Don Sherwood

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Mr. SHERWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 658 would establish the Thomas Cole Historic Site in the State of New York as an affiliated area of the National Park System. This bill is the result of the dedication of the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney) and retired Congressman Jerry Solomon, also from New York, who worked hard to protect this historic site. The Thomas Cole House is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been designated as a national historic landmark. H.R. 658 also authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with both public and private entities relating to the preservation, the interpretation and use of this historic site. One of the private entities, the Greene County Historical Society, shall continue to own, manage and operate this historic site. This bill also directs the historical society with assistance from the Secretary to develop a management plan for the site within 2 fiscal years of enactment. This bill is supported by the administration, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 658. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sweeney).

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

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2368) to assist in the resettlement and relocation of the people of Bikini Atoll by amending the terms of the trust fund established during the United States administration of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2368, the Bikini Resettlement and Relocation Act of 1999 is an important measure to help the relocation and resettlement of the people of the Bikini Atoll. This community was displaced during the time of United States nuclear testing in the Pacific, and while the U.S. was the administering authority for the islands under the United Nations' Trust Territory of the Pacific islands. In the 1982, Congress established a Resettlement Trust Fund for the benefit of the Bikinians. H.R. 2368 would authorize a one-time 3 percent distribution from the Resettlement Trust Fund for relocation and resettlement assistance primarily for the remaining senior citizens of the Bikini Atoll, 3 percent of $126 million, or $3.7 million. This will not require any appropriation of any funds by the U.S. Congress, and will not diminish the original corpus of the Resettlement Trust Fund of $110 million. These funds will provide relocation assistance now to the surviving 90 members of Bikini who were removed from their home island, as it may still take years to complete radiological restoration of the atoll to permit safe habitation. The bill also responds to the resolution of the Bikini Council requesting this legislative action by Congress. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I might consume. (Mr. SHERWOOD asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 898, the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act of 1999, was introduced by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis), my esteemed colleague, and would simply add the Spanish Peaks area to a list of areas designated as wilderness by the Colorado Wilderness Act of 1993. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis) has worked long and hard to protect local interests while trying to preserve an outstanding scenic and geological area. I have hunted and hiked through the Spanish Peaks, and they rise above the high plains majestically all by themselves and are an area certainly worthy of preservation. This bill passed through subcommittee and full committee on a voice vote, therefore, I would urge my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 898, the Spanish Peaks Wilderness Act of 1999, under suspension of the rules. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, could we have a time check?

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. McInnis).

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

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1619 amends the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers National Heritage Corridor Act of 1994 by expanding the boundaries of the Corridor. Specifically, this bill authorizes the expansion of the Corridor into the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Corridor currently is wholly contained within the State of Connecticut. These river valleys contain significant natural and historical resources, including scenic vistas, archaeological sites, and recreational opportunity. As a college student, I canoed down through this river. It is a beautiful river valley. The bill, as amended, assures that both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of Connecticut remain involved in the management of the corridor. Furthermore, the legislation provides for a sunset of the funding and assistance from the Federal Government which may not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of that assistance or grant. This bill has local and State support and is also supported by the administration. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1619, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the six bills just considered.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 359 I was inadvertently detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong disagreement with this amendment. Good forestry is good water practice. It is good wildlife practice. If we take 23 million more dollars out of the budget for forest stand improvement, we will, in the long-term, hurt wildlife, will hurt water and watershed. We have 40 million acres in this country that have been entrusted to us as the stewards for the American people of forests that are in grave danger of catastrophic fire. We are the stewards of the greatest resource man could imagine, our national ground, our national forests. This is a wrong-headed move. We need to put more money into the management of that. We need to move the management of our forest so they are productive, so they are self-sufficient, so they produce game, so that they are in all aspects compatible with a sustainable yield and use by all our people. Good forest management is not in opposition to any of the goals that have been stated here tonight. Good forest management increases those goals. As we take the dead wood, the downed timber out of our forest, we reduce the chance for a catastrophic fire. We will increase the growth. We will have more oxygen, cleaner water, better forests, and better opportunities for recreation. I think that this is not fiscal discipline. I think it is fiscal folly. I would very much ask my colleagues to vote no on the Wu amendment.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Madam Speaker, I rise to support my colleague from Missouri's bill to have 1-A pricing as the best solution for producers and consumers across the country. The Secretary of Agriculture's reform policy for the Federal milk marketing order is poor policy. It favors a small segment of the dairy industry in the northern Midwest and could lead to reductions in income of more than 6 percent to family dairy farms in other parts of the country. Madam Speaker, we have had far too much reduction in dairy farms in Pennsylvania already. When I was a young boy growing up after the Second World War, my uncle had a dairy farm in a bend of the Susquehanna River, an area known as North Eaton. He would run his can truck out and pick up milk from seven farmers in that peninsula. Today there is not a dairy cow or a pound of milk produced in that peninsula along the Susquehanna River. I grew up in the small town of Nicholson. There were three creameries and four feed mills. Today there is not one of either. When the farmers made money, the little communities prospered, the churches were full, the charities were in good shape. As we let our family farm base wither away, we are not doing our society any good. Family farmers do not want anything from us that is not fair. I am a very free enterprise person. Farmers are very individualistic. They are not asking for anything from the government except a chance to compete. Option 1-A gives them a fair mechanism in which to produce their milk, and you will then continue to have farm-fresh milk throughout the country. Dairy farms are the engine of the economy in small communities across the country. I support this bill because it is the soundest, fairest policy for those hardworking families which help create dairy products and jobs in my home region. My friend Carl Aten retired from hauling milk a few years ago. He told me when he started he had 140 farmers. When he quit, he had 40 farmers. This is an industry that, if we do not treat it fairly, will go out of business. We do not need to be in the business of forcing family farms to go out. We do not need to penalize regions of our country which have long, proud histories of dairy farmers. We do not need to force consumers to receive only products that have been shipped from faraway regions. We need, along with the 200 other Members of the House, to support Option 1-A.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Madam Speaker, a long journey must begin with a single step. I rise to tell my colleagues that we have taken a small but important first step towards improving health care access for children. I introduced the Patient Right to Pediatric Care Act this week to assure parents that they can choose a pediatrician as their child's primary care provider. I am not a doctor, but I am a father. And one of the things I have learned as a parent is that the health care needs of children differ greatly from those of adults. Some health care groups prudently limit access to certain specialists. But a pediatrician's skill in caring for children is unique. I believe that parents must be allowed to decide if their child's routine health care should be provided by a physician who specializes in pediatrics. My legislation is one of several bills which will make up the Health Care Quality and Access Act, a responsible approach to health care reform, which Members on both sides of the aisle can and should support.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for this special order today so that we may share with the American people and all the Members of Congress the results of our peace mission this past weekend to Vienna which was led by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon). As a member of the House Committee on Armed Services, I felt a special responsibility to our service men and women to find a way to end the hostilities before their lives are further endangered and before our military resources are further depleted. As a Member of Congress, I felt that the people of my congressional district wanted me to pursue a peaceful and diplomatic end to a conflict that could escalate into wider hostilities. I believe that the eleven Members of the House delegation significantly increased the opportunity for a diplomatic settlement to the current hostilities in Kosovo without further loss of life. We did so in a way that will help accomplish the U.S. and NATO goals of ending ethnic cleansing and providing for the return of the refugees to an autonomous Kosovo. We met extensively with our counterparts this weekend in the Russian Duma who are also committed to bringing a peaceful resolution to this conflict. Russia is a key player in finding a diplomatic resolution, and we must keep in mind that our continued involvement in the bombing campaign threatens future relations between the United States and Russia. The members of the Russian Duma we met with agree that the Balkan crisis poses a tremendous threat to international security, and they share our desire for a diplomatic solution rather than military escalation. Failure to find such a solution not only will undermine Russian-American relations but will further exacerbate the human suffering caused by the terrorism, the ethnic cleansing and massive refugee problems in the region. The end product of our sessions with the Duma provides a realistic framework for the administration to negotiate an end to the Balkan crisis. We call for practical measures to achieve three equally important tasks: withdrawal of Serbian armed forces from Kosovo, an end to the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and a cessation of the military activities of the KLA. All three of these goals must be accomplished to recognize a lasting peace. We can accomplish these tasks by allowing a voluntary return of all refugees and the unhindered access to them by humanitarian aid organizations. NATO would be responsible for policing Yugoslavia's borders to ensure that weapons do not reenter Yugoslavia with the returning refugees. An armed international force, not composed of the major combatants, would administer the peace in Kosovo, and the Russians are very willing to participate in that armed international force. A sense of the Congress resolution is being finalized which would put Congress on record in support of our framework for peace. It is our hope that such a resolution will be voted on later this week and that the administration will also pursue the diplomatic route to peace, including further discussions with the Russians. I urge my colleagues to support this resolution when it comes to the House Floor for a vote. Neither our congressional delegation nor the members of the Russian Duma were negotiating on behalf of our respective governments, but we are confident that the framework we jointly developed clears the path for a solution to the crisis that will both end the ethnic cleansing and stop the bombing. I am proud to have been a part of this bipartisan peace mission. The eleven Members of Congress who sat at the same table for 19 hours with members of the Russian Duma are committed to finding a diplomatic avenue acceptable to all parties that will bring peace to the region. I am convinced that the framework we established will pave the way for a lasting peace. Unlike some of my colleagues, I am very confident in the ability of our Armed Forces to win this war. But I believe that we must continue to prepare for all-out war, and we must fund our Armed Forces, but we must also search for peaceful solutions. The time is ripe. The Russians will help, and the Serbs are ready to avoid a wider war that will totally destroy their country and also sacrifice the lives of our brave young men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 603, the Airline Disaster Relief Act. I want to thank my distinguished chairman, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster) for his hard work and leadership in shepherding H.R. 603 to the floor. Additionally, I am grateful for the guidance and support of the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Duncan), the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Oberstar) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski), ranking members. The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure's swift consideration of this measure is greatly appreciated by me and by the families of the victims of TWA Flight 800 and the Swiss Air tragedies. This bill, above all, is about fairness. It is about providing equitable treatment for the families who lost loved ones in airline disasters over international waters. Right now, we apply a 79-year-old maritime law written to help the widows of sailors lost at sea in cases of modern airline disasters. This maritime law is known as the 1920 Death on the High Seas Act. On July 17, 1996, 230 people lost their lives in the tragic crash of TWA Flight 800. Among the victims were 21 people from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, a small town in my district. The people of Montoursville were brutally impacted by the sudden loss of 16 high school seniors and five chaperones on a trip to France for educational purposes. For the families of the victims aboard Flight 800, this tragedy has been made worse by the Supreme Court's application of this dated maritime law. If a plane crashed on land, family members can seek redress for losses in State courts for various different types of compensation. However, if a loved one crashed at sea, one can only seek compensation for loss of income in a U.S. District Court. In the case of a child or a retired person lost at sea, the Supreme Court's application of this archaic maritime law makes that child valueless in the face of the law. Clearly, the application of this law is patently unfair and cruel. Why are we standing here in 1999 and applying a 1920's maritime law to modern aviation disaster claims? The time has come to create one level playing field and one process for all airline crash claims. The current treatment of land and sea crashes as separate and unequal must come to an end. This bill clarifies that the 1920s Death on the High Seas Act does not apply to aviation. I urge my colleagues to overwhelmingly approve this bill for it is the right thing to do. It is the fair thing to do. It is the compassionate thing to do.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Area Act. By designating the Lackawanna Valley of Pennsylvania as a National Heritage Area, this important legislation would ensure the conservation of its significant natural, historic and cultural resources. The Lackawanna Valley was the first heritage area designated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and is a nationally significant historic area as documented in the U.S. Department of Interior's Register of Historic Places, Multiple Property Documentation Submittal of the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission (1996). For every federal dollar provided over the last decade, the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority--which oversees the Valley's historical and cultural resources--has leveraged ten dollars in State, local and private sector funds to finance preservation activities. The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority would continue to foster these important relationships with all levels of government, the private sector and local communities. The Valley represents the development of anthracite coal, one of North America's greatest natural resources. From early in the 19th century, Pennsylvania's coal provided an extraordinary source of energy which fueled America's economic growth for over a hundred years. At the center of the world's most productive anthracite field, the Lackawanna Valley witnessed the inception, spectacular growth and eventual deterioration of an industry which led us to unparalleled prosperity. The Valley's current mix of ethnicity, its combination of dense urban areas and isolated settlements, and the desolate remains of coal mines surrounded by beautiful countryside are a microcosm of our legacy from the industrial revolution. As these contrasts illustrate, the industrial era was not without human and environmental costs. Thousands of immigrants worked in deep mines under horrible conditions. Death and injury were commonplace, with no survivor benefits or disability compensation to withstand these calamities. Anthracite miners created the nation's first labor unions and they fought for the implementation of child labor laws, workplace safety, pension security and fair labor standards. The new Americans who populated the Lackawanna Valley established strong communities where ethnic ties were reinforced by churches and fraternal societies that created a sense of security noticeably absent in the mines. The Valley's remaining ethnic neighborhoods are a testament to a pattern of urban growth once common in U.S. cities, but now disappearing. The landscape of the Valley conveys the story of the industrial revolution most clearly. Miles of track and hundreds of industrial sites and abandoned mines are daily reminders of the importance of the region to industry. Heritage sites like Pennsylvania's Anthracite Heritage Museum, the Scranton Iron Furnace Historic Site, the Lackawanna County Coal Mine and the Steamtown National Historic Site help to commemorate this struggle. These sites provide the framework for historic preservation which will be cemented by my proposed legislation. Mr. Speaker, the designation of the Lackawanna Valley as a National Heritage Area will enable all Americans for years to come to witness and learn the story of anthracite mining, the labor movement, and the industrialization of our great nation. I urge my colleagues to support the Lackawanna Valley Heritage Act.

Mr. SHERWOOD

Mr. SHERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce the Airline Disaster Relief Act, a measure which clarifies the legal rights of airline disaster victim's families. This bill is about fairness. It's about providing justice in our legal system to families who suffer the loss of a loved one in an aviation accident over the ocean. This same Act was passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives during the 105th Congress. On July 17, 1996, 230 people lost their lives in the tragic crash of TWA Flight 800. Among the victims were 21 people from Montoursville, Pennsylvania, a small community in my district. The people of Montoursville were brutally impacted by the sudden loss of 16 high school students and five chaperones who were flying to France to enrich their educational experience. For the families of the victims aboard Flight 800, this tragedy has been made worse by the Supreme Court's application of an antiquated maritime law, known as the Death on the High Seas Act of 1920. The Supreme Court decided in Zicherman v. Korean Airlines, that the Death on the High Seas Act applies to lawsuits that arise when an aircraft has crashed in the ocean more than a marine league from land. This interpretation would prevent the families of the TWA 800 victims from receiving the just compensation they are entitled to under state law. This decision treats families differently depending on whether their relative died in an aircraft that crashed into the ocean or one that crashed into land. If the plane crashes into the ocean, the Death on the High Seas Act applies and the family is entitled only to seek pecuniary damages before a U.S. District Court Judge with no jury. However, if a plane crashes into the land or within 3 miles of land, the applicable State tort law would apply. State tort laws generally allow compensation for loss of companionship, loss to society, pain and suffering in addition to lost income. Today, however, when state tort law has progressed to a point where value is placed on human life, the application of this skewed statute is viewed as inequitable, unfair and inhumane. This is particularly true in the death of children since children are generally not economic providers for their families. Thus, family members would receive minimal compensation for the loss of a loved one who was not a wage earner or ``bread winner.'' Because of this arbitrary line, legislatively drawn in the ocean, the surviving family members in this case are being dealt a cruel blow. No parent should be told by our nation's legal system that longitude and latitude will determine the value of their child or determine their rights in a court of law. Many family members of TWA 800 victims feel that the application of the Death on the High Seas Act makes the life of their child or loved one appear worthless in the eyes of the law. For this reason, I introduced this measure which will negate the application of the Death on the High Seas Act to air disaster cases. My bill would amend the Federal Aviation Act so that airline disasters at sea are treated the same as incidents on land. The gross injustice of the Death on the High Seas Act must be changed. Where a plane crashed should not dictate our rights in a court of law. Both the Supreme Court and The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security recommend that Congress correct these inequities. Additionally, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that there will be no costs associated with the implementation of this Act. It is time to bring justice to the application of federal laws which regulate airline disaster claims. Passage of the Airline Disaster Relief Act will be an important step in achieving this objective. I urge my colleagues to overwhelmingly approve this bill.