewithal to achieve it. We should not celebrate the contributions of black Americans for just one month. The lives we lead 365 days a year have been shaped by individuals and groups who have changed America, and Oregon, forever. Our lives are richer and freer because of the contributions of black Oregonians, and I, for one, will remember that year round.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred August 3, 1993 in Lincoln, NE. A gay man, Harold Grover, 51, was stabbed and beaten to death by two men. The attackers, Eldon T. Leger and Clifford A. Privat, both 19, were charged with first-degree murder in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I am very pleased and honored to join Senator Feinstein today to introduce this very important piece of legislation. Our country is very good at waging a winning war, but there is one more that we need to wage and win and that is the war on cancer. I joined Senator Feinstein as an original cosponsor of this for three reasons: First of all, because she asked me to. She is a person of remarkable leadership on this issue and so many more. Second, it was important to her and to me that the other cosponsor be a Republican because cancer is not a partisan issue. It attacks us both equally no matter how we register at the polls. This is one of those issues where truly we ought to be walking in lockstep together as Americans. Finally, I know something of the pain that families experience through the contraction of cancer. As an honor and a tribute to my own mother, whom I recently lost to cancer, I cosponsor this legislation. Oregon is a small State relatively--large geographically, but not in population--but cancer knows no boundaries as to States or as to countries. As we consider the statistics I can give, they apply to my State. In percentage terms, they would apply equally to every State. Truly, cancer is the second biggest killer in the State of Oregon, second only to heart disease. And at current rates, it will soon surpass that. This is a war we have to win. There are 18,000 new cases of cancer diagnosed among Oregonians every year. That is about 50 a day. On average, 19 Oregonians die from cancer every day. Breast cancer is the most common form of diagnosed cancer in my State. Nine women every day hear the dreaded words: You have breast cancer. And every day, one family in Oregon will lose a family member to breast cancer. Every 3 days, a child in Oregon is told that he or she has cancer. I could go on. The statistics become rather numbing. But they are not unique to my State. That makes it all the more tragic that this is such a large and growing problem. There is something we can do about it. I am proud to say that Senator Feinstein has mentioned Dr. Druker of the Oregon Health Sciences University. He has, through his study of the genome, the genomic field, developed a promising new oral treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, a rare and life-threatening form of cancer. We met a wonderful woman yesterday who has been apparently cured on the basis of this drug. Gleevec is a target therapy based on new knowledge in this important area of research. It is hoped that future advances in cancer treatment will be equally as successful at targeting abnormalities with curative or less toxic drugs for cancer patients. This legislation will help us on this path. In the interests of time, I will not review the details of our bill that Senator Feinstein has so very ably and eloquently laid out. This is a good bill. This is a bill that should pass. It is expensive in dollar terms, but how can we put a pricetag on the health of the American people, on an issue as painful as this one? Again, cancer is not a partisan disease. I am proud today to cosponsor the National Cancer Act of 2002. I do so as a Republican, but more I do so as an American, and even more I do so as a member of the human family. I yield the floor.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred November 11, 1993 in New Orleans, LA. A group of attackers stabbed a gay man to death and injured his friend. The assailants, several men, chased the victims, beat them, and yelled anti-gay slurs. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred May 16, 1993 in Rehoboth Beach, DE. Three gay men were brutally assaulted by five assailants. The attackers used bottles and an aluminum baseball bat to beat the victims. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred October 28, 1993 in Watsonville, CA. Four men with a rifle threatened a gay man and kicked in his apartment door. The attackers, Miguel Lopez, 23, Israel Lopez, 18, Cesar Fuentes, 18, and a 16-year-old were arrested in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the founding of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America. Ninety years ago on the holiday of Purim, Henrietta Szold founded Hadassah, a volunteer women's humanitarian organization that is 300,000 members strong and one I am honored to have worked with on many an occasion. Hadassah's President, Bonnie Lipton has been a great leader and a friend. The holiday of Purim celebrates the story of Esther, who saved the Jews from annihilation by the Persian King Ahasuerus. Esther was Ahasuerus' wife, and when she learned that Ahasuerus' advisor, Haman, convinced him to kill the Jews, at great personal risk she intervened to save the Jewish people. In celebration of this event, Esther, whose Jewish name was Hadassah, instructed the Jewish people to give gifts to the poor. It is appropriate that Henrietta Szold created an organization dedicated to Esther, Hadassah, and Purim: ensuring Jewish continuity and giving the gift of a better life to the poor. Ms. Szold was inspired to create Hadassah when she learned of the conditions of impoverished Jews living in the slums of Turkish-ruled Jerusalem in 1912. By convincing nurses in New York to help in pre- state Israel, Henrietta Szold created a women's institution dedicated to public service and community responsibility. Hadassah continues today to help bring hope to the less-fortunate across the United States and abroad. Through educational programs, including vocational training and exposure to the arts and athletics, Hadassah helps disadvantaged youth realize their dreams and potential. Hadassah's Youth Aliyah program offers teenagers from around the world who are struggling with depression solace, support and hope. Hadassah members also work with local elementary schools to help ensure that children are given every opportunity and helping hand to learn to read. Hadassah offers a positive experience for its members and those who they help. They volunteer their time to assist in soup kitchens, nursing homes, day care centers, libraries, hospitals, clinics, domestic violence shelters, schools, and synagogues. Its members recognize the importance of mentoring and provide many opportunities for young women to learn about the importance of commitment, charity, leadership, community, and individualism, qualities of character that our children need to learn. Beyond its charitable mission, Hadassah has been a key advocate of women's health issues and led efforts to warn Congress of the dangers of genetic testing. Best known for its medical facility in Jerusalem, Hadassah offers the most advanced medical care in the Middle East, to Jews and Arabs alike, and has helped build hospitals in the poorest of countries. Hadassah has been a leader in medical research, especially in women's health. For years Hadassah was prevented from gaining special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, ECOSOC. I am happy to say that Hadassah was finally admitted in May 2001. This ``status'' should have been a simple thing. ECOSOC oversees the World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNESCO, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the Human Rights Commission. It seemed logical that Hadassah would gain this status, routinely given to many organizations, given its leadership for 90 years in medicine, education, welfare, and women's rights abroad. Hadassah, however, had to fight a long battle with the anti-Semitism present in the United Nations in order to gain this status. I salute Hadassah for its 90 years of charity and leadership as a humanitarian organization both in America and Israel and look forward to continue to working closely with its membership.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred in October 1999 in Houston, TX. A man was beaten and partially blinded by an attacker who believed the victim to be gay. The assailant, Roderick Brenneman, 59, was convicted of assault and sentenced to a year in jail in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Madam President, in honor of Black History Month, I have come to the floor twice this month to discuss some of the early contributions of black Americans to my home state of Oregon. Today, I come to the floor for a third time to discuss some of the changes to Oregon civil rights that occurred during the middle part of the 20th Century, at the same time similar changes were sweeping across our entire nation. In the early 1900's, Oregon was not home to many black Americans. Eighty-five percent of Oregonians were born in the state, and the rest generally came from Canada and northern Europe. This was no accident Oregon, which had joined the Union as a ``free state'' had, in its constitution, technically barred black Americans from moving to the state until 1926. While it may not have been uniformly and vigorously enforced across the state, Article I, Section 35 of the Constitution of the State of Oregon read: No free negro, or mulatto, not residing in this State at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall come, reside, or be within this State, or hold any real estate, or make any contracts, or maintain any suit therein; and the Legislative Assembly shall provide by penal laws, for the removal, by public officers, of all such negroes, and mulattoes, and for their effectual exclusion from the State, and for the punishment of persons who shall bring them into the state, or employ, or harbor them. Thus, during the first decades of the 20th Century, Oregon was probably home to no more than 2500 black citizens, a population only one-tenth the size of Oregon's then politically active Ku Klux Klan. The nature of race relations in Oregon changed for the better, however, when World War II created an explosion of jobs in Portland's shipyards and other defense-related industries. A large influx of black laborers immigrated to the region--primarily from Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana--and, almost overnight, ballooned Oregon's black population to more than 21,000. These new citizens forced Oregonians to reckon with the civil rights issues they had ignored for decades. These new Oregonians immediately faced widespread discrimination in local businesses, public parks and playgrounds, and on the job. Black workers were routinely denied membership in local unions, and members of the Portland NAACP and Urban League worked diligently to organize black workers and integrate them fully into the workplace. In explaining the refusal of Harry Mills, a black longshoreman, into the International Longshoremen's and Warehousemen's Union, Local 8, a union vice-president stated that ``We are not opposed to Harry Mills. We are fighting the Negro race! We cannot open our doors to the Negro people after having kept them closed all this time.'' The doors which had always been closed to black Oregonians were slowly opened after the end of the war. In 1947, a Fair Employment Practices bill was introduced in the state legislature in Salem. While soundly defeated initially, the bill was immediately resurrected by then State Representative Mark Hatfield, whose tireless efforts led to the bill's passage in 1949. In 1953, the State Public Accommodations Act was passed, guaranteeing black Oregonians access to the restaurants and public parks which had for so long denied them service. Those two bills changed the civil rights landscape in a state which had only years before explicitly excluded black Americans in its constitution. World War II, and events across the country, served as a catalyst to that change. Oregon, which had never had a large population of black Americans, was suddenly forced to confront the civil rights demands of a growing group of citizens, and responded slowly through its laws and practices. Positive change occurred during the middle part of the last century, and more positive change, which I will discuss later in the week, was still to come.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred in September 1997 in Waupaca, WI. A gay man was beaten because of his sexual orientation. The assailants, Jeffery S. Schucknecht, 26, and Robert G. Guyette, 23, were charged with felony battery and a hate crime in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred October 28, 1994 in Fall River, MA. A gay high school student was beaten by another teen who was heard shouting anti-gay epithets. The assailant, a minor, was charged with a hate crime and assault and battery. I believe that Government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, today I commemorate the anniversary of Oregon's statehood, which was secured this day in 1859. Oregon became the 33rd State to join the Union, and did so as a free State. At the time, there was no room for Oregon's new Senators in the Capitol, and construction immediately began on the Chamber we find ourselves in today. One hundred and forty-three years later, there seems to be plenty of room in the Congress for Oregon and the 17 States that followed her. From ``fifty-four forty or fight!'' to my State's current motto, ``She flies with her own wings,'' Oregon has always been emblazoned with the spirit of independence. Inaugurated by the arrival of Lewis and Clark at Fort Clatsop in 1805, this spirit of self-determination brought forth the pioneers from across the plains and over the snowy peaks of the Rockies and into Oregon Country. It is the marrow of the pioneers with their axes who forged high into Oregon's forested mountains to fell the timber needed to build an empire, and the farmers in the emerald valleys who pulled their plows through the soil to grow the crops that feed a nation. The economy that grew from those natural resources stood strong for a century, during which time we learned to build fish hatcheries and to replant our trees to ensure a sustainable bounty from the land and the water. When the hydropower system was built on the Columbia River, rural Oregon was electrified and the agricultural products of the ``inland empire'' were launched into the world. It was at the dedication of Bonneville Dam in 1937 that President Roosevelt aptly described the growing challenge of balanced economic growth between urban and rural areas. He said that the healthiest growth of urban areas ``actually depends on the simultaneous healthy growth of every smaller community within a radius of hundreds of miles.'' The current economic downturn in my state echoes Roosevelt's challenge. Whether it is in the Silicon Forest or the Doug Fir Forest, Oregon is learning that entire industries must no longer be pitted against one another, or rural economies exchanged for urban ones. We need them all, and we have to create an environment for them to flourish. Not long ago, Oregon was the Nation's leader in high-tech and timber. Now, Oregon leads the Nation in unemployment and hunger. The wings by which Oregon flies are heavily burdened, and much of the weight falls from the Federal Government. Congress has failed to produce a stimulus package to relieve small businesses, families and the unemployed. But federal failures like this are not new to Oregon. The government is still in default on its promise to timber communities affected by the Northwest Forest Plan. So, too, are answers due to farmers in the Klamath Basin whose livelihoods were held captive by shoddy science. Ironically, Oregon needs both ``more'' and ``less'' of the federal government. Oregon needs the federal government to be less burdensome to commerce, less capable of wiping out resource-based communities, and less eager to carry out grand political experiements on Oregon soil. But it also needs the government to be more honest in its dealings, more accountable for its actions, more targeted in its assistance, and more respectful of local approaches to local problems. It is only in such a world that Oregon's farmers and ranchers can truly thrive, her businesses flourish, and her economy survive. On the 143rd anniversary of Oregon's statehood, I know this because I know that no bird flies too high if she flies with her own wings.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred August 13, 1994 in Sioux City, IA. Two gay men were stabbed and beaten by two attackers because of the victims' sexual orientation. The assailants, Charles Samuel Thomas, 18, and Dennis Evans Smith, 23, were charged with multiple felonies, including two hate crime charges, in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about hate crimes legislation I introduced with Senator Kennedy in March of last year. The Local Law Enforcement Act of 2001 would add new categories to current hate crimes legislation sending a signal that violence of any kind is unacceptable in our society. I would like to describe a terrible crime that occurred January 31, 1994 in Pensacola, FL. A gay man was struck by a car driven by a man who shouted anti-gay slurs. The driver, James Griffin, 18, was charged with aggravated battery in connection with the incident. I believe that government's first duty is to defend its citizens, to defend them against the harms that come out of hate. The Local Law Enforcement Enhancement Act of 2001 is now a symbol that can become substance. I believe that by passing this legislation, we can change hearts and minds as well.

Mr. SMITH of Oregon

Mr. SMITH of Oregon. Mr. President, while we are celebrating Black History Month, I want to rise to honor a man named York, arguably the first black American to make a significant contribution to, and cast a vote in, my home State of Oregon. Most Americans know very little about York, Captain William Clark's ``servant,'' as Clark called him, who made the journey to Oregon with the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1803. Despite his important role in opening the West, it is unfortunate that York has not been remembered along with other early black Americans who helped shape our nation's history. William Clark's lifelong slave companion, York was roughly the same age as Clark, and by all accounts the two were friends for most of their lives. York was bequeathed to Clark by his father, John Clark, in a will dated July 24, 1799, and on October 29, 1803, he joined Clark and Captain Meriwether Lewis on a journey into history. York, when he is remembered, is often remembered best for the curiosity he aroused in Native Americans he met during the journey. Apparently, York so fascinated the people he met that there exist numerous stories of women attempting to wash his skin white. According to journal accounts, he sometimes used their fascination to the expedition's advantage, intimidating Arikaras tribesmen, for example, with fantastic tales of his wild youth as a cannibal. Perhaps because of such stories, York is often described in an inaccurate, negative manner. However, common characterizations more accurately reflect the racial biases of historians than they do York's actual contributions to the expedition. Judging from the journals kept by members of the expedition, York was a reliable and indispensable part of the expedition. During a time when most black Americans were denied access to firearms, York was counted on as a skilled hunter. York also served as a cook, a confidant, and a nurse, as did each member of the party from time to time. One account has York charging into a flash flood, fearing for the safety of Clark, the famed translator Sacagawea, her son, and her husband, Toussaint, who had not yet made it to safety. The most telling example of York's role in the expedition occurred in November 1805, when the group decided to winter in Oregon. Finding little game on the northern bank of the Columbia River, the group had to decide whether to winter there or cross the river in search of a more hospitable setting. Lewis and Clark took a vote on the matter, and the final tally included the votes of Sacagawea, a woman, and York, a black man. That winter, York and the group built Fort Clatsop, the westernmost outpost of the United States Government at the time, and one of our Nation's major claims on the disputed Oregon country. It is odd that York is not commonly honored as an American who made possible the western expansion of our nation. The Lewis and Clark expedition, which will soon celebrate its 200th anniversary, is a seminal event in American history, and a black American who contributed significantly to that historic endeavor remains unknown to a nation which owes him a debt of gratitude.