Ellen Tauscher

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I support this amendment because conservation payments will help boost farm and ranch income without encouraging production of even greater surpluses that lower crop prices. As the Bush administration reported 2 weeks ago, traditional crop subsidies have triggered the production of huge surpluses that have lowered crop prices. Congress has responded by providing emergency payments to farmers, but these payments have also encouraged even greater production and even greater surpluses. In particular, the Bush administration concluded that these subsidies have inflated farmland prices, making it harder for smaller producers to compete. The challenge, Mr. Chairman, is to boost farm and ranch income without triggering the production of huge crop surpluses. Conservation payments, unlike subsidy payments, cannot be used to produce more crops, but are instead used to change production methods to help the environment. Conservation payments have two additional benefits: they reward farmers for protecting and improving water quality and wildlife habitat, and they ensure that we comply with our international trade agreements. Finally, Mr. Chairman, farmers want to conserve and provide more open space. Nationally, more than 190,000 farmers were rejected this year when they sought water quality grants from USDA. In my State of California, farmers are facing a $122.8 million conservation backlog. Across the country, farmers are facing a $2 billion conservation backlog. This amendment will help all farmers boost their income without triggering the growth of huge surpluses that lower crop prices. I urge my colleagues to adopt the Kind amendment.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Chairman, I would like to lend my strong support for Mr. Stump's manager's amendment to the Defense authorization bill. This important provision adds $10,000,000 to the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA)'s vital defense nuclear nonproliferation activities. The tragic events of September 11 and repeated incidents of groups trying to purchase unsecured Russian nuclear material, demonstrate in no uncertain terms that groups hostile to the United States may seek to cause wide-scale destruction to our nation using weapons of mass destruction. The increased funding in Mr. Stump's amendment will enable the NNSA to continue to develop technologies to detect weapons of mass destruction, from a small nuclear device concealed in a ship's cargo- hold to anthrax spores hidden in a suitcase. These threats are elusive and hard to counter, but our national laboratories, through the NNSA, are working on critical technologies to make our nation less vulnerable. Madam Chairman, I remain concerned that the overall defense authorization bill does not restore the President's cuts to the Department of Energy's vital non-proliferation activities. These programs are instrumental in downsizing Russia's aging nuclear weapons complex, accounting for and securing Russia's nuclear material, and preventing the outflow from Russia of nuclear weapons expertise. I am pleased, however, that Mr. Stump's amendment takes a step toward improving our ability to counter the threat of weapons of mass destruction and I will work in conference to fully restore the funding to this year's level. I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to honor and congratulate Mr. Aldo M. Caccamo upon his retirement from Chevron. Mr. Caccamo is retiring from his current position as Vice President of Public Affairs, and corporate officer, after completing a distinguished 37-year career. Mr. Caccamo was born in 1937, received his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1960, and a MBE degree from Harvard Business School in 1964. That same year he joined Chevron. I would like to also honor Jane Caccamo, Al's wife, who together celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary this past August. They have three sons, Daniel--36 years old, Paul--33 years old, and David--who is 31 years old and married to Amy Jo. Al and Jane recently became grandparents with the birth of David and Amy Jo's daughter, Emily Jane, who is now almost 1 year old. His distinguished service has included global responsibilities. Prior to assuming his current position in 1996, he was the President of Chevron International Oil Co.--responsible for Chevron's international crude oil, products trading and international sales. He started as a financial analyst and progressed, in 1967 to the assistant area manager-aviation sales for Chevron International. He became worldwide aviation fuels manager in San Francisco in 1971, and subsequently held positions as corporate planning consultant and planning manager for Chevron U.S.A. In 1979, he was named manager, pricing and evaluation, for Chevron U.S.A. marketing. In 1982, he became manager of the west central marketing division. In 1984, he was named general manager, western region, supply and distribution. In 1986, he became general manager, eastern region, supply and distribution in Houston. In 1988, he was named general manager, marketing for Chevron U.S.A. Products Co. Mr. Caccamo has served on the board of directors of the San Francisco Friends of the Urban Forest, the San Francisco Academy, the San Francisco Opera, and the National Council of La Raza. He has also served as chairman of the San Francisco Global Trade Council Advisory Board, and as a director of Caltex Petroleum Corp.--which operates a major refining and marketing business in Africa and the Far East. On behalf of the U.S. Congress, and my fellow citizens of the San Francisco Bay area, I extend our sincere congratulations to Al Caccamo.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002. As the ranking member of the National Nuclear Security Administration Oversight panel, I want to specifically address the provisions of the bill relating to the Department of Energy and the NNSA. Madam Chairman, the decision to retain the oversight panel again this year sends a very clear message of Congress's intent to aggressively exercise its oversight responsibility in an area that is undoubtedly crucial to our national security. This resurgence of meaningful interest in the Department of Energy's defense nuclear activities will have a lasting impact on the activity that has been entangled in a bureaucratic kudzu since its inception. But unfortunately, this bill does not provide relief for all of the challenges the NNSA faces. In light of the catastrophic events of September 11, I wish we could have provided additional resources to continue the development of technologies that would enhance our ability to detect the production, testing, transfer, or use of weapons of mass destruction. The administration's budget request severely reduces funding for nonproliferation research and development focused on enhancing essential domestic nonproliferation capabilities. It is an area where we can ill afford to lose any momentum. I hope that my colleagues will continue to seek additional resources for this area as we enter into conference with the Senate. Madam Chairman, I also want to note for the full House that the panel's accomplishments would not have been possible without the strong leadership of the panel chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Thornberry), and the support of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), the chairman of the full committee, and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), the ranking member, and the cooperation and support of our colleagues on the panel and on the full committee.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the leadership for allowing my amendment to be considered during the floor debate of the defense authorization bill. In January of this year, a bipartisan task force, chaired by former Senator Howard Baker and former White House Counsel Lloyd Cutler stated that the most urgent unmet national security threat to the United States is the danger that weapons of mass destruction in Russia can be stolen and sold to terrorists or hostile nations and used against American troops abroad or citizens at home. The report concluded that the national security benefits to the United States from securing or neutralizing the equivalent of more than 80,000 existing potential nuclear weapons would constitute the highest return on investment of any current U.S. national security defense program. To address this critically important concern, I am offering a simple amendment requiring the President to submit a strategic plan to Congress on how to dispose of excess nuclear material that Russia does not retain in its arsenal and to prevent the outflow from Russia of nuclear weapons expertise. I am offering this amendment because I believe it is critical that we have an overall strategic road map of how we plan to deal with the growing threat of weapons of mass destruction. The tragic events of last week make our nonproliferation programs even more important. If we can assure that excess nuclear material in Russia does not flow into the wrong hands, we can reduce the chances that a nuclear weapon used by a hostile state or a terrorist group can be used against us. I was pleased to work with the chairman, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Stump), and the ranking member, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Skelton), in crafting this amendment to ensure that its provisions would meet both the Democrats and Republicans concerns about national security. Mr. Chairman, I respectfully urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, like many of my colleagues, last night, in spite of the horror and terror of what happened yesterday, I went to bed knowing where my family, my immediate family, was and with a sense of relief. That is not true for many of the constituents in my District and in the Bay area, obviously the surviving families of the folks that were on the planes, the rescuers and the victims in New York, and the members of our military and the civilian employees at the Pentagon. Too many Americans last night went to bed not knowing where their families were. One of my constituents was on United Flight 93 from Boston, and he was able to call his family and tell them that he loved them. We offer the condolences to the Burnett family of San Ramon and the many other families in the Bay area, to be known, that we lost yesterday, great Americans, Americans to whom we pledge that we will not rest, we will not rest until we find the people that damaged the psyche and the hearts of the American people forever. We will not rest and we will find them and we will bring them to justice.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join Congressman Markey today in offering this important bill which I believe would take an important step toward making the world safer from the threat of accidental nuclear war. As you may know, Mr. Speaker, the United States and Russia maintain between them, over 4000 weapons on high alert. These weapons are capable of being launched in 3 to 15 minutes and have a combined destructive power nearly 100,000 times greater than the atomic bomb dropped over Hiroshima. Within a few minutes of receiving instructions to fire, American and Russian land-based rockets with over 3,000 warheads could begin their 25 minute flight to their targets. Less than 15 minutes after receiving their attack order, U.S. and Russian ballistic missile submarines could dispatch over 1,000 warheads. As you know Mr. Speaker, none of these missiles can be recalled or made to self-destruct. The Cold War is over but the dangers posed by nuclear weapons have increased because of the heightened risk of an attack resulting from accident, miscalculation or unauthorized use. Indeed, I have serious concerns about the steady deterioration of Russia's early warning and nuclear command systems. According to intelligence reports, critical electronic devices and computers sometimes switch to combat mode for no apparent reason. And many of the radars and satellites intended to detect a ballistic missile attack no longer operate. During the 2000 campaign, President Bush stated that the ``U.S. should remove as many weapons as possible from high-alert, hair-trigger status'' because an excess number ``on high-alert may create unacceptable risks of accidental or unauthorized launch''. This important bill would take a small but significant step toward reducing the risk of accidental nuclear conflict by de-alerting the 50 Peacekeeper Missiles. By building trust with the Russians and showing them we are serious about arms control, this measure is a serious and responsible investment in our country's security. In 1991, responding to the August Moscow coup, and along with START negotiations, President George Bush took 450 Minuteman II missiles and all strategic bombers off alert. In response, Russia announced the deactivation of 503 ICBMs and pledged to keep bombers at low readiness levels. Mr. Speaker, ten years later it is high time we do this again. Let's deactivate the MX Missiles and send the Russians the same message we did in 1991 that we are serious about reducing the threat of nuclear war.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I want to commend the gentleman from New York (Mr. Walsh) and the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan) for their hard work in putting this bill together. I rise for the purpose of engaging the distinguished chairman of the subcommittee in a colloquy. Given the subcommittee's overall funding allocation, the task of the chairman and the ranking member was a daunting one, to say the least. This bill funds many of our Nation's priorities: veterans, housing, the environment, FEMA, NASA, and science. Unfortunately, the subcommittee's overall allocation was too low to meet all of these priorities. One of those underfunded priorities in this bill is clean water. I was prepared to offer an amendment tonight to restore funding for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund back to its current-year level. Our country's water infrastructure and environmental needs are not diminishing. In fact, EPA's own estimates show that our local communities are facing a $330 billion gap in water infrastructure investments over the next 20 years. Now is not the time to reduce the Federal commitment to these communities. Mr. Chairman, the State Revolving Funds are an important financing tool that helps them meet their growing clean water needs. I want to commend NUCA, the American Oceans Campaign, the Sierra Club, NRDC, the League of Conservation Voters, and others for helping to highlight our country's environmental and infrastructure needs. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and his staff for agreeing to work to increase the overall funding for the Clean Water SRF as this bill goes to conference with the other body.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their leadership.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, last year I was a strong supporter of granting PNTR status to China and the opportunity for them to join the WTO. Today I rise in strong opposition to the resolution of disapproval for normal trade relations with China. Has China improved over the last year and have they become the kind of nation that we would believe would be the perfect trade partner for us? Have they shared our values of democracy and human rights? Have they worked toward improving the environment? No, they have not. But at the same time, I believe that former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was correct when she said that engagement with China is not endorsement. And having an opportunity to work with a China that is opening its markets, that is one that is part of the World Trade Organization, that is opportunistically working to open its markets with us and is also able to be subject to the adjudication of the World Trade Organization is somebody that I think is necessarily part of the world market. We have an opportunity to know that in this connection, trade is not always about economic and political freedom, but it certainly will help us to get to a place where China can move toward improving its human rights, and that is a very important opportunity for the working families of my district in California. Mr. Speaker, normal trade relations with China is good for businesses and for working families. I urge my colleagues to oppose the resolution disapproving normal trade relations with China because exposing the Chinese people to economic and political freedom is the best way to encourage change in that country.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in reluctant opposition to this amendment. Reluctant because I have been an outspoken critic of the President's budget, which made drastic cuts to COE's renewable energy programs. Programs that promote renewable energy technologies must be part of any comprehensive energy plan for our country. I am pleased that my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee have restored some of the funding to the renewable energy accounts, providing $1 million above last year's levels. Clearly more needs to be done. It is important to advance deployment of renewable technologies for applicable use in our homes and businesses and on our grids as soon as possible. But Mr. Chairman, I must oppose any attempt to defer fully funding our nuclear weapons programs while we wait for the Secretary of Defense's Strategic Review to be completed. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I can tell you that the Secretary has briefed me and my colleagues on the status of this Review, and based on these briefings, it is unclear when this Review will be completed. These programs are vital to our national security and can not afford to be underfunded or delayed until the Administration concludes its Review. And given some of the military needs identified in this year's supplemental appropriations bill, like training and readiness, military personnel quality of life issues, and advanced weapons systems; it is clear that the funding needs of our nuclear weapons programs at DOE next year must be maintained in this bill. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleague for yielding me this time. We can have our own opinion, but we cannot have our own separate set of facts; and the facts about the NIF are very clear. While there were significant production failures and management problems in the NIF in 1999, even into early 2000, that has been dramatically fixed by new management. And, frankly, we have not had any GAO reports saying anything other than that. These investments are critical to our stockpile stewardship program. They are critical to having an ability to certify the sustainability and the safety of these weapons. The NIF is a project that was plagued with problems; but even today, in the Subcommittee on Military Procurement, General Gordon, the administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, testified that the NIF is now problem free, it is a program that is going forward, that we have significant investment in, and it is critical to our ability to have a stockpile stewardship program that enables us to certify weapons without testing. So I think that while there are rumors out there that the NIF is still plagued with problems, I want to assure my colleagues that they need to vote down this amendment. I urge them to strongly oppose it. We need the NIF for stockpile stewardship, and we need it for nuclear security.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Callahan) for yielding the time to me. Mr. Chairman, I kind of feel like I am torn between two of my favorite things, as the ranking member on the panel to oversee the national nuclear security administration, I believe we should be investing more money in nonproliferation programs and counterproliferation programs. Obviously, as a Californian, I think it is very important that we work hard to make sure that we have strong energy policies and diversify our portfolio to make sure that we have renewables and alternatives to fossil fuels, but I cannot support this amendment, because we are taking very needed money and, frankly, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to vote against the Hinchey amendment

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition of the Kucinich-Lee amendment. As the mother of a 10-year-old, I share my colleagues' hope for a peaceful world free of nuclear weapons. I believe the United States should reduce the number of nuclear weapons we maintain, and I introduced legislation today with the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Spratt) calling on President Bush to do just that. I agree that funding for nonproliferation programs is well short of what is needed, but I also believe that, as long as this country relies on nuclear weapons as a central part of our national security strategy, we have a commitment to maintain them in a safe and reliable condition. Our best hope for maintaining the reliability of our nuclear weapons without testing is a robust Stockpile Stewardship program that includes the National Ignition Facility known as the NIF. The NIF is an essential component of our Stockpile Stewardship program because it will allow us to create conditions similar to those that exist within a nuclear explosion without actually conducting live tests of nuclear weapons. Tremendous progress has been made in constructing this facility. Since construction began, over $1 billion has been invested in the NIF, and more than 1,000 tons of equipment have been installed. The building housing the NIF is 98 percent complete, and 70 percent of the laser glass has been produced and meets specification. Mr. Chairman, we can ill afford to abandon the NIF at this critical juncture in the Stockpile Stewardship program. We must give the Nation's nuclear stewards the tools they need to maintain the safety, security and reliability of our Nation's nuclear deterrent. Finally, Mr. Chairman, I would like to submit for the Record a letter I received today from Ambassador Thomas Graham, who negotiated the nonproliferation treaty, expressing his support of the NIF. I would also like to direct the Record on quotes attributed to Dr. Edward Teller. Dr. Teller's quote is, ``I was misquoted giving the appearance I did not support this NIF project. It is necessary that I correct this completely wrong impression.'' I am for the NIF. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to strongly vote down this amendment. It will jeopardize our ability to have a safe and reliable and certifiable stockpile. Mr. Chairman, I include the following documents for the Record as follows: Lawyers Alliance for World Security Committee for National Security, Washington, DC, June 26, 2001. Hon. Ellen Tauscher, House of Representatives, 1122 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Tauscher, I am writing this letter to urge your support on a matter that I consider to be crucial to the continuing viability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and therefore to our national security. I believe that it is necessary that we maintain an effective and fully funded stockpile stewardship program, an important element of which is the National Ignition Facility. Specifically, the stockpile stewardship program is the underpinning for our current moratorium on nuclear testing and will provide the conditions for Senate reconsideration of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. I am not a new supporter of NIF. I supported it when I was in charge of the U.S. worldwide efforts to extend the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and I supported it when, after the 1995 Conference which permanently extended the NPT, I urged negotiation of a zero-yield CTBT. I supported it despite earlier concerns about cost, management and technical problems, concerns that were well justified. And while there continue to be some problems in these respects, I am confident that under General Gordon's leadership the NNSA will successfully correct the situation and complete this much needed element of our effort to maintain a safe and reliable nuclear deterrent without underground testing. I strongly urge you to support the full NNSA request for the NIF project in FY2002. I recognize that President Bush has indicated he does not support a CTBT at this time, a view with which I respectfully disagree. Nevertheless, he has given his full support to a continuing moratorium on nuclear testing. Thus, we need a full commitment to an effective and successful stockpile stewardship program. Without a doubt, a significant part of the reason the Senate voted against ratification of the test ban treaty in 1999 was a failure on the part of CTBT advocates to convince enough senators that stockpile stewardship works. A successful NIF, which will perform key scientific experiments and is crucial to efforts to attract the quality personnel required to permit the labs to fill their stewardship missions, would help remedy this misperception in the future. Conversely, failure to support NIF will undoubtedly undermine the stockpile stewardship program and, as a result, the U.S. testing moratorium and future CTBT ratification efforts. While some critics of the NIF correctly assert that other elements of the stockpile stewardship program need additional funding, the answer is not to take funds from one part of the program to fix another but rather to provide sufficient resources for a fully effective program. When this issue is considered in committee later this year. I urge you to continue your support for the National Ignition Facility and the stockpile stewardship program. We have come too far, and have too far to go, to falter now. Sincerely, Thomas Graham, Jr.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I would also like to join my esteemed colleague from New York (Mr. McHugh), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel, in commending my colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), for his thoughtfulness today. This is a terrible day, a terrible anniversary, because 5 years ago today on June 25, 1996, a truck bomb exploded outside the fence around the Khobar Towers compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The bomb, estimated at more than 3,000 pounds, detonated about 85 feet from a residential unit housing U.S. troops, killing 19 American servicemen and wounded hundreds of other people. The force of the explosion destroyed or damaged six high-rise apartment buildings and shattered windows throughout the residential compound. What is more, this attack demolished the illusion that American military posted in Saudi Arabia were immune from the terrorism that has plagued the rest of this very volatile region. It was a tragic and painful reminder of the risks our servicemen and women confront to protect the peace and American interests abroad. As we honor the 19 airmen who gave their lives in Saudi Arabia, we need to remember that they did not die in vain. As a result, we are developing new ways to protect our military forces in the post-Cold War geopolitical environment. We now understand that this means deploying U.S. forces to promote stability in new and unfamiliar areas. And we have to pay more attention than ever before to the security conditions under which our troops are deployed. Madam Speaker, a few days ago 14 Middle Easterners were indicted for this horrific act. I share a common sentiment with my colleagues and the rest of America that we regret it took so long to bring the indictments in this case. I know that we look forward to completing the court proceedings so the families of the heroes we honor today may begin to have a sense of closure. Madam Speaker, our action on this resolution today is a message to those who died, their family members, our Nation and the rest of the world, that we honor the sacrifices of these 19 servicemen and the families they left behind. They served with the highest and best military traditions. No one could have served better or given more. I thank the gentleman from New York (Chairman McHugh) and the House leadership for bringing this important issue to the floor. I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 161. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 161. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of Dr. Jay Davis, the first Director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, more commonly known as ``DTRA.'' Jay completes his tenure as the Director on June 21, 2001 and will be returning to Lawrence Livermore Laboratory. Three years ago, the Department of Defense recognized the need to establish an agency to respond to the growing threat posed by the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons--so called ``weapons of mass destruction'' or ``WMD.'' In October 1998, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency was established to integrate and focus the capabilities of the Department on the present and future WMD threat. The agency needed a director and the Department reached out to Jay Davis to establish the Agency, provide its vision, and make it a rapid success. Jay was the perfect choice for this assignment. He had spent the majority of his career at Lawrence Livermore Labs. A nuclear physicist, he has worked as a research scientist and an engineering manager, leading the design and construction of several unique accelerator facilities for basic and applied research. Most recently, he was the Director, Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. He also brought extensive management experience in mergers, restructuring, and change management in organizations as well as project and operations management. His research interests also include treaty verification and nonproliferation technologies, and the design of research and development collaborations. Jay has also served as a scientific advisor to the United Nations Secretariat, several US agencies, and to the scientific agencies of the governments of Australia and New Zealand. He participated in two United Nations inspections of Iraq as an expert on mass spectrometer and construction techniques. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts Degree, both in Physics, from the University of Texas, and a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Wisconsin. Prior to joining Lawrence Livermore, he was an Atomic Energy Commission Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and was one of its Centennial Lecturers in its 100th Anniversary Year. The author of more than seventy published works in his discipline, he also holds three patents on analytical techniques and applications. During his three years at DTRA, Jay created an agency that is widely respected for the unique perspectives and capabilities it offers. Today, DTRA performs many important Jay has twice been awarded the Distinguished Public Service Medal by the Secretary of Defense, DoD's highest civilian award, for his contributions to national security. He and his wife Mary soon will return to the good life of the Livermore valley. I am happy to report that the nation will not lose his services, however. Effective July 1, 2001, Jay will return to Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to become the first National Security Fellow at the Lab's Center for Global Security Research. In this new position, Jay will do what he does best--bringing together scientists and technologists with policy analysts to study ways in which technology can enhance national security. I congratulate Jay on all his accomplishments at DTRA and wish him the best in his future endeavors at Lawrence Livermore Lab.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Democratic budget alternative. The Democratic budget provides a more realistic level of funding for our Nation's immediate defense needs. If we do not increase the amount of money we spend on our military now, Navy pilots will not have enough fuel to conduct flight tests, the Army will not have enough ammunition for training, and all branches of the military will face a shortage of spare parts. These shortages will have a real and lasting effect on the readiness of our Nation's military. President Bush promised to improve the quality of life for our men and women in the military, but the Republican budget resolution fails to fund those priorities. However, the Democratic budget alternative provides for a fiscal year 2001 supplemental appropriations bill totaling $7.8 billion to immediately address these needs. I urge my colleagues to do the right thing for national security and vote for the Democratic budget alternative.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the American Chemical Society and its more than 163,000 members on their remarkable achievements in chemistry throughout history. ACS was founded 125 years ago. In 1937, Congress charged ACS with advancing the chemical sciences and to promote research, education, and high standards of professional ethics. ACS members have played key roles in expanding the frontiers of knowledge, advancing medicine and industry, and creating products--from aspirin to the Hula Hoop. Advances in the sciences have given us limitless possibilities to increase our knowledge, to share new discoveries, and to make life better for people across our country and around the world. Chemistry contributes to the safety and quality of our food, the fuel-efficiency of our cars, the speed of our computers, and the effectiveness of our medicines and vaccines. Those achievements wouldn't be possible without the vision and innovation of scientists and engineers. We must do a better job teaching our children science and mathematics and motivating them to choose careers in these fields. The workforce of the future must be ready to tackle the complex challenges of an increasingly global society. ACS members are passionate about their mission to help educate Americans in science and technology and introduce everyone--young and old--to the wonders of scientific discovery. The members of ACS, the world's largest scientific society, will continue to be in the forefront of research and development and science education in a challenging new century. America will benefit from their new discoveries and advances in technology. I join Americans and all people across the globe in celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of the American Chemical Society and its members on its 125th anniversary.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong opposition to this rule. Yesterday, I offered an amendment to add a trigger mechanism, or a safety valve, to the President's rate-reduction plan. Under my amendment, the safety valve would only be triggered if the Treasury Secretary determines that we are financing tax cuts with the Social Security and Medicare trust funds. My amendment was rejected. If bringing this bill to the floor is a litmus test on uniting instead of dividing, the Republican leadership has failed. President Bush pledged to change the tone in Washington; yet his own party is using its narrow majority to stifle bipartisanship. The American people have worked hard and deserve real tax relief. Let us not squander this opportunity to give it to them by playing partisan politics. I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to join my colleagues in highlighting some important aspects of the Public Education Reinvestment Reinvention and Responsibility Act. This legislation, often referred to as the Three R's, would refocus our national education policy by giving school districts the money and local control they need to improve. And, it demands that they get results. This bill is the way to help American public schools be a true path to equal opportunity for all students by closing the achievement gap; improving teacher quality; helping immigrant students master English; promoting public school choice; and stimulating local initiatives. It will increase public education funding by $35 billion in the next five years and let local schools spend more time with our children, rather than wasting time applying for the same grants year after year by consolidating about 50 federal programs into 5 performance-based grants. This new process would ensure a strong stream of funding with fewer strings attached. In exchange for this increased investment and fewer strings, states and schools would be held accountable for results. Although increased funding is a critical component to reform, it is not the only one. If we expect states to meet high standards for students, we must give them broad flexibility and strong incentives to try bold new ideas--returning the power to decide how to best educate our children to the teachers who spend the most time with them. Because education should be a national obsession, as well as a local possession.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a very special leader in my district. Timothy P. Ryan has served the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District for over two decades. Mr. Ryan has successfully worked for the betterment of the entire school community as President of the Livermore Board of Trustees, Board Clerk, member of President of the Alameda County School Boards Association, member and President of the Tri-Valley Special Education Local Plan Area Board, and the Regional Occupational Program Board. Timothy Ryan has served admirably as a leader and advocate for our children and our community. He has helped Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District through some of the most difficult times. Mr. Ryan has proven to be an effective member of the Board, always seeking resolution to Board differences by discovering the wide areas of agreement. His fairness and his Irish humor continues to win over groups. I take great pride in honoring Timothy P. Ryan's dedication and leadership. His hard work has improved the opportunities for all students throughout the District. Under his direction, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District has served as a model for schools in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties and throughout the State of California. I believe that school districts across the country should follow Timothy Ryan's example and take the opportunity to learn from his successful and innovative ways.

Mrs. TAUSCHER

Mrs. TAUSCHER. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Lawrence D. Dahms, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in the San Francisco Bay Area, who will be retiring at the end of this year. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) was created in 1970 to provide transportation planning for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area. MTC is the designated federal Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area, and is charged with disbursing federal, state and regional transportation revenues in the region. The retirement of Lawrence D. Dahms is a severe loss to the Bay Area community. Lawrence D. Dahms has served as MTC's executive director since 1977. In both his 23 years at MTC and in an earlier six-year stint at the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART), Larry spearheaded the successful effort to extend BART to San Francisco International Airport. His many accomplishments also include a pivotal role in negotiating the San Francisco Bay Area Regional Rail Agreement, known as MTC Resolution No. 1876. This became the basis for securing federal funding for BART to San Francisco International Airport and the Tasman light-rail extension in Silicon Valley, as well as state and local funding for East Bay BART extensions to Dublin and Bay Point. In addition to his regional impact, Larry was a leader on the national stage in developing and advocating the landmark 1991 federal Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). This ushered in a new era in federal transportation policy by giving states and localities greater responsibility and flexibility in the investment of federal dollars. Larry continued his involvement as he advocated for the passage of ISTEA's successor, the 1998 Transportation Equity Act for the Twenty First Century (TEA-21), which consolidated that policy shift and dramatically increased funding levels. Larry took the lead in implementing this new federal policy at the local level by establishing the Bay Area Partnership to foster multimodal decision-making and coalition building, in the process creating a trail-blazing MPO that is a model for the nation. I, as well as the Bay Area Congressional Delegation, wish Mr. Dahms our most sincere thanks for his accomplishments. We greatly appreciate his achievements on behalf of the past, current and the future residents of our region. We wish him well in all his future professional and personal endeavors.