Adam Schiff

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support today for this modest bipartisan amendment offered by Reps. Slaughter, Shays, Dicks, and Leach to increase funds for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a Member of the Congressional Arts Caucus, and a longtime supporter of the arts at the state level in California, I value the tremendous role arts funding and arts education programs play in the lives of our children and friends. Several academic studies demonstrate the connection between music, dance, visual arts, and the development of the human brain. It is well known among researchers that arts education cultivates critical thinking skills that are so important in our information-age economy. My congressional district was fortunate to receive NEA and NEH grants this year. Some of the recipients include: Performing arts educational outreach programs at schools in my district combined with the assistance with one of the region's most respected theaters; A program to support the Chinese Community Initiative in arts education; Artist-in-residence programs in elementary schools to encourage student and teacher involvement; A program in my district that incorporates traditional music and dance from diverse cultures to improve student relations, coordination and memory; and an amateur chamber orchestra, and a symphony association program to bolster musical knowledge and skills for ethnically diverse student population. As a parent of two young children, I am particularly interested in the most recent research. Children who learn to read music or play an instrument show improved proficiency in math and science. To further proficiency in history, I was proud to join a letter of support to House Appropriators last month that would increase funding to the NEH budget for its We the People Initiative, which is designed to boost American knowledge and appreciation for our history, culture and civic traditions. This increase of $15 million under the Interior Appropriations for the NEA and NEH will go to fund so many rich programs offered and so many opportunities for us all. Last year, an economic study conducted by Americans for the Arts found that America's nonprofit arts industry generates $134 billion in annual economic activity. This number includes full time jobs, household income and local, state and federal tax revenue. This study includes more than $80 billion in event-related spending by audiences. This is additional clear evidence that opportunities funded through NEA and NEH continue to bring us to new levels in our economy, culture, language, music, art and life. I urge my colleagues to support this important amendment and commend our bipartisan colleagues who are leading the fight on this critical issue. By supporting the arts and the humanities, the Federal Government has the ability to partner with state and local efforts to bolster the arts and educational opportunities in our communities.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of full and continued funding for the United Nations Population Fund, or UNFPA. Since beginning operations in 1969, the UNFPA has provided over $6 billion in vital maternal and child health programs to women in 150 countries around the world. This makes the UNFPA the single largest global source of multilateral funding for maternal health and family planning programs. The United States' contribution alone to the UNFPA last year provided approximately 870,000 women in developing countries with modern contraception, thereby preventing 500,000 unwanted pregnancies, 200,000 abortions, and thousands of maternal and child deaths. The programs supported by UNFPA are both timely and relevant. In the past eight months, UNFPA has delivered modern obstetric care to such locations as Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Kabul, Afghanistan; and Baghdad, Iraq, helping to rebuild reproductive health services in the places where they are needed the most. Its campaigns to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS have reached five continents and more than 140 nations. It would be no exaggeration to say that the UNFPA has been on the cutting edge of health care delivery the world over. These programs, so vital to families around the world, depend on the support of 136 donor countries, including the United States. By our continued support for UNFPA, we recognize the importance of global reproductive health services and ensure that the Population Fund will be able to continue delivering them. Indeed, the costs of ending our support for UNFPA are staggering. The $34 million denied to UNFPA in 2002 would have prevented some two million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, nearly 60,000 cases of maternal illness or disability, and 77,000 infant and child deaths. The amendment offered in the House International Relations Committee by my colleague, Mr. Crowley, has made our support for these programs possible, while still maintaining the h1ghest standards for human rights, ensuring that each dollar provided to the UNFPA will be used for the promotion of the noble ends that it was created to serve. Any cuts or restrictions to UNFPA funding levels will only jeopardize the health and well-being of millions of women the world over. Mr. Chairman, members of the House, I thank you for your time, and I urge my colleagues to oppose cutting amendments and resume our support for the UNFPA, which will continue--with our assistance--to deliver vital family planning and reproductive health services to families around the globe.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay special recognition to Ms. Julie M. Austin. On July 30, 2003, the Foothill Transit Executive Board will wish a fond farewell to Ms. Austin, who is leaving her position as Executive Director of Foothill Transit and Vice President of Transit Management for ATC/Forsythe & Associates, Inc., a post she has held since 1997. As Executive Director, Ms. Austin has overall responsibility for implementing Executive Board policies, developing policy recommendations and providing leadership and vision for the nationally recognized Foothill Transit. Foothill Transit was created in 1988, in one of the largest public-private transit partnerships in the United States, and has delivered cost-effective, safe and efficient bus service to commuters and residents in the San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys, located in the eastern portion of Los Angeles County in southern California. Foothill Transit now operates on 32 routes with nearly 300 buses and almost 17 million annual boardings, a marked increase from the 9.5 million boardings at the time of the creation of the transit agency. The American Public Transportation Association recognized Foothill Transit in 2001 with a ``Bus Safety Gold Award,'' dubbing Foothill the safest transit agency of its size. Foothill was also named ``Outstanding Transit System'' of its size by APTA in 1993 and 1995. The National Safety Council, Greater Los Angeles Chapter, recognized Foothill Transit in 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2001 with first-place awards for its safety programs. Ms. Austin played a leadership role in the accomplishments of Foothill Transit, both as Executive Director and as Deputy Executive Director from 1995 to 1997. She also contributed to the success of public transit in Los Angeles County as Director of Management Support from 1993 to 1995 at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and as Senior Transit Analyst/Manager of Transportation Policy from 1989 to 1993 at the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, where she oversaw a three-year evaluation of the Foothill Transit Zone. She also worked for the Southern California Association of Governments for three years and spent several years as a transportation consultant. A resident of the City of Monrovia, California, Ms. Austin has a bachelor's degree in journalism from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She is active in the American Public Transit Association (Legislative Committee), California Transit Association (Executive Committee), San Gabriel Valley Commerce and Cities Consortium Board, Women's Transportation Seminar, San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments Transit Committee, and West Covina Chamber of Commerce. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring this truly remarkable leader in the field of public transit in our region, in thanking for her efforts and in wishing her the best in her future endeavors.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, tonight I am proud to join my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Scott), as well as our other colleague, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Israel), as Chairs of the Democratic Study Group on National Security. Mr. Speaker, we founded this group to advance principles and policies of national security which will strengthen America. We have been meeting with nations, top national security experts, and we have been taking to the House floor to respond to world events. We will also be introducing legislative matters to improve our safety here and around the world. I hope to address one of those tonight, that of the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. But, first, I would like to articulate 10 principles of national security which I believe unite those that have come to associate themselves with the Democratic Study Group on National Security. First, our soldiers. We support our men and women in uniform, our soldiers, our sailors, our marines, our airmen and -women, our veterans, our reservists, our National Guard, completely and unequivocally. Our soldiers are the foundation of our Nation's security. Second, military strength. We believe that America's military strength is superior in every respect, and we are committed to making sure it remains that way. The supremacy of America's military capability is the cornerstone of our security. Number three, military transformation. We believe that America's military must be transformed to one that is more versatile, more agile, more capable of responding to multiple crises in far-away places and even more technologically powerful. Number four, troop levels. We believe America's Armed Forces must not be overextended; that our reserves must not be stretched too thin; that the number of our troops must reflect the number of our military commitments we are likely to face and the severity of those commitments. We must either reduce the number of our commitments or increase the number of our troops. As General Shinseki recently said, ``Beware the 12-division strategy for a 10-division army.'' Number five, intelligence. We believe that in the war on terrorism, top-quality human and technological sources of intelligence are essential and that the reporting of intelligence must be accurate, timely, and properly weighted. The assimilation of that intelligence will be essential if we are to avoid another September 11. Six, vision. We believe that America cannot make itself secure by virtue of its military power alone; that moral authority, integrity, generosity, and vision are vital to our peace and prosperity. An America that inspires hope in its ideals must complement an America that inspires awe in its strength. We are a more secure America when we rally the world to our side in a great cause. Seven, democracy. We believe that the best hope for a secure America rests in the propagation of democracy around the world and that every instrument of American influence, diplomatic, military and economic, should advance the cause of democracy abroad. Democracies are poor breeding grounds for terrorism and war. Eight, civil rights. We believe that America must be confident in its strength, vigilant in the defense of the homeland, supportive of police and firefighters on the front line, and jealously protective of the rights of all Americans. We will not let terrorists change our way of life, we will not live in fear, and we will not undermine the civil rights which characterize our democracy. Nine, commerce. We believe that the free and fair flow of goods and commerce has the capability of lifting countries out of the despair of poverty and that we must act resolutely to eradicate the economic deprivation which allows the germ of terrorism to spread. Americans are blessed with great plenty. We are a generous people, and we have a moral obligation to assist those who are suffering from poverty, disease, war, and famine. Finally, number ten, world community. We believe that America lives in an interdependent world, made smaller by travel, technology, and the demands of a burgeoning population. America has a critical role to play as the most powerful member of the world community. And in this community, as in all others, the golden rule still applies: we must act toward other nations as we would have them act towards America. Tonight, let me address very quickly, in the remaining time that I have, one of these 10 commandments of national security, and that is sound intelligence. I believe we ought to have an independent commission investigate the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. I supported the authorization of force, as did many of my colleagues, in a bipartisan manner, on the basis of intelligence that showed that Iraq possessed chemical, biological, and nuclear programs. We must determine whether that intelligence was accurate. We must determine whether that intelligence was weighted properly. We must determine whether that intelligence was presented to this Congress and the American people in an accurate manner. This is essential, number one, because this Congress made the most important determination it can make, and that is the determination authorizing the use of force on the basis of that intelligence; and, number two, if we are to avoid another September 11, we must ensure we have a sound intelligence process. And, finally, our standing in the world, the willingness of other nations to cooperate with America in the future will be dependent on how we resolve this issue.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen for yielding me this time. I wish to speak today on three amendments before the Committee on Rules, two of which were approved for the debate today and one which was not. I want to thank the Chair of the Committee on Rules for his work in supporting an amendment by the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) that would urge reconsideration of Mexico's extradition policy which currently precludes the extradition of Mexican nationals to face charges in the United States that may carry life imprisonment or the death penalty. The addition by the Mexico Supreme Court of the life imprisonment clause fundamentally means that, for the most serious crimes in the United States, we are unable to extradite those who flee south of the border to seek refuge. That is not in our interest. It is certainly not in the interest of the people of Mexico to have fugitives from justice free south of our border. Second, I want to thank the committee for their approval of an amendment that I offered calling attention to the problem that we have had in our nonproliferation efforts to obtain the assistance of Russian scientists, to bring Russian scientists into the United States for the purpose of improving our nonproliferation joint efforts. These have met obstacles, in part understandable as a result of September 11, but we cannot allow the September 11 visa changes to get in the way of our broad security interests by bringing these scientists in who are working on nonproliferation itself. But most significantly, I want to comment about the one that got away and that was an amendment that I had offered calling for an investigation into the claim that Iraq was trying to obtain uranium from Niger, the claim that made it into the State of the Union address. There is a request on the Senate side, it is a bipartisan request, that the Inspector General of the CIA and the Inspector General of the State Department work together on an independent investigation of how that claim rose to the level of the State of the Union, now something the White House says was not substantiated and did not belong in that address. This is, I think, critical for three reasons. First, the Congress made the most important decision it can undertake, the decision to authorize the use of force on the basis of our intelligence. Second, in the ongoing war on terrorism, it is essential that we have good intelligence if we are to prevent another September 11. If we have a problem with our intelligence agencies, we have got to find out about it and now. Finally, our standing, our credibility around the world, the willingness of other nations to cooperate with the U.S. in the war on terrorism will be dependent on whether they feel they can rely on what we represent to them about our intelligence and the quality of our intelligence. As this is perhaps the most graphic example of intelligence gone awry, it is something that merits our most serious investigation and attention. I recognize that the intelligence committees in the Senate and the House are working on this issue, and they are doing good work. However, as the Senate concluded on a bipartisan basis, this investigation by the two IGs does not detract from what the Senate committee or the House committees are undertaking, but in fact supplies that information to both committees. This is complementary to the work that is already going on and I think it is essential.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, when the House adopted and the President signed the most recent tax cuts, at a time when we are at war and in deficit, we knew the other shoe had to drop soon. And it has, Mr. Speaker, with a great thud, in the form of this year's Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2004 (H.R. 2660). The House Leadership has followed the passage of these irresponsible tax cuts with an appropriations bill which underfunds a host of important programs and initiatives while breaking many of the pledges the Leadership made when the House adopted the FY04 Budget Resolution. We cannot extol the virtues of programs like Head Start and organizations like National Institutes of Health while adopting legislation which threatens their very existence. These actions abandon this Congress' responsibility to provide resources necessary to improve schools, protect public health, provide for America's seniors and disabled, expand opportunities to higher education, and seek cures for diseases that threaten the health of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, we are starving our nation's most valuable programs. Last year alone, Head Start provided over 900,000 children with comprehensive early childhood education. But it is estimated that current funding levels leave behind over 40 percent of eligible children. This year I joined with Representative Loretta Sanchez in spearheading a letter signed by ninety of our House Colleagues calling on the House Appropriations Committee to increase funding to the Head Start Program by $1 billion which would result in the enrollment of 87,000 additional children. I remind you, Mr. Chairman, that Head Start is an extremely popular and effective program. In a 1999 study released by the President's Management Council indexing public support for and belief in government programs, Head Start rated a 94 percent, tops among all government programs. Moreover, studies have shown that the economic benefits of Head Start far exceed their costs, with one study showing that for every $1 spent by taxpayers, they received $7 in future benefits. Yet, in the face of this data, with the passage of this legislation, we will close the door of the Head Start program to tens of thousands of deserving children and their families. This substandard funding increase means we will continue to leave nearly 40 percent of eligible children behind and severely undermine local Head Start organization' ability to provide training and technical assistance to teachers and parents. But this bill will not only leave Head Start children behind. It will also shatter the promises Congress made to America's school children when it adopted the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This legislation falls $8 billion short of fully funding No Child Left Behind and continues this Congress' deplorable record of underfunding IDEA. Students seeking higher education fair no better under this bill. In 1975, when the Pell Grant program was instituted, it financed approximately 84 percent of the cost of attending a 4-year public college. Today, that number is down to 40 percent. Under this bill that number will drop to approximately 38 percent. In my own Southern California district, higher education costs have increased with California's growing budget deficit forcing public universities to substantially raise tuition costs. This same scenario is being played our across our nation and a continued shortage of grant assistance threatens the higher education aspirations of millions of young people. By adopting this legislation we will effectively shift a greater burden of college costs to students and working families and will undoubtedly ensure that too many of our children either leave college with overwhelming debt or are shut out of higher education all together. But state budget crises do not only affect education costs, they also endanger the health care safety net which millions of Americans have come to depend on for needed health care services. And yet, under this legislation, struggling community health centers, which provide primary care services to low-income Americans, find no relief. In Los Angeles County alone, over 30 community clinics have been forced to shut their doors. Under this legislation these clinics and those that find themselves on the brink of closure will be provided no relief because any funding appropriated to community health centers will be used to expand health center sites where they have not existed in the past. At this bill's funding level, the lowest since 1998, we are forced to choose between scaling back our expansion initiative or underfunding existing centers. This is simply an untenable solution to a growing health care crisis that affects low-income Americans. Finally, H.R. 2660 abandons this Congress' commitment to double the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget thereby stifling improvements in science and medical research. This legislation increase NIH funding by 2.5 percent, an increase that according to NIH is not even enough to keep up with inflation in research costs. In comparison, over the last five years, Congress has adopted annual increase of 15 percent. A funding increase which only allows NIH to introduce 21 additional research grants will not allow this agency to continue to provide our nation with the cutting edge research which we have come to expect. Mr. Chairman, this legislation is inadequate. I urge my colleagues to oppose it and work to adopt legislation which adequately funds America's priorities.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I yield to the gentleman from Georgia.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I intended to offer an amendment to the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act that would allow Members to use their representational allowances to promote, sponsor and conduct congressional science competitions among high school students in their district. The very popular Congressional Arts Competition, which allows Members to sanction art competitions within their districts, has been successfully conducted for over 20 years. This competition helps to encourage young people to pursue their artistic education and ambitions and promotes the idea that art should be an integral part of our lives; yet no such congressional competition exists to reward the achievements of young scientists, as I learned last year when I had hoped to conduct such a competition in my district which is, I am proud to say, the home of Cal Tech and JPL and some of the finest scientists on the Earth. House rules prohibit any Member from conducting any competitions except for the Congressional Arts Competition. Science is integral to our society and to our American spirit of ingenuity and innovation. Science fuels our technological entrepreneurship and has been the basis for remarkable technological advances in the span of only a few decades, including space exploration, biotechnology and medical advances to seek cures to human disease and afflictions, and tremendous gains in computing power, telecommunications, and information management. As Members of Congress, we must do our part to advance scientific knowledge and scientific explanation as core values of our society. One important way we can engender a sense of excitement about scientific inquiries is to reward the achievements of young scientists by allowing Members to conduct congressional scientific competitions in each of our 435 districts. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue at the earliest possible opportunity.

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, reclaiming my time, I agree with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston). The intention is not to seek any additional appropriations, but rather to allow Members to use their existing allowances to host, if they choose, science competitions in their districts. I think we have seen the dramatic success of the arts competition in stimulating interest in the arts. This would be a way of heightening the awareness of the importance of science in our lives and getting young people engaged. We need more scientists in this country, and this is a good way to tap into that young talent. I can tell my colleague had a greater head start than I did. I think my science project when I was in school consisted of how to drop an egg from a light tower in a contraption that would not allow the egg to break, which is a little less sophisticated than counting the number of protozoa in a pond. Nonetheless, there are great opportunities for us to reach into our districts, tap into that talent and cultivate the future scientists that will lead this Nation forward. I look forward to working with the gentleman.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend British Prime Minister Tony Blair. I am proud to be a consponsor of this legislation to award Mr. Blair with the Congressional Gold Medal. I would like to recognize Mr. Blair's--and Britain's--longstanding staunch support of our nation's democratic ideals. Whether one supported or opposed the war in Iraq, it is true that under Blair's leadership, Britain has provided extensive military support in the war in Iraq. He has argued passionately and consistently about the threats Saddam Hussein posed in the Persian Gulf and ultimately to the Western world. Honoring Prime Minister Blair with the Congressional Gold Medal would be a fitting tribute to him, the people of Great Britain, and the thousands of British troops who fought valiantly alongside American soldiers in Iraq. We now have a historic opportunity to reaffirm our Nation's friendship with Great Britain, and our mutual commitment to freedom and democracy. I hope that the occasion of Mr. Blair being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal will be an opportunity to invite Mr. Blair to address a joint session of Congress. I have worked with my colleague Mr. Royce to encourage our Congressional leaders to invite Mr. Blair to do so, and I can think of no occasion more fitting. In light of Mr. Blair's enduring friendship with the United States, I look forward to hearing his views on the future of Iraq and the Middle East.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word. Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on the Markey amendment, and that issue is the glaring hole that remains in our airline security. It is a shocking realization for most Americans to learn that almost fully half of the cargo that is in the hold of an air passenger plane when they get on a plane to go on vacation or work travel, that almost half of that cargo is commercial cargo that is never screened by anyone for explosives. That is a massive failure in our airline security. Some months ago I introduced the Airline Cargo Security Act modeled after legislation by Senators Feinstein and Hutchison which would require the TSA to adopt comprehensive measures to inspect airline cargo. It gives the TSA flexibility to use a variety of different methods to accomplish this, from new technologies to blast-proof containers, to a database of known shippers; but it requires that the job get done. The airline industry is hanging by a slender thread. Terrorists do not have to hijack our airplanes any more to wreak chaos on this industry and wreak devastation on this country and our economy. They just have to blow a plane out of the sky. Given the fact that so much of the cargo is not screened for anything, this is tragically too easy to accomplish. This has to change. This has to change. It is hard to overstate the significance and the disparity of this security problem. All of us have had the experience of going through the airport now and having to take our belt and shoes off and remove the toenail clippers from our carry-on luggage, but imagine the fact that in the hold of that plane are huge containers which have not been inspected by anyone. And when we consider the security lapses in shipping that cargo, the opportunities when that freight is forwarded to include explosive or other dangerous materials in that cargo, it is extraordinary. Indeed, I think most Americans would find it baffling that we go through these personally intrusive measures when we go to the airport, but our cargo goes through nothing. We cannot fight the last battle; we cannot simply predict that terrorists are going to use the same technique they used before. We have to be forward-thinking and recognize that there are wholesale gaps in what we are doing to protect the American people. I applaud my colleague for raising this issue in this legislation. I want to urge my colleagues both here today and in the future to address the issue of cargo security. Let us not wait for a tragedy to awaken us to this problem.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mayor Talmage Burke. In the year that marks the City of Alhambra's 100th anniversary, Mayor Talmage Burke is setting a record of his own. On May 27, the 85-year old Talmage Burke took the oath of office as the Mayor of Alhambra for the 15th time. This achievement affords him the longest record of publicly elected service of any official in the State of California and certainly one of the longest records of public servitude in the Nation. Talmage Burke was born in November 1917 and graduated from Alhambra High School in 1935. He went on to USC, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his studies at USC Law School, graduating with Juris Doctor and Masters of Laws degrees. Prior to being elected to the Alhambra City Council in 1952, he served as the city's first prosecutor and deputy city attorney. The Burke family has served the City of Alhambra for over 70 of its nearly 100 years. Talmage Burke, a life-long resident of Alhambra, lives with his wife, of 45 years Lisa, in the same house that his father, Montivel A. Burke, built in 1927. One of the most outstanding and well-known civic accomplishments of Talmage Burke was his involvement in the lowering of the railroad tracks in Alhambra during the mid-1970s. Along with the improved system of tracks, the nearby Alhambra Municipal Golf Course gained an addition of nine holes from the excavated soil from the lowered tracks. As a member of the Rotary Club, he has a record of perfect attendance for the past 52 years! He has served as President of the San Gabriel Valley Bar Association and is the Founding Director of the Legal Aid and Public Defender Program of the San Gabriel Valley. He was also a Trustee of the University of Redlands for 18 years. Talmage Burke and his wife have two children: a son, Montivel A. Burke II, an attorney, and a daughter, Karen M. Brown, R.N. The Burkes also have six grandchildren. It is with great pleasure that I ask all Members to join me in congratulating the Honorable Talmage V. Burke for his truly remarkable and lifelong dedication to the City of Alhambra.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. I rise today to honor a truly outstanding member of the 29th Congressional District, Mrs. Jeanette ``Jay'' Blackshaw. For 22 years, Mrs. Blackshaw has dedicated herself to serving the people of the City of Pasadena. Originally from Chicago, IL, Jay moved to Pasadena, CA in 1968. She and her husband, Bill Blackshaw, have seven children, Julie, Mary Grace, John, Gina, Annie, Peter, Amy, and nine grandchildren. In 1981, Jay began her service to the City of Pasadena as the District 4 Field Representative for Pasadena Mayor Jess Houston. After Mayor Houston's term ended, she continued as field representative for his successor, Mayor Bill Paparian. Jay currently works for City Councilmember Steve Haderlein. During Jay's tenure with the City of Pasadena, she has assisted in the construction of bike paths throughout Pasadena, the renovation of the Pasadena Senior Center, and the construction of Pasadena's U.S. Marine Reserve Center. Jay's passion for community volunteerism, especially on behalf of children and education, is evident in the many organizations she has been involved in over the years. As a young mother, she was active in Pasadena's public schools, participating in several Parent Teacher Associations, including serving as PTA Council President. Currently, Jay is a board member of the Pasadena Educational Foundation and Pasadena City College's Community Board. Some of the other organizations Mrs. Blackshaw participates in are the Pasadena Sister Cities Committee, the Sierra Madre Villa Neighborhood Association, the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), and the Huntington Hospital Community Board. Mrs. Blackshaw is also active in her church, All Saints Episcopal Church, as well as in various political organizations. In 1995, she was honored as a YWCA Woman of Excellence for her steadfast commitment to eradicating racism and improving the lives of the women and children of Pasadena. Jay will be retiring from her position as Field Representative to Councilmember Haderlein in June of 2003. Although she will be greatly missed by her colleagues at the City of Pasadena, she will continue to be active in the community. I ask all Members of Congress to join me today in honoring a remarkable woman of California's 29th Congressional District, Jeanette ``Jay'' Blackshaw. The entire community joins me in thanking Jay Blackshaw for her continued efforts to make the 29th Congressional District a better place in which to live.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support of legislation to expand the child tax credit to working families left out of the tax bill that the President recently signed. Last week, the President signed a $350 billion tax cut plan, a package of large tax cuts that are weighted heavily toward America's wealthiest families, and that will do little to spur economic growth or reduce the Nation's jobless rates. These additional cuts are likely to further burden the economy's future with growing budget deficits and debt--spending the Social Security Trust Fund surplus and threatening essential programs such as Medicare. The most disturbing aspect of this legislative effort was the Majority's last-minute exclusion of a provision that would help nearly 12 million children and their families to get the child tax credit. In their persistent efforts to cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans, the Majority stripped this important provision from the final bill in order to make room for a dividend tax cut and other measures benefiting only those wealthiest taxpayers. For some time now, the Administration has maintained that all Americans deserve a tax break. However, this new law did not honor that promise, and the President should not have signed legislation that denies a promised child tax credit to the millions of families that need it the most and are the most likely to spend it. These families with children, earning between $10,500 and $26,625, are already working hard to make ends meet. Our immediate priority in Congress should now be to pass legislation that will correct this last- minute injustice and provide these moderate-income families with the relief they deserve. Therefore, I support the legislation introduced by House Democratic leaders to accomplish this goal and benefit almost 3 million children in my home State of California. I urge my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to join us in helping those Americans in most need.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to object to the sweeping, permanent exemptions from environmental laws at military bases included in this Defense authorization bill. This set of provisions, the so-called ``Range and Readiness Preservation Initiative,'' would change critical provisions of the Clean Air Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the Endangered Species Act. These changes would remove Federal and State authority to require the Department of Defense to clean up its thousands of contaminated sites nationwide. I am a staunch supporter of a strong military and a strong national defense. Yet the changes that have been included in this bill go well beyond any consideration of military preparedness, are overboard, and are ill-advised. Environmental laws already include provisions for exemptions in the event of a national security issue. The proposals are rendered even more questionable by the fact that the Defense Department has not yet found a compelling case to plead for such an exemption. EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman has testified before Congress that compliance with environmental regulations has never impeded military readiness. Furthermore, these blanket exemptions for the Department of Defense from environmental statutes are inappropriate. I have grave concerns regarding the adverse environmental impact of this initiative. This legislation would relax current requirements protecting wildlife habitats on military installations, as well as requirements to clean up contaminated sites and control air emissions. The Department of Defense is our nation's biggest polluter. I believe that, unless national security is directly affected, the Department of Defense should be required to comply with Federal environmental laws. I call on my colleagues to strike these provisions.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, since 1990, we have honored the lives and accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans during the month of May. From the early 1800s to the 21st century, Asian and Pacific peoples have played a vital role in the development of the United States and have made lasting contributions in all elements of American society. Asian Pacific Americans have helped to define what it means to be an American, to work to advance the needs of all. I am proud that the region I represent in Congress is such a diverse one and is home to many people of Asian Pacific heritage--Asian Pacific American communities such as Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese Americans. In California's 29th District, cities like Alhambra, Altadena, Burbank, Pasadena, Glendale, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, South Pasadena and Temple City boast thriving, active Asian American communities. The City of Glendale, for example, boasts the nation's fourth largest Korean American population in the United States. In fact, just last month, I was privileged to travel to South Korea to address the increasingly important political, social and economic issues that have emerged on the Korean peninsula. The Congressional delegation trip focused on security issues on the Korean Peninsula, the plight of North Korean refugees and the abysmal human rights conditions in the North--issues important to my constituents and all Americans. But, in honoring Asian Pacific Americans this month, I also honor those individuals and organizations in my District whose accomplishments and contributions to our community have been immeasurable. It is my honor to recognize Cause-Vision 21 and its esteemed founder, Charlie Woo. The organization is dedicated to advancing the political empowerment of the Chinese American and Asian American communities through voter education, community outreach and leadership development. Each year, they organize the Chinese American Student Internship Coalition (CASIC), a program that provides Chinese American college students with the opportunity to gain hands on experience with the political process and a deeper understanding of issues important to the Chinese American community. Earlier this year, I named Dr. Annie Chin Siu of Alhambra as one of the Women of the Year in California's 29th District. Her continued efforts to help our youth, the development of commerce, the preservation of our historical legacy and her devotion to the improvement of public safety are remarkable. The recipient of numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce's Service Award and the Los Angeles Chinatown Public Safety Award, Dr. Liu is the consummate volunteer. She has been active in the Chinese American Museum, Chinese Historical Society of Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Chinatown Public Safety Association, among many others. Mr. Speaker, I am fortunate that my District is home to many of Southern California's most prominent and well-known Asian American leaders. California State Assemblymember Judy Chu, Monterey Park City Councilmembers Michael Eng and David Lau, and California Board of Equalization Member John Chiang have all displayed an unsurpassed dedication to their constituents. These are just a few, specific examples of the impact people of Asian Pacific heritage have had in the communities of California's 29th District. As a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Congressional Caucus on Korea, the United States--Philippines Friendship Caucus, and Taiwan Caucus, I have had the opportunity to support legislative efforts important to constituents in my district. As a nation, we must embrace the cultures that have worked to advance the needs of all Americans and have helped to define what it means to be American. I ask my colleagues to join me today and throughout this month to showcase and celebrate the contributions--both historical and present--of Asian Pacific Americans in our nation, our cities, and our communities.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this important legislation that will enable us to effectively combat the global scourges of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. I am pleased with the bill as amended by the Senate, which will provide unprecedented funding to fight this deadly trio of diseases that are global in scope. I am grateful for the bipartisan leadership of my House colleagues who authored and were original co-sponsors of this bill, especially Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos, Mr. Weldon, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Leach. This legislation enables the United States to take a strong leadership role to ameliorate, and, we hope, ultimately to eradicate one of the most devastating diseases that man has ever encountered. We count the victims of HIV/AIDS in the tens and hundreds of millions, worldwide. It is a disease that affects men and women, adults and children. Its impact is most devastating on the poorest, those with the least capacity to deal with the ravages of this disease or to act effectively to prevent its spread. By affecting so many millions across societal cross-sections, this disease presents a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Furthermore, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a potentially destabilizing force that presents a grave threat to international security. The African nations have been especially hard hit by the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Together, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and related diseases are undermining agricultural production throughout Africa--aggravating disease with hunger. This bill will address these global problems by authorizing $15 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, through a comprehensive 5-year integrated strategy. This legislation will use these funds effectively by promoting inter-agency coordination, supporting the expansions of public/private partnerships, and using targeted programs that will especially benefit children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Of course we must continue to work aggressively to combat the spread of this disease here in the United States and to continue our efforts to research a cure and to aid our own countrymen afflicted with this terrible illness. I am proud to have been a co-sponsor of the House version of this vital legislation to attack one of the most significant threats to global health. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong opposition to H.R. 1904, the poorly-named Healthy Forests Restoration Act. This bill is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It preys on our legitimate concerns and fears about the impact of deadly forest fires in the upcoming fire season. Indeed, we must acknowledge the destruction that has been caused by poor fire management practices over the past century. But H.R. 1904, the McInnis-Walden bill, is the wrong solution. It is not only inadequate to address these failures, it is deeply harmful to our environment. Under the guise of helping to protect communities from forest fires, this bill actually undermines critical environmental laws. Even more egregiously, it also violates our core democratic values by restricting the rights of Americans to seek redress in courts for grievances against the Federal Government. H.R. 1904 should be defeated because it fails to protect our communities from wildfire. It allows the logging of remote backcountry with no requirement that at-risk homes and communities closest to forests are protected first. It does not provide sufficient funding for local fire districts, communities, or tribes for fire prevention. In addition, this bill undermines existing environmental protections. It provides exemptions from the National Environmental Policy Act, the cornerstone of all environmental legislation. Without these critical NEPA safeguards, this bill will allow commercial logging projects to proceed with minimal environmental analysis or public involvement. As a result, old-growth forests and roadless areas would not be adequately protected. The Miller substitute is a great improvement over H.R. 1904. While H.R. 1904 in effect would allow logging in remote areas, the Miller substitute explicitly prioritizes thinning projects that are closest and most threatening to at-risk communities and water supplies. The Miller substitute aims to protect our rarest and most precious trees, prohibits new road construction, and limits the total amount of federal land eligible for thinning projects. It requires environmental reviews of forest thinning projects, making exceptions only for projects within half a mile of an at-risk community. We can all agree that destructive forest fires must be prevented through improvements in our forest management practices. But we must not let our eagerness to avert these tragic fires blind us to the flaws of this bill, which essentially offers a carte blanche for timber companies to log in remote forests. I urge my colleagues to vote for the Miller amendment and to oppose the McInnis bill.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, scores of Americans continue to lose their jobs each day, the deficit climbs to new and unprecedented heights, states and local communities struggle to find the resources to protect their communities from potential terrorist threats, and we have only made a down payment on the expenses of the war on terrorism. These are not circumstances which cry out for a half-trillion dollar tax cut. Far from it--they call for prudence, for fiscal responsibility, and for an acknowledgement that the government cannot denude itself of the ability to defend itself by increasing spending and cutting taxes with no end in sight. I rise today to urge my colleagues to oppose this fiscally irresponsible tax plan that will only saddle future generations with enormous debt and put us on a path of almost permanent deficits. Over the last 2 years, a staggering 2.7 million private sector jobs have been lost and the number of people unemployed for 6 months or longer has tripled. My Democratic colleagues have responded to this crisis by delivering a job creation plan to jumpstart our economy and put Americans back to work. By putting money directly in the pockets of those who need it most and those most likely to spend it, the Democratic plan will get our economy moving again. The House leadership plan, on the other hand, ignores the desires and demands of Americans. By making room for a dividend tax cut proposal and tax cuts for the wealthy, the House leadership has indicated a willingness to sacrifice funding for important domestic priorities such as education, health care, and a significant Medicare prescription drug benefit. We must work harder, we must do better, to ensure that budget decisions are made in a balanced and thoughtful way that maintains fiscal discipline, continues to pay down our debt, and supports priorities like Social Security and Medicare. In years past, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have touted the virtues of fiscal responsibility. I urge them to return to that position by joining us in embracing a fiscally responsible approach to stimulating our economy and providing relief and investment for all Americans.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation that is of utmost importance to our national security and our future as a global community. My legislation will expand the Defense Department's authority for Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction programs outside of the former Soviet Union. My bill will authorize efforts to dismantle and destroy nuclear, chemical, and other weapons of mass destruction in nations such as Pakistan, India, North Korea, China, Iran, and Iraq. These programs have a single objective: to reduce stockpiles of nuclear (and non-nuclear) materials in both military and nonmilitary facilities that may be converted to weapons of mass destruction to prevent such highly dangerous materials from being stolen or sold to terrorist organizations. It is critical for our national security to ensure that terrorists do not have easy access to weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons. Over a decade ago, the landmark Nunn-Lugar cooperative threat reduction legislation, the initiative of Senators Nunn and Lugar, was signed into law. This initiative was born out of necessity to ensure that the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union would not fall into the wrong hands as the Soviet empire was coming apart. Throughout the latter half of the Cold War, the Soviet and the US camps had achieved mutually assured destruction capability, which had resulted in an uneasy yet stable security with regard to our nuclear arsenals. The enemy was clear and identifiable. However, the demise of the Soviet empire ushered in a new post-Cold War period with unclear and unidentifiable threats, and a new and very real sense of urgency, instability and insecurity. At this critical juncture, Congress established the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program in 1991, authorizing the use of Defense Department funds to assist with the safe and secure transportation, storage, and dismantlement of nuclear, chemical and other weapons in the former Soviet Union. In the ten years since, while much has been done to dismantle Russia's and the former Soviet Republics' nuclear weapons, the dangers persist, and in some cases have increased. In addition to the traditional nuclear weapons and materials concerns in the former Soviet Union, there are new and emerging threats from nuclear proliferators such as North Korea, Pakistan, and China, as well as Libya, Iran, Iraq, and stateless terrorist organizations headed by individuals such as Osama Bin Laden, that are actively in search of their next deal on nuclear weapons technology and components. It is this latter type of threat--the unclear, mobile, and not easily identifiable source of threat--that compels us to continue and increase our efforts to secure nuclear weapons and materials wherever they may be found. The world has changed, and with it so to have the threats. We cannot afford to cut back on such worthwhile programs as Nunn-Lugar and other non-proliferation programs. There is much work to be done, and we must be increasingly vigilant in an ever-changing world with new threats that go far beyond nuclear weapons. Significant progress has been made thus far, as reported in the May 2001 Cooperative Threat Reduction Scorecard issued by the Department of Defense. With regard to the established CTR Baseline attributed to Russia under the START process, the Nunn-Lugar program has successfully deactivated 5,504 of the 13,3000 Warheads; destroyed 423 of the 1,473 ICBMs; eliminated 383 of the 831 ICBM Silos; eliminated 85 of the 167 Bombers; destroyed 483 of the 487 Long-Range Nuclear ALCMs; eliminated 352 of the 728 SLBM Launchers; eliminated 209 of the 936 SLBMs; destroyed 19 of the 48 SSBNs; and sealed all 194 Nuclear Test Tunnels. In addition, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus--the three former Soviet nuclear powerhouses--are nuclear weapons free, according to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency of the Department of Defense. The Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program can and should be credited for significant achievements in reducing threats from the former Soviet Union. However, continuing economic and social weaknesses in Russia, coupled with an eroding early warning system, poorly secured Russian nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and materials, and poorly paid Russian weapons scientists and security personnel, increase the threat of mass destruction on an unprecedented scale, especially if they fall into the hands of terrorists or rogue nations. Mr. Speaker, now more than ever we must make a fundamental shift in the way we think about nuclear weapons, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, and our national security. My bill will authorize the Department of Defense to expand their cooperative threat reduction programs outside of the former Soviet Union.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this important legislation that will enable us to effectively combat the global scourges of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. I am grateful for the bipartisan leadership of my colleagues who authored and were original co-sponsors of this bill especially Chairman Hyde, Ranking Member Lantos, Mr. Weldon, Ms. Lee, and Mr. Leach. This legislation enables the United States to take strong leadership role to ameliorate, and, we hope, ultimately to eradicate one of the most devastating diseases that man has ever encountered. We count the victims of HIV/AIDS in the tens and hundreds of millions, worldwide. It is a disease that affects men and women, adults and children. Its impact is most devastating on the poorest, those with the least capacity to deal with the ravages of this disease or to act effectively to prevent its spread. By affecting so many millions across societal cross-sections, this disease presents a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented magnitude. Furthermore, the HIV/AIDS pandemic is a potentially destabilizing force that presents a grave threat to international security. The African nations have been especially hard hit by the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Together, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and related diseases are undermining agriculture production throughout Africa-- aggravating disease with hunger. This bill will address these global problems by authorizing $15 billion to combat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, through a comprehensive five-year integrated strategy. This legislation will use these funds effectively by promoting inter-agency coordination, supporting the expansions of public/private partnerships, and using targeted programs that will especially benefit children and families affected by HIV/AIDS. Of course we must continue to work aggressively to combat the spread of this disease here in the United States and to continue our efforts to research a cure and to aid our own countrymen afflicted with this terrible illness. I am proud to be a co-sponsor of this vital legislation to attack one of the most significant threats to global health. I am pleased with the bill that the International Relations Committee passed, and I urge my colleagues to support his bill.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Temple Sinai in Glendale, California. This week, Temple Sinai celebrates its 75th Anniversary, marking the extraordinary history of the synagogue and its congregation. Temple Sinai was incorporated under California State Law on June 22, 1928, as the Sinai Community Center. At that time, the fledgling congregation consisted of fewer than a dozen Jewish families and met in the Masonic Hall located above the Ralph's Grocery Store at the corner of Orange and Broadway in Glendale. Using various venues for its functions until 1939, the congregation found its first permanent home at 425 West Windsor Road. Ten years later, the congregation constructed the first segment of its current home at 1212 North Pacific Avenue, and it has since grown both in physical plant and congregational census. Today the congregation has 300 member families--including mine--of all ages and backgrounds, serving Jews who live in Glendale, Burbank, Los Angeles, La Canada, La Crescenta, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, and Thousand Oaks. There are 240 students in the combined Religious and Hebrew Schools. A larger cadre of volunteers manages the many opportunities for involvement in the community, from ritual and religious services to advisory and policy-making bodies. The goals of the congregation embody the values of Judaism and its continuity. The congregation strengthens Judaism and Jewish values within and among the members of the local Jewish community, provides strength and support to members of the community who experience tragedy and grief in their lives, celebrates with members of the community the joyous occasions of their families, provides leadership experiences for Jews in the community so that they can undertake leadership of the synagogue in the future, and educates non-Jews as to the norms and traditions of Judaism. I am proud to be able to recognize Temple Sinai for its 75 years of offering a place of solemn and joyous worship to the people of Glendale and the nearby foothill communities. My heartfelt ``Mazel Tov'' on this milestone. Today, Temple Sinai exemplifies the role congregations of every faith have within communities as a refuge for all who come to worship together regardless of differences. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating Temple Sinai for their 75 years of remarkable achievement and to wish Temple Sinai all the best as your congregation grows from strength to strength.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Temple City chapter of the Quota Clubs International and the men and women who have shaped the club into the influential force that it is today in the San Gabriel Valley. For over 50 years, the Quotarians of Temple City have provided immeasurable support to the city, fully living up to their stated purpose: ``To serve country and community.'' Among the many events in which the Quota Club has participated is the City's annual Camellia festival and youth parade, an event that celebrates Temple City's rich history and culture. Other events demonstrate the Quotarians' commitment to excellence in our youth: they have sponsored student trips to Washington, D.C., supported teacher exchanges, and have helped in the purchase of band uniforms. The main focus of the Quota Club has been its service in education, testing, and aid to the hearing impaired. Over the years, they have provided no less than five help dogs to the deaf and have immeasurably improved the lives of those they have assisted. These incredible achievements have been made possible by the upstanding members of the Quota Club, who exemplify the best in our communities. The club boasts among its members five former Temple City Chamber of Commerce presidents, including Penny Graham, the first woman to hold that office, Mary Lou Swain, another member, was the first woman to be elected to the City Council of Temple City. Through the efforts of such organizations as the Quota Club and the individuals that comprise them, we can make real the ideals set forth in the Quota Club's charter: righteousness, justice, international understanding, and good will. It is for their tremendous efforts toward realizing these ideals that I ask all Members of Congress to stand with me today and salute the men and women of the Quota Club of Temple City.

Mr. SCHIFF

Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the people of the City of Alhambra, California, as the city celebrates its centennial anniversary. Located eight miles east of downtown Los Angeles, Alhambra is often referred to as the ``Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley.'' The site on which the city now rests was first included in a 1771 land grant that led to the establishment of the nearby San Gabriel Mission. While Alhambra's history and origins retain a heavy Spanish influence, the City's current population of 85,804 consists of a wide range of ethnic groups and many businesses in and around Alhambra have ties to international commerce. The dramatic population growth in Alhambra over the past two decades has been largely attributable to well-educated and highly skilled immigrants, who have brought both material wealth and cultural resources to the City of Alhambra. Alhambra is first and foremost a residential community, characterized by its charming, well-manicured residential neighborhoods. It lies within the ``Sixty Mile Circle'' that centers on Los Angeles, putting it at the heart of a dynamic concentration of population, employment, business, industry, and finance; two-thirds of the state's 100 largest corporations are headquartered within this circle. High quality educational, medical and transportation services abound and Alhambra has some of the region's strongest retail centers, drawing sales from auto dealerships and shopping districts. Numerous boutiques and restaurants line the downtown landscape, providing an attractive destination for persons to shop, dine and be entertained locally. Numerous recreational and sporting venues are also available. In recent years, Alhambra has been an economic powerhouse as well, aggressively seeking to bring new business to the city, leading to more than 30 new businesses in the downtown area alone. The renaissance of Downtown Main Street has been a top priority. According to a national survey, Alhambra ranks first among 15 surrounding cities in terms of cost of doing business and level of development. Its largest venture, a $30 million entertainment complex--the Alhambra Renaissance Cineplex opened in November 2002. In the last century, the City of Alhambra has come to be one that exemplifies everything that we expect our communities to be. It is one that we can look to for an example for other communities to follow, and one that will continue to enrich the San Gabriel Valley's cultural diversity for years to come. I ask all Members of Congress to join me in recognizing the City of Alhambra on its centennial.