Rob Simmons

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2427, Prescription Drug Reimportation legislation. My fear is that this bill will result in a flood of fake foreign pharmaceuticals into our country. Immediately following 9/11/01, Congress came together in a bipartisan fashion and moved quickly and swiftly to protect our borders, protect our airports, protect our drinking water, our food supply. Yet the reimportation bill before Congress today would allow the import of unregulated prescription drugs through our borders. That's why so many groups oppose H.R. 2427. This bill, although well- intentioned, jeopardizes the safety of consumers who use prescription drugs. Among the opponents to the bill is the Food and Drug Administration. In a letter to Congress, the FDA stated that H.R. 2427 ``would erode the ability of the FDA to fulfill its challenging mission of ensuring the safety and efficacy of the U.S. drug supply.'' The FDA goes on to state it, ``simply cannot support legislation that exposes Americans to greater potential risk of harm from unsafe or ineffective drugs.'' The American Medical Association, who also opposes the bill, stated in a recent letter, ``We believe that H.R. 2427 would be so dangerous to patient safety that we must oppose it.'' From my home state, the Connecticut Medical Society says, ``While we support broader availability of prescription drugs at the lowest price possible, quality must be assured. For the safety of our patients in Connecticut, we respectfully urge you to reject H.R. 2427.'' Our Nation's pharmacists also oppose the measure. The National Community Pharmacists Association says it ``is strongly opposed to any legislation that legalizes and/or encourages the importation of prescription drugs by individuals.'' Mr. Chairman, I believe in listening to the experts. And it's clear that the experts all oppose this unsafe policy. Instead of supporting a risky reimportation bill, Congress must work harder to bring a cost-effective prescription drug bill to our citizens. American citizens deserve access to safe, effective American drugs. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting against H.R. 2427.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2357) to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2357, as amended, the Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2003. H.R. 2357 would provide two important new health services to veterans. First, the bill would clearly establish the authority of the Department of Veterans Affairs to appoint chiropractors within its health care system, allowing veterans to receive this care in VA facilities. Currently, veterans are not receiving this specialty care from VA because the VA has decided that chiropractic care is not necessary and duplicates services already provided by physicians, nurses, and physical therapists. For nearly 3 years, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has been working to include chiropractic care as part of the VA's health care system. Through provisions in the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001, the VA has been required to establish a policy for the role of chiropractic care for veterans and to provide chiropractic care and services for veterans in its health care system. By law, VA has also been required to establish a Chiropractic Advisory Committee within the Department. Although some progress has been made by the Advisory Committee on chiropractic care, veterans are dissatisfied with the VA's reluctance to fulfill its obligations under law. The gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), our former Health Subcommittee chairman, has spearheaded this important effort for our veterans, and I thank him for his leadership on this issue. Mr. Speaker, our bill would also authorize VA to provide health care services to Filipino World War II veterans who legally reside in the United States. During World War II, the Commonwealth of the Philippines army was called to serve with the U.S. Armed Forces. Tens of thousands of Filipino soldiers served alongside U.S. soldiers during World War II, exhibiting great courage and determination at the epic battles of Bataan and Corregidor and contributing to the successful outcome of the war. After the Philippines became an independent Nation, Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946, reducing or eliminating many of the benefits that Filipino veterans had been eligible for based on service in the Commonwealth army. Today, almost 60 years later, 60,000 World War II Filipino veterans are alive and continue to seek restoration of these benefits. Approximately 14,000 Filipino veterans in the U.S. would be eligible for the VA health care services this bill would authorize. Today, Commonwealth army veterans and new Philippine Scouts residing in United States are only eligible for VA health care services if they are in receipt of a disability compensation. This legislation before us today would broaden eligibility for VA health care for all Filipino veterans residing in the United States. Commonwealth army veterans and new Philippine Scouts living in the United States would be subject to the same eligibility and means test requirements as American veterans. This bill would honor our commitment to those veterans by covering hospital, nursing home, and medical care services. I want to commend the gentleman from New Jersey, my chairman, the chairman of the full Committee on Veterans' Affairs, for his leadership in bringing this legislation forward; and I also commend the gentleman from California (Mr. Filner) who has championed the cause of Filipino veterans for years and is due a great deal of credit for the legislation we put before the House today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran), formerly the chairman of the Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, currently serving as vice chairman of that subcommittee and a tireless advocate for chiropractic care for our veterans.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2003. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1516) to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a national cemetery for veterans in southeastern Pennsylvania, as amended.

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

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

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in a sense, the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003 is part of the legacy of the late chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Bob Stump. It was Bob who composed many of the cemetery provisions ultimately signed into law as part of the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act. Bob also took a particular interest in the need for improvements to our national cemeteries and to obtain an updated list of areas in the country where there was a significant unmet demand for a national cemetery. His vision of VA cemeteries as national shrines should inspire all of us and those responsible for maintaining VA cemeteries for years to come. According to existing VA planning guidelines, VA should establish cemeteries in locations that would provide service to 90 percent of veterans within 75 miles of their homes. H.R. 1516, as amended, reflects the findings of a recently completed VA study which found the areas of the country most in need of a new national cemetery. The study, performed by Logistic Management Institute, reviewed current and future burial needs of veterans and identified areas of the country where new national cemeteries might be constructed. They identified 31 areas with the greatest need and ranked them by the size of the population to be served. VA is expanding six cemeteries on the list currently serving veterans through land acquisitions, and State cemeteries are being planned in other areas to meet veterans' burial needs. H.R. 1516, as amended, would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a new national cemetery, not later than 4 years after the date of enactment, in those five areas, which would be southeastern Pennsylvania; Birmingham, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Bakersfield, California; and Greenville-Columbia, South Carolina. More than 900,000 veterans and their survivors will benefit from these additional national cemeteries. H.R. 1516, as amended, would also direct the Secretary to submit a report to Congress not later than 120 days after enactment on the establishment of the national cemeteries required by this bill. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach) and his staff for their work on this bill and for working with the gentleman from South Carolina (Chairman Brown) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Maine (Mr. Michaud), to provide for the burial needs of veterans. I would also like to recognize committee staff, Paige McManus, Darryl Kehrer, Kingston Smith, Patrick Ryan, Mary Ellen McCarthy, Geoffrey Collver, and Jim Holley for their work on the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to urge my colleagues to support the National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2003. For a veteran, a funeral service is the last official ceremony that that veteran will participate in; and for the family, that cemetery becomes a place of remembrance and love. It is so important to these families that they be able to visit their departed veteran in this environment.

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Gerlach), and thank him, speaking as a veteran, for all of his hard work to bring this legislation to the floor.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 2357, as amended.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1516, as amended.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2417, a bill to reauthorize appropriations for FY 2004 for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. Government. It has been my honor to serve this Nation with the Central Intelligence Agency for 10 years, five of which were spend as an operations officer in Southeast Asia. For over 30 years I served on active and reserve duty as a Military Intelligence Officer and have also had the unique privilege of serving as Staff Director for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence under Chairmen Barry Goldwater and Daniel Patrick Moynihan. All this service took place at a time when our Nation was seeking to win the Cold War. The collapse of the Soviet Union changed our world for the better, but did not eliminate the need for accurate and timely intelligence. We now face a new uncertainty and risk. Rather than focusing on one or two superpowers, we have to defend against numerous lethal covert terrorist groups. H.R. 2417 responds to these changing threats by boosting the role of human intelligence or HUMINT gathered from human sources around the world; increases our ability to analyze material from a broad spectrum of sources; increases our capability to conduct counter terrorism; and authorizes protections and benefits for our intelligence officers at home and abroad. Mr. Chairman, it is incumbent on this body to improve the intelligence capabilities of the Nation, to better serve as the ``eyes and ears'' of America in a difficult and dangerous world. This bill responds to this urgent requirement, and I support it completely. H.R. 2417--Intelligence Authorization Act for FY 2004, Updated June 24, 2003 floor situation The House is scheduled to consider H.R. 2417, pursuant to a rule, on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. On Tuesday, June 24, 2003, the Rules Committee granted, by voice vote, a modified open rule providing one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chairman and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule provides that the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. The rule provides that it shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose of amendment under the five-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a substitute now printed in the bill, which shall be considered as read. The rule waives all points of order against consideration of the bill, and against the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute. The rule provides that no amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute shall be in order except those printed in the Rules Committee report accompanying the resolution, and all points of order against said amendments are waived. The rule provides that each amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit with or without instructions. summary H.R. 2417 authorizes appropriations for FY 2004 for (a) the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. Government, (b) the Community Management Account, and (c) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System. The authorization level is classified. The funding levels and personnel ceilings for most programs are outlined in a classified annex to the committee report, which Members only may review in the offices of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in H-405 in the Capitol. highlights H.R. 2417 will: Provide full support for the Intelligence Community's efforts in the war on terrorism; Focus attention on the need to enhance Human Intelligence capabilities and tools; Authorize additional resources to improve analytical depth in all areas of intelligence, and increase our analytical capacity to process, exploit, and disseminate all of the intelligence that is collected; Posture the Intelligence Community to develop a framework for a unified overhead imagery architecture; Include provisions that are intended to improve the government's ability to identify any spies that might be working against the United States and to provide the government additional leverage as it moves to prosecute such traitors, such as Hanssen, Ames, and Montes; Establish a Bureau of Intelligence and Enforcement within the Department of the Treasury, to be headed by an Assistant Secretary for Intelligence and Enforcement, that will enhance the government's ability to gather and process information about the financial support of terrorism and other illegal activity; Require the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to report on lessons learned as a result of military operations in Iraq; Improve information sharing among Federal, State, and local government officials; including increased training for state and local officials on how the intelligence community can support their counterterrorism efforts; Require the Intelligence Community's senior leadership to comprehensively examine (and report to Congress on) policy and technical issues related to digital information sharing, electronic collaboration, and ``horizontal integration'' across the Intelligence Community; Extend the authority for the use of funds designated for intelligence and intelligence-related purposes for assistance to the Government of Colombia for counter-drug activities to be used also to fund counterterrorism activities in Colombia for each of FYs 2004 through 2005; Provide limited immunity from tort liability to those Special Police Officers of the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency; Authorize the personnel ceilings on September 30, 2004 for the intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. Government and permit the Director of Central Intelligence to authorize personnel ceilings in Fiscal Year 2003 for any intelligence element up to two percent above the authorized levels, with the approval of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Authorize $226.4 million for the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability Fund (CIARDS) in order to fully fund the accruing cost of retirement benefits for individuals in the Civil Service Retirement System, CIARDS, and other Federal retirement systems. background Agencies' activities affected by the Intelligence Authorization Act of 2003, include fourteen agencies of the U.S. government, such as: Central Intelligence Agency; National Security Agency; Defense Intelligence Agency; National Imagery and Mapping Agency; National Reconnaissance Organization; FBI (Counterterrorism and Counterintelligence); DOE; Homeland Security; and U.S. Coast Guard. Legislative History H.R. 2417 was introduced by Chairman Goss on June 11, 2003. It was reported from the Select Intelligence Committee by a vote of 16-0 on June 12, 2003 (H. Rpt. 108-163). Cost Estimate CBO estimates that the unclassified portions of this measure will cost $320 million over the 2004-2008 period, assuming appropriation of the specified and estimated amounts. CBO also estimates the bill will affect direct spending and receipts by an insignificant amount. H.R. 2417 contains intergovernmental and private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), but CBO estimates that the costs of complying with these mandates will not exceed the thresholds established by that act ($59 million for intergovernmental mandates and $117 million for private-sector mandates in 2003, adjusted annually for inflation). Amendments Made in Order Under the Rule (6 amendments) Rep. Cox will offer an amendment (#10) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment strikes Section 336 (Improvement of Information Sharing Among Federal, State, and Local Government Officials) of the bill. Contact: 6-8417. Rep. Farr will offer an amendment (#9) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment seeks to improve the foreign language training of the intelligence community by providing: (1) training in the application of standardized foreign language skill assessment mechanisms; (2) development of curriculum for advanced proficiency intelligence community foreign language speakers and interpreters; (3) non-degree training for translators and interpreters; (4) training intelligence community foreign language teachers in the use of technology geared for teaching advanced ``critical languages;'' (5) intensive on-site foreign language training. Contact: 5- 2861. Rep. Harman will offer an amendment (#2) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. It amends section (g)(1) of Section 343 of the bill by requiring the Director of Central Intelligence to report on whether further consolidation or elimination of watch list databases in Federal departments and agencies would contribute to the efficacy and effectiveness of the Terrorist Identification Classification System in identifying known or suspected terrorists. If passed, it would also require the Director of Central Intelligence to report on steps required to consolidate or eliminate such watch lists. Contact: 5- 8220. Rep. Hastings (FL) will offer an amendment (#1) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment directs the Director of Central Intelligence to establish a pilot project to improve recruitment of ethnic and cultural minorities and women to meet the diversity of skills, language, and expertise required by the current mission. Contact: 5-1313. Rep. Kucinich will offer an amendment (#8) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment directs the Inspector General of the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct an audit of all telephone and electronic communications between the CIA and the Office of the Vice President that relate to weapons of mass destruction obtained or developed by Iraq preceding Operation Iraqi Freedom. Not later than one year after the date of enactment, the Inspector General shall submit a report to Congress on the audit conducted. Contact: 5-5871. Rep. Lee will offer an amendment (#7) on Wednesday, June 25, 2003. The amendment requires the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study to determine the extent of intelligence sharing by the Department of Defense and intelligence community with United Nations inspectors searching for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq prior to Operation Iraqi Freedom. Contact: 5-2661.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with my colleague from Long Beach, CA, Ms. Juanita Millender-McDonald to introduce the ``Fairness to All Vietnam Veterans Act.'' This legislation directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress an appropriate way to recognize and honor Vietnam veterans who died in service of our Nation, but whose names are not listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall. Our retired colleague, Steve Horn, championed this legislation in the 107th Congress, and I am honored to carry on his good work. I was moved when I learned the story of the 74 Navy men who died on the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans who are not listed on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall. For those who are not familiar with this story, in the spring of 1969, the destroyer Evans sailed from the Port of Long Beach, CA to Vietnam. After experiencing fierce combat off the coast of Vietnam, the Evans was sent to a brief training exercise called ``Operation Sea Spirit'' with over 40 ships of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. On the morning of June 3, 1969, the crew of the Evans awoke to the sounds of its hull splitting in half. Inexplicably the Australian carrier, Melbourne, had rammed the American destroyer Evans. The forward half of the ship sank within 3 minutes, taking 74 sailors with it. Although they were in the South China Sea, these lost sailors have been excluded from the wall because their sunk vessel was just outside the designated combat zone that determines inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall. Although these men did not die in direct combat, they were instrumental in forwarding American objectives in Vietnam and participated in conflict just days before the collision that claimed their lives. In reviewing the historical and personal records of the Evans, I see a story of valor and patriotism, and, for 74 sailors, the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Mr. Speaker, examining the important role these men played in the Vietnam conflict, I believe my colleagues will agree that those who died deserve the honor of being listed on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall. Unfortunately, the case of the Evans does not just pertain to the families of the 74 soldiers who perished in June of 1969. Those who were stationed on the Evans, including eastern Connecticut's Bill Thilbeault of Norwich, are proud survivors of the accident and look forward to the day when their shipmates are finally given their recognition of service and sacrifice on the Wall. My colleague Ms. Millender-McDonald and I believe it is time for the Department of Defense to examine current policies for placement on the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Wall. Our legislation asks for a complete study of the current standards and for an examination of those who died, such as the 74 sailors on the Evans, which seem appropriate for inclusion on the wall. The Fairness to All Vietnam Veterans Act has the support of the Frank E. Evans Association, as well as hundreds of family members across the country, hoping to see loved ones properly recognized. And Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado champions companion legislation in the Senate. I urge my colleagues to support and pass this bipartisan and long overdue piece of legislation.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Melvin E. Olsson of Mystic, CT, for his dedicated service to the community throughout his 43-year career at Electric Boat in Groton, CT. Yesterday, for the first time in 13 years, Mel Olsson's name did not appear on the ballot for the Marine Draftsmen's Association, MDA, union elections at Electric Boat. Olsson is retiring from his post as president of the local 571 at Electric Boat and will return to his trade as piping designer. Mel began as an apprentice in the shipyard in 1962 and moved to the design force just 2 years later. Elected vice president of the local in 1975, Olsson has dedicated much of his career to serving the MDA. I commend Mel Olsson for his dedicated service to the working men and women of Electric Boat who design the best submarines in the world. He has worked to establish a relationship with the company that is better than it has ever been. Mel is a true leader in his community and a role model for the future leaders of the MDA. Mr. Speaker, I encourage the Members of the House of Representatives to join me in honoring Melvin Olsson for his 13 years of service as head of the MDA. I wish him all the best.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill that would provide the Filipino veterans of World War II who now live in the United States health care benefits on the same basis as if they were veterans of the U.S. armed services. This legislation would require the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, within the limits of the Department's facilities, to provide hospital, nursing home and medical care services to certain Filipino World War II veterans of the Philippines Commonwealth Army and former Philippines New Scouts who legally reside in the United States, in the same manner as their American veteran peers. The substance of this bill was included in the Veterans Health Care and Procurement Improvement Act of 2002 that passed the House last year, but failed to clear the other Body. I thank the President for his leadership and acknowledgement of the importance of addressing the health care issues of the Filipino veterans by recently requesting the introduction and prompt consideration of similar legislation this Congress. I also acknowledge the advocacy of my colleague from California, Mr. Filner, who for years has kept this issue before the House as a matter of equity and recognition for an important allied force during a time of great peril for this Nation. Currently, Commonwealth Army veterans residing in the U.S. are only eligible for VA health care services for treatment of service-connected disabilities and for non service-connected disabilities if they are in receipt of certain compensation. My bill would remove these barriers to treatment of veterans of World War II who are of Filipino descent by eliminating the receipt-of-compensation requirement for Commonwealth Army veterans and extending to new Philippine Scouts the same eligibility for medical care and services as Commonwealth Army veterans. Commonwealth Army veterans and new Philippine Scouts would be subject to the same eligibility and means test requirements as their American counterparts. The military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines were called into the United States Armed Forces during World War II by President Roosevelt's Executive Order. Under the Command of General MacArthur, the Filipino soldiers served side-by-side with forces from the United States and exhibited great courage at the battles of Battan and Corregidor. The participation of the Filipino forces delayed and disrupted the initial Japanese effort to control the Western Pacific and was vital to giving the U.S. time to prepare the forces necessary to defeat Japan. When the United States granted independence to the Philippines, Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946, reducing or eliminating many of the veterans' benefits for which Filipino veterans had been eligible, based on service in the Commonwealth Army. The reclassification of their service to the United States during World War II by the Rescissions Act unfortunately left many Filipino veterans residing in the United States without eligibility for VA health care. It is due time that these Filipino veterans are given the health care benefits they have been waiting more than 50 years to receive. I urge all my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this bill, one that recognizes our Nation's moral obligation to extend VA health care services to the approximately 14,000 Filipino veterans who are in their senior years here in the United States.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Joint Resolution 4, the Constitutional Amendment to prohibit flag desecration. Our flag is a symbol of the American character and its values. It tells the story of victories won--and battles lost--in defending the principles of freedom, and democracy. These are stories of real men and women who have selflessly served this Nation in defending that freedom. And many of them lost their lives for it. Bunker Hill, Gettysburg, San Juan Hill, Iwo Jima, Korea, Da Nang, Persian Gulf--our men and women had one common symbol--the American flag. The American flag belongs to them, as it belongs to all of us. Critics of the amendment believe it interferes with freedom of speech. I disagree. Americans enjoy more freedoms than any other people in the world. They have access to public television. They can write letters to the editors to express their beliefs, or call into radio stations. I meet with constituents everyday in order to best represent their interests in Washington. Americans can stand on the steps of the Nation's capitol building to demonstrate their cause. They do not need to demonstrate our noble flag to make their statement, and I do not believe protecting the flag from desecration deprives Americans of the opportunity to speak freely. And let us be clear: speech, not action, is protected by the Constitution. Our Founding Fathers protected free speech and freedom of the press because in a democracy, words are used to debate and persuade, and to educate. A democracy must protect free and open debate, regardless of how disagreeable some might find the views of others. Prohibiting flag desecration does not undermine that tradition. The proposed amendment would protect the flag from desecration, not from burning. As a member of the American Legion, I have supervised the disposal of over 7,000 unserviceable flags. But this burning is done with ceremony and respect. This is not flag desecration. Over 70 percent of the American people want the opportunity to vote to protect their flag. Numerous organizations, including the Medal of Honor Recipients for the Flag, the American Legion, the American War Mothers, the American G.I. Forum, and the African-American Women's Clergy Association all support this amendment. Forty-nine states have passed resolutions calling for constitutional protection for the flag. In the last Congress, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed this amendment by a vote of 298 to 125, and will rightfully pass it again this year. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.J. Res. 4 and ask that my colleagues join me in supporting this important resolution that means so much to so many.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for the Dental Office Retention Act, a bill to allow dental officers in military service to receive additional special pay while undergoing an internship or residency. Aspiring dentists leave medical school owing hundreds of thousands of dollars, often substantially more than $100,000. Shouldering this burden places a large financial strain on these men and women. The loss of additional special pay during their dental training program further aggravates this problem at a time when these dentists can least afford it. Dental officers with 3-10 years of service lose $6,000 in additional specialty pay. Dental officers with more than 10 years of service lose $15,000. Military dentists face further incentives to leave the service. This is because they receive salaries 30-50 percent lower than their civilian counterparts. We should not be cutting compensation to our military dentists when they need it most. There are 3,000 dentists in Connecticut and they tell me that the most pressing concern for them in pursuing a career in the military dental corps is how to repay their loans. Dr. Mark Desrosiers, a dentist from my congressional district in eastern Connecticut, says, ``Having been in the military, and a practicing dentist myself, I think this would be a great way to ensure that residents in military specialty programs not be penalized financially by losing their special pay.'' Another dentist explains during an exit interview why, though he would rather have stayed in the military, his financial burden forced him to leave. ``The main reason for my decision to leave the Air Force is my financial situation. I have enjoyed my time in the Air Force and believe it is one of the best ways for a young dentist to gain experience both as a dentist, leader and follower. It was a difficult decision to make because my wife and I enjoy the military way of life, but we cannot pay our debt with the salary I am paid.'' Mr. Speaker, in order to keep a sufficient number of quality dentists in the dental corps, thereby ensuring the dental readiness of America's forces, it is important to eliminate this disincentive that drives officers from the dental corps. Removing the restriction that the officers not receive additional special pay (ASP) while participating in a dental internship or residency training program would help achieve that end. I urge all my colleagues to support my legislation.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. I support this amendment wholeheartedly in part because it contains a provision requesting a report from the Secretary of Defense which I have requested dealing with the issuance of security clearances and updates on security clearance for defense workers. My district has literally thousands of defense workers producing the very best submarines in the world. But under a recently passed law which we refer to as the Smith Act, some of these workers run the risk of losing their clearances for activities that took place many, many years ago and, yet, under the provisions of the Smith Act, may result in denial of a clearance which for them results in denial or loss of a job. I look forward to the report which this amendment requests so that we can work to eliminate this unintended consequence of the Smith Act. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the en bloc amendment being offered by Chairman Duncan Hunter. This amendment contains many important provisions. It includes language I authored to require the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the granting or renewal of security clearances for Department of Defense personnel and defense contractor personnel. Those Members of Congress with Department of Defense contractors in their districts know the importance of a security clearance to the men and women who work for those contractors. As someone who has held a TOP SECRET clearance for over 30 years, I fully understand the importance of issuing these clearances to defense contractors and their employees. My district is home to Electric Boat where thousands of hard working people show up every day to design and build the finest submarines in the world. Every 5 years Electric Boat workers are put through a necessary review of their security clearances, which I support. Unfortunately, a recent law contained language commonly known as the ``Smith Act'' which requires any person convicted of a crime and sentenced to one year or more in jail to be automatically disqualified from holding a security clearance. The law does not take into account whether the individual actually served the sentence. But, the law says conviction means no clearance, and no clearance means no job. Mr. Chairman, over the past year many highly skilled veteran workers from Electric Boat have appeared at my district office, frightened that a conviction in their youth will suddenly come back to haunt them and cost them their job. These are men and women who have often held their security clearances for over 20 years. But because of the Smith Act, those clearances are now in jeopardy. These working men and women have families and contribute positively to their communities, both in eastern Connecticut and around the nation. And at Electric Boat they have been safely and securely building the best submarines in the world for the U.S. Navy for over 100 years! There are similar stories in other defense contractor facilities around this great nation. While the intention of the ``Smith Act'' was good, it is time to re-examine this law and see if there are more effective ways to update and issue these security clearances. My amendment does just that. It simply requires the Department of Defense to report back to Congress within 60 days with recommendations for legislation or administrative steps the Secretary of Defense considers necessary to better carry out the business of granting and renewing security clearances. In searching for solutions to this problem, I am pleased to have the support of both management and labor. Both parties are well aware of the importance of security clearances to the defense industry and the dramatic impact the loss of a clearance has on their employees. Today I am pleased to share letters from both the President of Electric Boat and the President of the Metal Trades Council of New London County. Both letters express support for my efforts to improve the Smith Act. I ask unanimous consent that these letters be inserted into the Record. In closing, let me thank Chairman Hunter and his staff for working with me on this important amendment. I appreciate their recognition of the need to review the unintended consequences of the Smith Act. Finally, I look forward to reviewing the recommendations from the Department of Defense and working with both the Pentagon and my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee to craft a reasonable solution to this problem. Metal Trades Council of New London County, Groton, CT, May 15, 2003. Hon. Duncan Hunter, Chairman, House Armed Services Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Hunter: It has come to my attention that Congressman Rob Simmons is currently working with you and your staff on ways to improve Section 986(c)(1) of title 10 USC, also known as the ``Smith Act.'' As the president of the Metals Trade Council union at Electric Boat in Groton (CT), I am writing today to share my strong support of Mr. Simmons's proposed changes to the Act. As you know, the purpose of the Smith Act is to ensure that individuals who have been convicted of a serious crime are not given a Defense Security Service (DSS) security clearance at controlled industrial areas like Electric Boat. Under the Act, any person convicted of a crime and sentenced to imprisonment for greater than one year is automatically disqualified from a security clearance. Unfortunately, I have seen firsthand the unintended consequences of the Smith Act. All too often, an Electric Boat employee, whose security clearance is being reviewed, is denied a clearance renewal because of a minor criminal offense where the individual was sentenced to more than one year in prison, yet served little or no jail time. Sadly, losing a clearance means losing a job. Many of these working men and women have received their clearances prior to the implementation of the Smith Act and have been on the yard for more than 20 years. They are skilled workers, proud of their work and their country. And while I support efforts to protect controlled industrial areas through tougher scrutiny of clearances, I would urge you to strongly consider the proposed changes that Congressman Simmons has drafted. These improvements to the Smith Act will go a long way toward saving the jobs of numerous laborers at Electric Boat. Thank you for taking my thoughts into consideration. We at Electric Boat appreciate everything that you and your Committee have done for the submarine capital of the world. Sincerely, Kenneth Delacruz, President.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2185, the ``Unemployed Compensation Amendments of 2003.'' I am proud to be an original sponsor of a measure so important to my home State of Connecticut. Despite the fact that this Congress has passed several extensions for unemployment benefits, there are still millions of displaced workers who, of no fault of their own, are unable to find employment. This Congress--led by my colleague Jennifer Dunn--recognizes this and has put forth a bill that will once again provide a lift to those who are still feeling the impact of September 11 on the economy. Nowhere is this bill more important than in my home State of Connecticut. Unemployment benefit claims in Connecticut are up 7 percent from this month last year. Thousands of Connecticut's working men and women need more assistance. For these reasons, it is imperative for Congress to act now and extend the unemployment insurance program to help those who are still looking for jobs. H.R. 2185 will go a long way toward helping Connecticut's economy recover and ensure our workers economic security as they seek to rejoin the workforce. On behalf of those more than 112,000 working men and women in Connecticut who will benefit from an unemployment extension, I ask that all Members of Congress support this bill.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman and the ranking member for introducing the Selected Reserve Home Equity Loan Act. I have served as a reservist in the U.S. Army for over 30 years, and I feel that this is an extraordinarily helpful piece of legislation for our reservists that will help hundreds of my colleagues in the Reserve in Connecticut, and literally thousands if not tens of thousands of reservists across the Nation, many of whom are deployed, on active duty, called up on active duty even as we speak here today. By giving these reservists the opportunity to count on a guaranteed and ensured home loan through the Department of Veterans Affairs, this program promises them the American Dream of owning their own home. What better message for this body and this Nation to send to its deployed reservists than the message that when you come home we wish to extend to you the opportunity of taking a loan and buying a home. We have come to appreciate the role of the reservists in our national security and in our military now more than ever. When I first joined the Reserves in 1970 after coming off of active duty service in Vietnam, it was rare for a reserve unit to be activated and deployed. In fact, from 1970 to 1990, my military unit was not activated and deployed for any purpose. But in the early 1990s, the deployments began, and members of the unit and finally the unit itself were activated and deployed on a number of occasions. And, in fact, my former unit is currently on active duty as we speak today, and all of its members have been called to active duty and deployed. This changing role of the U.S. Reserves makes it all the more appropriate that legislation of this sort be crafted to extend these benefits to them. I thank my colleague and ranking member of the Committee on Veterans Affairs for his vision in seeing the importance of this legislation. I also thank my colleague, the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), for his work on this important piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1911, to enhance cooperation and the sharing of resources between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. H.R. 1911 was originally introduced by the gentleman from Arkansas, Mr. Boozman. As Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and a member of the Armed Services Committee, I have observed firsthand the need for enhanced sharing initiatives between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. My experience on these two committees has given me a vision of the opportunities afforded by an effective pooling of VA and DOD resources--I was drawn to Mr. Boozman's bill for this very reason. The new mandate envisioned by this bill would lead to better services for active military servicemembers, reservists, dependents and veterans alike. This could be accomplished by elevating programs and areas of mutual interest of the Departments--such as the Montgomery GI Bill; VA's home loan guaranty program; various memorial affairs activities; general administrative and management systems; common information technology, records keeping and systems of records; and capital infrastructure, among many other possibilities. This legislation would be of great benefit in seeking to bridge the divide between these two Departments and doing so in the interests of America, our active soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, dependents, veterans and the American people. Passage of this bill would have the additional benefit of conserving taxpayer funds, cutting down on administrative and bureaucratic waste and promoting better services to current and future veterans of our armed services. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 100, as amended.

Mr. SIMMONS

Mr. SIMMONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Miller) from the first district, which I understand has more veterans per capita than any other district in this great Nation.

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